GB2190650A - Improvements in or relating to extenders for aircraft pallets - Google Patents

Abstract

A pallet extender for mounting at an end of an aircraft cargo pallet (10) comprising two elongate load supporting panels (23,28) connected together by a hinge (29) with one of the panels (23) being pivotally mounted by mountings (15) adjacent one end of the pallet. Posts (21) are also mounted on said mountings (15) and are connected to said one panel (23) by folding linkages (24,25) to adjust the attitude of the one panel with respect to the posts and further linkages (30,31) to connect the upper ends of the posts to the other panel (28), with the further linkages connected to slide members (32) engaging in slideways (33) in the other panel to adjust the relative attitude of the panels. The mountings (15) are supported on the side edges of the pallet adjacent the end thereof and tie members (34) are connected between the upper ends of the post (21) and tracks (14) extending along the sides of the pallet. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to pallet extenders for aircraft cargo pallets This invention relates to aircraft cargo pallets and in particularto extenders for increasing the working area thereof.

The invention provides an pallet extenderfor mounting adjacent an end of an aircraft cargo pallet comprising at least one load supporting panel to extend along an end of a pallet and adjustable support means for each end of the panel adapted to be mounted on opposed side edges ofthe panel to supportthe panel in a plurality of different positions/attitudes with respect to the panel including a position in which the panel lies upwardly and outwardlyofthe palletina planeparalleltothe pallet to provide an extension ofthe load carrying area ofthe pallet in the position in which the panel is stowed on the surface of the pallet, the arrangement being such that in use, the full load ofthe pallet and cargo stowed on it is transmitted to the side edges of the pallet.

The adjustable support meansforthe load carrying panel may include a pair of pivotal mountings adapted for mounting on the side edges ofthe pallet to provide a common axis extending across the pallet adjacent said end thereof about which the panel may be pivoted and tie members for each support means having one end connected to a support means at a location spaced from the pivotal mounting thereof and an opposite end connected to an anchorage device for securing to the side edge of the pallet at a location spaced along the edge from said pivotal mounting to hold the support means and load supporting panel in a required attitude.

Each support means may further comprise a post supported at one end on said pivotal mounting to swing about said axis extending across the pallet end, the tie member being pivotally connected to the post at the other end to supportthe post in a required attitude with respect to the pallet including a vertical position in which the load supporting panel rests on the upper ends of the posts and is supported thereby in said horizontal position disposed upwardly and outwardly of the pallet.

The support means at each end of the load supporting panel may also include a further panel hinged to the first mentioned panel along one edge ofthe panel to allowthefirst panel to be folded towards and away from the further panel through a range of angles of adjustment, the further panel being pivotally mounted along its other edge between the posts to the pivotal mountings supporting the posts, a first connecting means extending between the posts and the further panel to holdthefurtherpanel in one or more required positions of adjustment with respect to the posts to provide supportforthe hinged edge of the load supporting panel and further connecting means between the posts and the load supporting panel to hold the load supporting panel in a plurality of positions of adjustment with respect to the posts.

The further connecting means between the posts and the load supporting panel may comprise foldable linkages to restrain the load supporting panel against pivotal movement away from the posts whilst permitting the panel to be folded down on to the upper ends of the posts.

Linearly adjustable mountings may be provided across the ends of the load supporting panel to which the folding linkages are connected to permit the attitude of the load supporting panel to be adjusted with respect to the posts by movement of the mountings along the ends of the panel.

In any of the latter arrangements the connecting means between the further panel and posts comprise folding linkages to permit the further panel to be pivoted outwardly from the posts to a predetermined inclination with respect to the posts ortobe folded between the posts for stowing the extender in collapsed form on the pallet.

In any ofthe pivotal mountingsforthesupport structureforthe load carrying panel may be adapted to engage both the side and end edges of the pallet.

Also in any ofthe above arrangements the mounting means may be adapted to engage in an extruded track provided on the upper surface of the pallet.

The following is a description of some specific embodiments, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa perspective view of part of an aircraft cargo pallet with a pallet extender mounted thereon; Figures2to 7illustratethe extender in different positions of adjustment and Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modification for the extender.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 ofthe drawings there is shown a standard aircraft cargo carrying pallet 10 comprising a aluminium panel sheet 11 having an extruded channel section 12 secured to the periphery thereof to stiffen the panel and to receive attachment devicesforsecuring a load in place on the pallet. For that purpose the track has an upwardly open slot 13 in which spaced apertures 14 are cut to receive plungers/fixing bosses of standard attachment devices in known manner.

