Apparatus for Controlling Aircraft on Ships or the Like

This invention relates to apparatus for controlling undesired movement of aircraft on board ship. In this connection, it is well-known that there is a difficulty in retaining a helicopter securely on the deck of a ship when the ship is subject to considerable movement from a horizontal plane particularly in rough sea states.

It is known practice for a helicopter to be fitted with a depending probe or decklock to assist with landing and securing the aircraft to a loading grid which is mounted in or on the flight deck of a ship. Once the helicopter has landed and been secured, it is then known for the helicopter to have a traversing system attached thereto so that the helicopter can be moved from its landing area into a hangar on the deck of a ship.

Prior to effecting this operation it is normally necessary to carry out a transitional phase to move the helicopter from its landed position on the flight deck to an intersection with an intended path of travel which will allow it to enter the hangar along a pre-determined path. In order to guide the helicopter along this intended path of travel the deck of the ship is provided with a track in the form of a guide rail along which a shuttle can be constrained to move into the hangar. By securing the helicopter at two points associated with the guide rail, it is ensured that the helicopter is moved along the desired path into the hangar in a restrained manner.

It will be appreciated that during this the transitional phase prior to engagement with the shuttle for movement into the hangar, the helicopter must be secured against toppling, sliding or the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a means whereby a helicopter can be secured during its transitional phase.

According to the present invention there is provided aircraft securing apparatus for securing an aircraft against toppling on the deck of a ship or the like comprising a rotatable arm pivotal in a plane substantially parallel to said deck to engage a downwardly-projecting probe of an aircraft, a releasable clamp on said arm adapted to be slidable from a stored position to a probe-engaging position; sensor means on said arm for sensing engagement of the probe by the arm and actuating locking of the clamp about the probe; and drive means for effecting rotation of the arm.

Preferably, the sensor means is a touch bar housed for pivotal movement within a recess in the arm, said touch bar projecting in advance of the leading face of the arm during rotational movement thereof.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of helicopter-securing apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical view partly in section of the apparatus of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, helicopter-securing apparatus is shown which is adapted to engage the lower end of a customary helicopter probe 10 and for mounting on the deck 14 of a ship as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. The apparatus includes a mounting frame 9 which is fixed to the structure of the ship 7. As seen best in FIG. 2, the free lower end of the probe 10 has an intermediate section 11 of reduced diameter terminating in an enlarged end portion 12.

The apparatus of the invention is, when out of use, located in a recess 13 in the deck 14 of the ship. By means of a retracting means, including an hydraulic piston and cylinder 15 mounted to the frame 9, the securing apparatus can be raised or lowered through an inter-connecting linkage mechanism comprising two pivotal members 16,17 and associated sleeve 18 which causes the apparatus to be raised or lowered out of or into its recess 13. The member 17 is pivotally connected to the frame 9 at one end and, at the other end engages an annular groove 8 in the sleeve, allowing rotation of the sleeve relative to the linkage mechanism. The sleeve 18 is slidably located in a tubular, upper portion of the frame 9 which also acts as a bearing for the sleeve.

As shown best in FIG. 2, the sleeve 18 is slidably mounted over a vertical pillar 19, and carries at its upper end a rotatable arm 20. The arm 20 is connected to the sleeve 18 at one end thereof and the sleeve and the arm can be rotated by means of an hydraulic motor 21, incorporating a motor brake, located below the deck of the ship on the frame 9. Within the arm 20 there is mounted a spring-loaded clamp 22, the clamp 22 being capable of sliding on a rail 23 (FIG. 3) under spring force radially outwards along one face of the arm 20, the spring force being applied by a tension spring motor 32 fixed below the hydraulic motor and from which a shaft 33 extends through the pillar 19 and sleeve 18. The clamp 22 can be reset to its radially inward position and the spring motor reset by a clamp resetting motor 24 located below the spring motor 32. The clamp 22 is normally in a storage position, as indicated by chain dotted lines 22a in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the clamp 22 comprises a hook element 25 projecting laterally of the arm and open at its forward end and associated with a spring-loaded latch 26. The arm 20 also houses a touch bar 27. The touch bar 27 which extends substantially the length of the arm 20, is housed within a recess 28 in the arm and is pivotal into the recess 28 against spring action about two parallel pivot arms 35 (only one shown in FIG. 3) into the recess 28. The touch bar 27 is also shown in the extended position in chain dotted outline in FIG. 1.

Operation of the securing apparatus described above will now be described.

On a helicopter landing on the flight deck of the ship, the helicopter probe 10 is urged into its extended condition against the deck under spring action. At this stage, the probe 10 of the helicopter is within the radius of a circle which can be circumscribed by the outward end of the arm 20. The cylinder 15 is then actuated to raise the securing apparatus from its recess 13 in the deck 14 of the ship so that the arm 20 is raised above the level of the deck and extends horizontally thereover as shown in FIG. 2. The hydraulic motor 21 is then actuated to rotate the arm 20 until the touch bar 27 on the leading face of the arm 20 contacts the probe 10 of the helicopter. On contacting the probe 10, the touch bar 27 is urged into its recess 28 in the arm 20 and this movement actuates a microswitch 29 (FIG. 3) which causes the hydraulic motor 21 to stop rotating the arm and to apply the motor brake. At the same time, the switch 29 actuates release of the clamp 22 which moves radially outwardly along the arm under spring action until it engages the probe 10 so that the probe 10 is located within the hook 25 of the clamp and retained therein by the releasable latch 26. The probe 10 and its helicopter are thus locked to the arm 20 so that the helicopter is restrained against toppling as the enlarged free end portion 12 cannot detach itself from the clamp. The arm 20 is now rotated once again by its hydraulic motor 21 to cause the aircraft probe 10 and its associated helicopter to move in a circular arc until it is arrested above the deck recess 13 when the probe 10 is on the centre line of its intended path of travel above a shuttle guide rail 30 (FIG. 2). The shuttle is then moved along the guide rail 30 to engage the probe and this action automatically engages the clamp latch 26 to release the clamp of the arm 20 thereby allowing the shuttle to move the probe 10 and helicopter away from the arm 20 along its intended path of travel on guide rail 30. The clamp resetting motor 24 is then actuated to return the clamp 22 to its radially inward position. The hydraulic cylinder 15 is actuated to lower the apparatus into its recess 13 so that the deck is once again unobstructed.

It will thus be noted that the above-described apparatus provides a relatively simple and secure means for securing an aircraft on the deck of a ship and then moving the aircraft to a position where the aircraft conveyor or shuttle may engage the probe.

It will be clear to those of skill in the art that the above described preferred embodiment is merely exemplary of the present invention and that various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.