AIRCRAFT ANTI-HIJACKING STRUCTURE

• US 3,658,277 A
• Filed: 12/11/1970
• Issued: 04/25/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles I. Anderson
• Original Assignee: Charles I. Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Charles I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sroka, Edward A.
• Application Number:
  US05/097,070
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 244/1R,119,1P 52/106 109/3,6,8 49/41,263
• US Class Current: 244/1.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1469 Doors between cockpit and cabin
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0028 doors or door arrangements specially adapted to restrict unauthorized access

Abstract

Normally inoperative walls in entrance area of aircraft between passenger and pilot areas rendered operable by control in pilot area and automatically actuated in response to downward pressure on floor in entrance area for movement to operative position to trap within the entrance area person or persons stepping on floor thereof. Such movable walls are segments of hollow cylinder rotatable to operative position into edge-overlapping relation with stationary walls comprising segments of coaxial hollow cylinder thereby to block access from entrance area to exterior of aircraft and passenger and pilot areas. Thus enclosed entrance area may be filled with temporarily effective disabling gas and subsequently evacuated thereof, both under control from pilot area.

Claims

1. In an aircraft having a fuselage including a frame and a wall structure carried by said frame defining passenger and pilot areas with entrances therebetween and from the exterior into said passenger area;

anti-hijacking means carried by said frame between said passenger and pilot areas, comprising normally inoperative vertical wall means, floor means disposed interiorly of said wall means, and actuating means automatically operable in response to downward pressure on said floor means to move said wall means to operative position to block access from said passenger area to said pilot area.

2. An aircraft according to claim 1, wherein said wall means includes stationary wall members defining an entrance area between said passenger and pilot areas and said entrances thereto, and normally inoperative movable wall members moved by said actuating means to operative position to block the latter said entrances to cooperate with said stationary wall members to trap within said entrance area that which applied downward pressure on said floor means.

3. An aircraft according to claim 2, wherein said wall means includes laterally disposed wall members movable by said actuating means to block said entrances from the exterior of the aircraft.

4. In an aircraft according to claim 1, control means operable from said pilot area for rendering said actuating means operative or inoperative.

5. An aircraft according to claim 4, wherein said control means is selectively operable to effect return of said wall means to normally inoperative position.

6. Anti-hijacking means in an aircraft according to claim 2, wherein said stationary and movable wall members, respectively, comprise segments of coaxial hollow cylinders, with adjacent said segments overlapping when said movable members are in operative position to form a completely enclosed capsule.

7. Anti-hijacking means according to claim 6, wherein said movable wall members are connected to spider means having a central shaft with a gear thereon, and said actuating means comprises a power-actuated rack meshing with said gear.

8. Anti-hijacking means according to claim 7, wherein said spider means is at the lower end of said movable wall members, and roller bearing means supported by said frame for supporting said spider means.

9. Anti-hijacking means according to claim 8, wherein said floor means is spring-supported on said spider means.

10. Anti-hijacking means according to claim 9, wherein said actuating means comprises normally open pressure-responsive switch means interposed between said spider and said floor means automatically closed in response to downward pressure on the latter.

11. In an aircraft according to claim 2, a supply of disabling gas under pressure mounted in said fuselage with a discharge extending into said entrance area, and control means in said pilot area for causing discharge of gas from said supply into said entrance area.

12. In an aircraft according to claim 11, means mounted in said fuselage with control means in said pilot area for evacuating gas from said entrance area and discharging the same exteriorly of said fuselage.