Loading bridge structure

Claim 2

An aircraft loading bridge structure for use in providing access between an aircraft and a terminal said bridge structure including an elongated loading bridge and a drive means connected to said bridge for rotating said bridge horizontally and vertically with respect to the terminal, in which the improvement comprises: a rotunda support, a secondary support, vertical axis pivot means mounting said secondary support on said rotunda support for rotation in a horizontal plane, a rotunda structure concentric with said vertical axis pivot means, horizontal axis pivot means mounting said rotunda structure on said secondary support for rotation in a vertical plane, said rotunda structure being rigidly connected to the terminal end of said bridge whereby any rotation of said bridge in either a horizontal or vertical plane is transmitted in full to said rotunda structure in order to rotate said rotunda structure correspondingly relative to said rotunda support and the terminal, said horizontal axis pivot means extending transversely of said bridge and being offset radially of said rotunda structure from said vertical axis pivot means in the opposite dirEction from the connection of said rotunda structure to said bridge whereby to maximize the effective length of the bridge structure in proportion to its over-all length and thereby minimize its slope.

Claim 3

An aircraft loading bridge structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said bridge includes a top and a bottom and said rotunda structure includes a top and a bottom, said top of said rotunda structure being rigidly connected to said top of said bridge so as to constitute an extension of the top of said bridge, said bottom of said rotunda structure being connected to said bottom of said bridge so as to constitute an extension of the bottom of said bridge.

Claim 4

An aircraft loading bridge structure for use in providing access between an aircraft and a terminal, said bridge structure including an elongated loading bridge and a drive means connected to said bridge for rotating said bridge horizontally and vertically with respect to the terminal, in which the improvement comprises: a rotunda support, a secondary support, vertical axis pivot means mounting said secondary support on said rotunda support for rotation in a horizontal plane, a rotunda structure concentric with said vertical axis pivot means, horizontal axis pivot means mounting said rotunda structure on said secondary support for rotation in a vertical plane, said rotunda structure being rigidly connected to the terminal end of said bridge whereby any rotation of said bridge in either a horizontal or vertical plane is transmitted in full to said rotunda structure in order to rotate said rotunda structure correspondingly relative to said rotunda support and the terminal, said bridge including a top and a bottom and said rotunda structure including a top and a bottom, said top of said rotunda structure being rigidly connected to said top of said bridge so as to constitute an extension of the top of said bridge, said bottom of said rotunda structure being rigidly connected to said bottom of said bridge so as to constitute an extension of the bottom of said bridge, said rotunda structure including a door frame, means mounting said door frame on said top and said bottom of said rotunda structure for movement along the peripheries of said top and said bottom of said rotunda structure, said rotunda structure also including closure means for enclosing the interior of said rotunda attached to said door frame and extending around the periphery of said rotunda structure between said top and said bottom of said rotunda structure.

Claim 5

An aircraft loading bridge structure for use in providing access between an aircraft and a terminal, said bridge structure including an elongated loading bridge and a drive means connected to said bridge for rotating said bridge horizontally and vertically with respect to the terminal, in which the improvement comprises: a rotunda support, a secondary support, vertical axis pivot means mounting said secondary support on said rotunda support for rotation in a horizontal plane, a rotunda structure concentric with said vertical axis pivot means, horizontal axis pivot means mounting said rotunda structure on said secondary support for rotation in a vertical plane, said rotunda structure being rigidly connected to the terminal end of said bridge whereby any rotation of said bridge in either a horizontal or vertical plane is transmitted in full to said rotunda structure in order to rotate said rotunda structure correspondingly relative to said rotunda support and the terminal, said bridge including a top and a bottom and said rotunda structure including a top and a bottom, said top of said rotunda structure being rigidly connected to said top of said bridge so as to constitute an extension of the top of said bridge, said bottom of said rotunda structure being rigidly connected to said bottom of said bridge so as to constitute an extension of the bottom of said bridge, said rotunda structure including a door frame, means mounting said door frame on said top and said bottom of said rotunda structure for movement along the peripheries of said top and said bottom of said rotunda structure, said rotunda structure also including closure means for enclosing the interior of said rotunda attached to said door frame and extending around the periphery of said rotunda structure between said top and said bottom of said rotunda structure.

