Vertically retracting side articulating landing gear for aircraft

Abstract

A side articulating main landing gear assembly for an aircraft is disclosed which includes a wheel axle fitting oriented in a horizontal plane when the landing gear is in an extended condition deployed from a landing gear bay of the aircraft, a tire supported on the wheel axle fitting and oriented in a vertical plane when the landing gear is in the extended condition, a shock absorber adapted to stroke between an extended state and a compressed state upon landing the aircraft, a set of articulating links connected to the wheel axle fitting, the shock absorber and the aircraft, and configured to maintain the tire in a vertical plane as the shock absorber strokes between the extended state and the compressed state, a set of tire planing links connected to the wheel axle fitting and the articulating links, and configured to maintain the wheel axle fitting in a horizontal plane as the shock absorber strokes between the extended state and the compressed state, and a drive crank connected to the shock absorber, the tire planing links, the articulating links and the aircraft, for moving the landing gear assembly between the extended condition and an inverted retracted condition stowed in the landing gear bay.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly for an aircraft, comprising:
 a) a shock absorber adapted to stroke between an extended state and a compressed state upon landing the aircraft;   b) a drive crank operatively connected to the shock absorber, a first linkage and a second linkage, the drive crank for moving the landing gear assembly between an extended condition deployed from a landing gear bay of the aircraft and a retracted condition stowed in the landing gear bay; and   c) a reforming brace operatively connected to the aircraft, the drive crank, the first linkage and the shock absorber for locking the landing gear in the extended condition and in the retracted condition,   wherein the reforming brace includes inboard and outboard brace links connected to one another at an overcentered pivot point.   
     
     
         3 . A side articulating main landing gear as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the drive crank defines a skewed trunnion axis configured to permit landing gear retraction with at least some degree of forward or aft motion. 
     
     
         4 . A side articulating main landing gear as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the first linkage includes a set of articulating links operatively connected to the wheel axle fitting, the shock absorber and the aircraft. 
     
     
         5 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the second linkage includes a set of tire planing links operatively connected to the wheel axle fitting and the articulating links. 
     
     
         6 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the inboard 
       and outboard brace links of the reforming brace reside in a locked condition when the landing gear assembly is in the extended condition and in the retracted position. 
     
     
         7 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the shock absorber includes an upper cylinder and a lower piston, and wherein the drive crank is pivotally connected to the upper cylinder. 
     
     
         8 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the set of articulating links includes a main articulating link, an upper transverse link and a lower transverse link, and wherein the main articulating link is pivotally connected to a lower piston of the shock absorber. 
     
     
         9 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the set of tire planing links is located inboard of the set of articulating links, and include a lower planing link, an upper planing link and a free floating medial planing link. 
     
     
         10 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the lower planning link extends parallel to the main articulating link, and the upper planning link extends parallel to the lower articulating link. 
     
     
         11 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly for an aircraft, comprising:
 a) a wheel axle fitting oriented in a horizontal plane when the landing gear assembly is in an extended condition deployed from a landing gear bay of the aircraft;   b) a shock absorber adapted to stroke between an extended state and a compressed state upon landing the aircraft;   c) a first linkage for maintaining a tire supported on the wheel axle fitting in a substantially vertical plane as the shock absorber strokes between the extended state and the compressed state;   d) a second linkage for maintaining the wheel axle fitting in said horizontal plane as the shock absorber strokes between the extended state and the compressed state, wherein the first and second linkages are adapted and configured to minimize lateral tire scuffing during shock absorber stroking; and   e) a drive crank operatively connected to the shock absorber, the first linkage and the second linkage for moving the landing gear assembly between the extended condition deployed from the landing gear bay and an inverted retracted condition stowed in the landing gear bay, wherein the first linkage includes a set of articulating links operatively connected to the wheel axle fitting, the shock absorber and the aircraft,   wherein the second linkage includes a set of tire planing links operatively connected to the wheel axle fitting and the articulating links, and   wherein the set of articulating links includes a main articulating link, an upper transverse link and a lower transverse link, and wherein the main articulating link is pivotally connected to a lower piston of the shock absorber.   
     
     
         12 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 11 , further comprising a reforming brace operatively connected to the aircraft, the drive crank, the articulating links and the shock absorber for locking the landing gear in the extended condition and in the retracted condition. 
     
     
         13 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the reforming brace includes inboard and outboard brace links connected to one another at an over-centered pivot point. 
     
     
         14 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the inboard and outboard brace links of the reforming brace reside in a locked condition when the landing gear assembly is in the extended condition and in the retracted condition. 
     
     
         15 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the shock absorber includes an upper cylinder and a lower piston, and wherein the drive crank is pivotally connected to the upper cylinder. 
     
     
         16 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the reforming brace is pivotally connected to the upper cylinder of the shock absorber in such a manner so that the reforming brace is out of plane with the shock absorber. 
     
     
         17 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the set of articulating links includes a main articulating link, an upper transverse link and a lower transverse link, and wherein the main articulating link is pivotally connected to the wheel axle fitting and the lower piston of the shock absorber. 
     
     
         18 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the set of tire planning links is located inboard of the set of articulating links, and include a lower planing link, an upper planning link and a free floating medial planing link. 
     
     
         19 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the lower planning link extends parallel to the main articulating link, and the upper planning link extends parallel to the lower articulating link. 
     
     
         20 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly for an aircraft, comprising:
 a) a wheel axle fitting oriented in a horizontal plane when the landing gear is in an extended condition deployed from a landing gear bay of the aircraft and configured to support a tire oriented in a vertical plane when the landing gear is in the extended condition;   b) a shock absorber adapted to stroke between an extended state and a compressed state upon landing the aircraft;   c) a set of articulating links operatively connected to the wheel axle fitting, the shock absorber and the aircraft, and configured to maintain a tire in said vertical plane as the shock absorber strokes between the extended state and the compressed state;   d) a set of tire planing links operatively connected to the wheel axle fitting and the articulating links, and configured to maintain the wheel axle fitting in said horizontal plane as the shock absorber strokes between the extended state and the compressed state   
     
     
         21 . A side articulating main landing gear assembly for an aircraft according to  claim 20 , further comprising a drive crank operatively connected to the shock absorber, the tire planing links, the articulating links and the aircraft, for moving the landing gear assembly between the extended condition deployed from the landing gear bay and an inverted retracted condition stowed in the landing gear bay.