Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
W096/05094 ~~ PCTIUS94108929
-1
80GIE COUPLING SYSTEM FOR CONVERTIBLE
$AILSQAY-ROADWAY VEHICLE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to
bimodal hauling vehicles which can be converted for
~ use on both railways and roadways and to a method
for using the vehicles. In particular, the present
invention is a bimodal hauling vehicle and
associated method of use which permit one operator
to convert the vehicle between highway and railway
operation at a grade crossing.
The idea of moving one kind of vehicle on
another vehicle is not new in North America.
Between 1843 and 1854, canal boats were hauled by
cog railroad over mountains from one stream to
another. During the 1850s and the 1860s, boats were
used to haul supplies, horses and wagons of Westward
bound pioneers on inland waterways. On festive
.occasions, Canadian railroads operated special
picnic trains hauling passengers and sleighs that
were mounted on flat cars. In the United States,
the first railway-highway intermodal operations were
termed "piggyback's operations. The early piggyback
operations consisted mainly of trains hauling
farmers wagons. The first piggyback train began
operation in 1885 and hauled 16 wagons on eight flat
cars. The distance travelled was 20 miles and the
savings in time was substantial. As the service
became more well known, special cars were built that
could haul four wagons each. Passenger service for
the owners or drivers of the wagons was furnished in
a separate car. The operation only lasted ten
years, but it was the beginning of railway-highway
intermodal travel in the United States.
The railroad faced two handicaps in
competing with motor carriers. First, rail service
did not offer the door-to-door pickup and delivery
service that was provided by motor carriers, and
PCTlUS94108929
R'O 96105094
_ 2
second, freight in less than carload quantities
needed better packaging for shipment by rail than
for shipment by motor.ca~r3.er. Piggyback service
was intended to ovei;come these problems.
In 1926, the Chicago, North Shore and .
Milwaukee Railroads began hauling railroad-owned
highway trailers on flat cars, providing the first
modern piggyback service in the United States.
Between 1939 and 1951, the railroads'
efforts to expand piggyback service were largely
abandoned. The economic pressure on the railroads
to increase traffic was greatly relieved by the
freight shipments generated by World War II and by
the pent-up demand for consumer goods immediately
following the end of the war. When the backlog of
orders was reduced, rail tonnage again began to
decline. Before any action was taken toward
increasing piggyback services, however, the Korean
War led to an increase in the demand for service to
such an extent that railroads did not-feel-that it
was necessary to explore avenues which might yield
additional freight tonnage. When rail freight
tonnage began to decline in 1952, the railroads
again became interested in methods of increasing
tonnage, and the search led them to a reappraisal of
piggyback service. During the 1950s, piggyback
operations expanded rapidly and, by the end of 1959,
most of the principal railroads in the United States
were providing piggyback service. ...:._
Over the years; many methods and designs
of piggyback service have been developed. Each,
however, is a variation of one, of two primary
methods. One of these methods involves hauling the
complete trailer. The other method involves hauling
only the trailer body. The Clejan System is
representative of a technique for hauling the
complete trailer, while the New Xork-Central
WO 96105094 ~~ PCTIUS94I08929
- 3 -
Railroad's Flexi-Van Service is representative of a
technique for hauling only the trailer body. The
Clejan System uses trailers outfitted with special
railroad wheel dollies that ride on rails built into
specially fitted flatbed cars. The dollies can be
either permanently attached to the trailer or
detachably mounted with a pin mechanism. Detachable
dollies are put on the trailer using a hydraulic
jack to lift the dolly up to the trailer bottom. A
l0 pin is used to connect the dolly to the trailer. No
tools are needed to connect the dolly to the
trailer.
The New York Central Flexi-Van system uses
trailers outfitted with detachable sliding rear
roadway wheel assemblies. To detach a roadway wheel
assembly, the trailer is backed up to a flatbed car
that has a hydraulic turntable built into it. The
roadway wheel assembly is released and slid forward
before the turntable is hydraulically raised. The
turntable mechanism lifts the trailer off of the
roadway wheels. The trailer is then hauled on a -
flatbed car.
