JPH0512175B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention is useful for maintenance of aircraft engines at airports, etc., or for holding the engines at a predetermined height in preparation for test runs, and for transporting the engines between each process. This invention relates to an engine holding/transporting device for carrying out such operations.

Prior Art When an aircraft engine has been in operation for a certain period of time or when an abnormality is discovered, it is removed from the aircraft, undergoes several steps including inspection and maintenance, trial operation, and temporary storage before being put back into the aircraft. be equipped with.

Conventionally, for this purpose, engine holding/transfer means for holding the engine at a predetermined height above the ground in each process and transporting the engine between each process are:
As shown in FIG. 4, a cradle 2 carrying the engine 1 and a trailer 3 on which the cradle 2 is placed.
and a tractor (not shown) that pulls the trailer 3.

Aircraft jet engines, for passenger aircraft, have a maximum outer diameter of 2 to 3 m, an overall length of 4 to 5 m, and a weight of 6 m.
It is an internal combustion engine device with a basically cylindrical external shape and weighs up to ~7 tons. However, this device also consists of various functions such as an intake section, a compression section, a combustion section, and an ejection section, and the outer periphery of the engine is lined with piping for supplying oil pressure, air pressure, fuel, etc. It is complicated. from these things,
Engines are equipped with protrusions called trunnions that specify support points for transportation, and there are usually four such protrusions, two at the front and two at the rear of the engine. Also, there are some types of engine support that do not have a protruding trunnion, but have a hole-shaped socket into which a pin can be inserted, but here we will discuss the trunnion type as a representative case.

Therefore, the cradle 2, which serves as a pedestal for placing the engine removed from the aircraft on the ground side, has a support portion 4a that supports the above-mentioned trunnion from below.
Steel frame 2 provided with book support arms 4
It is configured as a.

The overall height of this cradle 2 is low, and even if the engine is supported on it, the lower surface of the cradle does not touch the ground and cannot be maintained at the height above the ground required for mounting the engine. Therefore, by placing the cradle 2 on the cradle support beams 5 provided on both sides of the trailer 3, the engine can only be supported at the required ground height when the trailer 3 compensates for the lack of height of the cradle 2. At the same time, it becomes possible to transport the engine by towing it with a tractor via the connecting rod 6 attached to the front end of the trailer 3.

Figures 5a, b, c, and d show a perspective view, a top view, a front view, and a side view of an example of a trailer, respectively. Two cradle support beams 5 for mounting and fixing the cradle are provided in parallel on both sides of the trailer.
Further, a connecting rod 6 for connecting to a tractor is connected to a front wheel 7 serving as a steering wheel via a link mechanism. That is, this trailer 3 is a towed road vehicle.

The tractor that pulls the trailer 3 is a motorized vehicle that is connected to the connecting rod 6 of the trailer 3 to transport the engine to a required location.

The conventional engine holding/transporting device described above is operated as follows in each process of inspection and maintenance, trial operation, and temporary storage.

(b) Inspection and maintenance Remove the engine from the aircraft.

Place the removed engine in the cradle on the trailer.

The trailer is pulled by a tractor and delivered to a maintenance shop.

Lift the engine with a crane and remove it from the cradle.

For inspection and maintenance, the engine will be transferred to the engine support structure (pedestal) installed on the floor.

Inspect and maintain the engine.

(b) Test run Place the engine that has been inspected and maintained in the cradle on the trailer.

A tractor pulls the trailer and transports it to the trial run area.

With the engine still placed in the cradle on the trailer, attach the adapter (engine hanging tool) to the top of the engine to attach the engine to the test run frame installed at the top of the test run room.

The engine is equipped with fuel piping, electrical cables, and other piping and wiring necessary for the test run, as well as bell mouths for rectifying intake air.

Lift the engine with a hoist and install it on the test run frame.

Run the engine.

(c) Temporary storage Place the engine that has been tested on the cradle on the trailer.

Remove adapters and accessories from the engine.

A tractor pulls the trailer and transports it to a temporary storage area.

