A Telescopic Passenger Bridge

This invention relates to a telescopic passenger bridge or a goods transporting bridge which can be moved to a doorway of a vehicle which bridge has at least one support pillar which is fixed to the ground and which supports the bridge in such a way that the bridge can be turned to various directions from said pillar and that the receiving end of the bridge can be adjusted to the level of the openings of the vehicles which openings are . located to various heights and can be turned in a direction required by said openings.

Previously a passenger bridge according to the introduction above is known from patent publication US 6496996. A passenger bridge according to this publication is supported to one of the pillars fixed to the ground and the passenger bridge can be turned in various directions while leaning to said pillar and the height of its receiving end is adjusted by lifting the bridge to various distortions in such a way that its other end supported to the pillar stays at a constant height. When the bridge is extended telescopically to the needed length, a counter weight is joined to the lifting construction of the bridge in order to reduce the moment loading of the pillar.

The disadvantage of the bridge construction described above is the fact that a counter weight is needed so that a bridge which can be adjusted and extended would be possible to be built to an adequate extension and it still could bear the increase in weight caused by the estimated passenger amount meant for it. The disadvantage of the construction is still the flutter caused by the fact that it needs to be supported which not even the counter weight cannot reduce.

Further previously passenger bridges which can be driven to the location are known passenger bridges being equipped with wheels in such a way that they can be driven to the doorway of the aeroplane and the receiving end is adjusted to the right height with the help of a height adjustment which is on the body of the bridge.

Passenger bridges which can be driven are difficult to use during the winter and a slippery weather and during the hard wind because the friction of the base is not always enough for driving the bridge to the location. With the tension caused by the help of the wheels of the bridge also telescopic extension and shortening should happen.

in order to eliminate the disadvantages and defects of the earlier known passenger bridges a new passenger or goods transportation bridge has been developed which solves the problems described above. It is characteristic for the passenger and goods transportation bridge according to the invention that the bridge comprises another support system of the bridge, which is located closer to the vehicle, which system comprises a rotating base adjusted to be rotating around its vertical axis most advantageously close to the ground, onto which support a vertical support of the bridge is located on a with bearings equipped support base in such a way that said vertical support can be moved with its support base on the turning base in a horizontal direction most advantageously in a direction of the radius of the turning base and that the vertical support can further be rotated due to its with bearings equipped support base around its vertical axis.

The advantage of the passenger and goods transportation bridge according to the invention is a large extension which can be achieved with the help of an additional support of the bridge which support essentially reduces the flutter of the construction at the same time even though it had been directed to any meant direction and height. The additional support according to the invention is built for example at the airport outside the security area. Although the passenger bridge can be extend considerably - for example 10 m into the security area from the additional support while being used, however, it can also be pulled totally outside the security area which is a requirement at the airports.

In the following the invention is discussed more detailed by referring to the accompanying drawing in which

Fig. 1 shows a support of the passenger bridge according to the invention which is fixed to the ground close to the moveable end of the bridge.

Fig. 2 shows a rotating base which is fixed to the ground of the passenger bridge shown diagonally.

Fig. 3 shows a rotating base which is partly cut as a side view.

Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of the rotating base. Fig. 5 shows the body of the rotating base and the vertical support shown diagonally.

Fig. 6 shows the body of the rotating base shown from above.

A terminal of an airport, to which an aeroplane 1 has arrived and has accurately been stopped to the location meant for it, is shown. The telescopic passenger bridge 2, 3 has been driven to the door of the vehicle in such a way that the receiving end 16 is attached to the doorway. Another end of the passenger bridge 2, 3 as generally known leans to the pillar 7 which is fixed to the ground 6. From this pillar the passenger bridge can be extended to various directions, if needed. Another support according to the invention supports the passenger bridge outside the security area 17. Another support is formed of a flat and a round turning base 4 the non-rotating section of which is closely fixed to the ground 6. The base 4 is rotated to various positions, if needed, with the help of a motor for driving attached to the constructions of the base. The support base of the vertical supports 5 is arranged to be moveable while leaning to the base 4 in such a way that the vertical supports 5 can be moved on the base in a horizontal direction preferably from the edge towards the centre of the base, in other words in the direction of the radius.