The search for an easier and less
expensive way of carrying more tonnage led to an
innovation in intermodal transportation. In the late
1950s, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad developed
the Rail Van, a bimodal trailer with separate
highway and railway axles. The Rail Van was
designed to ride directly on the highway or the
railway. In the late 1970x, a new trailer was
designed with a single rail axle and tandem highway
axles. This trailer, designed and built for a
company called Road Bailer, has a set of
non-removable railway wheels located between tandem
highway axles. To run on the road, the railway
wheels are retracted above the highway wheels.
Conversely, to run on rails, the railway wheels are
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extended below the roadway wheels. One major
disadvantage of .~his'lsystem is that the railway
wheels are heavy and the weight must be carried at
all times. This decreases fuel economy and
increases the cost of hauling tonnage over the
highway. Road Railer has since introduced a new
model in which the railway wheels are detachable.
The Ferrosud, Carro Bimodale System is
another bimodal trailer design. It uses a two-axle
railway bogie fitted with a locking device to ensure
that the bogie and van trailer are correctly joined.
On arrival at the roadway-railway transfer site, the
pneumatic suspension of the trailer is used to lift
the van body to a height above the rail bogie. The
waiting bogie is moved under the van, the van is
lowered into position, and the railway braking
system is connected. The roadway wheels end up
above the railroad track. One two-axle bogie is used
between two trailers with the back of one trailer
mounted on one-half of the bogie and the front of
another trailer mounted on the other half of the
bogie.
The Viens U.S. Patent No. 5,009,169
discloses a rail bogie including a platform with
railway wheels underneath, a fifth wheel and a
hooking lock.
The Larson U.S. Patent No. 5,220,870
discloses a double-axle bogie pivotally connected to
one end o~ a trailer. The bogie has a vertical post
which fits into a socket on the underside of the
trailer:- This reference also teaches using a
retractable roadway tire assembly on the trailer to
lift an attached bogie off the ground.
The Wicks et al. U.S. Patent No. 4,917,020
discloses a transition vehicle with roadway wheels
and railway wheels. The transition vehicle contains
a clamping mechanism to grasp thesidewalls of a
W096/05094 ~ ~ PCTIUS94/08929
_ 5 _ .
trailer being carried. The roadway wheels are
raised during rail use by an air spring suspension
system. The transition vehicle can be attached to a
road vehicle, another rail car or a train engine.
The transition vehicle is also used on the anterior
portion of the hauling vehicle, between the moving
vehicle and the hauling vehicle.
The Beatty U.S. Patent No. 4,448,132
discloses a convertible railway-highway vehicle
containing railway wheels and highway wheels. The
vehicle uses a number of axles for highway wheels to
maximize the load it can carry. The highway wheels
are on a liftable axle assembly with a locking
mechanism. An airbag spring assembly is used to
lift the axle assembly. The railway wheels are
permanently connected adding additional weight
during highway use and increasing the cost for
hauling over the highway.
In many areas, such as rural locations and
developing countries, railways are a more effective
means of transportation than roadways.
Unfortunately, the railway-highway vehicles
described above are relatively complicated to
operate. Railways therefore tend to be an
underutilized mode of transportation for smaller
organizations or individuals such as farmers that
are not hauling large quantities of goods typically
required for the efficient operation of these known
bimodal systems.
It is therefore evident that there is a
continuing need for improved convertible
railway-roadway vehicles. In particular; there is a
need for vehicles of this type that can be
conveniently converted between railway and roadway
operating modes at grade crossings. Vehicles of
this type would be especially useful if they can be
converted between railway and roadway operating
WO 96105094 PC'dYUS94108929
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,.,,.
modes by one persbn, removably attached railway
bogies can be stored. off a railway near a grade
crossing, and the bogies can be moved to and from
the railway by a tractor or trailer_ To be
commercially viable, any such vehicle must be .
capable of being efficiently manufactured.
