US3317942A - Extensible conveyance gangway - Google Patents

Description

May 9, 1967 J; cQwoLLARD ETAL EXTENSIBLE CONVEYANCE GANGWAY 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 29, 1964 m mAYS' OHTLB N TOANHM. R NWLP 0 E.S. T S .A H R mwNE .s snm MWL May 9, 1967 J. c. woLLARD ETAL. 3,317,942

ExTENsIBLE coNvEYANcE GANGwAY Filed April 29, 1964 e sheets-sheet 2 i. l H63 N I l /lm 29 I wfv I i I L.; 23) i T" H04 l MM l m y INVENTORS JOSEPH cwghlennw BY LLPRE|S v ATTORNEY4 May 9, 1967 J. c. woLLARD ETAL 3,317,942

EXTENSIBLE CONVEYANCE GANGWAY 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 29, 1964 VI mm s- E. OLYNN N TLEE DH NONR O EwAD. T .L. T VCSL .A N .luunn` P E ENN HE JmL Y B J. c. woLLARD ETAL 3,317,942

EXTENSIBLE CONVEYANCE GANGWAY May 9, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 29, 1964 AFIGIO JOHN s. SLANEYl LESTER L. PRErs's ATTORNEY INVENTORS JOSEPH C. WOLLARD May 9, 1967 Filed April 29, 1964 J. c. WOLLARD ETAL 3,317,942

' EXTENSIBLE CONVEYANCE GANGWAY 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 JOSEPH C. WOLLARO BY JOHN S. SLNEY May 9, 1967 J. C. WOLLARD ETAL EXTENSIBLE CONVEYANCE GANGWAY 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed April 29, 1964 D MM S. L s Vl mLH E Nwmm M E VCJML m www H mm. NNE

Y B E United States Patent O 3,317,942 EXTENSIBLE CONVEYAN CE GANGWAY Joseph C. Wollard, Miami Springs, John S. Slaney, Opa- Locka, and Lester L. Preiss, Miami, Fla., assignors to Woliard Aircraft Service Equipment Inc., a corporation of' Florida Filed Apr. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 363,362 Claims. (Cl. 14 71) The present invention relates to passenger lgangways, rnore particularly of the type in which an elongated gan-gway provides covered and weather-proof protection for passen-gers walking throu-gh the gan-gway, between an elevated door of a terminal building such as an aircraft terminal and an elevated door of a conveyance such as an aircraft that is loading or unloading passengers.

In addition to protecting passengers lfrom the weather, gangways such as those of the present invention are also intended to shield the passengers from noise and jet blasts and to enable them to avoid oil slicks. Gangways according to the present invention also remove any uncertainty as to which of several conveyances undergoing loading the passenger is t-o enter.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide conveyance loading apparatus adapted to register with vehicle doors in any of a plurality of positi-ons of the vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is the pro-vision of conveyance loading apparatus that is structurally strong and yet light in weight.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of conveyance loading apparatus that does not occupy any space at ground level and that accordingly does not impede the movement of personnel or conveyances either adjacent a terminal building or adjacent a conveyance to be loa-ded or unloaded.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide conveyance loading apparatus that will be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to construct, install, operate, maintain and repair, and rugged and versatile and durable in use. Y

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the yfollowing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a side elevational View of a passenger gangway according to the present invention, in registry with the open door of a conveyance such as an aircraft;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 are vertical cross-sectional views taken on the lines 3 3, 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an enlar-ged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a left side view of the structure shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a further enlarged Ifragmentary crosssectional view taken on the line 8 8 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 9 9 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 10 10 of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE l1 is a schematic fluid circuit diagram showing the operating elements of the present invention; and

FIGURE l2 is a schematic electrical circuit diagram showing the means for actuating and controlling the operating elements shown in FIGURE 1l.

Re-ferring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is shown a passenger gangway indicated generally at 1, which is generally elongated and consists of a fixed inner end or terminal portion 3 attached to the side of a terminal building such as an airport or the like. Gangway 1 also comprises an elongated midportion 5 open at its front and rear ends. A vestibule 7 is disposed at the outer end of midportion 5 and provides an endwise -outwardly extendingl continuation of midportion 5. Vestibule 7 has mounting :means (not shown) by which it is mounted for rotation on and relative to midportion -5 about a vertical axis that lies in the longitudinal vertical midplane of midportion 5. Vesti-hule 7 at its outer end has a plurality of folding doors 9 by which access is selectively provided to an adjacent door of a vehicle 11 such as an aircraft or the like. It will be apparent that fixed inner end 3, elongated Imidportion 5 and vestibule 7 constitute passa-geways.

