Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
;`3~
1 BACKG~OUND OF T~E INVENTION:
The invention relates to a cargo handling system for
"below~the-floor" compartments for example in large
aircraft for the loading and unloading with containers
and palletized loads. Such systems comprise installed
roller conveyors, ball bearing mats, bearing rollers
and braking rollers, and the associated driving means.
All types of loads will be referred to as load items
herein.
Cargo loading systems d~signed for a fully automatic
operation are known as such These conventional car~o
loading systems in the below-the-floor compartments of
large aircxat are constructed for a single -type of
loading and securing and leave no opportunity to adapt
the loading system to special requirements or to carry
out the loading in a given time wi~hout ~reat expense.
Further~ore, known systems have the disadvantage, -that
they are relatively complicated to operate; and they are,
with regard to construction and arrangement, rather
troublesome, because of their complexity. In addition,
there are no on-board weighing devices associa-ted with
these systems, so that an optimal determination of the
center of gravity of the large capacity aircraft is not
possible.
OBJECTS OF TME INVENTION:
In view of the above it is the aim of the invention to
achieve the ~ollowing objects singly or in combination:
1~ ~
-- 2 ~
1 to avoid the above disadvantages of the prior
art, more specificallyJ to provide a cargo loading and
unloading system for below-the-floor cargo compartments
in large capacity aircrat or the loading of containers
and palletsl which system includes installed roller con-
veyors, ball bearing mats, support rollers and braking
rollers, and the assoc.iated driving means, whereby the
system shall be manually operable, while simultaneously
being convertible for semiautomatic or fully automatic
operation by means of a selective coordination of elec-
trical and electronic components, whereby the construction
and function o~ the mechanical locking components shall
remain unchanged;
to operatively combine the electrical components
with the mechanical locking members;
to construct all locking members so that they
may be operated by a foot pedal or the like;
to combine an on-board weighiny apparatus with
the loading system;
to control each locking member by a respective
solenoid wherein the release of the locking member is
accomplished by the cargo carrier itself, and, if desired,
the locked position is indicated by visible and/or acous-
tical means with the aid of light barriers and limit
switches of a control device;
3~
1 to arrange a weighiny apparatus including weight
sensors in the region of the ball bearing mats whereby the
weighing apparatus is operatively connected to said ball
bearing matsi
to provide a control panel or unit for the semi-
automatic or fully automatic loading system, with push
buttons and multi-position s~itches;
to construct the control panel or unit so that a
computer or microprocessor is detachably associated with
the control panel or unit in a plug-in manner;
to construct the loading door locking means as
longitudi~al guide membexs and as a safety-device against
roll-out;
. to use in~ra-red light barriers (20) which
switch without a reflecting mirror;
to provide a cargo handling system ~or large
capacity airc~a~t car~o compartments and similar longi-
tudinal or elongate cargo compartments which have a
loading door at the side and at one end, more specifically,
the present system shall be robust and fully compatable
with rough cargo handling conditions;
to provide a cargo loading and unloading system
for elongate cargo compartments equipped with antifriction
bearing means for the con~eying of containers and pallet-
ized loads during the loading and unloading process and
~3~
1 which also prevents the rolling back of the containers
and pallets and constrains movement of the loads when
they have been conveyed to the desired intermediate and
final pos.itions in the cargo compartment;
to permit the use o omni-directional anti-
friction bearing means and the handling of containers
and pallets upon entry through the loading door so that
the unit loads can be arranged in position for longitudi-
nal con~eyance into multiple rows and so that half load
containers can be similarly positioned in longitudinal
rows along the length of the cargo compartments; and
to provide a flexible and adaptable cargo
handling system, particularly suitable for the require-
ments o~ large aircrat cargo compartments for an optimal
arxan~ement and positioning o$ containers and palletized
loads in a safe manner and with an optimal wei~ht dis-
tribution relative to the center of gravity determinat:ion
of an aircraft.
SUMMARY O~ THE INUENTION:
According to the present invention there is provided a
cargo handling system suitable for loading and unloading
containers and palletized loads in large, longitudinally
extending cargo compartments defined by longitudinally
extending base and side walls, end walls, and a loading
door in a side wall of the elongate cargo compartment.
