Aero-engine transportation bracket

Abstract

The utility model discloses an aero-engine transportation bracket which comprises a chassis frame, an inner frame, two supporting force arms, a fixed butt joint, a movable butt joint, two supporting rods and two supporting joints. The supporting force arms support the main weight of the aero-engine, the first jacking head and the second jacking head are inserted into the mounting base, and the supporting effect is guaranteed. The two supporting rods swing to enable the supporting connector to be close to the aero-engine. And one supporting rod is in a lead screw lifting type. And the other supporting rod is in a sliding type. Compared with the prior art, the transportation bracket has the advantages that the four connecting positions of the transportation bracket and the aero-engine have the adjustable function, the assembling difficulty of the engine and the bracket is greatly reduced, the machining precision and difficulty are reduced, the assembling working hours are saved, and the supporting requirement during engine maintenance work can be met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to transport brackets, and more particularly to an aircraft engine transport bracket. Background Technology

[0002] Aircraft engines are the power source that propels aircraft. Unlike the power plants of ground and water transport vehicles, which can be shut down or parked to troubleshoot problems, aircraft engines need to operate continuously and stably at altitudes of thousands or tens of thousands of meters. If an engine malfunctions in the air, the aircraft loses its primary power source, making it unable to maintain altitude and speed. This can range from preventing the aircraft from completing its mission to causing a catastrophic accident with loss of life and the aircraft's wreckage. Furthermore, compared to other mechanical devices, aircraft engines have an extremely complex structure, containing tens of thousands of parts. Moreover, the operating environment of major engine components is extremely harsh, often involving high temperatures (approaching 2000 degrees Celsius), high pressures (tens of atmospheres), and high-speed rotations (tens of thousands of revolutions per minute). A problem with any component can lead to engine shutdown or damage, resulting in catastrophic consequences. Therefore, before any aircraft engine is officially put into service, its performance, function, strength, and reliability must be thoroughly understood through various tests to ensure safe, effective, and rational use.

[0003] For airlines, the routine inspection, maintenance, service, and replacement of aircraft engines are unavoidable and crucial tasks. Replacing an aircraft engine involves the disassembly, installation, transportation, and storage of the engine and its mounting bracket. For aircraft engine manufacturers, the assembly of engine components also requires the transfer of engines between different workshops and workstations. After the engine is detached from the underwing mounting bracket, it is slowly lowered using a specialized hoist. At this point, a sufficiently strong and supportive support bracket is needed to receive and secure the engine. Furthermore, during the descent, precise alignment between the engine and the support bracket cannot be guaranteed; therefore, the support bracket's anchor points must have a certain degree of adjustment margin. The support bracket needs to be capable of basic short-distance road transport functions, including towing, straight-line movement, and turning. To prevent vibrations during transport from affecting the assembly accuracy of aircraft engine components, the support bracket requires a certain level of shock absorption. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides an aircraft engine transport bracket that solves the problems of existing transport brackets being inconvenient, difficult, and time-consuming to adjust when docking with an engine.

[0005] This application provides an aircraft engine transport bracket, comprising:

[0006] The chassis frame has casters at all four corners;

[0007] The inner frame is fixedly connected to the chassis frame;

[0008] Two supporting arms are fixedly connected to the front two sides of the inner frame;

[0009] A fixed connector is disposed at the upper end of one of the supporting arms;

[0010] A movable connector, located at the upper end of another support arm, includes: a second mounting part fixedly connected to the support arm and a second top head that can be adjusted left and right to a fixed position on the second mounting part;

[0011] Two support rods are respectively hinged to the rear sides of the inner frame; one support rod is a screw lifting type, and the other support rod is a sliding type.

[0012] Two support joints are provided, and the upper ends of the two support rods are hinged to connecting rods around the left-right axis; the two support joints are respectively hinged to the two connecting rods around the front-back axis.

[0013] In some embodiments, the second mandrel sequentially includes: a second head for docking with a mounting base on the housing, a first threaded portion with external threads, a second connecting portion that slides left and right on the second mounting portion, and a second threaded portion with external threads; the first threaded portion and the second threaded portion are respectively threadedly connected to a flange and an adjusting ratchet for limiting the sliding of the second mandrel relative to the mounting portion.

