GB2118502A

GB2118502A - Docking installation

Info

Publication number: GB2118502A
Application number: GB08307419A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andre Morin
Original assignee: SOVAM
Current assignee: SOVAM
Priority date: 1982-04-21
Filing date: 1983-03-17
Publication date: 1983-11-02
Also published as: JPS58191699A; GB8307419D0; FR2525556A1; DE3311754A1

Abstract

A docking installation for a passenger transport vehicle has a device for control of the upper part of a bellows of the installation which is brought to bear against, for example, the embarking opening of an aircraft, and the device has a resilient telescopic arm 4, one end 3 of which is connected by a joint 2 to an upright 1 fixed to a movable floor extensible of the vehicle. The device has a control jack 9 pivotally mounted between the arm 4 and the upright 1 to control the pivoting movement of the telescopic arm 4 relative to upright 1 by remote control to position the free end of the bellows. Alternatively, the docking installation may be on a mobile gangway. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Docking installation The present invention concerns an approach/docking installation, in particular for vehicles for the transport of passengers between the embarkation platform of an airport and an aircraft or for mobile gangways leading from an airport to an aircraft, this installation comprising an extensible movable floor and at least one bellows unit forming a tunnel, which is extended or retracted at the same time as the floor of the installation moves, the end of the bellows being joined with the vehicle or with the fixed part of the gangway and the free end of the bellows being intended to come up against the fuselage of the aircraft closeby the embarkation platform.

Many docking installations of this type are known already, in accordance with the French patent 80 26 589.

The problem which these various docking installations intend to solve is that of ensuring a contact as tight as possible between the front end of the docking installation and the opening which this installation comes up against, for example, the fuselage of an aircraft.

When this opening is in a flat plane, the seal can be carried out in good conditions. However, in the case of an aircraft fuselage, as the shapes and curvatures differ very greatly from one aircraft to another it is relatively difficult to ensure this seal at the level of the flange surrounding the opening of the bellows. A device in the form of a pantograph (French patent 78 36 778) controlling the movement of the front edge of the bellows is also known. However, this is a relatively complex mechanical device and one which, accordingly, is costly to produce and maintain.

The present invention is intended to create an approach/docking installation comprising simple means for positioning in place or withdrawal of the bellows, whilst ensuring a very good application of the front edge of the bellows against the opening, even if the shape of that opening is not flat, such as the fuselage of an aircraft.

For that purpose, the invention concerns an installation of the above type, characterised in that it comprises at least one device for controlling the upper part of the bellows, this device consisting of a resilient telescopic arm, one end of which is connected by a joint to an upright fixed to the movable floor, and of a controlled jack mounted between the arm and the upright to control the pivoting move mentofthetelescopicarm relative to the upright for positioning in place or withdrawal of the upper part of the bellows.

Thus, thanks to the resilient telescopic arm working in extension, the arm always pushes on the upper end of the flange surrounding the opening of the bellows. As this flange is not extensible, the unit remains in position as long as the jack keeps the resilient arm in a corresponding angular position.

As soon as the jack as tilted, to cause the telephone arm to pivot, the telescopic arm extends, following the deformation of the geometric figure consistuted by the telescopic arm and the leading edge of the bellows, applying this front edge againt the fuselage. This device makes it possible to apply the edges of the bellows with controlled pressure against the fuselage.

The jack is advantageously controlled - and preferably remote controlled - starting from the transport vehicles's or gangway's operating or control position. These control operations take place at the same time as the operator controls the extension movement or withdrawal or guiding of the movable part of the gangway or vehicle equipped with this docking installation.

As the device controlling the upper part of the bellows acts at the level of a corner of the bellows, there are two such devices, one on each side of the bellows.

This control device is particularly simple, because it consists of three parts in all: a telescopic arm, an upright and a jack.

Maintenance work is itself very simple, particularly because a device as simple as this is not very liable to faults, in contrast with a complex mechanical device including numerous joints or pivoting parts, etc.

