TRANSLOADING INSTALLATION FOR AIR FREIGHT CONTAINERS

• US 3,595,407 A
• Filed: 01/08/1969
• Issued: 07/27/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lichtenford Uwe, Muller-Kuhn Helmut, Walkhoff Klaus
• Original Assignee: Lichtenford Uwe, Muller-Kuhn Helmut, Walkhoff Klaus
• Inventors: MULLER-KUHN HELMUT, WALKHOFF KLAUS, LICHTENFORD UWE
• Application Number:
  US04/789,869
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• US Class Current: 414/344
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/322 Cargo loaders specially adapted for loading air freight containers or palletized cargo into or out of the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/129 Transporter frames for containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/00 Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops B65G37/00; stacking of articles B65G57/00; removing articles from stacks B65G59/00; loading machines B65G65/02

Abstract

A crane apparatus and movable pallet means are provided for transfer of airfreight containers through upper and lower intermediate storage and sorting places adjoining a stopped aircraft. A bridge platform is adjustably supported to serve for equalization of height differences with respect to the aircraft and intermediate tracks equipped for shifting the containers longitudinally and transversely of symmetrical roller-equipped halves of intermediate storage and sorting places complementary to rows of containers parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. Pallet means are transported on underside track air cushions to the intermediate storage and sorting place. A Ushaped crane carriage and holding device are provided including gripping means with an open-bottom carrier frame. Rollers are provided to facilitate on-off movement of containers and including the air cushion on an underside of at least one topside roller-equipped track.

Claims

1. A transloading installation for air freight containers, comprising:

a building having at least an intermediate storage and sorting place for load containers readily available in an area for freight material being transferred to and from an aircraft which has upper and lower loading spaces and is stopped with its nose toward and adjacent to the front of the building, a crane apparatus adapted for longitudinal alignment with the stopped aircraft and movable transversely away from its aligned position and laterally of the intermediate storage and sorting place, runway means serving as conveying and holding surfaces for containers and extending outwardly from the intermediate storage and sorting place, additional runways branching off from said runway means and terminating at lateral loading openings to the lower loading space of the aircraft, bridge means adapted to connect the upper loading space with the intermediate storage and sorting place, and movable pallet means which receive containers transferred by said crane apparatus from delivery vehicles for forwarding the containers to the intermediate storage and sorting place and for removal of arriving containers by the crane apparatus from the intermediate storage and sorting place to delivery vehicles.

2. A transloading installation according to claim 1, in which the intermediate storage and sorting place comprises upper and lower places one above the other, and the runway means lead from the lower storage and sorting place, the runway means extending as conveying surfaces for containers on both sides of the stopped aircraft, the branching runways extending from said runway means to endings thereof at lateral loading openings of said lower loading space, and a between deck formed at the height of the bottom of the upper loading space at the level of said upper intermediate storage and sorting place, said upper loading space of said aircraft having a loading opening toward said upper intermediate storage and sorting place.

3. A transloading installation according to claim 2, in which intermediate tracks extend from said upper intermediate storage and sorting place to said between deck of the stopped aircraft, said tracks serving as buffer surfaces for rows of containers ready for loading into the aircraft and for receiving containers from the aircraft.

4. A transloading installation according to claim 3, in which a bridge platform connecting said upper intermediate storage and sorting place and said upper loading place is adjustably supported to serve for equalization of height differences with respect to said between deck of the aircraft and said intermediate tracks according to differing loading conditions of the stopped aircraft.

5. A transloading installation according to claim 3, in which said intermediate tracks are equipped for shifting the containers both longitudinally and transversely thereof.

6. A transloading installation according to claim 2, in which each of said upper and lower intermediate storage and sorting places has two halves symmetrical to the longitudinal axis of the stopped aircraft, one of which is designated for the containers being removed from the aircraft and the other of which is designated for the containers entering the aircraft.

7. A transloading installation according to claim 6, in which roller-equipped beds are provided upon both halves of said storage and sorting places and are arranged to hold rows of containers parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

8. A transloading installation according to claim 7, in which said roller-equipped beds are adapted for shifting the containers transversely to the longitudinal axis of the stopped aircraft.

9. A transloading installation according to claim 2, in which said lower storage and sorting place comprises a section adjoining said crane apparatus adapted for packing of containers and a section adjoining the stopped aircraft location with said roller-equipped beds adapted for container preparation and adapted for receipt of containers forwarded out of the aircraft.

10. A transloading installation for airfreight containers, comprising:

an intermediate storage and sorting place for containers for freight being transported by aircraft, a traveling crane apparatus which is adapted to be aligned longitudinally with an aircraft stopped with its nose toward and adjacent to the intermediate storage and sorting place and which is adapted to move transversely from its aligned position, said crane apparatus having a crane carriage including a frame with vertical guides, a holding device for grasping similar load containers which is slidable on said vertical guides on the frame of the crane carriage, said holding device comprising an open-bottom U-shaped carrier frame guided in vertical movement and formed to engage over one load container at a time, and having holding means supported on its lower end which selectively in releasing condition move past the load container upon lowering and raising of said carrier frame and in a holding condition extend under the bottom of the load container, and movable pallet means serving to receive containers from said crane apparatus which are removed from delivery vehicles for forwarding the containers to the intermediate storage and sorting place and likewise for removal of arriving containers from the intermediate storage and sorting place to delivery vehicles.

11. A transloading installation according to claim 10, in which said perpendicular guides comprise a guide track means securely seated on said frame of said crane carriage and a beam guided thereby in perpendicular direction and along which said carrier frame is guided in vertical direction.

12. A transloading installation according to claim 10, in which for shifting said carrier frame along said perpendicular guides upon said frame of the carriage, fluid-operated power devices are provided extending upwardly with rollers for cable towing which are secured on one side to said carriage frame and on another side to said carrier frame.

13. A transloading installation according to claim 10, in which said carriage frame is journaled laterally swingable on said crane carriage.

14. A transloading installation according to claim 10, in which said frame and said crane carriage are open at opposite ends so that when the load container is projected out over the crane traveling path, there is permitted travel of the load container out of the carrier frame in a direction toward the end of said carriage-traveling path.

15. A transloading installation according to claim 13, in which a crane-guiding stand is provided at the other end of the carriage-traveling path adjoining the side of said frame.

16. A transloading installation according to claim 10, in which said holding means are formed as supporting rails of substantially the length of the load container and have rollers on topside thereof to facilitate movement of the load container out of said carrier frame and also movement into the same.