[0014] In some embodiments, a plurality of rubber shock absorbers are fixedly connected to the front side of the chassis frame, and an inner frame guide is fixedly connected to the plurality of rubber shock absorbers; the inner frame guide is used for the front side of the inner frame to be fixedly connected.

[0015] In some implementations, the ratchet rotation adjustment is connected to the mounting portion.

[0016] In some implementations, the cross-section of the second connecting portion is a regular decagon.

[0017] In some embodiments, the transport bracket further includes two gas springs, respectively disposed between the two support arms and the inner frame. An upper pin and a lower pin are provided between the support arms and the inner frame for fixed connection; the upper pin is detachable.

[0018] In summary, this application discloses an aircraft engine transport bracket, comprising a chassis frame, an inner frame frame, two support arms, a fixed connector, a movable connector, two support rods, and two support joints. The support arms support the main weight of the aircraft engine and are inserted into the mounting base using a first and a second mandrel to ensure effective support. The aircraft engine can be loaded and unloaded from the first and second mandrels through the movement of the second mandrel. The support rods primarily serve a stabilizing and adjusting function, using flange plates as support joints and connecting to the mounting base. Both support rods swing to bring their support joints closer to the aircraft engine. One support rod is a screw-lift type, using a screw lift to adjust the height of the corresponding support joint. Combined with the swinging of the support joint relative to the connecting rod and the swinging of the connecting rod relative to the support rod, the support joint can be quickly fitted into the mounting base on the rear side of the casing. The other support rod is a sliding type, using a spherical bearing to adjust the height of the corresponding support joint. By sliding the support rod back and forth, the adjusted support joint is repositioned to the mounting base on the rear side of the casing. Combined with the swinging of the support joint relative to the connecting rod and the swinging of the connecting rod relative to the support rod, the support joint can quickly align with the mounting base on the rear side of the casing. The beneficial effects are: the transport bracket has adjustable functions at all four connection points with the aircraft engine, greatly reducing the assembly difficulty of the engine and bracket, reducing machining precision and difficulty, saving assembly time, and also meeting the support requirements during engine maintenance. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To better illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the background art, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application or the background art will be described below.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a rear view of this application;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the chassis frame and the inner frame guide frame;

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 1 An enlarged schematic diagram of part A in the middle;

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Enlarged schematic diagram of part B in the middle;

[0025] Figure 6 for Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of section C;

[0026] Figure 7 for Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of section D in the middle;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of two support rods on the chassis frame;

[0028] Figure 9 for Figure 8 An enlarged schematic diagram of section E in the middle.

[0029] In the picture,

[0030] 1. Chassis frame; 1a. Casters; 1b. First mounting plate; 1c. Rubber shock absorber; 1d. Counterweight;

[0031] 2. Inner frame; 2a. Stop bar; 2b. Connecting pin;

[0032] 3. Support arm; 3a. Upper pin; 3b. Lower pin;

[0033] 4. Fixed connector; 4a. First mounting part; 4b. First top head; 4b1. First head; 4b2. First limiting part; 4b3. Second limiting part;

[0034] 5. Movable butt joint; 5a. Second mounting part; 5b. Second top head; 5b1. Second head; 5b2. Flange; 5b3. Adjusting ratchet; 5b4. Wrench;

[0035] 6. Support rod;

[0036] 7. Support joint; 7a. Connecting rod;

[0037] 8. Gas spring;

[0038] 9. Inner frame guide bracket; 9a. Second mounting plate; 9b. Mounting slot; 9c. First pin;

[0039] 10. Screw jack. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The following description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only and not strictly to scale. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure should be understood in their ordinary sense by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, and these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described object changes. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments in this application can be combined with each other.

[0041] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 An aircraft engine transport bracket includes a chassis frame 1, an inner frame 2, two support arms 3, a fixed connector 4, a movable connector 5, two support rods 6, and two support joints 7.

[0042] Each of the four corners of the chassis frame 1 has a caster 1a. More specifically, the caster 1a can be a WICKE 230210 model double-row shock-absorbing caster 1a to ensure that the chassis frame 1 does not generate too much vibration when moving. The chassis frame 1 can be constructed from heavy-duty rectangular tubing welded together to support the weight of the entire vehicle.