Cargo pallets ofthe above type are installed on guide rails in the holds of aircraft below the floor of the passenger compartment and therefore lie in the lower part of the curved fuselage of the aircraft. The aircraft fuselage widens above the levelatwhich the pallet is supported and whilst it is desirable to utilise that extra width for storage of cargo, it is not satisfactory to allow the cargo on th epalletto overhang the ends of the pallet even through it is constrained by netting strapped over the load on the pallet. Pallet extenders have therefore been developed which are fitted to the ends of the pallet to lie upwardly and outwardly ofthe pallet ends and supportfurther cargo in the wider part ofthe aircaft hold above the pallet. Our U.K.PatentApplication No. 8603057 described and illustrated one such form of pallet extender. Afurtherform of pallet extender in accordance with the present invention will now be described.

Apairofpivotal mountings 15 are secured to the track 14 along the sides 16 ofthe pallet adjacent one end 17 thereof. Each pivotal mounting hasa locking device 18 for securing the mounting to the track and has a pair of upstanding side by side spaced apart cheek plates 19 through which a pivot pin 20 extends.

The mountings 15 are located in alignment across the pallet with the pivot pins 20 directly in alignment providing a common axis across the pallet adjacent the end thereof. Two king-posts 21 are pivotally mounted attheir lower ends on the pivot pins 20 between the cheeks 19 ofthetwo pivotal mountings respectively and each king-post 21 has an upstanding stud 22 at its upper end the purpose of which will be described later. A rectangular load supporting panel 23 extends between the pivotal mountings 15 and the pivot pins 20 ofthe mountings 15 extend into the ends of the panel adjacent one side edge 23a of the panel to support the panel for pivotal movement about said common axis extending along the end ofthe pallet.

The ends ofthe pallet adjacent the other side edge 23b of the panel, two part folding linkages 24,25 are pivotally connected to the ends of the panel and to the upper ends ofthe posts 21 at 26 and 27 respectively. The panel 23 is thus supported in an outwardly inclined position with respectto the posts 21 with the linkage 24,25 extended and, by collapsing of the linkage can be folded into linewith the posts 21.

Afurther load supporting panel 28 extends along and is hinged at 29 to the side edge 23b ofthe panel 23. The panel 28 is slightly longerthan the panel 23 and projects beyond the panel at either end thereof.

Furthertwo part folding linkages 30,31 connectthe upper end ofthe post 21 by means ofthe pivotal connection 27 referred to above to the panel 28. The linkages are connected to slide members 32 which engage in slideways 33 extending along the ends of the panel. The sides may be fixed in any required position of adjustment along the slideway so that with the linkages 30,31 fully extended from the posts 21 as shown in Figure 1, the attitude ofthe panel 28 can be adjusted by movement of the slides along the slidewaysto adjustthe angle of the panel 28 with respecttothe panel 23.

In order to support the panel/linkage assembly in a required attitude with respect to the pallet tie members 34 are provided for each king post 21 connected to the pivots 27 atthe upper ends ofthe king posts at one end and having anchor devices 35 pivotally connected to the other ends at 36 and engaged in the tracks 14 extending along the sides of the pallet. Each anchorage 35 has a spring loaded plunger 37 for locking the anchorage in a required position of adjustment along the track so that the attitude of the panel/linkage assembly can be adjusted simply by moving the anchorages 35 along the pallet edges.

The arrangement of the linkages and slides enables the panel assembly 23,28 to be pivoted through a wide range of positions of adjustment which are illustrated in Figures 2 to 7. In Figure 2the posts 21 are held vertically with respect to the pallet 10 bythetie members 34 andthe lower panel 23 is swung outwardly of the posts 21 and is supported at its upper ends by the folding links 24, 25to extend upwardly and outwardly of the pallet. The panel 28 is folded outwardly to the extreme limit of its pivotal movement with respect to the panel 23 and is supported with a linkage 30,31 fully extended and the slide 32 moves down the slideway 33 on the panel to the lower limit of its travel.

The panels 23 and 28thusform a continuous upwardly and outwardly inclined load supporting surface against which further cargo can be stored on the paller. It will be understood that a similar pallet extender is provided at the other end of the pallet. If required,the panel 28 can be pivoted with respectto the panel 23 into a vertical attitude as shown in Figure 3 by adjusting the slide 32 up the slideway 33 on the panel 28 whilst keeping the folding linkage 30, fully extended. From the position the panel 28 can be folded down to engage on the upper ends of the king posts 21 by collapsing the linkages 30,31 to lie outsidethefolding linkages 24,25.The studs 22 at the upper ends of the king posts engage in the tracks 33 and the now undersides ofthe panel 28 to locate the panel 28 and stiffen the structure laterally. The panel 28 of the extenderthen provides a further horizontal load supporting platform for the pallet disposed upwardly and outwardly of the end of the pallet and additional cargo can be stowed underthe panel 28 against the outwardly inclined face of the lower panel 23.

Reverting again to the extended assembly as shown inthe Figure 2 modethe angle of inclination ofthe panel assembly 23,28 can be adjusted about the axis ofthe pivots 20 on the mountings 15 by adjusting the positions of the slides 35to which the tie members 34 are connected along the tracks 14.