A plurality of roller conveyors, ball bearing mats are
mounted alon~ the base of the cargo compartment for
1 longitudinally conveying of containers and palletized loads
along the length of the cargo compartment. The roller con-
veyors or ball mats assure a low friction conveying of the
loads. Braking rollers prevent the rolling back of a
load item during loading. While the roller conveyors per-
mit longitudinal motion of containers and loads, a ball
bearing mat is mounted on the base of the cargo compart-
ment at the end in the loading door region and is adapted
for support and movement of the cargo in all directions
during loading. Thus, the ball hearing mat permits low
fxiction cross~ise entry of containers and pallets through
the loading door and then movement in a longitudinal direc-
tion to the roller conveyor ~or positioning in one or more
rows along the length of the cargo compartment.
In the pre~erred embodiment the invention provides a
pluralit~ of roll-over container guiding and locking
mechanisms distributed and mounted along the base and
side walls of the cargo compartment and also around the
sides and threshold of the loading door. These roll-over
container guiding and locking members are constructed and
arranged for operation according to two modes. One mode
is a roll-over mode for low friction support and guiding
of a load item during the loading operation. The second
mode is a locking mode for preventing a load item from
rolling back during the loading operation and for con-
straining motion of the loads when they have been posi-
tioned at desired intermediate and final locations in
the cargo compartment.
-- 6 --
~3t~
1 The invention also provides means for selectively actuating
a plurality of said roll-over container guiding and locking
mechanisms between the locking and roll-over modes during
the loading operation.
~ccording to one aspect of ~he invention, selective actu-
ation of the roll-over container guiding and locking
mechanisms between the locking and roll-over modes is
achieved manually or by a ~oot operated mechanism. Further-
more, the guiding and locking mechanisms are construc-ted
for actuation into one or the other mode b~ a load item
passing over or passing by the guiding and locking mechanism.
The lo~ friction guiding and locking mechanism may also be
controlled automatically and semiautomaticall~ as hereaEter
described.
For a semiautoma-tic operation of the cargo handling system,
electric drive means are mounted in the base of a cargo
compartment. Some of the drive means are oriented for an
automated crosswise conveyin~ of a load item across the end
of the cargo compartment at the loading door. Other elec-
tric drives are oriented for an automated longitudinalconveying of a load item along the length of a-cargo com-
partment.
For the fully automatic operation of the cargo handling
system, control means are responsive to a load item at
the loading door or in other positions in the cargo com-
partment for selectively actuating or deactivating the
various electric drive means distributed along the base
of the cargo compartment or an automatic crosswise and
`~:
-- 7 --
`3~
1 longitudinal conveyance o~ a load item into rows and along
the length of the cargo compartment to desired locations.
Another aspect of the fully automatic cargo handling system
is the automatic control in response to positions of a load
item relative to selected ones o~ the roll-over guiding and
locking mechanisms for controlling the operation in either
the roll-over mode or the lockin~ mode. Thus, either a low
friction support and a passage of a load item to desired
intermediate and final positions or a locking and constrain-
ing o~ the movement of the load item once they have beenplaced in the desired intermediate or final position is
automatically selected. Such automatic sensing and control
o~ the electric drive means in the base of the cargo com-
partment and of selected ones of the roll~over container
guiding and loc]si~g mechanisms is achieved according to
one examp~e, by the use o~ light barriers and light actu-
ated control means.
The invention provides several embodiments for the roll-over
container guiding and locking mechanism. These roll-over
container guiding and locking mechanisms which are dis-
tributed around the base side walls, end wall, and cargo
loading door of the cargo c4mpartment, may be divided into
a number of cate~ories according to the varying structure
and function required at the different locations of the
cargo compartment. Thus, side entry guiding and locking
means axe positioned at the sides of the loading door and
end wall of the cargo compartment adjacent to the loading
door to facilitatç mov~ment of a load item with low
friction during loading through the door, whereby locking
structures are actuated after the loading is completed to
3~
1 restrict movement of a load item. Further roll-over con-
tainer guiding and locking means are also secured along
the longitudinal side walls of a cargo compartment, and
down the center o~ the compartment when a multiple row
arrangemant of the load items is utilized, ~or low friction
suppoxting and guiding ~f cargo along the compartment rows
in the roll-over mode during longitudinal conveyance and
for restricting the movement of cargo in the locking mode.
Still further guiding and locking means are positioned in
the loading door threshold to permit roll-over and en-try
of a load item crosswise into the cargo compartment. In
the locking mode these still ~urther guiding and locking
means are operable to prevent cargo from rollin~ back out
of the door.
A plurality of roll-over container guidin~ and locking
means are distributed and mounted throughout the base
of the cargo compartment. Thus, load items may be moved
crosswise and lengthwise in the cargo compartment. If
~ load items are to be organized in multiple rows or if half
;~ 20 container loads are to be organized in the cargo compart-
ment, still other roll-over and roll-by guidin~ and lock-
ing means are also included. For example, a center guiding
roller may separate rows. A center guiding and locking
means may constrain the movement of a plurality of cargo
rows.