Gan-gway 1 is adapted to be mounted at an elevation above ground level, adjacent a building 13 such as a transportation terminal or the like having a doorway 15 at an elevation above ground level, through which access may be had to and from gangway 1. Terminal portion 3 is xedly secured to building 13 and includes a sidewall 17 spaced outwardly from buil-ding 13 and a rear wall 19 perpendicular to sidewall 17 and extending from sidewall 17 to building 13. Rear wall 19 thus frames one side -of a doorway 21 of xed terminal portion 3 which is in registry with doorway 15.

Fixed terminal portion 3 also includes a horizontal floor 23 and a vertically superposed horizontal roof 25. Hangers 27 support terminal portion 3 in fixed assembly with -building 13. At its forward end, terminal portion 3 includes a reduced projecting portion 29 that fits telescopically within the open rear end of -midportion 5 and that has side walls and a roof but no lfloor as such.

A horizontal trackway 31 is provided for the fixed or slidable support of the various gangway portions. Thus, hangers 27 depend from trackway 31, while midportion 5 with its attached vestibule 7 is longitudinally reciprocable along trackway 31. To this end, the rear end of midportion 5 is supported by trolleys 33 that ride on the ilanges of trackway 31. Trolleys 33 carry depending han-gers 35 which are pivotally interconnected with the upper rear end of midportion 5 through pivots 37. A generally horizontally disposed fluid motor 39 is pivotally interconnected at its rear end to the upper rear lportion of fixed terminal portion 3 and at its forward end to midportion 5 adjacent pivots 37. Fluid .motor 39 may be actuated by 4means to be described hereinafter so as Selectively to advance or retract midportion 5 and vestibule 7 relative to terminal portion 3.

The weight of the forward portions of midportion 5 and vestibule 7 is carried by-trolleys 41 that also ride on the flanges of trackway 31. Trolleys 41 support hangers 43 which in turn pivotally support fluid motor housings 45 through the agency of pivots 47.

Frame members 45 are disposed one on either side of midportion 5 in generally upright position. Each houses a iiuid motor 49 pivotally connected to frame member 45 at 51 at the lower end of the cylinder 53 of the fluid motor. A piston (not shown) is disposed in each cylinder 53 and a piston rod 55 extends upwardly from the cylinder and is pivotally interconnected at its upper end with a head 57 reciprocable lengthwise in frame member 45.

A horizontal pivot shaft 59 is iixedly secured to the top of midportion 5 on either side thereof and each projects laterally outwardly from midportion 5. Pivot shafts 59 are pivotally received in heads 57. Above shafts 59, a common cross shaft 61 extends full width of and above midportion 5 and is journaled for rotation at each of its ends in one head 57. Shaft 61 carries pinions 63 at its opposite ends between the frame portions of each head 57. Pinions 63 are in mesh with a rack 65 lixedly secured to and extending lengthwise of the interior of housing 45.l Rollers 6-7 mounted for rotation on head 57 between the plates thereof on the side of head 57 opposite rack 65 bear against an opposite frame portion of frame member 45 thereby to steady head 57 in its vertical movement in frame member 45. Preferably, a plurality of rollers 67 is provided which are vertically spaced apart. It will thus be noted that hangers 43 and midportion 5 are pivotally interconnected about two parallel horizontal axes of articulation, at 47 and 59. The cross shaft 61 with its fixed pinions 63 at either end thereof assures that neither uid motor 49 will overrun or underrun the other, so that the two uid motors 49 will act in exact synchronism thereby to avoid any tendency to twist midportion 5.

Midportion has a oor 69 and opposite vertical sidewalls 71 and a roof 73 that bridges over and between sidewalls 71. Floor 69 is at a generally lower level than oor 23 of terminal portion 3. Accordingly, a ramp 75 is provided extending between and resting on floors 23 `and 69 and pivotally interconnected to terminal portion 3 by a horizontal pivot 77 that may be of the piano-hinge type and that is disposed along the forward edge of floor 23 of terminal portion 3. Ramp 75 is provided with sidewalls 79 of a height such that no gap appears between the upper edges of sidewalls 79 and the lower edges of the sidewalls of reduced forward portion 29 of terminal portion 3 in any vertically swung position of midportion 5 relative to terminal portion 3. Midportion 5 is not only vertically swingable relative to terminal portion 3 but also longitudinally extensible and retractable relative to terminal portion 3; and ramp 75 accommodates all these relative movements of the parts not only by swinging vertically with midportion 5 but also by sliding on and relative to midportion 5 upon bodily extension or retraction of midportion 5.

