Mechanical support apparatus for the stabilization of an inflatable escape slide

• US 4,013,247 A
• Filed: 12/30/1975
• Issued: 03/22/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Giffin, Leverett William
• Primary Examiner(s): Halvosa, George E. A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kelmachter, Barry L.
• Application Number:
  US05/645,390
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 244/137 P, 244/DIG. 2, 244/129 S, 193/25 B, 182/48
• US Class Current: 244/137.2
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/14 Inflatable escape chutes

Abstract

Support apparatus for stabilizing an inflatable aircraft escape slide both during deployment and use is disclosed. The support apparatus includes a series of panels or links that are hinged together to form a mechanical girt (support). The upper end of the mechanical girt is attached to a girt bar that is mounted near the lower region of the aircraft egress door to secure the upper end of the escape slide. The mechanical girt is deployed through the aircraft door with the escape slide. As the mechanical girt swings against the exterior surface of the aircraft, latching mechanisms automatically engage mating catches located on the aircraft exterior near the sill of the aircraft door and at a location near the lower edge of the mechanical girt to securely fasten the mechanical girt to the exterior surface of the aircraft. A lower girt bar, that extends across a lower region of the mechanical girt is connected to the inflatable escape slide by a lower girt. The lower girt is dimensioned and arranged to be under tension prior to the full inflation of the escape slide to thereby stabilize the escape slide as it is inflated and utilized for descent. In addition to (or in place of) the lower girt, stabilizing straps are connected from the lower edges of the mechanical girt to positions on the escape slide that are located outwardly of the upper slide terminus. These straps are also dimensioned and arranged to be under tension prior to the full inflation of the escape slide to thereby stabilize the slide.

Claims

1. Apparatus for supporting an inflatable escape slide adjacent an egress door in an aircraft fuselage comprising:

at least one rigid frame member;

deployment means associated with said frame member for mounting said frame member for movement between a first position stowed in said fuselage adjacent said door and a second position wherein said frame member is positioned outside said fuselage and is oriented so that one end of said frame member is located adjacent said egress door and the opposite end of said frame member is located downwardly from said first end and adjacent said fuselage;

means for mounting said frame member and said deployment means on the interior of said fuselage adjacent said egress door;

latch means associated with said frame member for rigidly securing said frame member to the exterior surface of said fuselage when said frame member is in said second position; and

means for interconnecting said frame member to an inflatable escape slide to positionally stabilize said escape slide relative to said aircraft egress door during and after inflation of said escape slide.

2. Apparatus for supporting an inflatable escape slide adjacent to an aircraft egress door comprising:

a mechanical girt deployable through said aircraft door, said mechanical girt including means for securing one end of said mechanical girt to the interior of said aircraft at a position adjacent to the lower boundary of said egress door, said mechanical girt extending downwardly from said egress door along the external surface of said aircraft when said mechanical girt is deployed;

first latching means for connecting said mechanical girt to the exterior surface of said aircraft when said mechanical girt is deployed; and

connecting means for connecting predetermined regions of said mechanical girt to predetermined positions along the exterior surface of said inflatable escape slide, said connecting means exerting tensional force between said mechanical girt and said escape slide to stabilize said inflatable escape slide during inflation and use thereof.

3. The inflatable escape slide support mechanism of claim 2 wherein said first latching means is located in the lower portion of said mechanical girt relative to the downwardly extending deployed position.

4. The inflatable escape slide support apparatus of claim 3 further comprising second latching means for connecting the upper portion of said mechanical girt to the exterior surface of said aircraft.

5. The inflatable escape slide support apparatus of claim 2 wherein said mechanical girt includes a plurality of generally rectangular panels, each of said panels pivotably attached to an adjacent one of said panels to serially connect said panels one with another.

6. The inflatable escape slide support apparatus of claim 2 wherein said connecting means for connecting said mechanical girt to said inflatable escape slide includes a lower girt bar mounted in the lower region of said mechanical girt, said connecting means further including a girt encircling said lower girt bar with each of said girt connected to the exterior surface of said inflatable escape slide.

7. The inflatable escape slide support apparatus of claim 6 wherein said connecting means further includes at least one strap for connecting between a lower outside edge of said mechanical girt to a predetermined position along the exterior surface of said inflatable escape slide.

