Abstract: An aircraft nose landing gear installation that utilizes a single piece pin inserted through the gear fittings and into the two piece, fail safe support structure without requiring mechanical retention on the outside of the wheel well.

Abstract: A hydraulic system for retracting into and extending out of the body of an aircraft a landing gear for use in taking off and landing, comprises a housing unit which has a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic actuator, a shuttle valve, an emergency valve, an actuator pressure releasing mechanism, and a mechanically locking mechanism accommodated therein. The hydraulic actuator has a piston rod assembly received therein to be reciprocably moved by the hydraulic pump to assume a retraction position and an extended position. The shuttle valve is movable with respect to the housing unit for selectively changing the flow of the hydraulic fluid between the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic actuator. The emergency valve is movable with respect to the housing unit to assume two different positions for selectively changing the flow of the hydraulic fluid between the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic actuator and the flow of the hydraulic pump and the fluid pressure reservoir.

Abstract: Landing gear (10) for an airplane including an elongate strut (12) having a first end and a second end longitudinally spaced therefrom. The first end of the strut being pivotally attached to the airplane for pivotal movement of the strut between an extended position for taxiing and landing of the airplane and a retracted position for stowage of the landing gear within a landing gear bay. The landing gear assembly also includes elongate first and second hub assemblies (70) and (72) each having first and second ends. Landing wheels (20) and (22) are journaled to each of the second ends of the hub assemblies. The first ends of the hub assemblies are attached to the second end of the strut for swinging movement thereof between an unsplayed position, wherein the wheels are parallel to each other, and a splayed position, wherein the first and second hub assemblies are spread to a predetermined angle from each other to permit stowage of the landing gear within the landing gear bay with minimal intrusion.

Abstract: A plurality of latch pins are locked into a latch position by primary locks and secondary locks. Each primary lock mechanically blocks movement of its corresponding secondary lock into the secondary lock's locked position when the primary lock is out of its locked position. The secondary locks are ganged together to cause them to move together into and out from their locked positions. A follow-up switch senses movement of the ganging mechanism. A latch pin inhibitor blocks movement of the latch pin into the latch position and is moved away to permit latching by spreading of the wing tip. The inhibitor is linked to a valve to shift the valve and thereby cause hydraulic pressure to be supplied to extend the latch pin. When the locks are in their looked positions, the secondary locks mechanically block the primary locks from moving out of their locked positions. The secondary locks are biased into their locked positions. During flight, the latch pins and locks are isolated from hydraulic pressure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a catch device of the type comprising a main casing that houses a hinge hook and a locking lever having one branch carrying a thrust wheel that co-operates with the hook and having its other branch connected by means of a linkage to the outlet from a driving motor and gear box assembly. According to the invention, the linkage (112) includes an oblong slot (122) for enabling the locking lever (106) to pivot in the event of the outlet shaft (113) of the motor and gear box assembly being jammed, and, in addition, an independent trigger (130) is associated with the locking lever (106) so that when triggered in an emergency it causes said lever to pivot far enough to disengage thrust wheel (109) from the associated camming surface (110.1) of the hinged hook (102), thereby releasing it.

Abstract: The invention relates to raisable landing gear including a shock absorber having a strut and a sliding rod, together with a two-alignment hinged side-brace. According to the invention, unlocking means are provided to break the secondary alignment, thereby breaking the main alignment while the landing gear is being raised, said means being essentially constituted by a lever mounted to rotate on one of the arms of the main alignment, and by a motor and gear box assembly for driving said rotary lever in rotation and further including an unlocking arm that, when said motor and gear box assembly is in action, co-operates with the lower arm of the secondary alignment to break said secondary alignment. Return means are also associated with the rotary lever to ensure that it returns to its initial position when the landing gear is raised.

Abstract: The invention relates to raisable landing gear having a shock absorber strut and a sliding rod. According to the invention, the landing gear includes a lateral stabilizer hinged to the strut and fitted with a wheel at its free end, together with mechanical coupling means associated with said lateral stabilizer, in such a manner that: firstly lowering the landing gear deploys the lateral stabilizer so that its wheel, when the landing gear is in its lowered position, provides support additional to that provided by the wheels of the wheel set, and also constitutes a lateral stabilizer proper during taxiing of the airplane; and secondly raising the landing gear folds the lateral stabilizer so as to enable the entire landing gear assembly to be housed when in the raised position. It then becomes possible to organize the landing gear beneath the fuselage of the airplane, thereby making it possible to obtain landing gear that is extremely short.

