elements of passenger boarding bridge
linked treetwitterYouTubeinstagramWhat are the elements of a boarding bridge?
Rotating hinge:
This is the part of a mobile boarding bridge with a fixed walkway providing access to the terminal. It consists of a rotating platform resting on a large hinge. The rotary part is joined to the moving part that can rotate vertically and horizontally to connect with the aircraft.
Telescopic walkway:
This is made up of two stretches of metallic bridge, one is stationary and the other extendible. The interiors are made of lightweight metal. The floor is covered with non-slip material to make it easy for passengers to walk up and down. Materials must also be corrosion-resistant.
This bridge has an adjoining staircase on the right side of the movable bridge to allow access to and from the aircraft to the apron. This is for use only by ground handling personnel.
The useable width of the walkway for passengers is minimum 1.6 meters.
Where the stationary and telescopic bridges connect, there is a ramp to avoid a step between the two.
In terms of accessibility various measures must be taken in every case, for example, there must be a handrail on the right side of the walkway and the entire walkway must be sufficiently well lit.
Platform connection to the aircraft (bridgehead)
This is a rotating platform joined to the telescopic stretch of the bridge to connect with the aircraft door.
The bridgehead is built entirely from lightweight, corrosion-resistant metals.
It must have a rotating disk that creates a seamless connection with the floor of the aircraft door in the event that the aircraft and the gangway are not perfectly perpendicular. At the end of the rotating disk there is a rubber protector to prevent even the slightest damage to the aircraft fuselage.
The control panel is located in this part of the bridge.
The exterior part of the platform opening is flexible allowing a precise fit with the walls of different aircraft. The head has lighting for night-time connections.
Elevation/ascent system
This is carried out using hydraulic cylinders mounted on a gantry which serves as a guide.
The cylinders are driven by a two-flow hydraulic pump, which also drives the cylinders behind the telescopic movement. These cylinders are designed to withstand the necessary loads for long periods of time without changing position. The lifting speed is around 0.7 m/min.
The lifting movement is controlled either manually using controls or automatically using a levelling mechanism.
Extension/retraction system
The function of this element is to provide support, rotate the wheels and raise the telescopic bridge. The impeller is made entirely of steel. Both this and the bridge are usually driven by electro-hydraulics that consist of an electric motor driving a pump that feeds the drive motors built into the wheels and support cylinders.
The impeller usually has two twin non-pneumatic wheels. The impeller controls the hydraulic lifting power of the bridge on a pair of rams located on both sides of the bridge and supported by a rotation axis that makes it possible to automatically correct the angles that describe the moving bridge for adapting to the different heights of aircraft doors.
The drives for the hydraulic wheels must be built independently on each side. In this way, should one unit fail, it is possible to operate with the other, at half capacity.
Rotation system
This is composed of a self-propelled trolley. The drive is carried out on two driving wheels. The trolley serves as the supporting base for the vertical movement guiding gantry.
Electrical safety elements
To move the gangway in any way requires a manual “dead man” style switch. This is a switch that stops movement as soon as the operator stops pressing it.
This switch has an extendable cable that allows the operator to move around to check movements and ensure a perfect connection with the aircraft.
On both sides of the connection platform’s rubber protection there are usually antenna micro-switches which,
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