Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
883~78
The present invention relates to air transpor-~ation o~
containerized cargoes and more particularly it relates to
the devices for fixing car~o containers in aircraft compartr
ments. ;
~ he invention will be utilized rnost successfully for auto --
matic fixing of cargo containers carried by aircraft.
Kno-~n currently are several methods of fixin~ contai-
ners in aircraft compart~ents, said containers being conveyed -
to the point of their stOwage by a ~ovable ele~ent in the
form of a carriage.
In one o~ said ~ethods the containers bear a~ainst one
another and the end containers are fixed by stops rigidl~
instalied on the e~d walls of the co~partment and contactin~ -
the first and the last containers. ~he containers bear against
one anol;ner both by their pallets and bodies.
Disadvantages of the above ~ethod of fixing containcrs
consist in that the stops mounted on the compart~.ent walls
carry th~ load of the total number OL containers held in the
compart~ent since all containers thrust ag~nst one. Eence,
the end walls of the compartments are subjactedto hea~ loads
and have, therefor , to be made solid and h~eavy.
Besides, ~or bearing against the walls, the container
bodies must be made exc~ssively stiff which increases the
weight of the ~ntire containers. Such a ~ethod of fixing
containers against one another co~plicates their handling
also because in the case of loading the cargo compartment of
the aircra~t with an inco~plete set of containers, it is ne-
cessary to provide some additional de~ices for fixing tho end
containcrs.
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~88378
Als~ known in the prior art is a dcvice for fixing cargo
containers in aircr&ft compartments consisting of stops arran-
ged on the compaxtment floor.
Each stop consist~ of a ~ody rigidly fixed on the cargo
floor and accommodating an articulated turna~le stop mounted
on a hori~ontal axle and occupying one of the two positions in
6ervice, i.e. the working (vertical) position in which the
stop bears against the con~ainer pallet and thus fixes the
container, and the retracted (horizontal) positionj in both
positio~s the stops are loc~ed by spring retainers.Each stop
is shi~ed f~om one position to th~ other by hand.
~ efore loadin~ containers into the cargo compartmen~ and
moving them there, all the stops on the way of said containers
must be retracted ~lhile after placing each container in its
place the fixing stops must be shifted to the working posi-
tion.
A disadvantage of this de~Jice consists in the use of ma-
nual labour for handling the containers and in the necessity
for moving each stop by hand from the retracted to t~e wor-
king position and back which increases considerably the contai-
ner loading and unloading ~e.
~ he main ob~ect of the present invcntion i5 to provide
a device for automatic fixing of cargo containers in aircraft
compartment s .
Another object of the invention is to provide a device
for individual fi~ing of each container in the cargo compartme~t
of an aircraft.
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Still another object of the invention resides in ;
raising the reliability of the fixing device.
A further object of the invention resides in curtail-
ing the time for loading the containers into and unloading them
from the aircraft.
And, finally, one more object of the invention resides
in ensuring a possibility of carrying by air any number of
containers from one to a maximum number permissible for a
given type of aircraft.
These and other objects are accomplished by providing
a device for fixing cargo containers moved by a carriage to
the point of their stowage comprising stops fastened on the
compartment floor and individually fixing each container
wherein, according to the invention, each stop consists of a
body 5 having a recess accommodating a coaxial spring-loaded -
rod with a circular recess in the middle, said rod being
articulated to one of the ends of a turnable rocker installed
on the body, the other end of said rocker being located on the
path of a carriage which contacts said other end and inserts
the rod into the body, and there is a spring-loaded locking
element installed in a boss of the body for entering into the
circular recess and for fixing the rod in the body, said ele- ~;
ment being articulated to a two-arm turnable lever installed
on the body of the device, the other arm of said lever being
located on the path of the carriage which contacts said arm
for withdrawing the locking element from the recess when the
rod is extended from the body.
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This design of the elements of the device allows each
container to be fixed individually and automatically in the
cargo compartment of an aircraft.
Now the invention will be described in detail by way
of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the aircraft cargo compart-
ment with containers, carriage and stops of the
device;
Fig. 2 is a section taken along line II-II in Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a view along arrow A in Fig. 2; and
Fig. 4 is a view along arrow B in Fig. 3.
m e device for fixing cargo containers in the compart-
ments of an aircraft (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4) comprises a number of
stops 1 to suit the type of the aircraft, secured on the ~-
aircraft compartment floor between containers 2.
e containers 2 are moved along the compartment by a
carriage 3 sliding over guide rails 4. Each stop 1 comprises
a body 5 with a recess accommodating a coaxial rod 6 with a
return spring 7.
m e middle portion of the rod 6 is provided with a
circular recess 8.
