System for following the handling of an aircraft engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9789978-B2
Application number	US-201514737140-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2015
Priority date	Jun 23, 2014
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A system for following the handling of an aircraft engine includes a cradle which supports the engine and stands which are spread out under the cradle. Each stand includes a seating configured to secure the stand on the ground, an actuating cylinder secured to the seating and having a translationally mobile piston, a fixing structure secured to the exterior end of the piston and configured to be fixed to the cradle, and a fluid source which causes the piston to be raised or lowered. Each stand also includes a detector designed to detect an inappropriate movement of the piston and a blocking which blocks the piston from moving when the detector detects an inappropriate movement of the piston. Thus, when an inappropriate movement of the piston is detected, the blocking blocks the movement of the cradle and prevents it from tipping.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for following handling of an aircraft engine, the system comprising:
a cradle which supports the engine; and
a plurality of stands designed to be spread out under the cradle, each stand comprising:
a seating configured to secure each stand on a ground,
an actuating cylinder secured to the seating and having a translationally mobile piston,
a fixing structure secured to an exterior end of the piston and configured to be fixed to the cradle,
a supply which causes the piston to be raised or lowered,
a detector designed to detect an inappropriate movement of the piston, and
a blocking which blocks the piston from moving when the detector detects an inappropriate movement of the piston.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the inappropriate movement of the piston is a collapse during a raising of the cradle.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein, for each piston, the detector comprises an accelerometer fixed to one of the piston or the fixing structure and the detection of an inappropriate movement of the piston comprises an acceleration, measured by the accelerometer, above a threshold.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein, for each piston, the detector comprises a load cell arranged to measure an axial load applied on the piston, and detection of an inappropriate movement of the piston comprises a load, measured by the load cell, above a threshold.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each stand has three feet and three wheels, each wheel having a suspension system and being fixed to a corresponding foot, so the corresponding foot remains some distance off the ground and the wheel contacts the ground.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating cylinder is actuated by a fluid, and a fluid source is configured to supply the actuating cylinder with the fluid when the piston is raised and to allow a reflux of the fluid from the actuating cylinder when the piston is lowered.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the actuating cylinder has a tube with an end wall, inside which tube the piston moves, a space between the end wall and an end of the piston constituting a compression chamber, and the stands further comprise:
a housing in the exterior end of the piston,
a supply bore configured to allow fluid communication between the housing and an outside of the piston, wherein the supply bore is connected to the fluid source, and
a drilling configured to allow fluid communication between the housing and the compression chamber.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the blocking comprises a plugging configured to adopt a blocking position, in which the plugging prevents the fluid from flowing between the actuating cylinder and the fluid source, and a free position, in which the plugging allows the fluid to flow between the actuating cylinder and the fluid source.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the detector comprises the plugging and a return which forces the plugging into the free position during normal operation.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the plugging is configured to plug the supply bore or the drilling.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the plugging is a slider, one end of which is provided with a plug, and
wherein the slider is configured for vertical translational movement in the housing between the blocking position, in which the plug plugs an opening of the drilling in the housing, and the free position, in which the plug does not plug the opening of the drilling in the housing.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the slider is secured to the fixing structure.

13. A complete engine-handling assembly for handling an aircraft engine comprising a pylon, the engine being fixed on a cradle, the complete handling assembly comprising:
a handling system configured to raise the engine from a ground to the pylon or to lower the engine from the pylon to the ground, the handling system comprising a fixing assembly fixed to the pylon and a set of flexible strapping elements mounted between the fixing assembly and the cradle; and
a system according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Vigneau Philippe

Classifications

• F01D25/285

  Temporary support structures, e.g. for testing, assembling, installing, repairing; Assembly methods using such structures · CPC title

• B64F5/50 Primary

  Handling or transporting aircraft components · CPC title

• B64F5/0036 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• F05D2230/64

  using positioning or alignment devices for aligning or centring, e.g. pins · CPC title

• F05D2230/68

  using auxiliary equipment for lifting or holding · CPC title