Claim 6

An aircraft loading bridge structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein: said closure means comprises curtain means and support means for supporting said curtain means attached to said curtain means, said rotunda structure further includes track means extending around the periphery of said rotunda from one side of said loading bridge to the other side of said loading bridge, support means engaged with said track means for guidingly supporting said curtain means from said track means whereby to permit rotation of said bridge structure in a horizontal plane and said door frame is supported by said track means for movement therealong with respect to said top and said bottom of said rotunda structure whereby to be capable of remaining stationary during rotation of said bridge structure in a horizontal plane. 5. An aircraft loading bridge structure as claimed in claim 4 wherein: the length of said curtain means is fixed, said track means extend from said rotunda structure along the sides of said loading bridge, whereby said curtain means may be supported by portions of said track means along the sides of said bridge during rotation of said bridge in a horizontal plane.

Claim 7

An aircraft loading bridge structure as claimed in claim 3 including: means for holding said door frame against horizontal rotation with said rotunda.

Claim 8

An aircraft loading bridge structure as claimed in claim 3 including: walkway means for prOviding a walkway from said terminal into said rotunda structure, said walkway means extending from said terminal and engaging said door frame whereby to prevent rotation of said door frame in a horizontal plane.

Claim 9

An aircraft loading bridge structure as claimed in claim 7 wherein: said walkway means includes a plurality of separate elements, means pivotally mounting each of said elements for vertical rotation relative to said terminal, each of said elements includes a sloping surface, and said door frame includes a deflecting member, said deflecting member having a sloping surface engaged by said sloping surfaces of said separate elements, the engagement between said separate elements and said deflecting member serving to position said separate elements whereby to provide a walkway into said rotunda structure through said door frame in all positions of said rotunda structure.

Claim 10

An aircraft loading bridge structure as claimed in claim 8 including: flexible carpet means for providing a walking surface located on the tops of said separate elements, said flexible carpet means providing a smooth, continuous surface into said rotunda structure in various positions of said rotunda structure.

Claim 11

An aircraft loading bridge structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein: said closure means comprises curtain means and support means for supporting said curtain means attached to said curtain means, said rotunda structure further includes track means extending around the periphery of said rotunda from one side of said loading bridge to the other side of said loading bridge, said support means engages said track means to support said curtain means from said track means and permit rotation of said bridge structure in a horizontal plane, said door frame is supported by said track means for movement with respect to said top and said bottom of said rotunda structure whereby to be capable of remaining stationary during rotation of said bridge structure in a horizontal plane, and there is walkway means for providing a walkway from said terminal into said rotunda structure, said walkway means extending from said terminal and engaging said door frame whereby to prevent rotation of said door frame in a horizontal plane.

Claim 12

An aircraft loading bridge structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein: said rotunda structure also includes means for holding said door frame against horizontal rotation with said rotunda, and means connecting said door frame with said terminal, said horizontal axis pivot means being adjacent to said terminal and said means connecting said door frame with said terminal.

Claim 13

An aircraft loading bridge structure as claimed in claim 11 wherein: said means connecting said door frame with said terminal and said means for holding said door frame includes, walkway means for providing a walkway from said terminal into said rotunda structure, said walkway means extending from said terminal and engaging said door frame whereby prevent rotation of said door frame in a horizontal plane, and a second closure means for providing an enclosed passage between said terminal and the interior of said rotunda structure through said door frame.

Claim 14

An aircraft loading bridge structure as claimed in claim 12 wherein: said second closure means is a bellows type closure extending above said walkway means.