1 BRIEF FIGURE DESCRIPTION~
In order that the invention may be clearly unaerstood, it
will now be described, by ~ay of example, with xeference
to the accompanyin~ drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 shows a schematic plan view of the instal-
l~tion of a manual cargo Loading system in
the below-the~floor region o a cargo hold;
Fig. la shows a sche~atic plan view of the loacling
procedure;
Fig. 2 shows a sche~atic plan view o~ the instal-
lation of a semiautomatic cargo lsadin~
system in -the below-the-floor re~ion;
Fig- 2~ is a plan view of the loadin~ procedure of
the semiautomatic cargo loading system
accsrding to ~ig. 2;
Fig. 3 shows a schematic plan view of the instal-
lation of a fully automatic cargo loading
system in the below-the~floor region;
Fig. 3a shows a schematic plan view of the loading
procedure of a fully automatic loading
system according to Fig- 3;
Fig. 4 illustrates a control panel for the con-
trolling of the semiautomatic cargo load-
ing system;
-- 10 --
1 Fig. 5 illustrates a control panel ~or the
fully automatic control operation;
Fig. 6 shows a cross-section through a roll-over
loading door lock in the locked positi.on;
Fig. 7 shows a cross-section through a roll-over
loading door lock in the rolled~over posi~
tion;
Fig. 8 shows a cross-section through a roll-over
container lock in the locked position;
Fig. 9 shows a cross-section through a container
lock .in the rolled-over position;
Fig. 10 shows a cross-section through a container
lock, in the region o~ the ball bearing
mat, in the locked position;
Fig. 11 shows a cross-section through a container
lock, in the region of the ball bearing
mat, in the rolled-over position;
Fig. 12 shows a cross-section throu~h a container
lock, in the region of the ball bearing mat,
with a foot controlling device;
Fig. 13 shows a cross-section through a container
lock, in the region of the ball bearing
mat, with a trip type arresting means;
~L~3~
1 Fig. 14 shows a cross-section through a center
guiding and separating roller in the locked
position~ in the instance of double loading
with hal containers;
Fig. 15 shows a cross-section throu~h a center ~uid-
ing and separating roller in the rolled-over
position in the in~tance of double loading
with half containers;
Fig. 16 shows a cross-section through a roll-over
entry guide in the locked position;
Fig. 17 shows a plan view oE the guide acco:rdiny to
Fi~. 16;
Fig. 18 shows a schematic plan view o~ a car~o
loading s~ste~ With a weighing device in
the re~ion of the ball bearing mat;
Fig. 19 shows a cross section of a weighing sensor
in the ball bearing mat; and
Fig. 20 shows a plan view of a weighing sensor in
the ball bearing mat.
20 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS AND
OF T~E BEST MODE OF T~E INVENTION:
. .
Figs. 1 and 2 show the construction of a manually operable
cargo loading system, wherein the roller trains or conveyars
- 12 -
B~ L
1 lA to lF with the carrying rollers 2 are installed for the
longitudinal conveying of the cargo containers or load
items in the longitudinal direction of the aircraft. The
braking rollers 3, set in the roller conveyors B and E pre-
vent a rapid rolling back of the cargo containers. The
ball bearing m~ts 4 in the region of the loading door 5
enable cargo movement in all directions. Conse~uentl~,
the load items may be brought into the cargo hold cross-
wise to the flight direction and they may -then be pushed
longitudinall~ in -the flight dixection. The guides 6 and 8
facilitate the entry of the cargo into the hold. The
noses 7 on the entry guides 6 are ~imultaneousl~ locking
members if pallets are being loaded.
The floor plates ~ axe installed between the roller trains
lA to lC and lD to 1~. ~ixed locks 10 are arranged at the
longitudinal sides of the cargo compartments. These ixed
locks, which are provided with rollers, simultaneously
serve for longitudinall~ guiding and locking of the cargo
containers.
If half containers are being loaded, the center locks 11 r
between -the two roller trains lC and lD, are guiding and
locking members for the cargo containers.
The loading door locks 12, mounted on the loading door
threshold in the region of the loading door 5, are con-
structed as longitudinal guiding members and safety means
against rolling out. The loading door locks 12 form, in
combination with the manually operable locking hoG~s, the
locking means, see Figs. 6 and 7.
