A gatebox system for delivering fire retardant fluid from a firefighting aircraft. A first and second gate opening are formed through a lower portion of a gatebox. The gates are hingedly connected along edges of the openings. A drive shaft in the gatebox is rotatable in gates-closing and gates-opening directions. Crank arms are fixed to the drive shaft and coupled to the gates by connecting links, which define an over-center geometry while the gates are at a closed position, such that weight of the fluid on the first gate induces torque on the drive shaft in the gates-closing direction. Rotation of the drive shaft in the gates-opening direction enables control of the fluid flow from the hopper according to an angular position of the drive shaft.
AERIAL FIREFIGHTING DUMP GATE SYSTEM
AUSLASSKLAPPENSYSTEM ZUR FEUERBEKÄMPFUNG AUS DER LUFT
SYSTÈME DE PORTE DE BENNE DE LUTTE CONTRE L'INCENDIE AÉRIEN
2023-11-01
Patent
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch