Industrial and urban airport complex with special cargo-handling facilities

• US 4,218,034 A
• Filed: 02/02/1978
• Issued: 08/19/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John W. Magill
• Original Assignee: John W. Magill
• Inventors: Magill, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelmachter, Barry L.
• Application Number:
  US05/874,502
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 244/114 R, 244/137 R, 214/58, 214/16 B, 214/16.4 A, 214/38 BA, 214/38 BB, 52/30, 52/33, 52/236.3, 52/236.4, 104/172 C, 198/799, 198/864, 198/812, 198/607, 414/277-285, 414/387, 414/402
• US Class Current: 244/114.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/00 Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations

Abstract

An airport complex comprising a main multi-level passenger terminal having peripheral gates for the enplaning and deplaning of passengers and cargo. A cargo building which is disposed in close proximity to the passenger terminal greatly shortens the time factor which usually is involved in transporting cargo to and from the passenger terminal. The airport complex is designed principally to accommodate ultra large aircraft of the jet-propelled type and novel facilities are provided for routing enplaning cargo on a priority basis from an arriving jet to a departing jet through cargo-handling facilities which are disposed within the passenger terminal, and also for routing enplaning cargo from the cargo building to a departing jet through the passenger terminal, likewise on a priority basis. Novel facilities are also provided for routing deplaning cargo from an arriving jet to the cargo building for various subsequent distribution, as, for example, inspection at a customs station, a sorting station, and breakdown to a flight departure as enplaning cargo via the passenger terminal, or as terminating cargo for remote delivery in the environs of the airport complex. A principal feature of such complex resides in the use of a towline cargo-handling system which cooperates with a series of power-driven cargo conveyors which, in turn, cooperate selectively with elevator mechanisms whereby both enplaning and deplaning cargo may be routed variously, the entire system being computerized for programmed control thereof. Provision is also made for the handling of baggage, mail, freight, and other items.

Claims

1. An industrial and urban airport complex embodying a substantially large tract of land and including a system of aircraft landing and take-off runways surrounding and defining an aircraft loading and unloading apron, a multi-level passenger terminal located on said apron and including a ground floor level, a below grade level, and an upper floor level, means defining a series of passenger and cargo gates arranged peripherally around said terminal substantially at the level of said apron, a first cargo down-elevator for each gate and effective to transfer enplaning cargo items from said upper floor level to substantially the level of the apron, a second cargo down-elevator for each gate and effective to transfer deplaning cargo items for substantially the level of the apron to said below grade level, a cargo building disposed in the immediate vicinity of the apron and within the surrounding confines of said runways, a first in-floor towline for transporting enplaning cargo items from the cargo building to and along said upper floor level of the passenger terminal, a second in-floor towline for transporting deplaning cargo items from said below grade level of the passenger terminal to the cargo building, said first and second in-floor towlines having associated therewith wheeled carts for carrying the cargo items, said first in-floor towline having a section extending along said upper floor level in spaced relation with the gates, plural means on said upper floor level for selectively transporting enplaning cargo items from the first in-floor towline section to each of the first cargo down-elevators, each of said plural means comprising a horizontal power conveyor extending between one side of the first in-floor towline section and the associated first cargo down-elevator and a transfer device on the other side of said first in-floor towline section for forcibly sliding cargo items on one of said cargo carts of said first in-floor towline section and in alignment with said conveyor onto the conveyor for delivery by the latter to said associated first cargo down-elevator, means on said below grade level for transporting deplaning cargo items from each of said second cargo down-elevators to the carts of the second in-floor towline, and reversible conveyor means movably disposed on said apron for selectively conducting enplaning cargo items to an aircraft on said apron and adjacent to one of the gates from the first cargo down-elevator of the one gate and for conducting deplaning cargo items to the second down-elevator of said one gate from the aircraft, said first and second cargo elevators being laterally shiftable within the confines of their respective gates, and the power conveyors and their respective transfer devices on said upper level being laterally shiftable into register with their respective first cargo elevators.