Abstract: An actuator for raising and lowering aircraft landing gear in accordance with the extended and retracted state of the actuator includes a cylindrical casing, a piston assembly slidable along the axis of the casing, a fluid pressure source, a sealed chamber containing gas, a free piston forced by fluid pressure along the casing axis to compress the gas, latching devices for locking the piston assembly to the casing, a locking mechanism for holding the free piston in position on the pressure tube when the gas is compressed and hydraulic passages interconnecting the chamber containing pressurized gas and the space containing pressurized hydraulic fluid. A mechanism is provided for initiating automatic retraction of the actuator due to the effect of a self-contained perpetual source of compressed gas if hydraulic pressure is lost. A compression spring stores a force while the piston assembly moves between retracted and extended positions.

Abstract: An anti-deployment device and method for preventing inadvertent deployment of a ram air turbine of an aircraft during servicing or repair of turbine employ an anti-deployment pin which can be manually inserted in a support arrangement for the pin on the aircraft when the ram air turbine is in the stowed position for preventing deployment of the turbine upon release of a lock mechanism which locks the turbine in the stowed position. The pin has an elongated body with an outer, flat contact surface portion which extends in a plane that is inclined with respect to a longitudinal center axis of the pin.

Abstract: A landing gear for an aircraft has a multi-wheeled truck that is swung by a main prop from a stowed position to a lowered position below the aircraft. The truck is pivotably connected to the lower end of the main prop. When the gear is lowered, at least one rear prop extends between the upper end of the main prop and an aft region of the wheel truck. Both the main and rear props are telescoping members. However, the rear prop is releasably lockable to hold a certain fixed length when the aircraft is on the ground, so as to prevent pivoting movement of the wheel truck relative to the main prop. This impedes the ability of the aircraft to tip back when its center of gravity shifts aft during unloading.

Abstract: A folding strut having upper and lower portions (14, 16/62, 64) are connected together by a pivotal joint (18, 66, 68) for folding movement relative to one another upon extension and retraction of the strut. The upper portion (14, 62) of the strut is pivotally mounted to the aircraft frame (52, 80). A locking brace (42, 44/84, 86) extends between the upper and lower strut portions (14, 16/62, 64) to brace the strut against folding. The upper and lower portions of the strut are axially aligned (C, F) when the strut is in a fully-deployed position and the locking brace (42, 44/84, 86) maintains the strut portions (14, 16/62, 64) in this axially-aligned position. The locking brace (42, 44/84, 86) is releasable to allow relative folding movement of the upper and lower portions (14, 16/62, 64) for retraction of the strut to a stowed position.

Abstract: A gripping and locking arrangement for an aircraft movable component such as a flap door or undercarriage comprises a piston and a piston rod operative as a means for sensing a closing movement of the flap door or undercarriage, and also operative automatically actively to pull same by means of a closing hook into a position in which it is to be locked. The arrangement includes a locking member displaceable within the piston to move lock elements into a locking position and to hold them in the locking position until the arrangement receives a hydraulic pressure signal for causing lowering of the flap door or undercarriage, and the locking member is then displaced whereby the lock elements move into a release position. The hydraulic oil pressure can then act on the piston to produce displacement thereof into a position in which the closing hook releases the flap door or undercarriage component.

Abstract: A retractable landing gear is arranged so as to provide, in use, a highly inclined shock absorber while avoiding high shearing stresses on the shock absorber. The landing gear includes a pivoting panel fixed to an aircraft structure to pivot about a raising axis; a shock absorber including a strut fixed to the pivoting panel so as to pivot relative thereto about a tilt axis, and a sliding rod mounted to slide in the strut and carrying a set of wheels at its bottom end; and a coupling member connected to the pivoting plate and to the bottom end of the sliding rod. Also included is a mechanism for raising and holding the landing gear.

Abstract: A self-contained shortening and folding apparatus for retracting aircraft front landing gear, thereby conserving space within the storage bay.