This invention will be described in greater detail by means of the attached drawings, in which, by way of example: Figure lisa general view of the vehicle and an exploded view of the device controlling the movement of the upper part of a bellows of a docking installation, in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 shows schematically the positioning in place of a docking installation in accordance with the invention, comprising a device controlling the upper part of the bellows.

In accordance with Figure 1, the docking installation in accordance with the invention is intendd for vehicles for the transport of passengers between the embarkation platform of an airport to an aircraft or furthermore for mobile access gangways which lead from an airport to an aircraft.

The front end of the bellows must conform to the form of the aircraft fuselage around the door, to ensure closing of the mobile tunnel thus formed between the aircraft and the gangway 5 or vehicle's docking installation.

During the course of the docking movement, the operator of the docking installation controls the movement of the floor of the installation to bring it to level and adjust it to the door of the aircraft.

At the same time as the advance and, where necessary, the horizontal inclination (pivoting from ground) of the docking installation is adjusted, the front end of the bellows follows the movement. In this position, the upper part of the bellows is not yet in contact with the fuselage of the aircraft. The device controlling the upper part of the bellows, as shown in Figure 1, ensures this positioning in place.

The control device consists of an upright 1 fixed at the base to the front movable part of the floor of the gangway. This upright 1 carries, at its upper end, a joint 2, receiving the rear end 3 of a telescopic arm 4 with springs, the front end of the arm 5' being connected to the bellows which is not shown in this figure.

The body 6 of the telescopic arm is provided at the rear end with two lugs 7 in order to fix head 8 of a jack 9, the other end 10 of which is connected to joint 11 carried by the upright 1.

Upright 1 has, in horizontal section, a U-shape, the two arms of which consist of side pieces 12 and 13, connected by a strip forming the back.

The opening of the U-section of upright 1 makes it possible to position the rear end of telescopic arm 3 and ofjack 9. The lower part or upright 1 is closed by a plate 15.

Telescopic arm 4 consists of a body 6 which contains a compression spring acting on rod 5, carrying end 5'.

The spring, which does not appear in Figure 1, acts in the direction of arrow A, endeavouring to extend resilient telescopic arm 4.

Jack 9 is preferably a hydraulic jack, remotely controlled from the vehicle or gangway operating or driving position. The connections and means of supply to the hydraulic jack are not shown.

Figure 2 shows, in parts Figure 2A, Figure 2B and Figure 2C, the different positions of a docking installation in accordance with the invention, in the positioning in place phase and in the withdrawal phase.

In Figure 2A the docking installation is in the retracted position. The installation consists of a tunnel 20, with a floor 21, constituing fixed items, and extensible bellows 22, the rear end of which 23 is connected to tunnel 20, the lower part consisting of an extensible and possibly pivoting floor 24.

Upright 1 of the control device is fixed to floor 24.

The end 5' of the resilient telescopic arm is fixed to the front upper part 25 of bellows 22. This upper part is, for example, a peripheral flange. In this example, lugs 7 are part-way along arm 4 ratherthan at the rear end as in Figure 1.

In order to achieve the join between the docking device and aircraft 30, the contour of which is shown in schematic form in the left part, in Figure 2C, floor 24 is extended to arrive at the position shown in Figure 2B, and bellows 22 follows this movement.

The same applies to the control device for the upper part of the bellows. Then, in order to apply rim 25 of the bellows against the fuselage 30 of the aircraft, jack 9 is operated and it acts on the telescopic arm 4, causing it to pivot around its axis 2 in the direction of arrow F. The variation in distance is taken up by telescopic arm 4 because the latter is still under compression (Figure 2C).

Thus, the force exerted by jack 9 on telescopic arm 4 results in a controlled pressure, applying flange 25 against the fuselage of the aircraft and ensuring a good seal.