2. An industrial and urban airport complex embodying a substantially large tract of land and including a system of aircraft landing and take-off runways surrounding and defining an aircraft loading and unloading apron, a multi-level passenger terminal located on said apron and including a ground floor level, a below grade level, and an upper floor level, means defining a series of passenger and cargo gates arranged peripherally around said terminal substantially at the level of said apron, a first cargo down-elevator for each gate and effective to transfer enplaning cargo items from said upper floor level to substantially the level of the apron, a second cargo down-elevator for each gate and effective to transfer deplaning cargo items from substantially the level of the apron to said below grade level, a cargo building disposed in the immediate vicinity of the apron and within the surrounding confines of said runways, a first in-floor towline for transporting enplaning cargo items from the cargo building to and along said upper floor level, a second in-floor towline for transporting deplaning cargo items from said below grade level of the passenger terminal to the cargo building, said first and second in-floor towlines having associated therewith wheeled carts on which cargo items are carried, said first in-floor towline having a section extending along said upper floor level in spaced relation with the gates, plural means on said upper level of the passenger terminal for selectively transporting enplaning cargo items from the first in-floor towline section to each of the first cargo down-elevators, each of said plural means comprising a unitary, horizontal magazine of parallel side-by-side power roller conveyors extending between one side of said first in-floor towline section and the immediate vicinity of the associated first cargo down-elevator, and a transfer device for each power roller conveyor of the magazine, positioned on the other side of said first in-floor towline section and adapted when operated to slide cargo items from one of said cargo carts of said first in-floor towline section and in alignment with the associated power roller conveyor onto said conveyor for delivery by the latter to said associated first cargo down-elevator, each magazine of power roller conveyors and associated transfer devices being laterally shiftable bodily in unison to bring a selected power roller conveyor thereof into register with its associated first cargo down-elevator, means on said below grade level for transporting deplaning cargo items from each of said second cargo down-elevators to the carts of the second in-floor towline, and reversible conveyor means movably disposed on said apron for selectively conducting enplaning cargo items to an aircraft on said apron and adjacent to one of the gates from the first cargo down-elevator of the one gate and for conducting deplaning cargo items to the second down-elevator of said one gate from the aircraft.

3. An industrial and urban airport complex as set forth in claim 2 and wherein the first and second cargo elevators are laterally shiftable within the confines of their respective gates.

4. An industrial and urban airport complex embodying a large tract of land and including a system of aircraft landing and take-off runways surrounding and defining an aircraft loading and unloading apron, multi-level passenger terminal located on said apron and including a ground floor level, a below grade level, a second floor level, and a third floor level, said third floor level projecting beyond the ground floor level and establishing an overhang which overlies a portion of the apron in the immediate vicinity of the terminal, means defining a series of peripherally-arranged passenger and cargo gates around said terminal, said terminal embodying passenger facilities on the ground and second floor levels, a first cargo down-elevator for each gate extending between the third floor level and the ground floor level and extending through the overhang, said elevator being effective to transfer enplaning cargo items from the third floor level to the apron for delivery to an aircraft disposed on said apron, a second cargo down-elevator for each gate extending between the ground floor level and the below grade level and effective to transfer deplaning cargo items from substantially apron level to said below grade level, said first and second cargo down-elevators being laterally shiftable within the confines of their respective gates, a cargo building disposed in the immediate vicinity of the apron and within the surrounding confines of said runways, a first in-floor towline for transporting enplaning cargo items from the cargo building to and along said third floor level of the passenger terminal, a second in-floor towline for transporting deplaning cargo items from said below grade level to the cargo building, said first and second in-floor towlines having associated therewith wheeled carts for carrying the cargo items, conveying means on said third floor level for selectively conducting enplaning cargo items from certain of the carts of the first towline to the overhang in the vicinity of each of the associated first cargo elevators, plural means on the below grade level for conducting deplaning cargo items from said second cargo down-elevators to the second in-floor towline, each of said plural means comprising a transfer platform of the power roller type for receiving cargo items from the associated second cargo elevator, an elongated power roller shuttle for receiving deplaning cargo items from said transfer platform, a unitary and horizontal magazine of power roller conveyors arranged in parallelism and extending between said shuttle and the second in-floor towline for shifting the cargo items from the shuttle to the second in-floor towline, and selectively operable transfer devices, one for each power roller conveyor of the magazine, for shifting deplaning cargo items from the shuttle onto the magazine of power roller conveyors, and reversible conveyor means movably disposed on said apron for selectively conducting enplaning cargo items to an aircraft on said apron and adjacent to one of the gates from the first cargo down-elevator at the one gate and for conducting deplaning cargo items to the second down-elevator at said one gate from the aircraft.