Vestibule 7 has a floor 81 which is lbest seen in FIG- URE 2 to have an arcuate rear edge. The forward edge of floor 69 of midportion 5 is cut on a complementary arc, so that as small a gap as possible is formed between oors 69 and 81. This gap or crack between floors 69 and 81 is concentric with the axis of horizontal swinging movement of vestibule 7 relative to midportion 5, so that the crack neither widens nor narrows upon such relative swinging movement. Floors 69 and 81 are coplanar. Sidewalls 83 extend lupwardly from floor 81 of vestibule 7 `and a roof 85 bridges across the upper edges of those sidewalls. Vestibule 7 also has an enlarged forward end seen in FIGURE 2 in the form of outwardly extended portion 87 of its sidewalls. A substantially greater expanse of folding doors 9 can thus be accommodated by vestibule 7 than if the width of the vestibule were the same throughout its length. A turntable -cylinder 89 actuated by a uid pressure circuit to be described later acts between midportion 5 and vestibule 7 along a line of action spaced from the vertical pivot of vestibule 7 on midportion 5 thereby selectively to swing the vestibule in either direction as desired. The vestibule is thus swingable to small acute angles on either side of the longitudinal vertical midplane of midportion 5.

At its upper forward portion, vestibule 7 carries a hood 91 which can be selectively raised and lowered by the action of a uid motor 93 that acts between vestibule 7 and hood 91. Hood 91 is mounted for vertical swinging movement about horizontal pivots 95 one disposed on either side of vestibule 7. Curtains 97 along the lower edges -of hood 91 `and along the forward edges of sidewall portions 87 of vestibule 7 close the gap between the gangway and the vehicle when the gangway is in its operative position closely adjacent the vehicle. A bumper 99 also cushions the shock of the gangway against the vehicle. Curtains 97 and bumper 99, and indeed all portions of the gangway that ever touch the vehicle, are of rubber or plastic or other organic fiber or asbestos or other electrical insulating material, so as to avoid metal-to-metal contacts between the gangway and the vehicle. The static electrical charges of the vehicle are thus never grounded through the gangway nor vice versa.

Fluid under pressure to operate the various mechanism-s of the present invention is supplied by a pump 101 that delivers through a supply conduit 103 to the various fluid motors. Fluid from the motors returns through a return conduit 105 to a reservoir 107. On the outlet side of pump 101, a pressure relief valve 109 bypasses fluid to the reservoir above a certain desired maximum pressure. On the intake side of pump 101, a manually operated valve 111 controls the entire fluid system. A check valve 113 prevents backflow in the event of pump failure, thereby assuring that pressure will be maintained in the system. A filter 115 is also provided between the reservoir and the pump.

A solenoid-operated spool valve 117 controls the flow of uid under pressure to uid motor 39 thereby bodily to extend or retract the gangway. Valve 117 has three positions: a forward position in which uid under pressure is supplied to the rear -of motor 39; a retract position in which fluid under pressure is supplied to the forward end of fluid motor 39; and a by-pass position as illustrated in the drawings, in which there is no fluid ow to or from motor 39. The terms forward and retract as applied to the gangway of course refer to movement to the right as seen in FIGURES l and ll in the case of forward movement and to the left as seen in FIGURES l and 1l in the case of retract or rearward movement. In the event of power failure, however, such as would leave the gangway in an extended position, manual means for operating fluid rnotor 39 in a retract direction are provided, comprising a hand valve 119 in shunt across the supply and return lines from motor 39, in combination with a hand pump 121. In addition, a pressure relief valve 123 is provided in the return line for fluid motor 39 to relieve excessive manually imposed iluid pressure.

A solenoid-operated spool valve 125 is provided to supply fluid as desired to either end of fluid motors 49 to cause midportion 5 and vestibule 7 to swing vertically about the axis of pivots 37. A manually operated spool valve 127 is provided for actuating turntable cylinder 89 selectively to swing vestibule 7 in either direction. Finally, a solenoid-operated spool valve 129 is provided to actuate fluid motor 93 selectively in either direction thereby to cause hood 91 to swing vertically in a desired direction about pivots 95.

