Engine extractor system

• US 8,511,646 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard R. Woodard
• Original Assignee: Richard R. Woodard
• Inventors: Woodard, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcelo, Emmanuel M
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALIGIURI, ANGELA KATHLEEN
• Application Number:
  US12/931,526
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 254323-325, 254/334, 254/338
• US Class Current: 254/338
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 23/44 Jib-cranes adapted for attachment to standard vehicles, e.g. agricultural tractors
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 23/485 for lifting and moving engines, e.g. car or aero engines or parts thereof

Abstract

A coupling assembly separably couples a vertical support formed of an anchor pole, a vertical post and a mast to a helicopter. A top rail is pivotally coupled to an upper extent of the vertical support. A coupling plate is coupled to the vertical support. A winch is attached to the coupling plate. The top rail has ends with interior and exterior sheaves rotatably coupled to the ends of the top rail. A cable has a distal end positionable over an engine of the helicopter and adapted to be attached thereto. The cable has a proximal end attached to the winch for withdrawing and extending the cable.

Claims

1. An engine extractor system comprising:

a vertical support formed of an anchor pole and a vertical post and a mast;

a coupling assembly for separably coupling the vertical support to a helicopter;

a top rail pivotally coupled to an upper extent of the vertical support;

a coupling plate coupled to the vertical support, a winch attached to the coupling plate, the top rail having ends with interior and exterior sheaves rotatably coupled to the ends of the top rail, a cable having a distal end positionable over an engine of the helicopter and adapted to be attached thereto, the cable having a proximal end attached to the winch withdrawing and extending the cable; and

wherein the coupling assembly includes an inverted U-shaped channel attached to the anchor pole and removably positioned over one foot of a skid of the helicopter with a foot bolt threadedly coupled to the channel to contact and grip the one foot, a floating collar and pivot coupled to the vertical support adjacent to the channel, a stop collar coupled to the anchor pole immediately above the floating collar and pivot, a nylon bearing coupled to the anchor pole immediately above the stop collar, an anchor pole support member formed of an interior section and an exterior section slidably received on the interior section, the exterior section having an exterior end with an adjustable tube clamp adapted to be separably coupled to a leg remote from the channel, the interior section having an interior end with a pivotable clip attaching the floating collar and pivot to the anchor pole support member.

2. An engine extractor system (10) for hoisting and extracting an engine from a helicopter, the system comprising, in combination:

a helicopter (12) having a main body portion (14) with skids (16) below and an engine (18) above, the skids having raised, horizontally disposed transverse sections with downwardly extending legs (20) and longitudinally extending feet (22) below;

a vertical support (24), the vertical support including an upper vertical post (26) above, a lower anchor pole (28) below and a mast (30) intermediate the post and the pole, the post being slidably received on the mast with an upper bolt (32) to couple the post at a selected height with respect to the mast, the mast being slidably received on the pole with an lower bolt (34) to couple the mast at a selected height with respect to the pole;

a coupling assembly (36) for separably coupling the vertical support to the helicopter, the coupling assembly including an inverted U-shaped channel (38) attached to the pole and removably positioned over one foot of the skid with a foot bolt (40) threadedly coupled to the channel to contact and grip the one foot, a floating collar and pivot (42) coupled to the pole adjacent to the channel, a stop collar (44) coupled to the pole immediately above the floating collar and pivot, a nylon bearing (46) coupled to the pole immediately above the stop collar, the nylon bearing providing a surface for rotatably supporting the mast, an anchor pole support member (48) formed of an interior section (50) and an exterior section (52) slidably received on the interior section with holes and a securement pin, the exterior section having an exterior end with an adjustable tube clamp (54) adapted to be separably coupled to a leg remote from the channel, the interior section having an interior end with a pivotable clip (56) attaching the floating collar and pivot to the anchor pole support member;

a generally horizontal top rail (58), a pivot pin (60) pivotally coupling the top rail to an upper extent of the post, the top rail having a long section (62) overlying the helicopter including the engine and a central extent of the skid, the top rail having a short section (64) extending from the post oppositely from the long section, a diagonal arm formed of a lower section (66) and an upper section (68) slidably received in the lower section, angularly aligned holes (70) extending through the upper and lower sections with an angular pin (72) positionable in selected angularly aligned holes to vary a length of the diagonal arm, a mast anchor collar (74) slidably received on the post with vertically aligned holes (76) in the mast anchor collar and the post with a vertical pin (78) positionable in the vertically aligned holes for varying a height of the mast anchor collar, a top rail pivot (80) slidably received on the long section of the top rail with horizontally aligned holes (82) in the top rail pivot and the top rail with a horizontal pin (84) horizontal positionable in the horizontally aligned holes for varying the lateral position of the top rail pivot on the top rail; and

a winch assembly (86) including a pair of laterally spaced winch mounting plate collars (88) secured to each other and to the mast, a coupling plate (90) joining the collars, a winch with a hand crank (92) attached to the coupling plate, the top rail having opposed ends with interior and exterior sheaves (94) rotatably coupled to the top rail at its ends, a flexible cable (96) having a distal end positionable over the engine of the helicopter and adapted to be attached thereto, the cable having a proximal end attached to the winch whereby rotation of the hand crank will withdraw and extend the cable for hoisting the engine and extracting it from a body portion of the helicopter.