- 13 -
3~
1 Two roll-over container locks 13 are arranged for the
locking of half containers in the loading door region in
the aircraft center, see Figs. 10 to 13. Roll-over con-
tainer locks 14 are installed in the roller trains lB and lE
for the locking of the containers in the lon~i~udinal di-
rection of the aircra~t, see Figs. 8 and 9.
A middle guiding roller 15 is installed in the region of
the loading door in the aircraft center for the loading
of the caxgo compa~tment with containers and pallets.
Tn instances of double loading with two half containers,
which are driven into -the cargo compartment one immediatel~
behind the other, the middle ~uide roller 15 acts as a
separator durin~ the longitudinal transport o both con-
tainers to the entr~ into the respective loadin~ row I
or II leading to tha storage compartment, see Figs. 14
and 15.
The roll-over entr~ guide 16 in the loading door region 5
assures a txouble-free loading o the cargo compar~ment
with containers, see Figs. 16 and 17.
If the cargo compartment is to be loaded only with pallets,
then the locking of these pallets occurs by means of the
pallet locks 17 r which are arranged in the roller conveyors
lA to lF.
The loading process according to Figs. 1 and la in the
instance of manual loading is carried out as follows. The
cargo door of a large capacity aircraft has been opened
and the locking hooks of the cargo door lock have been
- 14 -
1 manually lowered. The loading device with the half con-
tainers is standing in position at the car~o door thres-
hold. The container locks 14 in the caryo door region 5
are now brought into the loc~ed position by means o~ a
foot pedal. The container locks 14' tFig. la) are com-
pletely lowered by foot and locked in this position. The
remaining con~ainer locks 1~" are unlocked by ~oot. The
container locks 13l on the o~her hand, are all lowered
b~ means of a foot lever. All palle~ locks 17 are likewise
in the lowered position. The middle guide roller 15 is in
the raised position. The container is now pushed by the
loading device into the car~o compartment in the direction
of the arrow. When the container bottom has reached loadin~
door lock 12, the longitudinal guides in the loading door
lock 12 are automatically unlocked b~ the car~o ~loor and
are lowered down. The container moves between the ~uides
6 and 8 into the cargo compartment. Once the container
base has passed by the cargo door lock, the lon~itudinal
guides automatically lock. The cargo container now rolls
over the container locks 13, which are thereby tripped; and
once they are free of the cargo bottom they automatically
lockO The container is now in the loading row II.
Throughout the further conveyance of the container in the
longitudinal direction, the cargo container travels be-
tween the fixed locks 10 and the middle locks 11 toward
the rear of the cargo compartment. The container locks 14"
become disengaged during the rolling over and automatically
lock after the container has rolled by. This feature
serves as a safety precaution for the personnel, in order
to prevent that a container can roll back over several stop
- 15 -
~l~3~
1 positions. Once the cargo container has reached its stop
position, it is already automatically locked. The con-
tainer locks 14" of the vacant stop positions are now
unlocked again by foot and the next container is moved in
for loading. The loading door locks 12 are again rolled-
over and the container is pushed as ~ar as the locks 13,
which were brought into their locked position by the pre-
ceding container. The cargo container is now in the
loadin~ row I. During the further conveyance the above
described operations are trig~ered as in the loading row II,
until the container is locked at its stop position. Once
a~ain, the container locks 14" are disengaged by foot and
the container lock 13 is lowered, so that the loading may
take place again.
Atex the fourth to the last and the third to the last
containers have reached their stop positions, the con-
tainer lock 1~' must be locked by oot, and when the last
t~o cont~i~ers have reached their stop position, the lock-
in~ hooks in the loading door must be manually closed.
Thus, the loading operation with so-called LD3-containers
is completed.
It is to be understood that the unloading process is
carried out in the reverse sequence of opera-tion.
If pallets are to be loaded, the container locks 14, 14',
and 14" are completely lowered by foot and locked in this
position. The same goes for the container locks 13. The
roll-over entry guide 16 is lowered and manually locked,
and the same goes ~or the pallet locks 17. The pallet
- 16 -
3~
l locks 17 in the roller trains l~ to lF, farthest remo~ed
from the loading door region 5, are now brought into the
locked position by means o foot acti~ation, while the
preceding pallet locks 17 are merely activated for locking.