SUL~fARX OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to
bogies and convertible roadway-railway trailers and
a method for converting the trailers between roadway
use and railway use. One person can conveniently
use a tractor to convert the trailers between
roadway and railway operating modes at any grade
crossing. No special ramps are required, and the
removable bogies can be stored at any convenient
location.
Each trailer includes a main body with an
anterior end and a posterior end, a retractable
roadway tire assembly attached to the posterior end,
a rigid coupling mechanism at the posterior end and
a pivot coupling mechanism at the anterior end.
Each bogie includes a frame, a railway wheel
assembly, a rigid coupling mechanism at a forward
end thereof and a pivot coupling mechanism at a
rearward end thereof. The rigid coupling mechanism
on the posterior end of the trailer is rigidly
coupled.f_o the rigid coupling mechanism at the
forward-end of the bogie. The pivot coupling
mechanism at the anterior end of a trailer is
capable of releasably and pivotally coupling the
trailer to another vehicle. The pivot coupling
mechanism at the rearward end of-the bogie is
constructed for releasably and pivotally coupling
the bogie to the anterior end of another vehicle.
The method by which a tractor is used in
conjunction with bogies and convertible
2~~68~?
WO 96105094 PCTIUS94/08929
roadway-railway trailers of this invention includes
configuring a trailer between railway and roadway
use. Configuring the trailer for railway use
includes operating a tractor while the trailer is on
a roadway and bogies are stored off a railway to
position the trailer near a bogie, coupling the
bogie to the trailer, operating the tractor to
position the trailer and the bogie over the railway,
and retracting the roadway tires from the railway.
Similarly, configuring the trailer for roadway
travel includes extending the roadway tires and
engaging them with the ground, operating a tractor
to remove the trailer and the bogie from the railway
and to position the trailer on a roadway, and
uncoupling the bogie from the trailer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure lA is a side view of several
convertible roadway-railway trailers and bogies in
accordance with the present invention configured in
railway mode of operation and connected to an
engine, forming a train.
Figure 1B is a side view of several
convertible roadway-railway trailers and bogies in
accordance with the present invention configured in
railway mode of operation and connected to an engine
using a special bogie as an interface, forming a
train.
Figure 2 is a side view of one of the
trailers of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a bottom view of one of the
trailers of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a side view of one of the
bogies of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a top view of one of the
bogies of Figure 1_
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WO 96/05094 PCTIU594108929
_ g -
Figure 6 is a aide view of one of the
bogies and one of~the:v-trailers of Figure 1, shown in
the process of converting from roadway mode of ,
operation to railway mode of operation.
Figure 7 is a side view of one of the
bogies and one of the trailers of Figure 1, shown in
the process of converting from roadway mode of
operation to railway mode of operation, with the
bogie rigidly coupled to the trailer, the roadway
tires of the trailer on the ground, and the bogie
lifted off the ground.
Figure S is a side view o~ one of the
bogies and two of the trailers of Figure 1
configured in the railway mode of operation, with
the bogierigidly coupled to a first trailer and
pivotally coupled to a second trailer, the railway
wheels of the bogie on a railway, and the roadway
tires of the first trailer retracted.
Figures 9A through 9P illustrate a method
in accordance with the present invention of
assembling a train of vehicles of the type shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 10 is a back view of one of the
bogies of Figure 1.
Figure 11 is a section view along line 11-
11 of Figure 10.