8. Support apparatus for stabilizing the upper end of an inflatable escape slide deployable from an elevated aircraft egress door comprising:

a mechanical girt including a plurality of serially hinged girt panels having hinged edges, said mechanical girt deployable over the door sill of said egress door to extend downwardly over the exterior surface of said aircraft with the hinged edges of said mechanical girt substantially parallel to said door sill, said hinged panels being so configured and so arranged such that said mechanical girt is conformable to the exterior contour of said aircraft in the region over which said mechanical girt is deployed;

means for connecting said mechanical girt to the interior region of said aircraft adjacent to said egress door;

first latch means for connecting said mechanical girt to said aircraft at a position near said door sill, said first latch means mounted as a portion of said mechanical girt that is deployed over said door sill;

first catch means mounted on said aircraft near said door sill for automatically engaging said first latch means as said mechanical girt is deployed;

second latch means for connecting said mechanical girt to the exterior surface of said aircraft at a predetermined position below said egress door sill;

second catch means mounted on the exterior surface of said aircraft for automatically engaging said second latch means as said mechanical girt is deployed;

a lower girt bar mounted across a lower region of said mechanical girt, said lower girt bar spaced apart from said mechanical girt with said lower girt bar substantially parallel to and spaced below the lower surface of said deployed escape slide; and

a lower girt for connecting between said lower girt bar and said inflatable escape slide, said lower girt dimensioned so as to structurally interconnect said inflated escape slide and said mechanical girt as said escape slide is inflated.

9. The support apparatus of claim 8 further comprising at least one stabilizing strap, each stabilizing strap for connecting between a lower edge of said mechanical girt and a region of said escape slide that is outwardly disposed from the upper terminus thereof, the length of each stabilizing strap established to supply tension between said mechanical girt and said escape slide as said escape slide is inflated.

10. In an inflatable escape slide installation for deployment through an elevated egress door wherein said escape slide installation includes a chute deployable to form a platform along the floor of an aircraft, said chute extending outwardly across the door sill of said egress door, an inflatable escape slide secured to a portion of said floor adjacent to said egress door, and a packboard for containing said inflatable escape slide during stowage within said aircraft, the improvement comprising:

a generally rectangular mechanical girt having a width commensurate with the opening formed by said aircraft egress door, the first edge of said mechanical girt pivotably attached to the edge of said chute that extends outwardly across said door sill, the second edge of said mechanical girt pivotably attached to one edge of said packboard, said mechanical girt so configured and so arranged relative to said chute and said packboard so as to extend downwardly from the outboard edge of said chute along the exterior surface of said aircraft to the upper edge of said packboard when said escape slide is deployed;

first latching means for automatically securing said portion of said chute extending over said door sill to said door sill as said escape slide is deployed;

second latching means located on the rear panel of said packboard for automatically securing said packboard to the exterior surface of said aircraft; and

connecting means for securing said packboard to said inflatable escape slide when said escape slide is deployed, said connecting means structurally interconnecting said packboard and said inflatable escape slide so as to stabilize said inflatable slide during deployment and use thereof.

11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein said mechanical girt comprises a plurality of generally rectangular panels, each of said panels hinged to an adjacent one of said panels so as to serially interconnect each of said plurality of panels one with another.

12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein said mechanical girt, said chute and said packboard form a stowage container for said inflatable slide with the rear surface of said packboard defining one face of said stowage container, said chute defining at least one face of said stowage container and said mechanical girt including said serially hinged panels interconnected between said edge of said chute and said edge of said packboard defining at least one face of said stowage container.

13. The inflatable escape slide installation of claim 10 wherein said escape slide installation further includes an inflatable positioning tube extending laterally across said escape slide along the lower surface of the upper terminus of said escape slide and said connecting means for securing said packboard to said inflatable escape slide includes a lower girt bar mounted acorss the lower region of said packboard, said girt bar substantially parallel to and spaced below the lower surface of said positioning tube, and connecting means further including a fabric girt encompassing said girt bar with each end of said girt connected to a surface of said positioning tube.

14. The improvement of claim 13 wherein said mechanical girt comprises a plurality of generally rectangular panels, each of said panels hinged to an adjacent one of said panels so as to serially interconnect each of said plurality of panels one with another.

15. The improvement of claim 14 wherein said mechanical girt, said chute and said packboard form a stowage container for said inflatable slide with the rear surface of said packboard defining one face of said stowage container, said chute defining at least one face of said stowage container and said mechanical girt including said serially hinged panels interconnected between said edge of said chute and said edge of said packboard defining at least one face of said stowage container.