The loading process is carried out su~stantially as pre-
viously described. The pallets move between the guides 6,
8, and 15 to the side opposite the loading door. Once
the fixed locks 10 ha~e been reached, the longitudinal
guides in the loading door locks 12 are released by the
pallet base and automatically locked. The caxgo moves
to the designated stopping position, at which point it
is automatically locked by means of the activated pallet
locks 17. The center locks ll are automatically rolled-
over during the loading with pallets and automatically
stand up a~ain in response ~o spring force. All of the
pallet locks in the roller trains lB and lE are ac-ti~ated
before loading for the sa~ety of the personnel, so that
these pallet locks are automatically raised for locking
after the rolling over by the cargo, and thus prevent a
rolling back of the cargo. The subsequent procedure
corresponds to the previously described method also in
the instance of pallet loading. The last pallet is now
pushed into the cargo compartment crosswise to the direc-
tion of the aircraft between the guides 6, 8, and 15,
whereby the locking is accomplished by means of the noses 7
of the entry guide 6. The leading edge of the pallet is
locked in the loading door region by the four pallet
locks 17, while the locks 10 and the locking hooks of the
loading door locks 12 hold the left and right pallet edges.
~ t~
1 The semiautomatic embodiment of the cargo loading system
according to ~he invention di~fers from the previously
described manual system merely by the arrangement of
electric drive mem~ers 18 and a so-called command-control
panel 19 for these components. In addition, the con-
tainer locks 13 and 1~ and the pallet locks 17 in the
roller conveyors lB and lE are provided with electrical
limit switches, which control the electrical drive members.
The ~iddle guide roller 15 is adapted for the semiautomatic
system by means of a solenoid. Otherwise, the loading
system does not dif~er from the manual system. The method
of o~eration durin~ the loading process is consequently
also the same, at least in the essential operational c;teps,
so tha-t these steps need not be'repeated. ~he container
locks 13 must again be lowered by foot and the locks 14 as
well as the entry guide 16 are in the'raised position. ~11
container locks 14l and 14" and the pallet locks 17 are
lowered and locked, while only the last container locks 14"
in the loading rows I and II are unlocked.
The operation of the semiautomatic system begins by p~shing
the loading button on the command panel 19 (Fig. 2). By
activating the drive lever in the direction "load cross-
wise", the crosswise drives 18a and 18b also begin to oper-
ate automatically. By pushing the button "load lengthwise",
after the cargo has reached or rolled over the container
lock 13, the longitudinal drives 18c of the selected load-
ing row II are set into operation. Both crosswise drives
18a and 18b are automatically switched off after the
rolling over of the installed limit switches together with
that of the longitudinal guides. The subsequent procedure
- 18 -
1 is, as previously described, functionally the salne. During
the subsequent loading, the commands are given to corres-
pond with the stop positions, accordingly, the last longi-
tudinal drives 18d are also set to operate respectively.
The loading procedure with half pallets is also substan-
tially the same. This can be clearly seen in Fig. 2a.
Thus it is unnecessaxy to repeat the functional descrip-
tion. The loading with full containers is also carried
out in a manner equi~alent to the previously described
operation and should be reiterated here only with regard
to its main points. The container locks 13 and the pallet
locks 17 are lowered and locked by foot be~ore be~inn:ing
the loading~ The container locks 14 and the entry guide 1
are, on the other hand, raised. The container locks 14',
14" in the loading rows I and II are also comple~ely lowered
and locked, onl~ the last container locks 14" are unlocked
by foot. This unlocking must also occur each time follow-
ing the occupying of the stop position with next in line
container lock 14".
In the instance of pallet loading, not only the container
locks 13, 14, 14' and 14" but also the pallet locks 17 are
lowered by foot and locked in this position. Only the
last pallet locks 17 in the roller conveyors lA to lF are
unlocked by ~oot pressure. The loading process is similar
to the procedure already described. The pallet rolls over
the longitudinal guides in the loading door locks 12 after
entry into the cargo compartment, and the limit switches
of the longitudinal guides activate the crosswise drives
18a, 18b. Once they have been rolled over, the loading
-- 19 --
,
~l~3~3~
1 door locks 12 automa-tically lock and simultaneously
turn off the crosswise drives 18a, 18b by means of their
limit switches. The command "longitudinal loading"
*ollo~s now by pushing the button and the longitudinal
drives 18c and 18d are thus turned on. ~t the same time,
the solenoid o~ the middle guide roller 15 receives a
switching impulse, which unlocks this roller. The
pallet is moved to the rear loading compartment. When
the pallet has reached its position, the las-t pallet
locks 17 automatically lock again behind the pallet by
means o~ cpring force and shut off the drives 18c, 18d
located beneath the pallet. The further loading is
carried out accordingly and the unloading occurs in
reverse order.
