Patent Grant
11377206
Aircraft operating on the ground typically do not move under their own power, but rather may be towed or pushed from one location to another with a towing tractor. For example, a towing tractor may use a tow bar that is configured to attach to the axle of the nose wheel assembly, or a towing platform or adaptor without a tow bar. Ground movement may include moving the aircraft between gates, pulling the aircraft into or out of a particular gate, or moving the aircraft to a servicing location.
Deployable shock-absorbing struts, or shock struts, convert the kinetic energy to cushion landing impacts or bump perturbations and dampen repeat oscillations as well as the tendency for an aircraft to rebound or “bounce.” An oleo strut may be mixed or separated, and single-stage or multiple-stage, for example. Other types of shock struts exist, but are not commonly used in the current state of the art. An exemplary strut for landing gear is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,279,447 to Cowey, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
A lower portion of a prior art aircraft landing gear 100 is illustrated in isolation in
The piston 104 and cylinder 106 are connected with a conventional scissors or torque link assembly 94 having an upper torque link 91 that is typically attached to the shock cylinder 106 and a lower torque link 92 that is typically attached to the shock piston 104, and wherein the ends of the upper and lower torque links 91, 92 are pivotably connected to accommodate the motion of the shock absorber 110.
Commercial aircraft operating on the ground are typically unable to move under their own power, and therefore need to be towed or pushed while on the ground, for example using a towing tractor with a tow bar that attaches to the axle 102 of the nose wheel assembly, or using a tractor with a towing platform. In conventional aircraft at least two persons are needed to accomplish the towing operations (including aircraft push-back from the gate) because the pivotal connections of the upper and lower torque links 91, 92 are disconnected prior to towing. Disconnecting the upper torque link 91 from the lower torque link 92 allows the nose wheel to assemble to free castor about the vertical axis, and therefore avoids undesirable loads on the steering system.
In prior art, torque assemblies 94 disconnecting the torque links 91, 92 require pulling apart or separating two oppositely-disposed apex pins (not shown) that connect the upper torque link 91 to the lower torque link 92. The apex pins are biased to the engaged position with a spring. Two hands are therefore required to separate the apex pins. A third hand is required to then separate the upper and lower torque links 91, 92. Similarly, when reassembling the links 91, 92, two hands are required to hold the pins in the disengaged position, and one (or two) additional hands are then required to align the torque links 91, 92 for re-insertion of the apex pins.
It would be beneficial if a torque link assembly for an aircraft landing gear could be disconnected, and re-connected, by a single individual.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A torque link assembly for an aircraft landing gear, for example a nose gear, includes a toque link assembly having a lower torque link and an upper torque link. The first end of the lower torque link may pivotably engage a landing gear and a second end defines a first link portion. The upper torque link may have a first end configured to pivotably engage the landing gear and a second end defining a second link portion. First and second locking pin assemblies releasably and hingedly connect the first link portion of the upper torque link to the second link portion of the lower torque link. Each locking pin assembly includes a housing attached to one of the lower torque link and the upper torque link. A locking pin member, including a rod portion that extends through the housing and a pin portion that inserts into an aperture in the first link portion and through an aperture in the second link portion to connect the torque links. A biasing element biases the locking pin member towards engagement with the second link portion. The locking pin member is slidable between an engaged position wherein the pin portion connects the lower torque link to the upper torque link, and a disengaged position wherein the pin portion does not connect the lower torque link to the upper torque link. One of the housing and the locking pin member further includes a continuous channel with a longitudinal portion and a circumferential portion, and the other of the housing and the locking pin member further includes a guide pin that engages the channel such that the locking pin member is movable between the engaged position and the disengaged position when the guide pin is in the longitudinal portion of the channel and is retained in the disengaged position when the guide pin is in the circumferential portion of the channel.
In an embodiment the locking pin member includes the channel and the housing includes the guide pin. In another embodiment the housing includes the channel, and the locking pin member includes guide pin.
In an embodiment the housing includes a housing body and an end receiver, wherein the housing body slidably engages the rod portion of the locking pin member and the end receiver receives an end of the housing body.
In an embodiment the first and second locking pin assemblies each further include a handle that is connected to a distal end of the rod portion of the locking pin member. For example, the handle may be a T-shaped handle connected to a distal end of the rod portion of the locking pin member.
In an embodiment a first bearing sleeve extends through the aperture in the first link member and a second bearing sleeve that extends through an aperture in the second link member, and the pin portion of the locking pin member is configured to be inserted through the first and second bearing sleeves. For example, the first and second bearing sleeves each comprise a tubular portion and a flange.
A locking pin assembly for a torque link assembly having a lower torque link having a first end configured to pivotably engage a landing gear and a second end having a first link portion and an upper torque link having a first end configured to pivotably engage the landing gear and a second end having a second link portion, the locking pin assembly includes a housing, a locking pin member, and a biasing element. The housing is configured to be attached to one of the lower torque link and the upper torque link. The locking pin member includes a rod portion extending through the housing and a pin portion configured to be inserted into an aperture in the first link portion and through an aperture in the second link portion to hingedly connect the lower torque link with the upper torque link. The biasing element biases the locking pin member towards the second link portion. And the locking pin member is slidable between an engaged position wherein the pin portion hingedly connects the lower torque link to the upper torque link, and a disengaged position wherein the pin portion does not connect the lower torque link to the upper torque link. One of the housing and the locking pin member further comprises a continuous channel comprising a longitudinal portion and a circumferential portion, and the other of the housing and the locking pin member further comprises a guide pin that engages the channel such that the locking pin member is movable between the engaged position and the disengaged position when the guide pin is in the longitudinal portion of the channel and is retained in the disengaged position when the guide pin is in the circumferential portion of the channel.