Store the engine on the trailer until needed.

As mentioned above, this conventional device only functions as an engine mount when the cradle 2 and trailer 3 are combined, and as a matter of course, a traveling function and a holding function are required when transporting the engine. The cradle can also be used when it is sufficient to simply support the engine, such as when it is on standby before inspection and maintenance, before a test run, or before installing an engine that has completed maintenance, or when the engine is not installed and is ready for work. There was a waste of time in that the vehicle and trailer were put in a dormant storage state together.

Also, at the maintenance shop, since leaving the engine on a trailer would interfere with inspection and maintenance work, the engine was hoisted up in a cradle and transferred to the engine support structure (pedestal) on the ground for inspection and maintenance or overhaul. Afterwards, it was necessary to use a crane to transfer it back to the cradle on the trailer.

In recent years, the amount of air transportation, both for passengers and cargo, has increased significantly, and the number of aircraft in service has increased accordingly, making engine inspection and maintenance operations busier than ever. At times like this, the conventional engine holding and transport system that was adapted to low-frequency work is inefficient and uneconomical even if the number of cradles and trailers is increased. However, this has become a hindrance to the maintenance and test runs of a large number of engines in the limited number of repair shops and test run rooms.

On the other hand, from the perspective of driving operations, the transport method in which the trailer is towed by a tractor via a single connecting rod may be fine if the trailer is pulled by the tractor, but it is difficult to push the trailer by the tractor. When reversing the vehicle, considerable driving skill is required to move along a predetermined course, and the operation is cumbersome and inefficient. In other words, when transporting an engine to a maintenance shop, the engine is often transported in a backwards position, taking into consideration when leaving the detached tractor and when the tractor is connected and a trailer is brought in. It becomes a drawback.

Furthermore, when transporting an engine, the direction in which the engine is mounted on the trailer is not necessarily fixed.
For example, when installing or removing an engine, the approach to the aircraft body may be from the front or from the rear depending on the model.

Even when an engine is delivered to a maintenance shop or a trial operation room, the direction in which the engine is delivered is not necessarily constant.

If the conditions of
As shown by chain lines in Figures b and d, a troublesome method was used in which the connecting rod 6 of the trailer 3 was removed and attached to the opposite side to convert the front and rear of the trailer. Therefore, the trailer must be equipped with a device that allows connecting rods to be attached and detached from the front and rear, and the wheels must also be equipped with a steering mechanism at both the front and rear. However, if the rear wheel remains a swingable steering wheel, running stability cannot be achieved, so each time the connecting rod is replaced, the rocking mechanism of the rear wheel is changed. It was necessary to lock down.

Purpose of the Invention The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of conventional aircraft engine holding/transporting devices and cargo transfer/transporting devices placed on the ground. It is an object of the present invention to provide an engine holding/transporting device that can hold an engine at a predetermined height and can transport and transfer between processes with good operability, high efficiency, and safety.

Means for Achieving the Object In order to achieve the above object, the engine holding/transporting device of the present invention includes a cradle main body that supports an engine, and a cradle main body that supports the engine so that the engine supported by the cradle main body is held at a predetermined height above the ground. A cradle having a plurality of legs that support a cradle body and stand on its own, and support parts provided on both sides of the cradle body, and two car frames extending parallel to each other in a bifurcated shape so as to sandwich the cradle; a structure comprising: a lift means provided on each vehicle frame for supporting the support portion of the cradle and raising and lowering it; a drive portion integrally connected to one end of the vehicle frames; and a structure comprising the vehicle frames and the drive portion. It is characterized by comprising a transport vehicle having running wheels including driving wheels that support the front and rear.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Below, the structure and operation of the present invention will be explained in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an engine holding/transfer device of the present invention.

This device consists of a cradle 2 that holds an engine 1, and a carrier 10 on which the cradle 2 is mounted and is moved by its own drive source.