A boss 9 of the body mounts a turnable rocker 10
, installed on an axle 27. One end 11 of the rocker 10 is arti-
`l culated to the rod 6 while its other end 12 extends through a
slot 13 in the rails 4 and is located on the path of the
carriage 3. Besides, the body 5 is provided with a side boss
14 accommodating a locking element 15 with a spring 16. m e
, locking element 15 can enter the circular recess 8 through a
-, 30 side hole in the body 5 and is articulated to a two-arm
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turnable lever 17 having arms 28 and 29 mounted on an axle in
the body S. The arm 28 of the lever 17 is brought out through
a slot 18 in the rails 4 and is located on the path of the
carriage 3. When the carriage 3 moves, the rocker 10 and the
two-arm lever 17 are turned, respectively, by levers 19 and 20
mounted on axles on the carriage 3, both the rocker 10 and the
two-arm lever 17 being turned only when the carriage 3 moves in
a certain one direction. When carriage 3 moves in the opposite
direction, levers 19 and 20 do not cooperate with rocker 10 and
two-arm lever 17, inasmuch as said levers have been turned upon
the preceding stroke of the rocker and stay in this retracted
position.
The containers 2 are loaded and unloaded through a ;
loading hatch 21. The containers 2 loaded into the aircraft
compartment are fixed therein by stops 1 in which case the rod
6 occupies the uppermost position extended from the body 5, the
rocker 10 and the two-arm lever 17 occupy, respectively, posi-
tions 22 and 23 and the locking element 15 is completely
retracted into the boss 14, thereby compressing the spring 16.
For inserting the stops 1 into the compartment floor,
it is necessary to press the end 12 of the rocker 10 and shift
it to the position 24. This causes the rod 6 to enter the
body 5 and compress the return spring 7. When the rod 6 is
completely inserted into the body 5, the end of the locking
element 15 is moved by the spring 16 into the circular recess
8, moving the two-arm lever 17 to the position 25 and locking
the rod 6 in the lower retracted position.
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1(~88378
~ Jhen the containers 2 are being unloading from the
co~partment, the device functions as follows. 3efore the be-
ginning of the unloading operation all the stops l must be ex-
tended so that the rods 6 occupy the upper position whiie
for unloadin~ the containers 2, and conveying them with the c~-
riage 3 to the hatch 21 the rods 6 must be retr~cted into the
body 5. ~hen the motor of the carriage 3 is turn d on ar.d
the carriage is moved to collect the container 2. ~he lever
ao passing by the two-arm lever 17 does not contact the latter
since said lever 17 is turn~d to the position 2~. ~he levcr
19 of ths carriage 3 comes in contact with the end 12 of the
roc'~er lO, turns it to the position 2~ at the same time re-
tracting the rod 6 into the body 5 where it is fixed auto~ati-
cally b~ the locking ele~ent 15. As soon as the contain~r 2 is
grabbed by the carriage 3, the direction of its ~ovement is
reversed and the contain~r 2 is conveyed to the hatch 21. ~hc
lever 19 passing by the rocker lO in the position 24 does not
contact the latter while the lever 20 turns on the carriage
3 without turnin~ the two-arm lever 17 so that the rod 6
stays retracted into the body 5. When the carria~e 3 moves to
pick up the next container 2, t~e elements of the device
function in a similar ~ay as described above.
When the containers 2 are being loaded into the compart-
ment, the device operates as follows. Eefore the be~inning of
loading all the stops 1 must be retracted into the bodies 5
so as not t-o interfere with the conveyance of the contai~ners
2 along the compartment-. The carriage 3 conveys the containers
2 to thcir points of stowage in the aircraft cargo compartm~nt.
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1~883~
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Encountering thc two-arm lever 17, the lev~r ~0 presses
the latter and withdra~rs the locking ~le~ent 15 from tha
circular recess ~ which allows the return sprin~ 7 to shift
the rod ~ to the upper position. Ileanwhile the rocker 10 turns
to the position 22. ~he container 2 is put in place and ~ixed
by the stop l. ~he carriage 3 is brought to the hatch 2~ for
picXir.g tha next container and the lever ~0 passin~ the two- -
arm lever 17 in position ~6 does ~ot contact it while the le-
ver 19 turns on the carriage 3 without turning thc rocker lO.
lo All the follo~;~ing containers are loaded in~o the aircrat
compartmerlt in a similar mar.ner.
As distinct from the other known devices the device for
fixing containers according to the present invention per-
mits reliable automatic fixin~ of containers in aircraft co~-
partments due to the introduction o~ a sprin~-loaded rod wit'n
a circular recess, a locXing elem~nt, as well as a t~,~o-arm
rocker and a tur~able l~ver actuated by t~e movement of the
conveying carriage.
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