In an embodiment the locking pin member comprises the channel and the housing comprises the guide pin. In another embodiment the housing comprises the channel and the locking pin member comprises the guide pin.
In an embodiment the housing comprises a housing body and an end receiver, wherein the housing body slidably engages the rod portion of the locking pin member and the end receiver that receives an end of the housing body.
In an embodiment the first and second locking pin assemblies each further comprise a handle the is connected to a distal end of the rod portion of the locking pin member. For example the handle may be a T-shaped handle connected to a distal end of the rod portion of the locking pin member.
In an embodiment a first bearing sleeve that extends through the aperture in the first link member and a second bearing sleeve that extends through an aperture in the second link member, and wherein the pin portion of the locking pin member is configured to be inserted through the first and second bearing sleeves. For example, the first and second bearing sleeves each comprising a tubular portion and a flange.
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
A perspective view showing portions of a shock strut 150 with a torque link assembly 200 in accordance with the present invention is shown in
The pin assembly 232 includes a handle 236, for example a T-handle that is connected to the locking pin member 234. Although a T-handle is shown in the currently preferred embodiment shown in the FIGURES, other handle shapes may be used and are contemplated by the present inventing, including knobs or the like. The locking pin member 234 has a rod portion 242 that is connected at one end to the handle 236, and a pin portion 244 that engages the upper and lower torque links 202, 222. The handle 236 is connected to the locking pin member 234 with a through connector 238 that extends through corresponding apertures 231, 241 in the handle 236 and rod portion 242 respectively. A guide pin 240 is fixed to, and extends outwardly from, the rod portion 242. A housing 250, comprising a housing body 252 and an end receiver 254, defines a center aperture 251 extending from the handle 236 and slidably receives the rod portion 242 of the locking pin member 234. An annular stop 258 slidably engages the rod portion 242 and abuts the pin portion 244 of the locking pin member 234. A biasing member 256, for example a coil spring, is disposed in the housing body 252 and abuts the annular stop 258. The biasing member 256 biases the locking pin member 234 inwardly toward an engaged position wherein the locking pin member 234 hingedly connects the lower and upper torque links, engaging corresponding apertures in both the lower torque link 202 and the upper torque link 222.
Refer now also to
Refer now also to
In a current embodiment, the tubular portion 262 of the first sleeve fitting 260 slidably and closely engages the aperture 223 in the upper torque link 222 such that the flange portion 264 abuts the upper link 222, and the tubular portion 262 is configured to engage the housing body 252 in an interference fit. For example the housing body 252 may be heated prior to receiving or being pressed on to the tubular portion 262 such that upon cooling the housing body 252 is firmly secured to the first sleeve fitting 260. An end of the housing body 252 is received into the end receiver 254. Alternatively, the housing body 252 may threadably engage the tubular portion 262 of the first sleeve fitting 260.
As discussed above, the locking pin member 234 of the assembly 232 is biased by the biasing member 256 towards the engaged position shown in
As indicated by arrows 80 and 82 in
Therefore, one person can readily disengage the torque link assembly 230 by pulling one of the handles 236 outwardly to disengage one pin assembly 232 and rotating the handle 236 to retain the assembly 232 in the disengaged position, and simultaneously or sequentially disengaging the other pin assembly 232. If the torque links 202, 222 are biased to separate, for example with one or more biasing members 205 (
To reassemble the torque links 202, 222 in the engaged position, the user aligns the torque links 202, 222 and may manually hold them in position while rotating the handle 236 for the pin assembly 232 on one side to align the guide pin 240 with the corresponding longitudinal channel 253. The biasing member 256 then urges the locking pin member 234 inwardly to insert the pin portion 244 into the second sleeve fitting 265. The opposite handle 236 may then be similarly rotated and moved to the engaged position.
An alternative embodiment of a locking pin assembly 332 is illustrated in partially exploded view in
In this embodiment a guide pin 340 is fixed to, and extends inwardly into, the central aperture 351 of the housing body 352 (see,
Therefore, to disengage the pin portion 344 from locking engagement with the torque link 202, the user pulls the handle 236 outwardly (as illustrated by arrows 80 in
While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2279447 | Cowey | Apr 1942 | A |
| 2487329 | Gerry | Nov 1949 | A |
| 2499619 | Wood | Mar 1950 | A |
| 3348869 | Zern | Oct 1967 | A |
| 3397000 | Nakanishi | Aug 1968 | A |
| 4132376 | Sharples | Jan 1979 | A |
| 4184783 | Hall | Jan 1980 | A |
| 4661009 | Tripp | Apr 1987 | A |
| 5807007 | Stemper | Sep 1998 | A |
| 6299223 | Ji | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6379076 | Reinhold | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 8454261 | Horst | Jun 2013 | B2 |
| 8690180 | Baade et al. | Apr 2014 | B1 |
| 9120566 | O'Connell | Sep 2015 | B2 |
| 20110239439 | Maxwell | Oct 2011 | A1 |
| 20120132742 | O'Connell | May 2012 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 356845 | Sep 1931 | GB |
| 2012054360 | Apr 2012 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| Extended European Search Report dated Aug. 8, 2019, issued in corresponding European Application No. 19164222.2 filed Mar. 21, 2019, 6 pages. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190291854 A1 | Sep 2019 | US |