The Figs. 3 and 3a show a ~ully automatic loading and
unloading system accoxdin~ to the invention. The semi-
automatic system has been made fully automatic by the
installation of light barriers 20 and a control panel 21
cooperating with corresponding control electronic means~
At the beginning of the loading, the entry guides 16 are
in the raised position. The container locks 14 on the
other hand are in the locked position. All pallet locks 17
are in the lowered position and the middle guide 15 is
raised. By activating the control lever, the first cross-
wise drive 18a starts and advances the first container to
the light barrier 20a. Once this light barrier is inter-
rupted, a switching impulse goes to the solenoids of both
container locks 13 and lowers these locks. The light
barrier simultaneously turns on the crosswise drive 18b,
which advances the container to the side opposite the
- 20 -
1 loading door. Once the light barrier 20a is no longer
blocked by the container bottom, the drive 18a is
automatically switched of. This occurs in the same
manner and in the same time sequence with all other
devices of this type. The container locks 13 automatic-
ally lock after being rolled o~er. The light barrier 2Qc
gives a switching impulse to the solenoids of the con-
tainer locks 14' when the container has reached the
loading row II. This switching impulse initiates the
unlocking procedure. At the same time, -the light bar
rier 20c witches on the longitudinal drives 18c and 18d.
The container is advanced to the interior in the longi-
tudinal direction of the cargo compartment between the
fixed locks 10 and the middle locks 11. When th~ ligh-t
barrier 20d has been reached. the container lock 14" is
unlocked, the drive 18c is s~itched off, and the long~
tudinal drive 18e is switched on. This repeats itself
until the stop position is reached and the last light
barrier is covered, whereby the last container lock 14"
under spring force automatically prevents a rolling back
of the cargo by locking the last container and, at the
same time, the last drive is switched off. The control
electronics, through the control panel 21, signal the
end of the loading process of the first container. The
second container is now dri~en into the cargo compart-
ment and the operational procedure accordingly repeats
itself. This also applies to the loading and unloading
of pallets and full containers. The individual steps of
this loading and unloading may be seen from the drawings,
and otherwise from the preceding description.
- 21 -
ry~
1 Fig. 4 shows an exa~ple embodiment of a control panel 21,
the housing 21a of which i~ proYided with a plug connec-
tion 22 and a coupling 23 for a computer or microprocessor,
and which housing 21a supports the front pla-te 24. Fur-
thermore, the housing 21a may be provided with a hand
grip ~5 for a mobile application. The front plate 24 has
a toggle switch 26 for providing power to the cargo load-
ing system. The switch b-utton lC0) 27 is for the loading
and unloadin~ of full containers. The switch button (PA) 28
is the one for loading pallets. The two switch buttons
(RE, LE) 29, 3Q permit selecting the proper loading row
when loading half containers. The four-way lever 31
determines the rotating direction of the drives for
loading and unloading. The operating lever 31, or 32, in
Fig. 5, also serves ~or switching over from a crosswise
to a longitudinal arive.
The four switch buttons 27 to 30 light up when the cargo
loading system is turned on by means of the toggle
switch 26. The type of cargo, for example pallets, is
chosen by pushing the switch button ~PA~ 28. This button
then becomes brightly lit. The computer coupling 23
attached to the housing 21a is required when equipping
the system with an on-board weighing apparatus, for
plugging in an input and display computer.
Fig. 5 shows the control panel for a fully automatic
cargo loading system, which corresponds substantially
to the previously described example embodiment. How-
ever, the operating lever 32 i5 not a four-way lever,
but rather simply a two-way lever, since only the o~llditions
- 22 -
1 load or unload are to be activated. The operatin~ lever 31
or 32 of both types, is constructed so that it must be
pushed in the desired loading direction and is automatic-
ally returned to the zern position when released, and hence
immediately interrupts the loading process and brings the
system to a standstill. As a result, the protection of the
operating personnel is increased. The ending of the load-
ing procedure in each instance is indicated by a blinking
of the corresponding s~itch button.