Figure 12 is a block diagram of the
braking system on one of the bogies of Figure 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Illustrated in Figures lA and 9A-9P, a
train 113 is made of bimodal- convertible roadway-
railway trailers 160 and bogies 120. Trailers 160
can be used both on a roadway and, in conjunction
with bogies 120, on a railway 102. As seen best in
Figures 9A-9F, a single operator can conveniently
use a tractor 114 to convert a trailer 160 between
roadway and railway operating modes at any grade
CA 02196882 1999-11-12
- 9 -
crossing. No special ramps are required and the
removable bogies 120 can be stored at any convenient
location, including storage areas located off the
railway 102.
Secured to the bottom 164 of each trailer
160 is a retractable roadway tire assembly 166
operated by an airbag assembly 171 (see Figures 2-
3). The tractor 114 is used to move a first trailer
160 and to position the posterior end 162 of the
trailer 160 over forward end 124 of a first bogie
120, rigidly coupling the first trailer 160 to the
first bogie 120 (see Figures 9A-9B). The airbag
assembly 171 is inflated, extending the roadway tire
assembly 166 away from the bottom 164 of the trailer
160 and lifting the bogie 120 off the ground 105 (see
Figure 9C). The tractor 114 is used to move the
trailer 160 and the bogie 120 to a position over the
railway 102, and then the airbag assembly 171 is
deflated. This retracts the roadway tire assembly
166 towards the bottom 164 of the trailer 160 and
lowers the bogie 120 onto the railway 102.
Additional trailers and bogies can be connected
together and positioned on the railway 102 in the
manner described above and joined together to form a
train 113. The process is reversed to remove each
trailer 160 and bogie 120 from a train 113 and to
convert each trailer 160 for roadway use. All of
this can be done simply by a single operator.
Referring now to Figures 2-3, each trailer
160 has a main body 161, an anterior end 163, a
posterior end 162 and a bottom 164. A trailer
bumper 169 is attached to and transversely extends
below the bottom 164 of the trailer 160 at the
posterior end 162. Attached to the bumper 169 are
lights (not shown). The trailer 160 is fitted with
brake piping (not shown) which carries pressurized
air for use in operating conventional air brakes
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W O 96/05094 PCT/U594108929
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(also not shown). Sec~r~. to the bottom 164 of the
trailer 160 at the posterior end 162 are two
parallel longitudinal axle supports 165 which extend
below the bottom 164.
A conventional retractable roadway tire ,
assembly 166 is attached to the bottom 164 at the
posterior end 162 along the longitudinal axle
supports 165. The retractable roadway tire assembly
166 comprises two axles 167 both having two roadway
tires 168 at each end thereof, and an airbag
assembly 171. The airbag assembly 171, of
conventional design, comprises four airbags 170
having springs (not shown) operably secured therein
and stabilizing bars 172 secured thereto. All four
airbags 170 together support the posterior end 162
on the axles 167. Each airbag 170 is secured at one
end thereof to the bottom 164 of the trailer 160 and
at the other end thereof to an end of one of the
axles 167. A stabilizing bar 172 extends between
each set of airbags 170, providing stabilization
between the axles 167. When the airbags 170 are
inflated, the roadway tires 168 are extended away
from the bottom 164, raising the posterior end 162
of the trailer 160. When the airbags 170 are
deflated, the springs (not shown) retract the
roadway tires 168 towards the bottom 164. The
roadway tire assembly 166 can be extended or
retracted to any position over its range of
extension by inflating or deflating the airbags 170
the desired amount. A conventional pin (not shown)
can be used to lock the roadway tire assembly 166 at
preset extended or retracted positions for use when
the trailer 160~travels over a roadway or a railway,
as will-be discussed below.