5. An industrial and urban airport complex embodying a large tract of land and including a system of aircraft landing and take-off runways surrounding and defining an aircraft loading and unloading apron, and a multi-level passenger terminal located on said apron and including a ground floor level, a below grade level, a second floor level, and a third floor level, said third floor level projecting beyond the ground floor level and establishing an overhang which overlies a portion of the apron in the immediate vicinity of the terminal, means defining a series of peripherally-arranged passenger and cargo gates around said terminal, said terminal embodying passenger facilities on the ground and second floor levels, a first cargo down-elevator for each gate extending between the third floor level and the ground floor level and extending through the overhang, said elevator being effective to transfer enplaning cargo items from the third floor level to the apron for delivery to an aircraft disposed on said apron, a second cargo down-elevator for each gate extending between the ground floor level and the below grade level and effective to transfer deplaning cargo items from substantially apron level to said below grade level, said first and second cargo down-elevators being laterally shiftable within the confines of their respective gates, a cargo building disposed in the immediate vicinity of the apron and within the surrounding confines of said runways, a first in-floor towline for transporting enplaning cargo items from the cargo building to and along said third floor level of the passenger terminal, a second in-floor towline for transporting deplaning cargo items from said below grade level to the cargo building, said first and second in-floor towlines having associated therewith wheeled carts for containing the cargo items, plural means on said third floor level of the passenger terminal for selectively conveying enplaning cargo items from the first in-floor towline to those portions of the overhang region of the third floor level that are adjacent to the gates, each of said plural means comprising a power roller conveyor extending between said first in-floor towline and the overhang in the vicinity of the associated first cargo down-elevator and a transfer device for forcibly sliding cargo items from a cargo cart on said first towline onto the power roller conveyor for delivery by the conveyor to the associated first cargo down-elevator, plural means on the below grade level for conducting deplaning cargo items from said second cargo down-elevators to the second in-floor towline, each of said last mentioned plural means comprising a transfer platform of the power roller type for receiving cargo items from the associated second cargo down-elevator, an elongated power roller shuttle for receiving cargo items from said platform, a magazine of power roller conveyors arranged in parallelism and extending between the shuttle and the second in-floor towline for shifting the cargo items from the shuttle to the second in-floor towline, and selectively operable transfer devices, one for each power roller conveyor of the magazine, for shifting the deplaning cargo items from the shuttle onto the magazine power roller conveyors, and reversible conveyor means movably disposed on said apron for selectively conducting enplaning cargo items to an aircraft on said apron and adjacent to one of the gates from the first cargo down-elevator at the one gate and for conducting deplaning cargo items to the second down-elevator at said one gate from the aircraft.

6. An industrial and urban airport complex as set forth in claim 5 and wherein the reversible conveyor means on said apron for conducting cargo items to and from the associated first and second cargo elevators respectively embodies a main mobile roller conveyor having its inner end designed for selective register with said first and second cargo elevators, and a pair of branch mobile roller conveyors adapted to service a winged aircraft on the apron fore and aft of one wing and establishing communication between the main roller conveyor and respective front and rear loading and unloading cargo doors on the aircraft.

7. An industrial and urban airport complex as set forth in claim 6 and wherein said main and branch mobile roller conveyors are capable of effective raising and lowering movement to accommodate cargo doors at different levels of the aircraft, and the first and second cargo elevators likewise are capable of effective raising and lowering movements bodily.

8. An industrial and urban airport complex embodying a tract of land and including a system of aircraft landing and take-off runways surrounding and defining an aircraft loading and unloading apron, a multi-level passenger terminal located on said apron and including a ground floor level and an upper floor level, means defining a passenger and cargo gate at one side of said terminal and substantially at the level of said apron, a cargo down-elevator located at the gate and effective to transfer enplaning cargo items from said upper floor level to substantially the level of the apron for delivery to an aircraft on said apron and adjacent to the gate, an in-floor towline extending along said upper floor level in spaced relation with the gate and having associated therewith wheeled carts for carrying the cargo items, and means on said upper floor level of the passenger terminal for selectively transporting enplaning cargo items from the in-floor towline to the cargo down-elevator, said transporting means comprising a horizontal magazine of parallel side-by-side power roller conveyors extending between one side of the in-floor towline and the immediate vicinity of said cargo down-elevator, and a transfer device for each power roller conveyor of the magazine, positioned on the other side of said in-floor towline and adapted when operated to slide cargo items from a cargo cart of the in-floor towline and in alignment with the associated power roller conveyor onto said associated conveyor for delivery by the latter to said first cargo down-elevator, said magazine of power roller conveyors and the associated transfer devices being laterally shiftable bodily in unison in order to bring a selected power roller conveyor into register with said cargo down-elevator.