Figs. 6 and 7 show a locking apparatus for the roll-over
loading door locks. This apparatus has a housing 41 with '
side walls and a rear wall. The locking catch 42 is
movabl~ supported on said housing 41 and hinged ~o swing
down by means Oe a ~oot button not sho~n. The longitudi-
nal ~uide ~3 ~ith its no~e 43a is rotatably supported in
the rocker arm 45 by means of -the bolt 44. Both o the
bell cranks 46 ~ith their noses 46a and 46b are rotatably
connected by means of the bolt 47. The bell crank 46 is
movably connected to the rocker arm 45 by means of the
bolt 48 and to the housing 41 by means of the bolt 49~
The unlocking lever 5Q and the rocker arm 45 are rotatably
supported in the housing 41 by means of the bolt 51. A
crank lever 52 is also supported in the housing 41 by
means of the bolt 53. The switching roller 52b activates
the unlocking lever 50. The crank lever 52 is coupled by
means o~ the bolt 52a through the connectin~ rod 54 to
the le~er 55. Their pivoting points are designated with
54a and 55a. The free end of the lever 55 extends into
the slot 56a of the connecting rod 56, which in turn is
connected to the foot lever or to the solenoid. Thekolt 57
:,
- 23 ~
3L~3~3`~
1 ser~es as an abutment for the rocker arm 45 and the
return spring 58. The torsion spring 59 brings the
longitudinal ~uide into the raised position. The
limitlng switch 60 is also installed or included for
the semiautomatic and the fully automatic cargo loading
system according to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, wherein the entire
mechanical locking member remains unchanged. The method
of operation is clear ~rom the figures and from the pre-
cedîng description. In the instance of unloading, the
lQ connecting rod 56 is activated either by means of the
foot leYer or the solenoid.
Figs. 8 and 9 sho~ a roll-ovar container lock in both
operating positions. The housin~ 61 and both of the con-
necting bolts 62, 62a are supporting members of this
locking apparatus. The lock portions 63 are rotatably
supported in the housing 61 bv means of the bolts 63a.
The lock portions 63, by means of the oblong holes 63c
and the roller 64, are movably connected to the axle 63b
and the bell crank 65. In adaition, the bell crank 65
is rotatably supported in the housing 61 by means of the
axle 65a. The bolt 65b connects the two bell cranks 65
so that they are rotatably movable. The roller 65c is
activated by the unlocking lever 66, which is supported
in the housing 61 b~ means of the bolt 66a. The roller 66b
is connected to the housing 61 by means of the rocker arm
67b of the foot lever 67. The locking lever 68 is also
arranged on the housing 61 at the pivot point 6~a and is
activated by the foot lever 67 through the roller 68b.
The torsion spring 69 brings the lock portions 63 into
the raised position, and the torsion spring 70 raises the
- 24 -
3~3~
1 ~oot button up again. The limi~ing switch 71 is installed
in the semiautomatic system for controlling the drive by
means of the bell crank nose 65d. The solenoid 72 is in-
stalled in the fully automatic system for activating the
unlocking lever 66 by means of the pivot 66c.
The locking apparatus shown in the Figs. 10 to 13 comprises
a housing 81 with the lockin~ catch 8~, which is rotatably
supported in the housing 81 by means of the bolts 83. The
locking catch 82 is conencted to the bellcxank 85 by means
of the spindle 84. The bel`l crank 85 itself is supported
in the housin~ 81 by means of the spindle 85a and can
buckle about the pivot 85b. The abutment 85c rests against
the bolt 86 in ~he dead point po~ition and is pulled illtO
the dead point position by the tension spring 87 through
the spring support point 85d and the bolt 87a. The roller
88 is supported in the unlocking bridge 89 by means o the
spindle 88a. The unlocking bridge 89 is connected to the
housing 81 by means of the axle 89a. The tension spring
90 keeps the unlocking brid~e 89 in the raised position
a~ainst the stop 90a. The stop catch 91 is rotatably sup-
ported on the bolt 87a and is pressed against the bell
crank 85 by means of the tension spring 92. The roller 91a
is activated by means o~ the unlocking bridge 89. The
holding pins 85e and 89b ser~e ~or starting the operation.
The crank lever 93 of the fully automatic system according
to Fig. 3 connects the solenoid 100. The crank lever 94
with the bore 9~a is arranged for connecting to the foot
actuation means according to Fig. 12. The tie rod with
the oblong hole 95 is connected to the bell crank 85 by
means of the bolt 94a of the crank lever 94. The foot
1 lever 96 is pivotally connec~ed to the housin~ 81 by the
spindle 96a and to the tie rod 95 by means of the bolt 95a.
The foot button is shown at 96b. The locking catch 97 is
rotatably supported on the spindle 95a for locking down
as shown in Fig. 13. The locking catch 97 with the abut-
ment 97a is held in its position on the housing 81 by means
of the tension spring 98. The locking catch 97 is con-
nected to the actuating rod 99 and the foot button 99a by
means of a bolt 97b. The`limiting switch 101 is installed
~or the switching of the drives in the semiautomatic and
the full~ automatic systems.
Figs. 14 and 15 show a guide roller including a housing 111
and a lowering rocker arm 113 supported by an axle 112. A
roller axle 11~ is supported in the lowering arm 113, and
carries a guiding and separating roller 114a as well as a
shaft 114b o~ the unlocking cam 114c, of the korsion
: spring 114d, and of the spring bolt 114e. The locking
pawl 115 is supported in the housing 111 by means of the
axle 115a and is held against the stop bolt 115b in the
vertical position by means of the torsion spring 116.