A downwardly oriented center king pin 184
is secured to the bottom 164 in the middle of the
roadway tire assembly 166. The center king pin 184
219688
WO 96105094 PCT/US94108929
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is located equidistant between the sides of the
trailer 160 so as to roughly balance the weight of
the trailer 160 and its load on either side of the
center king pin 184. The location of the center
king pin 184 is forwardly offset from the posterior
end 162 of the trailer 160, as will be discussed
shortly. The center king pin 184 is of-conventional
design and is constructed for engagement with a
V-slot on a bogie.-- Rearward of the center king pin -
184, along the posterior end 1-62, two downwardly
oriented side king pins 185 are secured to the
bottom 164. The side king pins 185 are offset from
each other and are centered between the sides of the
trailer 160. The side king pins 185, also of
conventional design, are constructed for engagement
with locking king pin slots on a bogie. The center
king pin 184 and the side king pins 185 are located
at the vertices of a triangle that is approximately
equilateral, providing the posterior-end 162 of the
trailer 160 with multiple spaced-apart connecting
mechanisms. These three king pins are constructed
and arranged for rigidly coupling the trailer i60 to
a bogie, functioning as a trailer rigid coupling
mechanism.
At the anterior end 163 of the trailer -
160, a downwardly oriented pivot coupling king pin
192 is secured to the bottom 164 equidistant between
the sides of the trailer 160. The pivot coupling
king pin 192 is of conventional design and is
constructed for engagement with a fifth wheel for
pivotally coupling the trailer 160 to a second
bogie, an engine or a tractor. The pivot coupling
king pin 192 functions as a trailer pivot coupling
mechanism.
Rearward of the pivot coupling king pin
192, at the anterior end 163, the trailer 160 has
conventional landing gear 174 secured to the bottom
PCTIUS94108929
R'0 96!05094 2 1 9 6 8 8 ~
- 12 -
164. The landing gear 174, when lowered, supports
the anterior end 163 of the trailer 160.
Referring now also tA~Figures 4, 5, 10 and
11, each bogie 120 includes a''metal frame 122 having
a narrow forward end 124-.and a rearward end 126. ,
The forward end I24 is at a lower height than the
rest of the frame 122 (see Figures 4 and lI) because
the forward end 124 is designed to fit beneath the
bumper 169 on the posterior end 162 of a trailer
16D, while the rearward end 126 is designed to fit
beneath the anterior end I63 of a trailer 160 which
does not have a bumper on the bottom 164 thereof.
A railway wheel assembly 127 is located
underneath the frame 122 approximately midway
between the forward end 124 and the rearward end I26
and is secured thereto for supporting the frame 122
for motion. The railway wheel assembly 127
comprises an air braking system 129 and a
lightweight yet sturdy suspension 132. The
suspension 132 is connected to and supports an axle
128 with railway wheels 130 at each end thereof_
The suspension 132 comprises a pair of vertically
oriented coil springs 133 at each of the axle 128
which extend between the axle 128-and the underside
of the frame 122. To further support and absorb
lateral and longitudinal shock, two sets of dampers,
comprising conventional shock absorbers, are
provided. A pair of vertical dampers 131 extend
upwardly-from the opposite ends of the axle 128 and
are secured tn the frame 122. A pair of
longitudinal dampers 134 extend rearwardly from the
opposite ends of the axle 128 and are each secured
to both a first and second set of stabilizing bars
135 and 136. The first set of stabilizing bars 135
are secured to the very end of the rearward end 126
of the frame 122 and extend outwardly and downwardly
therefrom to the longitudinal dampers 134. The
WO 96/05094 PCTIU894108929
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second set of stabilizing bars 136 are secured to
the rearward end 126 of the.frame 122 forward of the
very end of the frame 122 and extend outwardly,
downwardly and rearwardly to the longitudinal
dampers 134. The two sets of stabilizing bars 135
and 136 serve as rigid extensions of the frame 122
which allow for the longitudinal dampers 134 to be
oriented in a horizontal position parallel to the
frame 122 so as to provide for maximum absorption of
longitudinal shock.
As is best seen in the Figure 12, the
braking system 129 comprises standard freight
railcar brake equipment in conjunction with a
standard semi-trailer brake air cylinder 129a. The
air cylinder 129a is a double-acting hydraulic
cylinder having two chambers separated by a piston
129m. The first chamber is for a main braking -
subsystem and a second chamber is for a parking
braking subsystem, as is described below.