The function of the turning base according to the invention is shown more detailed in the figure 2. Vertical supports 5, 8 which can be adjusted telescopically in relation to their height are fixed in a vertical position while leaning to the support base 10 and the support base 10 is a flat wafer which is equipped with bearings being rotated around its vertical axis in such a way that the direction of the vertical supports 5, 8 can be adjusted as desired. The support base 10 is for example a rotatable turning board equipped with a gear rim, as in work machines, like in excavators. The support base 10 is also adjusted to be moveable in a horizontal direction on tracks 9, in which case the vertical support 5, 8 takes care of the horizontal direction. The turning base 4 has a diameter of at least 6 m, preferably even more, such as 10 m. In practice the needed horizontal movement along the tracks 9 has the length of the radius of the turning base. If the tracks 9 have the length of the diameter of the whole turning base 4, the turning base does not necessarily need to be rotated around in order to achieve maximal courses to the vertical supports.

An example of a turning base according to the invention is shown in the figure 3. The base is adapted to be rotated while leaning to a ring-shaped track profile 14. Power transmission from the motor for driving 18 to the wheels 15 is shown with the help of a chain 19. The support base 10 which is equipped with bearings moves along the tracks 9 with the help of a rotatable screw bar 11. The upper lid 10b of the support base 10 rotates in relation to the lower Hd and the lower Hd 10a is adjusted to be moveable on the tracks 9.

The rotating of the upper lid 10b occurs as generally known, for example from the gear rim joined to it which is being used in the excavators.

The vertical supports 5, 8 are fixed to a vertical position to the upper lid 10b. It is of course possible that the vertical supports 5, 8 are attached to the lid 10b with the help of the joint points and that they could be tilted for example with the help of hydraulic cylinders a bit to both directions. When the diameter of the turning base 4 is for example 10 meters, the receiving end 16 of the passenger bridge can be moved about 10 meters by rotating the turning base 180° when the slide bars 9 have the direction of the passenger bridge at the beginning state. With various rotation angles of the turning base 4 and with the various locations of the support base 10 on the tracks 9 the receiving end 16 can be moved to desired side direction locations and with the adjustments of the vertical supports 5, 8 to various heights.

In the embodiment of the figure 4 there is a separate body of the turning base under the flat protection lid 4 in which case the protection Hd 4 is lightly constructed and comprises openings for accessing to the driving mechanisms which are under the lid. The vertical body 5, 8 has a bottom baulk 26 which is rotated on the turning base 24.

In the figure 5 the protective lid 4 is removed and the body of the rotating base is exposed. The rotating base is attached to the ground by sinking for example an anchoring base to the ground onto which a turning base 23 is adjusted wherein the rotating of the body can be done either with a drive which is directed to the wheels 25 or can be done with the rotating device which is associated with the turning base 23. The body of the rotating base comprises baulks 21 onto which the vertical body 5, 8 can be moved with the help of barrels 22 which slide along the baulks 21. The transport movement can be realized for example, like it is shown in the figure 3, with the help of the screw rod 11, nut 12 and the motor 13 which rotates the screw. Even though no power transmission device and moving mechanism is shown in the figures 5 and 6, it is however clear that drive can, as generally known, be arranged to the wheels 25 by means of motors, for example hydraulic motors, the vertical body 5, 8 is rotatable with the help of the motor and the gear assembly on the bearing of the turning base 24 by equipping the turning base 24 or a part of it with a gear rim. Accordingly to the turning base 23 which is located in the rotation centre a gear rim

which has a large enough diameter can be attached in which case the rotating body can be rotated with the help of a motor and a gear assembly even from the rotation centre.

Supporting of the passenger bridge according to the invention is suitable to be a passenger bridge of any vehicles and also suitable to be a bridge for goods transportation from a vehicle if the bridge has a belt conveyor.