The iiuid actuator system just described is largely controlled by the electrical circuitry shown in FIGURE 12. As can there be seen, a three-phase motor 131 is provided for driving pump 101 under the control of a starter 133 which is energized only when fluid under pressure is called for in order to actuate any of the parts.

The equipment of the present invention is actuated both manually and automatically. The initial positioning of the gangway of the present invention and its nal removal from adjacent the vehicle are manually controlled. However, provision is made for automatically maintaining the flooring of the gangway at about the same level as the flooring of the vehicle to be loaded or unloaded, during most of the loading or unloading operation. Such manual-automatic control, and the functioning of the automatic controls to maintain the gangway at about a predetermined level relative to the vehicle despite rising or falling of the vehicle as the load on the vehicle lessens or increases, is disclosed in greater detail in the copending application of Lester L. Preiss, filed under even date herewith, and entitled, Passenger Gangway With Leveling System. Reference is made to that copending application for a more complete disclosure of the means for effecting automatic leveling of the gangway with the vehicle and for a large part of the manual operation of a system like the system of the present invention, in order to avoid the inclusion of unnecessary detail in the present application. It will therefore be necessary to give only a brief description of the electrical controls of the present invention in the present application, reference for a more detailed disclosure being had to that copending application.

Briefly, therefore, there is provided manual-automatic relay means in the form of a double-pole-double-throw switch 135 that can be selectively manually set at either a position for manual operation or a position for automatic operation of the apparatus. Switch 135 is shown in the automatic position in FIGURE 12, but it will be understood that initially it is in the manual p osition. ln that manual position, a unit forward switch 137 can be manually depressed to complete a circuit through the unit forward solenoid of spool valve 117 to place the rear of iluid motor 39 in fluid communication with the outlet of pump 101 thereby to advance or extend the gangway. A hood-raised safety switch 139 is also provided in that circuit, however, so that only when the hood is raised will switch 139 be closed to permit the gangway to be extended. This is a safety feature that prevents extension of the gangway with the hood down such as might ram the hood into the vehicle.

A 'forward travel limit switch 141 is also provided that limits forward movement of midportion 5 and vestibule 7. Switch 141 can be carried by vestibule 7 and actuated by pressure between vestibule 7 and the vehicle; or switch 141 can be carried by the terminal itself and actuated by contact between the gangway and the switch to prevent excessive forward movement of the gangway relative to the building regardless of the relationship of the gangway to the vehicle.

A unit retract switch 143 serves, when switch 135 is in manual position, to move spool valve 117 in the opposite direction to reverse the flow of lluid under pressure to fluid motor 39 thereby to retract the gangway.

Initial leveling of the gangway relative to the vehicle is manually controlled. Thus, a manually operable unit down switch 145 is provided which energizes the unit down solenoid of spool valve125 to send fluid under pressure to the upper end of iluid motors 49v to cause the gangway to swing downwardly. A unit up switch 147 energizes the other solenoid of spool valve 125 to reverse the position of valve 125 to send fluid under pressure to the lower ends of fluid motors 49 thereby to cause the gangway to swing upwardly. A unit up limit switch 149, in series in the circuit of the up solenoid of spool valve 145, prevents such successive raising of the gangway as would damage either the gangway or its associated structure.

After the gangway has been suitably manually leveled, With the hood in the extreme raised position necessitated by hood-raised safety switch 139, the hood is lowered into weather-tight sealing relationship with the vehicle. To this end, a hood down switch 151 is provided which is depressed and held by the operator until pressure between the hood `and the vehicle is such as to open a normally closed hood down limit switch 153, as explained in greater detail in the copending application referred to above. Hood movement thus comes to an end and indeed, the only thing that can now be done Imanually is to retract the gangway altogether.

