Slider wheel pitch and roll control stick apparatus for an aircraft

• US 4,778,133 A
• Filed: 05/08/1987
• Issued: 10/18/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boeing Company The Seattle King Washington
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Sakurai, Seiya
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corl, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US07/047,984
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 244/220, 244/221, 244/234, 244/237, 74/492, 74/493
• US Class Current: 244/234
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/0423 yokes or steering wheels for primary flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/044 operated by feet, e.g. pedals

Abstract

A slider wheel housing assembly 10) is provided for mounting an aircraft pitch and roll control stick or shaft (28) to control panel structure (34) in the aircraft'"'"'s cockpit. The assembly (10) includes a housing (12) having a pair of parallel guide rails (14, 16) that extend along opposite outside surfaces of the housing (12). Each guide rail (14, 16) laterally projects outwardly away from its respective side of the housing (12). Each rail (14, 16) further has first and second beveled outer surfaces (18, 20) which extend along the length of each rail (14, 16). These surfaces (18, 20) provide running surfaces for a plurality of roller wheels (44, 46, 48, 50) which are rotationally mounted to the control panel structure (34). The wheels (44, 46, 48, 50) and guide rails (14, 16) cooperatively hold the housing (12) in the control panel structure (34) while at the same time permitting the housing (12) to translate back and forth, the direction of translation being defined by the direction of the rails (14, 16). Connected to the assembly'"'"'s housing (12) is the control shaft (28) which translates correspondingly with housing movement. The shaft (28) is connected to the assembly'"'"'s housing (12) in a manner so that it can also rotate for roll control as well as translate for pitch control.

Claims

1. For use in the cockpit of a commercial aircraft having located therein a control panel structure for displaying aircraft instrumentation and at least one seat for an aircraft operator, and further having foot-operated rudder and brake controls positioned underneath said control panel structure, wherein said operator'"'"'s feet are normally positioned underneath said control panel structure when said operator is seated and operating said rudder and brake controls, an aircraft pitch and roll control apparatus, comprising:

an elongated control shaft having an upper end and a lower end, said shaft extending continuously in one piece along a center line axis from said upper end to said lower end, a control wheel being connected to said upper end;

a shaft-translating housing surrounding a portion of said control shaft intermediate of said shaft'"'"'s upper and lower ends, said upper and lower ends each extending outwardly away from said housing;

bearing means for rotationally connecting said shaft to said housing in a manner so that said shaft is rotatable about said shaft'"'"'s center line axis in response to turning of said control wheel by said aircraft operator;

means for slidably mounting said shaft-translating housing to said control panel structure, for moving said housing back and forth in a particular direction, wherein sliding movement of said housing back and forth correspondingly translates said shaft back and forth, and wherein said center line axis of said shaft extends at a certain fixed acute angle with respect to the direction of said shaft-translating movement, said shaft being positioned substantially above the legs of the operator when in a normal seated position, said shaft'"'"'s upper end extending rearwardly at said fixed angle into said cockpit so that said control wheel is in a position that is comfortably operable by said operator, and said shaft'"'"'s lower end extending forwardly at said fixed angle to a position located forwardly of the normal position of said operator'"'"'s feet when seated;

a movable pitch control swing arm operable to adjust the pitch of said aircraft;

a movable roll crank arm operable to adjust roll of said aircraft; and

connecting means operable to interconnect said control shaft'"'"'s lower end with both said pitch control swing arm and said roll crank arm, in a manner so that translation of said shaft causes movement of said pitch control swing arm, to adjust aircraft pitch, and in a manner so that rotational turning of said shaft causes movement of said roll crank arm, to adjust aircraft roll.

2. The pitch and roll control apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for slidably mounting said shaft-translating housing to said control panel structure comprises:

a pair of parallel guide rails extending along opposing outside surfaces of said housing, the direction of which defining the direction of translation of said housing and said control shaft, each guide rail laterally projecting outwardly away from its respective side of said housing, each rail having first and second beveled outer surfaces extending along the length of each rail in said direction of translation, and a plurality of roller wheels rotationally mounted to said control panel structure, including one roller wheel positioned adjacent each beveled outer surface of said rails, said one roller wheel being positioned so that said one roller wheel'"'"'s outer surface is in rolling contact with said one roller wheel'"'"'s respective beveled surface, wherein the axis of rotation of all said roller wheels are coplanar, and wherein the direction of said guide rails extend at an acute angle relative to the center line axis of said control shaft.

3. The pitch and roll control apparatus of claim 2, wherein said housing includes a passageway having first and second opposing coaxial and concentric end openings, said control shaft extending through said openings and said passageway, and said bearing means comprises first and second annular bearings each positioned, respectively, in one of said end openings and around said shaft, and connecting said shaft to said housing.

4. The pitch and roll control apparatus of claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprises a universal joint.