[0043] The inner frame 2 is fixedly connected to the chassis frame 1, or it can be assembled by welding rectangular tubes. The inner frame 2 is directly connected to the engine. Since the engine's center of gravity is mainly near the intermediate casing, corresponding to the front position of the inner frame 2, more specifically, two front connection positions can be designed on the front side of the inner frame 2, symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides, and one rear connection position can be designed on the rear side of the inner frame 2, located in the middle.

[0044] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 3In some embodiments, multiple rubber shock absorbers 1c are fixedly connected to the front side of the chassis frame 1. More specifically, these rubber shock absorbers 1c can use LORD's J6332-121 model, divided into left and right groups. Inclined first mounting plates 1b are fixedly provided on both the left and right sides of the chassis frame 1, with the two first mounting plates 1b being symmetrical and respectively for mounting the two groups of rubber shock absorbers 1c. Inner frame guide frames 9 are fixedly connected to the multiple rubber shock absorbers 1c. More specifically, inclined second mounting plates 9a are fixedly provided on both the left and right sides of the inner frame guide frame 9, with the two second mounting plates 9a being symmetrical and respectively mounted on a group of rubber shock absorbers 1c on the same side. The inner frame guide frame 9 is also used for fixed connection to the front side of the inner frame frame 2, that is, mounting grooves 9b are provided on both the left and right sides of the inner frame guide frame 9, corresponding to two front connection positions of the inner frame frame 2. More specifically, the front connection position of the inner frame frame 2 is an extended rectangular tube, which, after entering the mounting groove 9b, is fixed together by a first pin 9c. During assembly, the inner frame 2 and the inner frame guide 9 can be installed first, and then the inner frame 2 and the inner frame guide 9 can be lowered together and installed on the rubber shock absorber 1c of the chassis.

[0045] The rubber shock absorber 1c possesses high elasticity and viscoelasticity. Compared to steel, rubber exhibits greater elastic deformation and a smaller elastic modulus. Its impact stiffness is greater than its dynamic stiffness, which in turn is greater than its static stiffness. This design helps reduce impact deformation and dynamic variations. Furthermore, rubber can be freely shaped, and its hardness can be adjusted through formulation design. The rubber shock absorber 1c is positioned at the contact point between the chassis frame 1 and the inner frame 2 to mitigate vibrations generated between them.

[0046] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The two support arms 3 are fixedly connected to the front two sides of the inner frame 2, that is, the two support arms 3 are the main load-bearing structures connected to the aero-engine. The support arms can be welded from Q355 sheet metal.

[0047] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the transport bracket further includes two gas springs 8, respectively disposed between the two support arms 3 and the inner frame 2. More specifically, the gas springs 8 and the support arms 3, as well as the gas springs 8 and the inner frame 2, can be hinged. An upper pin 3a and a lower pin 3b are provided between the support arms 3 and the inner frame 2 for fixed connection; the upper pin 3a is detachable. More specifically, the lower pin is fixed with nuts installed at both ends, while the upper pin is a latch type.

[0048] After removing the upper pin 3a, the support arm 3 can swing around the lower pin 3b. Through the gas spring 8, the two support arms 3 can swing outward at a certain angle, making it easier for the hoisted aircraft engine to enter between the two support arms 3.

[0049] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 6 A fixed connector 4 is disposed at the upper end of one of the supporting arms 3. More specifically, the fixed connector 4 includes a first mounting part 4a and a first top head 4b; the first mounting part 4a is fixedly connected to the upper end of the supporting arm 3 and can be composed of two detachable upper and lower parts; the first top head 4b includes, in sequence, a first head 4b1, a first limiting part 4b2, a first connecting part, and a second limiting part 4b3; the first connecting part is connected to the first mounting part 4a and has a non-circular cross-section to restrict the rotation of the first top head 4b relative to the first mounting part 4a; the first limiting part 4b2 and the second limiting part 4b3 respectively abut against the left and right sides of the first mounting part 4a to restrict the movement of the first top head 4b relative to the first mounting part 4a.

[0050] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 5 The movable connector 5 is located at the upper end of another supporting arm 3, and includes a second mounting part 5a and a second top head 5b. The second mounting part 5a is fixedly connected to the upper end of the supporting arm 3, and the second top head 5b is fixedly connected to the second mounting part 5a and can be adjusted left and right.