The removal of the gangway relative to the aircraft fuselage takes place following operations in the reverse order, initially operating jack 9 in the reverse direction to pivot arm 4 in the direction opposite to that of arrow F and to revert to the position in Figure 2B; the whole unit is then retracted to return to the position in Figure 2A. The gangway is thus in the rest position or, in the case of a passenger transport vehicle, the vehicle is ready to move off.

Although the above description concerns a docking installation for passenger transport vehicles or an access ganagway, these same means are applicable in the same conditions to goods transport vehicles or trans-shipment platforms, even in fields other than those of aviation.

Further according to the present invention there is provided docking apparatus comprising an extensible movable floor and at least one bellows or flexible member which together are adapted to form a tunnel around an opening in use, the bellows or flexible member being extended or retracted as the extensible floor moves, one end of the bellows or flexible member being attached or attachable to a docking vehicle, gangway or other support and the other, free end of the bellows or flexible member, in use, being brought to bear close-up against an opening of, for example, the fuselage of an aircraft and wherein the apparatus comprises at least one device for controlling part of the bellows or flexible member opposite the extensible floor, said at least one device comprising a telescopic arm connected to said free end of the bellows or flexible member, said arm being pivotally mounted on the apparatus and so positioned relative to the extensible floor and so attached to a jack of said at least one device that the pivoting movement of the telescopic arm is controllable by the jack to thereby position said free end of the bellows or flexible member to bear close up against said opening.

Claims

1. Docking installation, in particularfor mobile gangways or passenger transport vehicles leading from an airport to an aircraft, the installation comprising an extensible movable floor and at least one bellows forming a tunnel, which is extended or retracted at the same time as the installation floor moves, the end of the bellows being joined with the vehicle or fixed part of the gangway, and the free end of the bellows being intended to bear against the fuselage of the aircraft closebythe embarkation platform, the installation being characterised in that it comprises at least one device for controlling the upper part of the bellows, this device consisting of a telescopic arm (4), one end (3) of which is connected by a joint (2) to an upright (1) fixed to the movable floor (24), and of a controlled jack (9) mounted between arm (4) and upright (1) to control the pivoting movement of the telescopic arm (4) relative to upright (1) for the positioning in place or withdrawal of the upper part of the bellows.

2. Installation in accordance with Claim 1 characterised in that the upright (1) has a A-shaped cross section formed of two side pieces (12, 13) connected by a transverse plate (14), the side pieces constituting bearings for the joints (2, 11) of end (3) of telescopic arm (4) and of end (10) of the jack.

3. Installation in accordance with Claim 1 characterised in that the resilient telescopic arm consists of a body (6) containing a rod (5) and also a spring means tending to push rod (5) in the extension direction of the telescopic arm.

4. Installation in accordance with Claim 3 char acterised in that the body (6) carries at its end by the articulation lug (3), lugs (7) for connection to the end (8) of jack (9).

5. Docking installation substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A passengertransportvehicle including a docking installation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

7. A mobile gangway including a docking installation as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. A vehicle or gangway as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 as the case may be in which the jack is remote-controlled from an operator's control position of the vehicle or gangway.

9. Docking apparatus comprising an extensible movable floor and at least one bellows or flexible member which together are adapted to form a tunnel around an opening in use, the bellows or flexible member being extended or retracted as the extensible floor moves, one end of the bellows or flexible member being attached or attachable to a docking vehicle, gangway or other support and the, other, free end of the bellows or flexible member, in use, being brought to bear close-up against an opening of, for example, the fuselage of an aircraft, and wherein the apparatus comprises at least one device for controlling part of the bellows or flexible member opposite the extensible floor, said at least one device comprising a telescopic arm connected to said free end of the bellows or flexible member, said arm being pivotally mounted on the apparatus and so positioned relative to the extensible floor and so attached to a jack of said at least one device that the pivoting movement of the telescopic arm is controllable by the jack to thereby position said free end of the bellows or flexible member to bear close up against said opening.