Aerial ladder rotation limiter

• US 4,941,546 A
• Filed: 02/07/1989
• Issued: 07/17/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Lafrance LLC (LD Investment LLC)
• Original Assignee: Figgie International, Inc. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Nist, Thomas R., Garnett, Edward V.
• Primary Examiner(s): MACHADO, REINALDO
• Application Number:
  US07/307,898
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 182/17, 182/65-68, 212/189
• US Class Current: 182/17
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 5/38 Devices for blocking the springs of the vehicle; Devices for supporting the undercarriage directly from the ground
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 5/44 Other accessories on ladders, e.g. acoustical signalling devices, dismountable switchboards

Abstract

A fire truck includes an aerial ladder mounted on a rotatable base and outriggers on each side of the truck to stabilize the ladder in use. The outriggers may be deployed on only one side of the vehicle to permit use in confined areas. The ladder base is interlocked with the outriggers to permit the ladder to be positioned only on the side of the fire truck stabilized by the deployed outriggers. A retractable pin is connected through a mechanical linkage to each outrigger. Stop blocks mounted on opposite sides of the rotatable base contact any extended pins. Rotation of the base is thereby confined to a sector where the pins have been retracted by deployment of the associated outriggers. Small auxiliary jacks on each side of the fire truck are deployed in response to deployment of the outriggers on the opposite side of the truck. The jacks provide stability when the aerial ladder is used as a water tower for supporting a high pressure hose.

Claims

1. Aerial apparatus comprising a platform, vertically extendible means mounted on said platform, said platform being rotatable to position said vertically extendible means for use at a desired circumferential location, stabilizing means extendible outwardly of said platform for stabilizing said vertically extendible means within a predetermined circumferential sector, and means responsive to extension of said stabilizing means for permitting said vertically extendible means to be positioned only within said predetermined circumferential sector.

2. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a vehicle supporting said platform.

3. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including mechanical stop means in the rotational path of said platform, and wherein said means responsive to extension of the stabilizing means removes said stop means from the path of said platform to permit said platform to rotate within said predetermined circumferential sector.

4. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 3 including a resilient member for cushioning the impact between said platform and said stop means.

5. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to extension of said stabilizing means includes a retractable pin positioned in the rotational path of said platform, and means connected between said stabilizing means and said pin for retracting said pin out of said path in response to extension of said stabilizing means.

6. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 5 including a stop block connected to said platform and engagable with said retractable pin.

7. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said stop block includes a resilient member for cushioning the impact between said stop block and said retractable pin.

8. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including second stabilizing means for stabilizing said vertically extendible means within a second predetermined circular sector, and means responsive to extension of said second stabilizing means for permitting said vertically extendible means to be positioned only within said second predetermined sector.

9. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including auxillary stabilizing means extended on the opposite side of said platform from said stabilizing means in response to extension of said stabilizing means.

10. Aerial apparatus comprising a platform, vertically extendible means mounted on said platform, said platform being rotatable to position said vertically extendible means at a desired circumferential location, first and second stabilizer means extendible outwardly of said platform for stabilizing said vertically extendible means within first and second predetermined circumferential sectors, respectively, and means responsive to extension of one of said stabilizer means for permitting said vertically extendible means to be positioned only within the circumferential sector stabilized by the extended stabilizer means.

11. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said means for permitting positioning of the vertically extendible means includes first and second mechanical means positioned to prevent rotation of said platform, and means responsive to extension of one of said stabilizer means for moving the corresponding mechanical means out of the path of said platform to permit positioning of said vertically extendible means within the circumferential sector stabilized by the extended stabilizer means.

12. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein each said mechanical means includes a retractable pin in the rotational path of said platform, and wherein said means responsive to extension of one of the stabilizer means includes a mechanical linkage between the stabilizer means and retractable pin for retracting the pin in response to extension of the stabilizer means.

13. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 12 including first and second stop blocks connected to said platform and engagable with said retractable pins.

14. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein each said stop block includes a resilient member for cushioning impact between the stop block and the retractable pin.

15. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 10 including first and second auxilliary stabilizer means positioned opposite respective first and second stabilizer means and extendable in response to extension of the respective stabilizer means.

16. Aerial ladder apparatus comprising a platform, an aerial ladder mounted on said platform, said platform being rotatable to position said ladder at desired circumferential locations, first and second stabilizers extendible outwardly of said platform for stabilizing said ladder within first and second predetermined circumferential sectors, respectively, first and second retractable pins in the rotational path of said platform, and mechanical linkage means between each of said stabilizer means and the corresponding retractable pin for retracting said pin in response to extension of the corresponding stabilizer means, whereby said ladder may be positioned only within the circumferential sector stabilized by the extended stabilizer means.

17. Aerial apparatus as claimed in claim 16 including a vehicle supporting said platform.