Aircraft arresting apparatus

Claim 2

In an aircraft arresting apparatus having reel means rotatably mounted on a substantially vertical axis, flat elongated tape means having first and second ends, said first end being connected with said reel means and said tape being wound thereon in layer-by-layer convolutions, said tape having opposite flat faces, a thickness dimension and a width dimension many times greater than said thickness dimension, pendant means connected with said second end of said tape, said tape extending from said reel means with said width dimension lying in a substantially vertical plane, lead-off sheave means positioned closely adjacent said reel means on a substantially vertical axis, said tape extending directly from said reel means to said sheave means with at least one of said flat faces of said tape contacting said sheave means, runway edge sheave means spaced from said sheave means, said tape extending directly from said sheave means to said runway edge sheave means and having at least one of said flat faces in contact with said runway edge sheave means, said runway edge sheave means being spaced from said sheave means a substantially greater distance than the distance between said sheave means and said reel means, holding means for holding said reel means against rotation with a first portion of said tape stretched under predetermined tension between said runway edge sheave means and said sheave means and with a second portion of said tape stretched under predetermined tension between said sheave means and said reel means, said pendant means being engageable by an aircraft to place said pendant and said first portion of said tape under impact tension substantially greater than said predetermined tension and produce oscillations in said first portion of said tape parallel to said width dimension, said oscillations tending to cause said second portion of said tape to oscillate, said tape being under arresting tension as said reel means rotates and said tape uncoils therefrom during arrestment of an aircraft, said tape being engaged with said sheave means under a resultant normal force produced by said tension in said tape, said resultant normal force produced by said tension in said tape, said resultant normal force being proportional to said tension in said tape, said sheave means being positioned relative to said reel means to maintain said flat face of said tape in engagement with said sheave means over an arc of at least 90* throughout at least a dynamic region of an arrestment cycle, and said predetermined tension and said arresting tension maintaining said resultant normal force great enough to prevent oscillations in said first portion of said tape from being transmitted past said sheave means to said second portion of said tape during initial engagement of an aircraft with said pendant and throughout at least a dynamic region of an arrestment cycle.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein said reel means has a peripheral edge and said sheave means is positioned not greater than three feet from said peripheral edge.

Claim 4

The device of claim 2 wherein said sheave means includes at least two sheaves and each of said flat faces of said tape is in contact with one of said two sheaves.

Claim 5

An aircraft arresting apparatus having reel means rotatably mounted on a subStantially vertical axis, flat elongated tape means having first and second ends and opposite flat faces, one of said ends of said tape means being connected with said reel means, said reel means being rotatable in a first direction to coil said tape thereon in layer-by-layer convolutions and in a second opposite direction to uncoil said tape therefrom, sheave means positioned closely adjacent said reel means on a vertical axis, said tape means extending directly from said reel means to said sheave means with at least one of said flat faces contacting said sheave means, runway edge sheave means spaced from said sheave means, said tape extending directly from said sheave means to said runway edge sheave means and having at least one of said flat faces in contact with said runway edge sheave means, said runway edge sheave means being spaced from said sheave means a substantially greater distance than the distance between said sheave means and said reel means, said sheave means being located relative to said reel means to maintain said flat face in contact with said sheave means over an arc of at least 90* during both coiling and uncoiling movement of said tape.

Claim 6

An aircraft arresting apparatus having reel means rotatably mounted on a subStantially vertical axis, flat elongated tape means having first and second ends and opposite flat faces, one of said ends of said tape means being connected with said reel means, said reel means being rotatable in a first direction to coil said tape thereon in layer-by-layer convolutions and in a second opposite direction to uncoil said tape therefrom, sheave means positioned closely adjacent said reel means on a vertical axis, said tape means extending directly from said reel means to said sheave means with at least one of said flat faces contacting said sheave means, runway edge sheave means spaced from said sheave means, said tape extending directly from said sheave means to said runway edge sheave means and having at least one of said flat faces in contact with said runway edge sheave means, said runway edge sheave means being spaced from said sheave means a substantially greater distance than the distance between said sheave means and said reel means, said sheave means being located relative to said reel means to maintain said flat face in contact with said sheave means over an arc of at least 90* during both coiling and uncoiling movement of said tape.

Claim 7

The device of claim 4 wherein said sheave means comprises at least two sheaves positioned closely adjacent one another and each of said flat faces is in contact with one of said two sheaves.

Claim 8

The device of claim 5 wherein said tape is reversely curved in passing over said sheaves.

Claim 9

The device of claim 4 wherein said sheave means and reel means are mounted on a common base.

Claim 10

The device of claim 7 wherein said reel means has an outer peripheral edge and said sheave means is positioned not greater than three feet from said peripheral edge.

Claim 11

The device of claim 4 wherein said reel means has an outer peripheral edge and said sheave means is positioned not greater than three feet from said peripheral edge.