The locking pawl 115 is connected to the solenoid 117 by
means of the connecting bolt 115c for a semiautomatic and
for a fully automatic operation. The lowering locking
lever 118 is provided for the manual loading of the cargo
compartment with full containers and is connected to the
housing 111 through the pivoting point 118a. The torsion
spring 119 holds the lowering rocker arm 112 through the
spring bearing ll9a against the stop llla. The tension
spring 12Q strengthens the lowering movement of the rocker
arm through the roller axle 114.
- 26 -
Fi~s. 16 and 17 show an example embodiment of an entry
guide, which comprises the housing 121 and the guide 122
which is rotatabl~ supported in the lowering rocker arm
123 b~ means of the spindle 122a. This lowering rocker
arm 123 is arranged so that i~ can rotate on the switch-
ing shaft 125. The supporting bolt 122b rests against
the nose 123b o;E the rocker arm in the ~ertical position.
In the locked position, the supporting bolt 122b also ex-
tends into the hbok catch 124, which is rotatably sup-
ported on the housing b~ means of the bolt 124a. The
roller 124b o$ the hook catch l24 is acti~rated by the
unlocking lever 126, which is afixed to the switching
sha~t 125. The locXing lever 127 with the connecting
bolt 127a is rigidly connected to the switching shaft 125
and is connected to the lowexing device 129 by means oP
the tie rod 128, through the oblong hole 128a~ wherein
the lowexing device 129 i5 rotatably supported on the
axle 129a. The Eoot lever 13û is also rigidly connected
to the rotating shaft 12S. The stop 123a of the lower-
ing rocker arm 123 is suppoxted on the stop bolt 131.
The torsion sprin~ 122c holds the guide 122 in the ver-
tical position. The torsion spring 126c pushes the hook
catch 124 with the roller 124b against the unloc~sing
- lever 126. The solenoid 132, which is provided for
semiautomatic and ;fully automatic loading systems, acti-
vates the rotating shaft 125 by means of the push rod 132a
through the connecting ~olt 127a of the switching lever 127.
Fig. 18 shows an example embodiment with wei~hing system,
which comprises a mechanical portion and an electronic
portion. The mechanical weighing apparatus comprises the
-- 27 --
3~
1 ball bearing mats 151, which serve in this instance as
weighing platforms, and the weighing sensors 152, which
are connected to the computer and which permit the weight
dètermination. The weighing s~stem functions as follows.
The air cargo means, that is, the conta:iner, the pallet,
etc., is moved, manually or automatical:Ly with drives, to
the ball bearin~ mat re~`ion 153 crosswise to the direc-
tion of 1ight. Once the cargo has reached its corres-
ponding loading row I or II respectively, then the weigh-
lQ ing takes place prior to the lon~itudinal conveying. Thecorresponding individual weights of the loaded weighing
sensors are added by the computer to a total weight, and
reco~ded or registered in the computer.
Figs.l9 and 20 show an example embodiment of wei~hin~
sensors. A sensor of this type comprises a housing 161
with a load xeceiver 162 rigidly connected thereto. The
load receiver 162 is connected to the ball bearing mat 151
through the bolt 163 and the connecting screw 164. The
eIastic support 166 in the abutment 167 of the ball bear-
ing mat 165 is installed to make sure that extraneousforces do not influence the weighing process~ The sup
port 167 is laid directly on the load receiver 162 at
the point 168. The connection 169 is provided for the
electrical measurement circuits.
If a cargo is placed on the corresponding ball bearing
mat region, then this load P is transmitted proportion-
ally by the ball bearing mats 165, through the support
167 and the point 168 to the load receiver 162, and is
added to a total weight by the computer. The ball bearing
- 28 -
~3~
1 mat 165 is also connected to the aircraft structure
through the housing 161, the bolt 163, and the connect-
ing screw 164A
The cargo loading system as described above makes it
possible to use the same components for manual~ semi-
automatic, and fully automatic loading and unloading
operations, and it makes the re~itting possible without
great cost depending on the corresponding needs, and
it is not necessary with this refitting to change the
system as such. Through the simultaneous weight deter-
mination of the cargo, the center of gravity may be
determined most exactly.
Although the invention has been described with re~erence
to specific example embodiments, it is to be understood,
that it is intended to cover all modifications and
eyuivalents within the scope of the appended claims.
.
'
~? 29