[0051] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, the second push head 5b sequentially includes a second head 5b1, a first threaded portion with external threads, a second connecting portion, and another second threaded portion. The second mounting portion 5a can refer to the first mounting portion 4a and consists of two detachable upper and lower parts; the second connecting portion slides left and right on the second mounting portion 5a; the first threaded portion and the second threaded portion are respectively threadedly connected to a flange 5b2 and an adjusting ratchet 5b3, the flange 5b2 and the adjusting ratchet 5b3 respectively abut against the left and right sides of the second mounting portion 5a, restricting the sliding of the second push head 5b relative to the mounting portion.

[0052] Both the first and second connecting parts have a decagonal cross-section. Since the center of gravity of the aircraft engine and the transport bracket are located differently, both the first mounting head 4b and the second mounting head 5b are designed with an eccentricity. This requires that these two mounting heads remain horizontal while mounted on the engine and slowly descending onto the transport bracket support arm. The decagonal contact surface design prevents the mounting heads from rotating during installation. Furthermore, as the upper and lower parts of the first mounting part 4a / second mounting part 5a are gradually tightened, even if there is angular deflection during lowering, the mounting heads will return to a horizontal state upon tightening.

[0053] When the second jack 5b needs to be moved, loosen the flange 5b2 and the adjusting ratchet 5b3. After the movement is complete, retighten the flange 5b2 and the adjusting ratchet 5b3. The adjusting ratchet 5b3 can be turned using a wrench 5b4 of the appropriate shape.

[0054] In some embodiments, the adjusting ratchet 5b3 is rotatably connected to the mounting part. That is, when it is necessary to move the second top head 5b, the flange 5b2 is loosened, and the adjusting ratchet 5b3 is rotated to move the second top head 5b. After the movement is completed, the flange 5b2 is tightened again.

[0055] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 Two support rods 6 are hinged to the rear sides of the inner frame 2, with the hinge axis oriented front-to-back. Connecting rods 7a are hinged to the upper ends of both support rods 6 around a left-to-right axis. Two support joints 7 are hinged to the two connecting rods 7a around a front-to-back axis.

[0056] The support arm 3 supports the main weight of the aircraft engine, so high-strength first mandrel 4b and second mandrel 5b are inserted into the mounting base to ensure support effectiveness. The support rod 6 serves more as a stabilizer and adjuster, so flange 5b2 plate is used as the support joint 7 to connect with the mounting base.

[0057] In addition, baffles 2a can be fixedly connected to both sides of the inner frame 2 at the rear. During the unfolding process, the two support rods 6 can swing to abut against the baffles 2a so that the support rods 6 can be kept in that position. At this time, the distance between the two support joints 7 is large, which facilitates the entry of the hoisted aircraft engine. After the aircraft engine enters, the position of the two support rods 6 is adjusted.

[0058] One support rod 6 is a screw jack type. More specifically, a screw jack 10 is used, the housing of which is hinged to the inner frame 2, and the lifting rod of the screw jack 10 serves as the support rod 6. The screw jack 10, as the main load-bearing point on the rear side, can use the Limtech brand, which features a unique square grooved housing, increasing heat dissipation and extending grease life. The choice of ductile iron housing material significantly improves the housing's strength and performance, and allows for wide application at high / low temperatures. A square tail cover design prevents the screw from rotating on its own.

[0059] By swinging the support rod 6, the support joint 7 is brought closer to the aircraft engine. The height of the corresponding support joint 7 is adjusted by the screw jack 10. By combining the swing of the support joint 7 relative to the connecting rod 7a and the swing of the connecting rod 7a relative to the support rod 6, the support joint 7 can be quickly fitted into the mounting seat on the rear side of the casing.

[0060] The other support rod 6 is a sliding type. More specifically, the lower end of the support rod 6 has a spherical bearing, and the inner frame 2 has a connecting pin 2b for the spherical bearing to fit into, facing back and forth. The support rod 6 swings around the connecting pin 2b, realizing the hinge between the support rod 6 and the inner frame 2.

