May 29, 1962 D. AGUSTA 3,036,797 FREIGHT HANDLING MEANS FOR HELICOPTERS Filed Feb. .17, 1960 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR .DOMEN/CO ?q’us r4 BY ATTORNEYS May 29, 1962- D. AGUSTA 3,036,797 > ‘ FREIGHT HANDLING MEANS FOR HELICOPTERS Filed Feb.’ 17, 1960 - ' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR - Dome-A060 1490374 BY 7% %r and Z-Mw - ATTORNEYS P 3,036,797 United States Patent 0 " CC Patented May 29, 1962 1 2 embodiment of the invention, wherein the winch is sus 3,036,797 pended from the ceiling and the gin carries a guide ring FREIGHT HANDLING MEANS FOR for the cable means of the winch. HELICOPTERS With continuing reference to the accompanying draw Domenico Agusta, Milan, Italy, assignor to Costruzioni Aeronautiche Giovanni Agusta S.p.A., Cascina Costa, ings, wherein like reference numerals designate similar Samarate, Italy parts in the two views, and with initial attention directed Filed Feb. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 9,333 to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a portion of the freight Claims priority, application Italy Mar. 27, 1959 compartment of a helicopter. The freight compartment 11 Claims. (Cl. 244-137) has a ceiling 10 as well as a ?oor 12. The ?oor 12 is provided with a trap door or ‘opening 14, which may be This invention relates to cargoes and freight handling closed by a door or other closure (not shown); the open apparatus designed for use in conjunction with an aircraft ing 14 is in alignment with the vertical axis of the bary structure, and in particular to a gin for use in conjunction center of the freight compartment of the helicopter. with a winch in the freight compartment of a helicopter. There are provided four couplings or brackets 16 which Helicoters are often used for the transportation of large 15 are ?xed to the ceiling 10 of the freight compartment. and bulky cargoes from one location which is inaccessible Associated with the couplings 16 and detachably secured for landing to another location which likewise may be un thereto in any convenient manner as by bolts or other desirable for normally landing the helicopter. fasteners are ?ttings 18. The ?ttings 18 have apertured Therefore, it is necessary for the helicopter to hover detents 20. Pivotally connected as at 22 to the ?ttings 18 above the cargo and then suspend the cargo from the 20 are the end pieces 24 of leg sections 26 of the sectional ‘ helicopter or to lift the cargo into the freight compartment tubular telescopic legs 28, each of which includes sec of the helicopter. It is therefore highly desirable for a tions 30 and 32. ' cargo handling apparatus to be mounted in the freight Pinned as at 34 so as to provide a pivotal support to compartment of a helicopter, especially in such a manner the leg sections 32 is a winch 36 and a suitable cable 38 that it may be readily detached and removed from the 25 carrying pulley 40. The cable 38 is entrained about helicopter when not in use. the winch 36 and is raised or lowered thereby. The pul It is therefore an important object of the present in ley carries the hook 42. The cable 38 is designed to pass vention to provide an overturned pyramid gin which can through the opening 14 to a position with the hook 42 out be detachably secured Within the freight compartment of wardly of the freight compartment. a helicopter. Suitable means such as locking bolts or keys 50, 50 A further object of the invention resides in the pro are provided for locking the legs 28 in a selected position vision of a cargo handling apparatus having a support gin so as to suitably support the winch 36 ‘at an optimum ele designed to maintain the cable means used in lifting and vation though along the vertical axis of the center of lowering the cargo along the vertical axis of the barycenter gravity of the freight compartment and helicopter. of the helicopter. 35 Thus, through the use of this overturned pyramid gin, Additionally, one of the features of the invention re the hook 42 which is adapted to engage the cargo will be sides in the provision of an overturned pyramid gin hav maintained suspended from the center of gravity of the ing a plurality of telescoping legs so arranged as to piv helicopter along an extension of the ‘vertical axis of the otally support a winch, wherein the winch may be ad barycenter, thereby facilitating cargo handling. justed along the vertical axis of the barycenter of the heli 40 Referring now to the embodiment of the invention as is copter, with the winch being disposed in alignment with a shown in FIG. 2, there will be noted that herein the legs ventral opening or trap door in the ?oor of the freight‘ 28 are provided ‘with ?ttings 18 detachably secured to the compartment