Universal aircraft mule

• US 9,315,137 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Automated Systems
• Original Assignee: International Automated Systems
• Inventors: Davis, Lawrence B., Schmoeckel, Karl Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Keenan, James
• Application Number:
  US13/851,477
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 254/3.R, 254/3.C, 254/8.C, 254/9.C, 254/10.R, 254/10.C, 414/471, 414/589
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/025 with a loading platform inside the wheels of a same axle and being lowerable below the axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/34 the other movement being raising or lowering
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/04 Arrangement thereof in or on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/50 Handling or transporting aircraft components
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/026 Racks equipped with a displaceable load carrying surface to facilitate loading or unloading

Abstract

A universal aircraft mule having a rollable and steerable frame and a load carrying cradle configured for removably supporting and carrying an auxiliary. The frame tiltably and liftably supports the cradle with a lift assembly. The lift assembly raises and lowers the cradle in relation to the frame and tilts the cradle in relation to the frame. The cradle also allows an auxiliary to be skewed within the cradle to facilitate loading and unloading of the auxiliary.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

(a) a universal aircraft mule having a rollable frame with two sides, said frame movably steerable in both a first direction and a second direction substantially opposing the first direction, a cradle having a port side and a starboard side and fore and aft ends, and a lift assembly operably attached to said rollable frame, said lift assembly including a first hydraulic system providing hydraulic system pressure to a first hydraulic cylinder pivotably driving an aft port lifting bar and an opposing aft starboard lifting bar, the cradle being interchangeable to facilitate carriage of accessories with specialized pick-up points, said first hydraulic system having a single reservoir and a lift pump on each side of the two sides of the rollable frame for simultaneous operation of said lift pump on each side of the two sides of the rollable frame, said aft port and opposing aft starboard lifting bars pivotably connected to said aft ends of said opposing port and starboard sides of said cradle, a second hydraulic system separate from said first hydraulic system, the second hydraulic system having a separate hydraulic reservoir, a separate hydraulic pump, and separate hydraulic system pressure from the first hydraulic system, the second hydraulic system providing hydraulic system pressure to a second hydraulic cylinder pivotably driving, in general parallel arrangement to said aft port lifting bar and opposing aft starboard lifting bar, with a pair of fore port and fore starboard tilting bars pivotably connected to said fore ends of said opposing port and starboard sides of said cradle, whereby said lift assembly is operably capable of both lifting, via the first hydraulic system, and tilting via the second hydraulic system, said cradle in a user configurable, controllable, and lockable position;

(b) a sequential vertical storage facility for presenting an accessory including at least one of an auxiliary wing tank and an auxiliary fuselage tank to said universal aircraft mule, the sequential vertical storage facility comprising;

a mechanized storage assembly including a tilt-to-load feature;

the mechanized storage assembly configured for;

receiving the at least one of the auxiliary wing tank and the auxiliary fuselage tank;

loading the at least one of the auxiliary wing tank and the auxiliary fuselage tank via the tilt-to-load feature;

vertically storing in an upright position the at least one of the auxiliary wing tank and the auxiliary fuselage tank;

selecting one of a plurality of the at least one of the auxiliary wing tank and the auxiliary fuselage tank via a lateral rotation of components of the sequential vertical storage facility; and

presenting the selected one of the plurality of the at least one of the auxiliary wing tank and the auxiliary fuselage tank to the universal aircraft mule via a vertical-downward rotation of the tilt-to-load feature.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mule guide for assisting in positioning said mule is position for at least one of loading and unloading.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said mule guide is at least one of optical, mechanical, or electromechanical.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said frame and cradle of said universal aircraft mule are configured to allow said cradle to be lowered to within 1.0 inches of the ground.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said second hydraulic system of said universal aircraft mule includes a tilt direction control having at least a first position and a second position.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said cradle tilts in a first direction when said tilt direction control is place in the first position, and said cradle tilts in a second direction when said tilt control is placed in the second position.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said universal aircraft mule is configured to be stacked along at least a generally vertical axis such that a longitudinal axis of said universal aircraft mule is generally parallel upon a shipping pallet.