Aircraft tow bar device
First Claim
1. An aircraft tow bar device including means for selective engagement with a pair of holes in opposed flanges of a bracket fixed to the main strut of the nose wheel assembly of an aircraft comprising:
- A. a main stem including,1. a rear end portion providing a hitch means fixed relative to its distal end for attachment to a tow vehicle, and2. a forward end portion;
B. a wheel assembly fixed intermediate said rear and forward end portions;
C. a tow head fixed relative to the distal end of said forward end portion including,1. a generally E-shaped main frame providing,a. a transverse base portion,b. opposed forwardly extending, parallel outer arms from said base portion,c. a forwardly extending central arm from said base portion, bisecting the distance between said outer arms and defining a pair of forwardly opening yokes;
2. a pair of spaced apart, parallel, transverse rods spanning said parallel yokes and being fixed relative to said outer arms,3. a pair of forwardly extending parallel fingers including through holes for slidable engagement along said rods within the respective pair of yokes,
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tow bar device including an elongated tow bar stem having a latch means, fixed relative to a first end thereof for attachment to a tow vehicle, and a second head end providing a pair of oppositely operable slide fingers carrying oppositely extending latch pins for selective engagement or disengagement relative to a pair of holes in bracket means, conventionally fixed relative to the main strut of the nose wheel of an aircraft for towing purposes. Spring biased means is provided to automatically lock the pins in position when they are engaged through the bracket holes. Wheel means is provided intermediate the length of the tow bar assembly with a rocking saddle means interconnecting the wheel means and tow bar stem to permit the tow bar and head to be rocked or pivoted to a desired position to align the latch pins with the strut bracket holes when the nose wheel assembly is sidewardly inclined in either direction.
17 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An aircraft tow bar device including means for selective engagement with a pair of holes in opposed flanges of a bracket fixed to the main strut of the nose wheel assembly of an aircraft comprising:
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A. a main stem including, 1. a rear end portion providing a hitch means fixed relative to its distal end for attachment to a tow vehicle, and 2. a forward end portion; B. a wheel assembly fixed intermediate said rear and forward end portions; C. a tow head fixed relative to the distal end of said forward end portion including, 1. a generally E-shaped main frame providing, a. a transverse base portion, b. opposed forwardly extending, parallel outer arms from said base portion, c. a forwardly extending central arm from said base portion, bisecting the distance between said outer arms and defining a pair of forwardly opening yokes; 2. a pair of spaced apart, parallel, transverse rods spanning said parallel yokes and being fixed relative to said outer arms, 3. a pair of forwardly extending parallel fingers including through holes for slidable engagement along said rods within the respective pair of yokes, - View Dependent Claims (3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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- 2. a pair of oppositely, transversely extending lock pins fixed relative to the forward end portions of the respective fingers,a first means to move said fingers and associated lock pins in opposed directions from retracted positions to extended positions to engage the lock pins through the flange holes of the nose wheel bracket, or from engagement therethrough to said retracted positions,a second means to lock said lock pins in engagement through said bracket flange holes,a third means to synchronize the movement of said pair of fingers and associated lock pins from said retracted positions to said extended positions and from the extended positions to said retracted positions.
Specification