AIRCRAFT DOLLY

• US 20150259077A1
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Disabled Aircraft Tools LLC
• Original Assignee: West Metro Aviation, LLC
• Inventors: WISKUS, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/657,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20150259077A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/115 Complexity
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/3312 during regular use
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 30/02 engaging the tyre, e.g. the tyre being mounted on the wheel rim
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 30/10 characterised by being provided on a dolly
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/11 for carrying aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/22 for handling aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/225 Vehicles specially adapted therefor, e.g. aircraft tow tractors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/904 Traction dollies for aircraft

Abstract

A dolly for placement beneath a landing gear of an aircraft that enables transport of the aircraft without rolling the tire of the aircraft. The dolly includes a platform for a tire to rest on and a channel for positioning the tire. The dolly includes a winch for translating the dolly and aircraft tire relative to each other such that the landing gear is brought to rest on the platform, and one or more stops for securing the aircraft landing gear with respect to the dolly. Once positioned, the dolly can be used while transporting the aircraft, either by hand pushing, a hand towbar, a motorized tug with a towbar, or other mode. The dolly is useful for moving aircraft in tight spaces and is also useful for transporting aircraft with damaged landing gear or flat tires.

Claims

1. A dolly for positioning under a landing gear of an aircraft for transporting an aircraft, comprising:

a frame including a pair of beams that are substantially parallel to each other, said pair of beams being separated by a platform, said pair of beams including walls that extend upward from said platform, said platform and pair of beams defining a channel for movement of an aircraft tire into the channel and onto the platform;

a plurality of casters attached to said pair of beams; and

a winch attached to said frame, said winch including a strap, said strap being attachable to an aircraft or an aircraft tire for movement of said tire into the channel and onto the platform by actuation of said winch, such that the aircraft then can be transported by the dolly without rolling the aircraft tire;

wherein the frame is adapted for selective attachment to a detachable towbar for towing the aircraft.

2. The dolly of claim 1, wherein said pair of beams are integral with said platform.

3. The dolly of claim 1, further comprising an angled lead-in ramp disposed to guide the aircraft tire up onto the platform.

4. The dolly of claim 1, wherein said winch is a hand-operated winch.

5. The dolly of claim 1, wherein said beams of said frame include a plurality of locations for mounting an adjustable tire stop.

6. The dolly of claim 1, further comprising a fixed stop positioned to impede the tire from moving off the platform.

7. The dolly of claim 1, wherein pair of beams include structure for selectively mounting the detachable tow bar to a first end of said channel or to a second end of said channel, said second end being opposite said first end.

8. The dolly of claim 7, in combination with the detachable tow bar.

9. The dolly of claim 1, wherein:

each of said pair of beams is an angle structure, a first flange of each angle structure extending upward from said platform, a second flange of each angle structure extending laterally away from said platform; and

said casters are mounted to said second flange and are adjacent said first flange.

10. The dolly of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a winch bracket supporting the winch.

11. The dolly of claim 10, wherein the platform is substantially planar;

the dolly further comprising an angled lead-in ramp disposed to guide the aircraft tire up onto the platform and an angled fixed stop disposed at an opposite end of the platform as the lead-in ramp to impede the tire from moving off the opposite end of the platform.

12. The dolly of claim 11, wherein the platform, angled fixed stop, and lead-in ramp are integrally formed as one piece.

13. The dolly of claim 1, wherein the platform comprises at least two plates disposed one above the other.

14. The dolly of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of angled brackets extending on opposite sides of the platform to support the one plate above the other.

15. The dolly of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of wheels disposed at each side of the platform for rolling the dolly on an underlying surface, wherein the angled brackets are disposed at each side of the platform between the wheels.

16. A method of providing an apparatus for transporting an aircraft, comprising:

providing a dolly including a frame and a winch attached to said frame, said winch including a strap, said frame defining a channel for insertion of an aircraft tire, said channel including primary flange portions that extend upward from a web portion, said primary flanges defining upper edges having secondary flanges that extend outward from said primary flanges of said channel, said channel being suspended by a plurality of casters coupled to said secondary flanges, said primary flanges including a channel including a plurality of apertures formed therein, said apertures defining a pattern, said pattern of a first of said primary flange portions being a mirror image of said pattern of a second of said primary flange portions, each aperture on said first of said primary flange portions being aligned with a corresponding aperture on said second of said primary flange portions to form a plurality of corresponding aperture pairs;

providing at least one adjustable stop configured for insertion through one of said corresponding aperture pairs; and

providing instructions on a tangible medium, said instructions including;

pushing said dolly so that said channel is in substantial alignment with a rolling direction of a tire on an aircraft;

coupling said strap to said aircraft;

pulling said tire into said channel with said strap using said winch; and

inserting said at least one adjustable stop through said one of said corresponding aperture pairs to capture said tire within said channel.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a detachable towbar selectively attachable to said frame, wherein said instructions further comprise:

attaching said detachable towbar to one of said pair of corresponding apertures.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step in said instructions of coupling said strap to said aircraft includes wrapping said strap tangentially around a portion of said tire.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said one of said corresponding aperture pairs utilized in the step in said instructions of inserting is selected for low clearance to accommodate a wheel fairing.

20. A dolly for positioning under a landing gear of an aircraft for transporting an aircraft, comprising:

a frame including a pair of beams that are substantially parallel to each other, said pair of beams being separated by a platform, said pair of beams including walls that extend upward from said platform, said platform and pair of beams defining a channel for translation of an aircraft tire into the channel and onto the platform;

a plurality of wheels disposed between the frame and a surface underlying the frame to roll the dolly along the surface; and

a winch attached to said frame, said winch including a strap, said strap being attachable to an aircraft or an aircraft tire for translation of said tire onto the platform within the channel by actuation of said winch, such that the aircraft then can be transported by the dolly without rolling the aircraft tire;

wherein the frame is adapted for selective attachment to a detachable towbar for towing the aircraft;

wherein in operation the dolly is positioned in close proximity to the aircraft tire, the strap is wrapped around the aircraft tire or aircraft landing gear, the winch is used to move the aircraft tire and/or dolly relative to each other such that the tire is in place on the platform, and the dolly and aircraft together are towed.