POWERED DUMP GATE SYSTEM ON A CROP DUSTER

Abstract

A crop duster dump gate opens and closes to turn on and off the flow of payload out of the hopper. The traditional mechanical gate is actuated by the pilot through mechanical linkages. The effort required by the pilot to open and close the gate requires significant force and can lead to fatigue or injury. The powered dump gate system is an add-on to the existing traditional mechanical gate system by a booster that is hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric. The powered dump gate eliminates strenuous effort by the pilot and requires no change to the pilot's work environment and methods.

Claims

1. A booster system for assisting a pilot to operate the controls of a dump gate of a crop duster, said crop duster having a pilot's input bell crank which is a control lever in a cockpit used by the pilot to control the dump gate, the booster system comprising: a booster located anywhere in between the pilot's input bell crank and the dump gate.

2. The booster system of claim 1, wherein the booster connects on its input side to pilot's input bell crank side of the linkage(s), connects on its output side to dump gate side of the linkage(s), and connects to the frame of the crop duster via an anchor.

3. The booster of claim 1, wherein the booster takes an input from the pilot, then creates a boosted response through the output side to assist operation of the dump gate.

4. The booster system of claim 1, wherein the booster system can be driven by a variety of power source including but not limited to hydraulic, pneumatic, and electric.

5. The booster system of claim 1, wherein the booster is a hydraulic booster, comprising a hydraulic pump; a hydraulic accumulator; a hydraulic pressure regulator; and a hydraulic cylinder; the hydraulic pump is mounted in the crop duster and connected to the hydraulic accumulator which is connected to the hydraulic pressure regulator which feeds regulated hydraulic power to the hydraulic cylinder which send power through the dump gate side of the linkage(s) to help control the dump gate.

6. The booster system of claim 1, wherein the booster is an electric booster, the pilot's input bell crank is connected to a lower bell crank, the force on the input linkage is measured and used as the input into the booster, a clutched servo is connected to the lower bell crank as the booster; the clutch allows the servo to disengage if the system fails, so there is no drag of the failed servo, allowing for safe failures.

7. The booster system of claim 1, wherein the booster is an electric booster, the pilot's input bell crank is connected to a lower bell crank, the force on the input linkage is measured and used as the input into the booster, a backdrivable servo is connected to the lower bell crank as the booster; the backdrivability allows the servo to rotate if the system fails, so there is minimal drag of the failed servo, allowing for safe failures.

8. A method for assisting a pilot to operate the controls of a dump gate of a crop duster aircraft using a pilot's input bell crank, the method comprising following steps: (a) electronically connecting an electric servo booster to the aircraft power bus through a circuit breaker; (b) mounting the electric servo booster on or in the fuselage of the aircraft; and (c) connecting at a first connection point on the input side of the booster to the pilot's input bell crank via linkage(s) and anchor(s), connecting at a second connection point on the output side of the booster to a lower bell crank via linkage(s) and anchor(s), and connecting at the third connection point to the frame of the crop duster aircraft via an anchor; whereby the booster pushes against the third anchor point to boost the pilot's input, resulting in a larger force towards the dump gate.

9. A method for assisting a pilot to operate the controls of a dump gate of a crop duster aircraft using a pilot's input bell crank, the method comprising following steps: (a) connecting a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic accumulator and a hydraulic pressure regulator to a booster with pipes or hoses; (b) electronically connecting the hydraulic pump to the aircraft power bus through a circuit breaker; (c) mounting the hydraulic pump, hydraulic accumulator and hydraulic pressure regulator inside the fuselage of the plane; and (d) connecting at a first connection point on the input side of the booster to the pilot's input bell crank via linkage(s) and anchor(s), connecting at a second connection point on the output side of the booster to a lower bell crank via linkage(s) and anchor(s), and connecting at the third connection point to the frame of the crop duster aircraft via an anchor; whereby the booster pushes against the third anchor point to boost the pilot's input, resulting in a larger force towards the dump gate.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising a step of removing linkage(s) that originally exist between the pilot's input bell crank and the lower bell crank in the crop duster aircraft prior to the step (d) connecting at a first connection point on the input side of a booster to the pilot's input bell crank via linkage(s) and anchor(s), connecting at a second connection point on the output side of the booster to a lower bell crank via linkage(s) and anchor(s), and connecting at the third connection point to the frame of the crop duster aircraft via an anchor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference numerals.

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a crop duster having a powered dump gate system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a hydraulic booster according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates a powered dump gate system 100 installed in a crop duster according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the crop duster airplane 1 has a payload hopper 2, normally in the fuselage over the spar. At the bottom of the payload hopper is the dump gate 4. In the cockpit 3 is the pilot's input bell crank (the first bell crank) 11, which is the control lever in the cockpit used by the pilot to control the dump gate 4. The lower end of the pilot's input bell crank 11 is secured to a first anchor 131 and is connected to the linkage on the booster input side (the first linkage) 10 via the anchor 131. The linkage on the booster output side (the second linkage) 9 is connected to the lower bell crank (the second bell crank) and a backdrivable servo 8 via a second anchor 132. The lower bell crank and backdrivable servo 8 is connected to the lower horizontal linkage (the third linkage) 7. The lower end of the lower horizontal linkage is connected to the upper end of the over center bell crank (the third bell crank) 6. The lower end of the over center bell crank is connected to the over center linkage (the fourth linkage) 5. The over center linkage 5 is then connected to the dump gate 4. Moreover, the booster 12 is connected to an anchor point 133 on the frame of the crop duster to push or pull against. The booster 12 is controlled by the input bell crank side of linkage(s). All the bell crank's center pivot points are held to the crop duster via anchor points 131 and 132.