Claim 12

Aircraft arresting apparatus including a pair of energy absorber units mounted on opposite sides of an aircraft runway, said energy absorber units being substantially identical and comprising; reel means rotatably mounted on a substantially vertical axis, flat elongated tape means having first and second ends, said first end being connected with said reel means and said tape being wound thereon in layer-by-layer convolutions, said tape having opposite flat faces, a thickness dimension and a width dimension many times greater than said thickness dimension, pendant means connected with said second end of said tape, said tape extending from said reel means with said width dimension lying in a substantially vertical plane, lead-off sheave means positioned closely adjacent said reel means on a substantially vertical axis, said tape extending directly from said reel means to said sheave means with at least one of said flat faces of said tape contacting said sheave means, runway edge sheave means spaced from said sheave means, said tape extending directly from said sheave means to said runway edge sheave means and having at least one of said flat faces in contact with said runway edge sheave means, said runway edge sheave means being spaced from said sheave means a substantially greater distance than the distance between said sheave means and said reel means, holding means for holding said reel means against rotation with a first portion of said tape stretched under predetermined tension between said pendant and said sheave means and with a second portion of said tape stretched under predetermined tension between said sheave means and said reel means, said pendant means being engageable by an aircraft to place said pendant and said first portion of said tape under impact tension substantially greater than said predetermined tension and produce oscillations in said first portion of said tape parallel to said width dimension, said oscillations tending to cause said second portion of said tape to oscillate, said tape being under arresting tension as said reel means rotates and said tape uncoils thErefrom during arrestment of an aircraft, said tape being engaged with said sheave means under a resultant normal force produced by said tension in said tape, said resultant normal force being proportional to said tension in said tape, said sheave means being positioned relative to said reel means to maintain said flat face of said tape in engagement with said sheave means over an arc of at least 90* throughout at least a dynamic region of an arrestment cycle, and said predetermined tension and said arresting tension maintaining said resultant normal force great enough to prevent oscillations in said first portion of said tape from being transmitted past said sheave means to said second portion of said tape during initial engagement of an aircraft with said pendant and throughout at least a dynamic region of an arrestment cycle, said reel means on said pair of energy absorber units being rotatable in a common direction to uncoil said tape means therefrom and being rotatable in an opposite common direction for coiling said tape means thereon.

Claim 13

Aircraft arresting apparatus including a pair of energy absorber units mounted on opposite sides of an aircraft runway, said energy absorber units being substantially identical and comprising; reel means rotatably mounted on a substantially vertical axis, flat elongated tape means having first and second ends, said first end being connected with said reel means and said tape being wound thereon in layer-by-layer convolutions, said tape having opposite flat faces, a thickness dimension and a width dimension many times greater than said thickness dimension, pendant means connected with said second end of said tape, said tape extending from said reel means with said width dimension lying in a substantially vertical plane, lead-off sheave means positioned closely adjacent said reel means on a substantially vertical axis, said tape extending directly from said reel means to said sheave means with at least one of said flat faces of said tape contacting said sheave means, runway edge sheave means spaced from said sheave means, said tape extending directly from said sheave means to said runway edge sheave means and having at least one of said flat faces in contact with said runway edge sheave means, said runway edge sheave means being spaced from said sheave means a substantially greater distance than the distance between said sheave means and said reel means, holding means for holding said reel means against rotation with a first portion of said tape stretched under predetermined tension between said pendant and said sheave means and with a second portion of said tape stretched under predetermined tension between said sheave means and said reel means, said pendant means being engageable by an aircraft to place said pendant and said first portion of said tape under impact tension substantially greater than said predetermined tension and produce oscillations in said first portion of said tape parallel to said width dimension, said oscillations tending to cause said second portion of said tape to oscillate, said tape being under arresting tension as said reel means rotates and said tape uncoils thErefrom during arrestment of an aircraft, said tape being engaged with said sheave means under a resultant normal force produced by said tension in said tape, said resultant normal force being proportional to said tension in said tape, said sheave means being positioned relative to said reel means to maintain said flat face of said tape in engagement with said sheave means over an arc of at least 90* throughout at least a dynamic region of an arrestment cycle, and said predetermined tension and said arresting tension maintaining said resultant normal force great enough to prevent oscillations in said first portion of said tape from being transmitted past said sheave means to said second portion of said tape during initial engagement of an aircraft with said pendant and throughout at least a dynamic region of an arrestment cycle, said reel means on said pair of energy absorber units being rotatable in a common direction to uncoil said tape means therefrom and being rotatable in an opposite common direction for coiling said tape means thereon.

Claim 14

The device of claim 10 wherein reel means and sheave means for each of said energy absorber units are mounted on a common base.

Claim 15

The device of claim 11 wherein each of said reel means includes an outer peripheral edge and said sheave means is positioned not greater than 3 feet from said peripheral edge.