At this point, manual-automatic switch 135 is shifted from manual to automatic. An automatic down leveler switch 157 and an automatic up leveler switch 159 are now rendered potentially operable. Switch 157 is normally closed but is opened upon the Ihood downward movement described immediately above. Switch 159 is normally open and remains in this conditi-on because the hood downward movement is ended just prior to the closing of switch 159. Switches 157 and 159 are so positioned, preferably on hood 91 as shown in the aboveidentified copending application, so that they both remain open during a predetermined increment of movement of the hood and the vehicle relative to each other in either direction from the position of the hood relative to the vehicle as established by hood down limit switch 153. But when the vehicle sinks under increased load, by an amount greater than that increment, then automatic down leveler switch 157 closes to energize the unit down side of spool to swing the gangway downwardly to follow the vehicle. Conversely, when the vehicle rises relative to the gangway beyond that predetermined increment, then normally open automatic up leveler switch 159 is closed which energizes the unit up end of spool valve 125 to actuate fluid motors 149 to raise the gangway. In this way, as long as switch is in automatic position, the gangway will automatically follow the rising and falling of the vehicle thereby automatically to level the gangway relative to the vehicle.

At the conclusion of the loading or unloading operation, manual-automatic switch 153 is shifted from automatic back to manual position, whereupon unit retract switch 143 can be depressed to retract the unit from the vehicle after which the vehicle can be moved without danger to the gangway structure. Preferably, the hood is also raised when the unit is retracted, as it is generally desirable to maintain the hood in its least vulnerable or raised position.

From a consideration of the foregoing disclosure, therefore, it will be obvious that all of the initially recited objects of the present invention have been achieved.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in connection with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted t-o without departing from the spirit of the invention, as those skilled in this art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the present invention as deiined 'by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A conveyance gangway comprising (a) first passageway means supported in fixed position adjacent a terminal building,

(b) a projecting passageway portion forming part of the firstv passageway means, the projecting passageway portion having an open end,

(c) a floor in the rst passageway means,

(d) a section of the iloor in the first passageway means being hinged at a point intermediate the ends of the iirst passageway means for swinging movement in a vertical plane with the swingable end of the hinged floor section extending atleast to the neighborhood of the open end of the projecting passageway portion, the swingable end of the floor section being unsupported by the first passageway means,

(e) a movable passageway means having one end portion in movable telescopically mating relationship with the open end of the projecting passageway portion, the movable passageway means having a free end,

(f) a floor in the movable passageway means,

(g) means positioning the lloor of the movable passageway means and the swingable end of the hinged floor section for sliding support of the swingable end -of the hinged floor section contiguous to the floor of the movable passageway means,

(h) an inextensible support means for supporting the telescoping end portion of the movable passageway means, the inextensi'ble support means being mounted for movement along the line of telescoping movement of the movable passageway means relative to the first passageway means, the inextensible support means including means providing a pivotal connection with the movable passageway means to support the movable passageway means for swinging movement in a vertical plane,

(i) extensible support means for supporting the free end of the movable passageway means spaced along the movable passageway means away from the inextensible support means, the extensible support means being mounted for movement along the line of telescoping movement of the movable passageway means relative to the first passageway means,

(j) means associated with the extensible support means for raising and lowering the free end of the movable passageway means, and

(k) means associated with the free end of the movable passageway means forming a conveyance engaging vestibule.

2. A conveyance gangway comprising (a) first passageway means supported in fixed position adjacent a terminal building,

(b) a projecting passageway portion forming part of the rst passageway means, the projecting passageway portion having an open end,

(c) a movable passageway means having one end portion in movable telescopically mating relationship with the open end of the projecting passageway portion and having a free end,

(d) an inextensible support means for supporting the telescoping end portion of the movable passageway means, the inextensible support means being mounted for movement along the line of telescoping mos/ement of the movable passageway means relative to the first passageway means, the inextensible support means including means providing a pivotal connection with the movable passageway means to support the movable passageway means for swinging movement in a vertical plane,

(e) extensible support means for supporting the free end of the movable passageway means spaced along the movable passageway means away from the inextensible support means, the extensible support means being mounted for movement along the line of telescoping movement of the movable passageway means relative to the rst passageway means,

(f) means associated with the extensible support means for raising and lowering the free end of the movable passageway means,

(g) power driven means acting 'between a xed point relative to the building and the movable passageway means for moving the movable passageway means along the line of telescoping movement of the movable passageway means relative to the first passageway means a distance not greater than the length of the greatest extent of telescoping relationship, and

(h) means associated with the free end of the movable passageway means forming a conveyance engaging vestibule.

3. The conveyance gangway as claimed in claim 2 in which the projecting passageway portion has external horizontal and vertical dimensions smaller than the co1'- responding internal dimensions of the movable passageway means by an amount such that the movable passageway means can telescope over the projecting passageway portion and can swing in a vertical plane around the pivotal connection in respect to the relative vertical dimension, when the projecting passageway portion and the movable passageway means are fully telescoped.