[0023] In one aspect, disclosed herein is a booster 12 for assisting pilot to open and close the dump gate 4 of a crop duster 1.

[0024] The booster 12 takes an input from the pilot, then creates a boosted response through the output side to assist operation of the dump gate.

[0025] According to some embodiments as illustrated in FIG. 2, the booster 12 is a hydraulic booster, comprising a hydraulic pump 14, which creates hydraulic pressure; a hydraulic accumulator 15, which is a pressure storage reservoir; a hydraulic pressure regulator 16, which limits the output of hydraulic fluid to maintain a desired pressure, and a hydraulic cylinder 17, which is a mechanical actuator that is used to give a unidirectional force through a unidirectional stroke.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the hydraulic pressure regulator 16 receives input from pilot's input bell crank and sends the output to the hydraulic cylinder 17, which then delivers force towards the dump gate side of linkage(s) to help control operation of dump gate. A backdrivable servo is connected to the lower bell crank as the booster. What this means is that the Backdrivability will allow the servo to rotate if the system fails, so there is minimal drag of the failed servo. This is allows for safe failures.

[0027] The hydraulic pump 14 is mounted in the airplane and connected to the hydraulic accumulator 15 which is connected to the hydraulic pressure regulator 16 which feeds regulated hydraulic power to the hydraulic cylinder 17. When the crop duster 1 is powered on, the hydraulic pump 14 builds and stores hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic accumulator 15. The hydraulic pressure regulator 16 transfers power to the hydraulic cylinder 17. When the crop duster 1 is in flight and has product in the hopper 2, the dump gate 4 opens and closes controlling the flow of the product during application. The pilot, in the cockpit 3, uses his input bell crank 11 to control the position of the dump gate 4. Along the path of linkages from the input bell crank to the dump gate is the hydraulic booster 12. The input side of the booster 12 is connected to the input bell crank side of the linkage(s). The output side of the booster 12 is connected to the dump gate side of the linkage(s). When the pilot moves the input bell crank the hydraulic booster senses the movement and matches this motion. As the booster moves itself, it will quickly apply to its full force to match the input movement. The booster movement is sent through the rest of the control linkage(s) to the dump gate.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the booster 12 can be located anywhere in between the pilot's input crank 11 and the dump gate 4.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the boosting 12 may further comprises optional check valve to the pump and a pressure switch on the accumulator so the pump will shut off when no movement is being made.

[0030] According to some embodiments, the booster 12 can be driven by different source of power such as pneumatic or electric.

[0031] According to some embodiments, the booster 12 is an electric booster, wherein the pilot's input bell crank 11 is connected to the lower bell crank 8. The force on the input linkage is measured and used as the input into the booster. A clutched servo is then connected to the lower bell crank as the booster. The clutch allows the servo to disengage if the system fails, so there is no drag of the failed servo, allowing for safe failures.

[0032] In another aspect, disclosed herein is a powered crop dump gate system 100 for assisting pilot to control the dump gate 4 of a crop duster 1.

[0033] According to some embodiments, the powered crop dump gate includes pilot's input bell crank (the first bell crank) 11; pilot's input bell crank side of linkage(s); booster 12; and dump gate side of linkage(s).

[0034] According to some embodiments, the input bell crank side of linkage(s) include the first anchor 131, and the linkage on the input side of the booster (the first linkage) 10; and the dump gate side of linkage(s) include the linkage on the output side of the booster (the second linkage) 9; the second anchor 132, the lower bell crank (the second bell crank); the lower horizontal linkage (the third linkage) 7; the over center bell crank (the third bell crank) 6; the over center linkage (the fourth linkage) 5. The lower end of the over center linkage is connected to the dump gate.

[0035] According to some embodiments, the booster may be powered by hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric.

[0036] According to some embodiments, the booster is a hydraulic booster, comprising hydraulic pump 14, hydraulic accumulator 15, hydraulic pressure regulator 16; and hydraulic cylinder 17.

[0037] In another aspect, the described invention provides a method 200 for assisting pilot to open and close the dump gate 4 of a crop duster 1.

[0038] According to some embodiments of the method, the method 200 comprises following steps: (a) hydraulically connecting the pump accumulator 15 and regulator 16 to the booster 12 with pipes or hoses; (b) electronically connecting the pump 14 to the aircraft power bus through a circuit breaker using appropriately sized and sourced wire; (c) mounting the pump accumulator 15 and regulator 16 inside the fuselage of the plane; (d) replacing the original linkage(s) that went between the pilots input bell crank 11 and the lower bell crank 8 with the booster 12, (the booster has 3 connection points and the original linkage only had 2); (e) connecting the linkage of the input side 10 of the booster to the pilot's input bell crank 11 via a first anchor 13, connecting the linkage of the output side 9 of the booster to the lower bell crank 8 via a second anchor 13, and connecting to the third connection point to the frame of the crop duster via a third anchor 13; wherein the booster 13 pushes against the third anchor point to boost the pilot's input, resulting in a larger force towards the dump gate 4. Once the installation is complete, energize the circuit breaker and the system will power the pump and start working.

[0039] According to some embodiments, the method 200 further comprises steps of adding optional check valve to the pump; and adding a pressure switch on the accumulator 15 so the pump 16 will shut off when no movement is being made.

[0040] According to some embodiments of the method 200, the source of power used to drive the booster may be pneumatic or electric.

[0041] An embodiment method for an electric installation would be changing from a linear to rotational booster. In this installation, the input side linkage(s) goes from the pilot's input bell crank to the lower bell crank. The force on the input linkage is measured and used as the input into the booster. A clutched servo is then connected to the lower bell crank as the booster. The clutch allows the servo to disengage if the system fails, so there is no drag of the failed servo, allowing for safe failures.

[0042] While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are entitled.