of the helicopter. couplings 16. In this form of the invention the leg sec A ‘further object of the invention resides in the pro tions 32 are provided with end pieces 52 which are bi vision of a novel gin for adjusting a guide ring for the 45 furcated and between the bifurcated ends thereof are re cable means of a winch, which ring may be held in a ver ceived detents 54 which are bored as are the bifurcated tically adjusted position along the vertical axis of the ends 52 for reception of pins 56 and provide means for barycenter of a helicopter. pivotally suspending a guide ring 58 from the legs. Cou Still another object of the invention resides in the pro plings or brackets 60 are provided on the ceiling 10 for 50 r vision of means for facilitating cargo handling in a heli supporting a plate 62 to which there is pivotally connected copter and avoiding undesirable swinging action of the as at 64 a winch 66 provided with its corresponding op suspension cable. erating controls 68. The winch v66 has entrained there Yet another object of the invention lies in the utiliza about a cable 70 which extends centrally through the tion of couplings secured to the ceiling of the freight com guide ring 58 and has a hook 72 mounted at the end partment of a helicopter simplifying the detachable con - thereof. nection of a supporting. gin within the helicopter. The telescopic legs 28 may be located in a selected Still further objects and features of this invention reside position either extended as is shown in solid lines or in in the provision of a cargo handling apparatus for a heli a compacted position as is shown in phantom lines. It copter that is strong and durable, easy to install and em is noted, however, that the guide ring 58 is maintained ploy, which is substantially foolproof in operation, and 60 in position along the vertical axis of the center of gravity which is highly efficient in use. of the ‘freight compartment and helicopter, thus facili These, together with the various ancillary objects and tating cargo handling. features of the invention, which will become apparent as The winch 66 as well as the gin may be readily re the following description proceeds, are attained by this moved from the freight compartment when not in use. cargo handling apparatus, preferred embodiments being 65 Furthermore, the hook 72 is designed to be lowered shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein: through the opening 14 outwardly of the freight compart FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a portion of the freight ment during freight handling and/ or cargo carrying op compartment of a helicopter illustrating an embodiment erations. Thus, it will be seen that there has been de?ned a of the invention with the winch suspended ‘from an over 70 turned pyramid gin; and novel construction of cargo handling apparatus for use FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing another in the freight compartment of a helicopter having a ceil 3,036,797 3 4 ing and having a ?oor provided with an opening. The of legs, said legs being telescopically adjustable in length cargo handling apparatus ‘includes also an overturned With the apex of said pyramid. gin being always located pyramid gin, means detachably securing the gin to the along the vertical axis of the barycenter of the freight ceiling with the gin including a plurality of legs tele compartment, said apex being in alignment with said scopically adjustable in length. The apex of the pyramid opening, a winch suspended from said ceiling between generally is always located along the vertical axis of said legs, cable means entrained about said winch, and the barycenter of the freight compartment, the apex being a guide ring pivoted to said legs at said apex, said cable located in alignment with the opening. means extending through said guide ring. In one form of the invention a winch 36 is suspended 6. In a freight compartment of a helicopter having a from the gin, while in the other form of the invention 10 ceiling and having a floor provided with an opening a winch 66 is suspended from the ceiling 10 and a ring therein, an overturned pyramid gin, means for securing forming a guide for the cable of the winch is suspended said gin to said ceiling, said gin including a plurality of from the gin. legs, said legs being telescopically adjustable in length Various changes and modi?cations may be made with with the apex of said pyramid gin being always located out departing from the spirit and scope of the present 15 along the vertical axis of the barycenter of the freight invention and it is intended that such obvious changes compartment, said apex being in alignment with said and modi?cations be embraced by the annexed claims.