The cradle 2 is similar to the cradle of a conventional device in that four arms 4 supporting the trunnion of the engine 1 are erected on a steel frame 2a. A total of four legs 11 are provided, and the frame 2a
Support portions 12 capable of supporting the cradle 2 from below are provided on the lower surfaces of the left and right members. The lower surfaces of the left and right members of the frame 2a are supported in contact with the upper surface of a lift beam 16 of a transport vehicle, which will be described later, but must not fall off due to vibrations while the vehicle is running. To deal with this, a full rubber plate is pasted on the lower surface of the member, and this is the lift beam 16.
By making contact with the upper surface of the surface, sufficient friction is obtained and the problem is solved. Furthermore, by making the rubber plate have an appropriate thickness, it also serves as a vibration-proofing rubber and has the effect of protecting the engine from high-frequency vibrations during driving. If a clamp mechanism or the like is provided on the lift beam 16 to grasp the left and right members, it will also be possible to check the loading state of the cradle and completely prevent the load from shifting. The four legs 11 are located inside the support part 12 so that they do not get in the way when the support part is supported from below by the lift of the carrier. The cradle 2 can stably stand on the ground using the legs 11 with the engine 1 mounted thereon, and the height of the engine from the ground at this time is suitable for inspection, maintenance, and installation of equipment before trial operation. The length of the legs is set to the appropriate height.

Note that although Figure 1 shows the cradle body, legs, and support part formed as an integral structure, the cradle body is formed separately from the legs and support part in order to accommodate engines with different shapes and dimensions. It is also possible to adopt a structure in which the parts are assembled as appropriate. Furthermore, for similar engines with slight differences in trunnion position, it is preferable to make the position of the arm movable rather than preparing a separate cradle so that it can be easily accommodated.

On the other hand, the transport vehicle 10 includes a driving unit 13 and a fork-shaped 2 unit that extends rearward integrally with the driving unit 13.
It is formed into a "U" shape by the book frame 14. A plurality of lifts 15 operated by hydraulic pressure or the like are attached to the vehicle frame 14 on both sides, and a lift beam 16 that extends back and forth and has a horizontal upper surface is attached to the upper end of each lift on both sides. The distance between the vehicle frames 14 on both sides is made wider than the distance between the outer sides of the legs on both sides of the cradle 2, and the distance between the center lines of each lift beam 16 is equal to the distance between the center lines of the support portions 12 of the cradle. It is generally in agreement. The driving unit 13 is provided with an engine or a motor, a driving steering device, and a transmission device as a driving source for driving the transport vehicle 10. A pair of left and right running wheels 17 are provided at the front and rear of the transport vehicle 10, respectively.
18, the front wheels 17 serve as steering wheels, and the rear wheels 18 serve as driving wheels. However, if all four wheels are used as steering wheels, it becomes easier to negotiate narrow roads, and it is also possible to use all four wheels as driving wheels to increase hill climbing power.

Since this device has the above-described configuration, in order to transport the engine 1 placed on the cradle 2, the transport vehicle 10 is turned backward toward the cradle 2, and
The cradle 2 is moved backward so that it enters between the car frames 14 on both sides of the truck 10, and the state is as shown in FIG.
Next, the lift 15 on the vehicle frame 14 is operated to raise the lift beam 16, and the support part 12 on the lower surface of the frame of the cradle 2 is pushed up, so that the lower end surface of the leg part 11 is in contact with the ground as shown in FIG. 3a. engine 1
From the state in which the weight of the engine 1 and the cradle 2 was supported, the lower end surface of the leg part 11 moves away from the ground as shown in FIG. for example,
Lift it up by about 100mm and transport it to the required location.

When the engine is taken down at a maintenance shop, trial operation room, etc., the lift 15 is operated to lower the lift beam 16, and the cradle 2 supported by the lift beam 16 is lowered, contrary to the above. When the cradle descends approximately 100mm, the lower end of the leg 11 of the cradle touches the ground, and then the lift 1
When the lift beam 16 is lowered by 5, the support portion 12 of the cradle 2 is separated from the lift beam 16. When the transport vehicle 10 is then started, the cradle 2 on which the engine 1 is mounted is left standing on the ground as it is. The height of the engine 1 placed on the cradle 2 from the ground is set to a height suitable for inspection and maintenance, so there is no need to transfer it to the pedestal and it can be used as is for inspection and maintenance. . It also serves as a workbench for installing equipment before a trial run, and serves as a temporary storage stand when the engine is on standby.