[0061] By swinging the support rod 6, the support joint 7 is brought closer to the aircraft engine. The height of the corresponding support joint 7 is adjusted by the spherical bearing. By sliding the support rod 6 back and forth, the support joint 7 after the height adjustment is aligned with the mounting seat on the rear side of the casing. By combining the swing of the support joint 7 relative to the connecting rod 7a and the swing of the connecting rod 7a relative to the support rod 6, the support joint 7 can be quickly fitted into the mounting seat on the rear side of the casing.

[0062] When performing maintenance on the engine on the storage rack, three-point support is required, necessitating the disconnection of the sliding support rod 6. At this time, the entire rear weight is borne by the screw jack 10. Using a manual screw mechanism not only allows for the bearing of heavy loads, but the screw also possesses a degree of self-locking and anti-reverse rotation, ensuring strong safety performance. Simultaneously, the engine's attitude can be adjusted to a certain angle by manually raising and lowering the screw. The sliding support rod 6 can slide within the clearance range of the counterweight, working in conjunction with the mounting base on the rear of the casing to provide auxiliary support during transportation.

[0063] Four mounting brackets are installed in corresponding positions on the aircraft engine casing, arranged in two groups, one in front and one in back. The lifted aircraft engine is placed between the two supporting arms 3, and simultaneously between the two supporting rods 6. The first jack 4b and the second jack 5b mate into the two front mounting brackets, completing the connection of the front support point. The first jack 4b and the second jack 5b have a 40mm eccentric distance to avoid interference between the front lifting point of the guide device and the arms, and to ensure that the front lifting point of the guide device is perpendicular to the front lifting lug on the inner frame. Multiple counterweight plates are used to assemble the counterweight block 1d on the rear side of the inner frame 2 for balancing in full-lift and semi-lift lifting methods, and the counterweight block 1d also serves as the base for supporting the rear lifting point. The support rod 6 structure, with its spherical bearing and tie rod connection, has good adjustment margin. The support rod 6 structure of the screw jack 10 not only has a relatively high load-bearing capacity, but also allows for a certain degree of adjustment of the aircraft engine's attitude to meet on-site installation needs.

Claims

1. An aircraft engine transport cradle, characterized by, It includes: The chassis frame (1) has four corners, each with a caster (1a); The inner frame (2) is fixedly connected to the chassis frame (1); Two support arms (3) are fixedly connected to the inner frame (2) on the front two sides; A fixed butt joint (4) is provided at the upper end of one of the support arms (3); A movable butt joint (5) is provided at the upper end of the other support arm (3), which includes a second mounting portion (5a) fixedly connected to the support arm (3) and a second top head (5b) that can be adjusted left and right in the fixed position of the second mounting portion (5a); Two support rods (6) are respectively hinged to the inner frame (2) on the rear two sides; one support rod (6) is a screw rod lifting type, and the other support rod (6) is a sliding type; Two support joints (7) are provided at the upper end of the two support rods (6), each with a connecting rod (7a) hinged to the left and right axes; two support joints (7) are respectively hinged to two connecting rods (7a) around the front and rear axes.

2. An aircraft engine transport cradle as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The second top head (5b) includes a second head (5b1) for connecting to the mounting seat of the cartridge, a first threaded portion with external threads, a second connecting portion sliding left and right in the second mounting portion (5a), and a second threaded portion with external threads; The first threaded portion and the second threaded portion are respectively threaded with a flange (5b2) and an adjusting ratchet (5b3) for limiting the sliding of the second top head (5b) relative to the second mounting portion (5a).

3. An aircraft engine transport cradle as recited in claim 1, wherein, The front side of the chassis frame (1) is fixedly connected to a plurality of rubber shock absorbers (1c), and a plurality of rubber shock absorbers (1c) are fixedly connected to an inner frame guide frame (9); The inner frame guide frame (9) is used for fixing the front side of the inner frame (2).

4. An aircraft engine transport cradle as recited in claim 2 wherein, The adjusting ratchet (5b3) is rotatably connected to the mounting portion.

5. An aircraft engine transport cradle as recited in claim 2 wherein, The cross section of the second connecting portion is a regular decagon.

6. An aircraft engine transport cradle as recited in claim 1 wherein, The transport bracket further includes two gas springs (8) respectively arranged between the two support arms (3) and the inner frame (2); The support arm (3) and the inner frame (2) are provided with an upper pin shaft (3a) and a lower pin shaft (3b) for fixed connection, and the upper pin shaft (3a) is detachable.

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