9. An industrial and urban airport complex as set forth in claim 8 and wherein the cargo down-elevator is laterally shiftable within the confines of said gate.

10. An industrial and urban airport complex according to claim 9 and wherein the cargo down-elevator is vertically adjustable and the portion of the magazine that is adjacent to said elevator embodies a hinged, ramp-like, conveyor extension which is capable of being tilted upwards and downwards in connection with vertical adjustment of said elevator.

11. An industrial and urban airport complex embodying a tract of land and including a system of aircraft landing and take-off runways surrounding and defining an aircraft loading and unloading apron, a multi-level passenger terminal located on said apron and including a ground floor level, a below grade level, and an upper floor level, means defining a passenger and cargo gate at one side of said terminal and substantially at the level of said apron, a first cargo down-elevator located at the gate and effective to transfer enplaning cargo items from said upper floor level to substantially the level of the apron for delivery to an aircraft on said apron and adjacent to the gate, a second cargo down-elevator located at the gate and effective to transfer deplaning cargo items arriving on the aircraft, from substantially the level of the apron to said below grade level, an in-floor towline extending along said upper floor level in spaced relation with the gate and having associated therewith wheeled carts for carrying the enplaning cargo items, a second in-floor towline extending along said below grade level in spaced relation with the gate, means on said upper floor level of the passenger terminal for selectively transporting enplaning cargo items from the first in-floor towline to the first cargo down-elevator, said transporting means comprising a horizontal magazine of parallel, side-by-side, power roller conveyors extending from one side of said first in-floor towline to the immediate vicinity of said first cargo down-elevator, and a transfer device for each power roller conveyor of the magazine positioned on the other side of said first in-floor towline and adapted when operated to slide cargo items from a cart of the first in-floor towline and in alignment with the associated power roller conveyor onto said associated conveyor for delivery by the latter to said first cargo down-elevator, said magazine of power roller conveyors and the associated transfer devices being laterally shiftable bodily in unison in order to bring a selected power roller conveyor into register with said first cargo down-elevator, and means on said below grade level of the passenger terminal for transporting deplaning cargo items from the second cargo down-elevator to said second in-floor towline, said last-mentioned means comprising a power roller transfer platform for receiving deplaning cargo items from said second cargo down-elevator, and a conveyor ramp section for conveying deplaning cargo items from the platform to said second in-floor towline.

12. An industrial and urban airport complex as set forth in claim 11 and wherein the first and second cargo down-elevators are laterally shiftable within the confines of said gate.

13. An industrial and urban airport complex as set forth in claim 11 and wherein the first cargo down-elevator is vertically adjustable and the portion of the magazine that is adjacent to said elevator embodies a hinged, ramp-like, conveyor extension which is capable of being tilted upwards and downwards in connection with vertical adjustment of said elevator.

14. An industrial and urban airport complex embodying a tract of land and including a system of aircraft landing and take-off runways surrounding and defining an aircraft loading and unloading apron, a multi-level passenger terminal located on said apron and including a ground floor level, a below grade level, and an upper floor level, means defining a passenger and cargo gate at one side of said terminal and substantially at the level of said apron, a first cargo down-elevator located at the gate and effective to transfer enplaning cargo items from said upper floor level to substantially the level of the apron for delivery to an aircraft on said apron and adjacent to the gate, a second cargo down-elevator located at the gate and effective to transfer deplaning cargo items arriving on the aircraft, from substantially the level of the apron to said below grade level, an in-floor towline extending along said upper floor level in spaced relation with the gate for carrying enplaning cargo items, a second in-floor towline extending along said below grade level in spaced relation with the gate, means on said upper floor level of the passenger terminal for selectively transporting enplaning cargo items from the first in-floor towline to the first cargo down-elevator, said transporting means comprising a horizontal magazine of parallel, side-by-side, power roller conveyors extending from one side of said first in-floor towline to the immediate vicinity of said first cargo down-elevator, and transfer means on the other side of said first in-floor towline for shifting cargo items from the first in-floor towline onto the power conveyors of the magazine for selective delivery by said conveyors to said first cargo down-elevator, said magazine of power roller conveyors being laterally shiftable in order to bring a selected power roller conveyor into register with said first cargo down-elevator, and means on said below grade level of the passenger terminal for transporting deplaning cargo items from the second cargo down-elevator to said second in-floor towline, said last-mentioned means comprising a power roller transfer platform for receiving deplaning cargo items from said second cargo down-elevator, and a conveyor ramp section for conveying deplaning cargo items from the platform to said second in-floor towline.