Abstract: The invention is a retractable landing gear for an aircraft. In detail, the landing gear includes a main strut having a first end pivotally attached to the airframe and a second end having a wheel assembly attached thereto. The main strut is rotatable about a pivot axis through an angle defined by the extended and retracted positions. a drag strut is pivotally attached by its first end to the airframe and by its second end to the main strut. The drag strut includes upper and lower strut members pivotally attached together at an intermediate point, with the intermediate point located angularly from the pivot axis of the main strut at an angle that is one half the angle rotated by the main strut from the extended position to the retracted position. An overcenter downlock and uplock linkage is provided for locking the main strut in either the extended or retracted position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to landing gear. The landing gear has a strut (2) having one end pivotally mounted about a first axis (4) suitable for connection to the structure (1) of an aircraft. A lower portion (6) for supporting running gear (10) is pivotally mounted relative to said strut (2) to pivot about a second axis. A collapsible side brace (20) has one end suitable for connection to a first point (27) of the aircraft structure (1) for pivoting about a third axis (29) and a fourth axis (30) providing rotation with two degrees of freedom about said third and fourth axes respectively. The third axis (29) passes through said first point (27) being situated on a line which is not colinear with the first axis but which intersects said first axis at a second point (40). A pivot pin (33) is rotatable about a fifth axis (35), the fifth axis not being colinear with said first (4), third (29) and fourth (30) axes and being situated on a line which passes through said second point (40).

Abstract: A telescoping energy-dissipating oleo landing gear shock strut set which can provide both the main landing gear and forward landing gear function, and which is affixed to an airplane, is restrained in an unenergized, shortened condition. A high pressure gas charge is then provided between the extendible element of the strut and the element affixed to the airplane. Early in the takeoff run, the charge gas in the forward strut is released so as to jump the nose and rotate the airplane to a high angle of attack appropriate for takeoff. Subsequent to this rotation, but before the conventional takeoff speed is reached, the charge gas in each of the main struts is released to impart a vertical velocity to the entire airplane, thus jumping it into the air. Both the forward strut and main struts incorporate a hydraulic flow bypass function, so that the landing shock dissipation function does not compromise the aforesaid energy release.

Abstract: The present invention relates to landing gears. The landing gear includes essentially two legs (1, 2) comprising respecitvely two arms (10, 28) and two rocker beams (3, 24), a bar (21) forming with the two arms (10, 28) a deformable parallelogram, a strut (37) consisting of two levers (23, 38) placed on a diagonal of the parallelogram, two locking links (50, 51) cooperating with the strut (37), these two rotatably mounted links being rotated by an actuator (70) and a spring (60). The landing gear finds its application in commuter aircraft fitted with tandem type landing gears.

Abstract: An aircraft landing gear including a leg member supporting at least one wheel, the leg having a first point of attachment around a first axis of rotation about a first point on the aircraft, a strut including a rod and a lever pivotally mounted on one another around a third axis, the rod having a second axis of rotation on a second point of attachment to the aircraft and the lever being pivoted about a fourth axis on the leg, and an operating jack applying at least one rotational torque to the strut and the leg wherein one end of the jack is connected to a third point on the leg and the other end of the jack is connected to a fourth point on the strut, the third and fourth points being located substantially near the first and second points of attachment.

Abstract: A shock-absorber of the piston-and-cylinder kind for use in the landing gear of an aircraft and comprising a cylinder, a piston-rod and a shock-absorbing rod which encloses a chamber for compressed gas and is provided with a valve having a throttling orifice, in which the shock-absorbing rod is mounted to slide, in a fluid-tight manner, in a first chamber, filled with hydraulic fluid, of the cylinder or of the piston-rod, to form a oleopneumatic shock-absorber; the piston-rod is mounted to slide, in a fluid-tight manner, in the cylinder and is solidly connected to a piston-head which, with the cylinder, defines a descent chamber to control lowering of the landing gear when hydraulic fluid is admitted to the descent chamber; the shock-absorber also comprises a lifting piston to load the shock-absorber and mounted to slide within a second chamber of the cylinder or of the piston-rod, so defining a lifting chamber to control lifting of the landing gear when hydraulic fluid is admitted to the lifting chamber thro

Abstract: An actuating and bracing jack comprising a cylinder and a rod which are pivotably connected at their free ends to a fixed member and to a moveable member respectively. The cylinder has at least at one of its extremities, an internal resilient catch member, and the rod carries a projection capable of coming into engagement behind the catch member. The cylinder has an enlarged cylindrical chamber housing a displaceable locking device capable of being driven by the rod upon retraction movement thereof, to a first position to which the catch member is firmly applied against the projection. The locking device is displaceable in the opposite direction in the cylinder under the action of an actuating fluid to a second position to which the catch member is freed. The rod is provided with a device for taking up play between the rod and cylinder, such device including a displaceable draw member which acts upon a member urging a slotted portion of the rod outwardly into close proximity to the cylinder.