Thus by moving the slides 35 further away from the pivotal mountings 15, the panel assembly can be brought into a more upright position as shown in Figure 6 or into a vertical position as shown in Figure 5. Ultimately the panel assembly can be folded flat on to the surface ofthe pallet 10 as shown in Figure 7.

Itwill be appreciated that in all the embodiments described above the full load of the pallet extender is imposed on the side edges ofthe pallet and no direct load is imposed on the end ofthe pallet. Hitherto pallet extenders have had mountings fitted to the endsofthe pallet which have imposed bending moments on the ends ofthe pallet which are difficult to resist and can distortthe pallet. The arrangements described above avoid that difficulty by imposing the load ofthe pallet extender on the sides only ofthe pallet which can readily be supported from below.

Figure 8 ofthe drawings shows a modified form of the pivotal mounting 15 in which the cheeks 19 ofthe mounting are secured to one edge of a horizontal triangular plate 40 intended tobridge the corner of the pallet. The plate therefore has slides 41 and 42 on the underside which engage in the extruded track at both the side and end of a corner of the pallet. This provides a convenient way for locating and locking the mounting on the pallet during assembly ofthe track on the pallet. The cheeks plates 19 carry a pivot pin forthe king posts 21 and lower panel 23 exactly as described above and since the plates 19 are disposed overthe partofthe plate attached to the sides ofthe pallet, the downward load is applied principallytotheside edges ofthe palletand little or no bending load is applied to the end ofthe pallet.

Claims (11)

1. A pallet extender for mounting adjacent an end of an aircraft cargo pallet comprising at least one load supporting panel to extend along an end of a pallet and adjustable support means for each end of the panel adapted to be mounted on opposed side edges ofthe panel to supportthe panel in a plurality of different positions/attitudes with respect to the panel including a position in which the panel lies upwardly and outwardly ofthe pallet in a plane parallel to the pallet to provide an extension ofthe load carrying area of the pallet in the position in which the panel is stowed on the surface ofthe pallet, the arrangement being such that in use,the full load ofthe pallet and cargo stowed on itis transmitted to the side edges ofthe pallet.

2. A pallet extender as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adjustable support means for the load carrying panel include a pair of pivotal mountings adapted for mounting on the side edges of the pallet to provide a common axis extending across the pallet adjacent said end thereof about which the panel may be pivoted and tie members for each support means having one end connected to a support means at a location spaced from the pivotal mounting thereof and an opposite end connected to an anchorage devicefor securing to the side edge ofthe pallet ata location spaced along the edge from said pivotal mounting to hold the support means and load supporting panel in a required attitude.

3. Apalletextenderasclaimed in claim 2 wherein each support means further comprises a post supported at one end on said pivotal mounting toswing about said axis extending across the pallet end, the tie member being pivotally connected to the post at the other end to support the post in a required attitude with respect to the pallet including a vertical position in which the load supporting panel rests on the upper ends of the posts and is supported thereby in said horizontal position disposed upwardly and outwardly of the pallet.

4. A pallet extender as claimed in claim 3 wherein the support means at each end ofthe load supporting panel also includes a further panel hinged to the first mentioned panel along one edge ofthe panel to allowthefirst panel to be folded towards and away from the further panel through a range of angles of adjustment, the further panel being pivotally mounted along its other edge between the posts to the pivotal mountings supporting the posts, a first connecting means extending between the posts and the further panel to holdthefurtherpanel in one or more required positions of adjustment with respect to the posts to provide supportforthe hinged edge ofthe load supporting panel and further connecting means between the posts and the load supporting panel to hold the load supporting panel in a plurality of positions of adjustment with respect to the posts.

5. A pallet extender as claimed in claim 4wherein the further connecting means between the posts and the load supporting panel comprise foldable linkages to restrain the load supporting panel against pivotal movement away from the posts whilst permitting the panel to befoided downw on to the upper ends of the posts.

6. A pallet extender as claimed in claim 5 wherein linearly adjustable mountings are provided across the ends of the load supporting panel to which the folding linkages are connected to permit the attitude of the load supporting panel to be adjusted with respect to the posts by movement of the mountings along the ends of the panel.

7. A pallet extender as claimed in any of claims 4 to 6 wherein the connecting means between the further panel and posts comprise folding linkages to permit the further panel to be pivoted outwardly from the posts to a predetermined inclination with respect to the posts ortobefolded between the posts for stowing the extender in collapsed form on the pallet.

8. A pallet extender as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the pivotal mountings for thesupportstructureforthe load carrying panel are adapted to engage both the side and end edges of the pallet.

9. A pallet extender as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the mounting means is adapted to engage in an extruded track provided on the upper surface of the pallet.

10. A pallet extender substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A pallet extender substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings as modified by Figure 8.