As described above, the engine can be transferred by simply raising and lowering the lift 15 to a slight height with the cradle 2 inserted between the frame 14 of the transport vehicle 10, and there is no need to use a crane or the like. There is no need to attach or detach the connecting rod.

In other words, if the engine is removed from the aircraft body and placed on a cradle, the cradle can be used as a pedestal for inspection and maintenance work in a maintenance shop, a temporary storage stand when the engine is on standby, or a workbench for equipment work before trial operation. You can use it as is,
Transport between each process can be carried out by simply transferring the cradle with the engine mounted onto the transport vehicle 10 as described above, eliminating the need for a trailer until it is reinstalled on the aircraft. You can just leave it on the cradle. From the operational point of view of the transport vehicle, there is no need to attach or detach the connecting rod as when towing a trailer with a tractor, and when supporting the cradle, there is no need to attach or detach the connecting rod to suit the desired work. By selecting only the direction of approach of the transport vehicle, the engine can be held and transported either forward or backward, eliminating the need for troublesome changes such as changing the trailer connecting rod. In addition, it is easier and safer to carry the engine into a maintenance shop or trial operation room, and to reverse the engine when pulling it out, and to navigate through narrow roads easier and safer than with the trailer-tractor method. Furthermore, from the perspective of equipment, as shown in Figure 6, as a drive means, it is sufficient to have a number of transport vehicles corresponding to the number of conventional tractors, and a number corresponding to the number of conventional trailer and cradle pairs. If you have a cradle with legs,
At least in the maintenance work process, trailers, which were required for the number of engines, are completely unnecessary. Furthermore, there is no need for a pedestal at a repair shop.

Effects As described above, the engine holding and transporting device of the present invention is superior to conventional holding and transporting devices in terms of engine transfer efficiency, ease of operation, and quantity of equipment. This can contribute to the efficient use of limited airport facilities by dealing with the increase in aircraft engine maintenance and test runs associated with the increase in air transportation.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the running state of the engine mounted on the tower, Figures 3a and b are front views showing the states when the cradle is inserted into the carriage and when the cradle is mounted on the carriage, respectively, and Figure 4 5 is a perspective view of an example of a conventional engine holding and conveying device; FIGS. 5a, b, c,
d is a perspective view, a plan view, a front view, and a side view of the trailer, respectively, and FIG. 6 is a table showing a comparison of the quantities of equipment between the system of the present invention and the conventional system. 1...Engine, 2...Cradle, 3...Trailer (conventional device), 4...Brace, 10...Transportation truck,
11... Cradle leg portion, 12... Support portion, 13...
Conveyance vehicle driving unit, 14... Vehicle frame, 15... Lift, 16... Lift beam, 17... Front wheel (steering wheel), 18... Rear wheel (drive wheel).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A cradle that holds an aircraft jet engine at a predetermined height position for maintenance, trial run preparation work, etc., and a carrier that supports the cradle and transports it between each process in which the above work is performed. The cradle is a cradle body that supports the engine, and a cradle body that supports the cradle body so that the engine carried by the cradle body is held at a predetermined height above the ground. The transport vehicle has two legs that stand on their own and support parts provided on both sides of the cradle body, and the above-mentioned carrier has two car frames extending parallel to each other in a bifurcated shape so as to sandwich the cradle. a lift beam that is provided on each vehicle frame and that supports the support portion of the cradle and is raised and lowered by a lift means; a drive unit that is integrally connected to one end of both of the vehicle frames; An engine holding/transfer device comprising a self-propelled transport vehicle having a drive unit and running wheels including drive wheels that support the front and rear of a structure comprising the drive unit.