4. A conveyance gangway comprising (a) rst passageway means supported in xed position adjacent a terminal building,

(b) a projecting passageway portion forming part of the rst passageway means, the projecting passageway portion having an open end,

(c) a movable passageway means having one end portion in movable telescopically mating relationship with the open end of the projecting passageway portion and having a free end,

(d) rail means extending along the line of telescoping movement of the movable passageway means relative to the first passageway means,

(e) trolley means movable along the rail means,

(f) an inextensible support means for supporting the telescoping end portion of the movable passageway means, the inextensible support means being suspended from the trolley means for movement along the line of telescoping movement of the movable passageway means relative to the rst passageway means, the inextensible support means including means providing a pivotal connection with the movable passageway means to support the movable passageway means for swinging movement in a vertical plane,

(g) second trolley means movable along the rail means,

(h) frame means having a connection at the upper end thereof with the second trolleymeans, the frame means depending from the second trolley means to a point below the upper portion of the movable passageway means,

(i) luid motor means carried by the lower portion of the frame means having a movable force transmitting member directed upwardly, and

(j) a pivotal support connection having a pivot axis normal to the rail means between the force transmitting mem-'oer of the duid motor means and an upper portion of the movable passageway means adjacent the free end of the movable passageway means, whereby the free end of the movable passageway means is suspended on the force transmitting member of the uid motor means for power actuated raising and lowering of the fre-e end of the movable passageway means.

5. The conveyance gangway as claimed in claim 3 in which the connection between the upper end of the frame means and the second trolley means includes a pivotal connection having a pivot axis normal to the rail means.

Reiierences Cited hy the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1959 lil/1962 8/1963 ll/1963 2/1964 5/1965 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

(.50 N. C. BYERS, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,317 ,942 May 9 1967 Joseph C. Wollard et al.

fied that error appears n the above numbered pat- It is hereby cert on and that the said Letters Patent should read as ent requiring correcti corrected below.

Column 8, line 43, for the claim reference numeral "5" read f 4 H.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of April 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Claims (1)

1. A CONVEYANCE GANGWAY COMPRISING (A) FIRST PASSAGEWAY MEANS SUPPORTED IN FIXED POSITION ADJACENT A TERMINAL BUILDING, (B) A PROJECTING PASSAGEWAY PORTION FORMING PART OF THE FIRST PASSAGEWAY MEANS, THE PROJECTING PASSAGEWAY PORTION HAVING AN OPEN END, (C) A FLOOR IN THE FIRST PASSAGEWAY MEANS, (D) A SECTION OF THE FLOOR IN THE FIRST PASSAGEWAY MEANS BEING HINGED AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE FIRST PASSAGEWAY MEANS FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE WITH THE SWINGABLE END OF THE HINGED FLOOR SECTION EXTENDING AT LEAST TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE OPEN END OF THE PROJECTING PASSAGEWAY PORTION, THE SWINGABLE END OF THE FLOOR SECTION BEING UNSUPPORTED BY THE FIRST PASSAGEWAY MEANS, (E) A MOVABLE PASSAGEWAY MEANS HAVING ONE END PORTION IN MOVABLE TELESCOPICALLY MATING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OPEN END OF THE PROJECTING PASSAGEWAY PORTION, THE MOVABLE PASSAGEWAY MEANS HAVING A FREE END, (F) A FLOOR IN THE MOVABLE PASSAGEWAY MEANS, (G) MEANS POSITIONING THE FLOOR OF THE MOVABLE PASSAGEWAY MEANS AND THE SWINGABLE END OF THE HINGED FLOOR SECTION FOR SLIDING SUPPORT OF THE SWINGABLE END OF THE HINGED FLOOR SECTION CONTIGUOUS TO THE FLOOR OF THE MOVABLE PASSAGEWAY MEANS, (H) AN INEXTENSIBLE SUPPORT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE TELESCOPING END PORTION OF THE MOVABLE PASSAGEWAY MEANS, THE INEXTENSIBLE SUPPORT MEANS BEING MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT ALONG THE LINE OF TELESCOPING MOVEMENT OF THE MOVABLE PASSAGEWAY MEANS RELATIVE TO THE FIRST PASSAGEWAY MEANS, THE INEXTENSIBLE SUP-

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