The external air brake line from a trailer
(not shown) is coupled to the signal air line 129b
of the bogie 120 through a glad hand -129c. A second
glad hand 129c is provided to allow for coupling the
signal air line 129b to a second trailer when
forming a train. A split-off valve 129d splits the
air flow from the signal air line 129b into a
parking brake line 129e and a regular braking line
129f. The regular braking line 129f extends to a
standard freight railcar brake valve 1298 via a dirt
collector and cut out cock 129h.
The brake valve 129g is configured in a -__
conventional manner, having air inputs coupled by
air hoses to an auxiliary reservoir 129i and an
emergency reservoir 129j. The main braking line
129f couples the brake valve 1298 to the first
chamber of the air cylinder 129a with air hoses
which pass through an empty/load valve 129k and an
~195~8~
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- 14 -
equalizing volume chamber 1291. When the pressure
in the signal air line-I29b drops, the brake valve
1298 allows air to flow from the auxiliary reservoir
129i through the brake valve 1298 and to the first
chamber of the air cylinder 129a. If the. pressure
in the signal air line 129b drops substantially,
indicating that hard braking is desired, the brake
valve 1298 also allows air to flow from the
emergency reservoir 129j, increasing the air flow
and air pressure to the first chamber of the air
cylinder 129a. The empty/load valve 129k operates
to adjust the air pressure, and thus the braking
power, to the first chamber of the air cylinder 129a
depending on whether the bogie 12D has an empty or a
full load. Because the air cylinder 129a is a
standard semi-trailer air brake cylinder while the
other components, notably the auxiliary reservoir
129i and the emergency. reservoir 129j, are standard
freight railcar pieces which have a much larger
volume, the equalizing volume chamber 1291 is used
to reduce the air pressure to the first chamber of
the air cylinder 129a.
The air cylinder 129a has a piston 129m
which is connected to and actuates a braking
mechanism 129n. As the pressure in the main braking
line 129f and the first chamber of..the air cylinder
129a rises, the air cylinder 129a engages and
extends the piston 129m. This causes the braking
mechanism 129n to engage the railway wheels 130 and
apply braking force to the bogie 120.
In addition to the main braking subsystem
described above, the braking system 129 also has a
parking brake subsystem. The parking brake line
129e extends from the split-off valve 129d to a one-
way check valve 129p which allows air to flow only
in the direction from the split-off valve 129d. The
parking brake line 129e extends from the one-way
219688'
W096/05094 PCTlUS94108929
- 15 -
check valve 129p to a tee 129q which splits the
parking brake line 129e into two branches. The
first branch of the parking brake line 129e is
coupled to the second chamber of the air cylinder
129a. Unlike the first chamber of the air cylinder -
129a where the piston 129m extends when air pressure
increases, a decrease in the air pressure in the
second chamber of the air cylinder 129a causes the
piston 129m to extend and engage the braking
mechanism 129n. The one-way check valve 129p
prevents air pressure to the second chamber of-the
air cylinder 129a from dropping when the pressure in
the signal line 129d is falls. The second branch of
the parking brake line 129e couples the tee 129q to
a bait cock 129r which, when opened, releases air
into the atmosphere. This reduces pressure in the
parking brake line 129e to the second chamber of the _
air cylinder 129a, thereby engaging the parking
brake.
Returning primarily to Figures 4 and 11, a
bogie landing gear 140 is secured to the underside
of the frame 122 for supporting the frame 122 of the
bogie 120 in a horizontal position. The bogie
landing gear 140 comprises two downwardly and
outwardly angled landing gear tubes 145, one secured
to the frame 122 forward of one railway wheel 130
and the other secured rearward of the opposite
railway wheel 130. A telescoping landing gear end
139 slides into and out of each landing gear tube
145 and can be locked into place using a
conventional release lever (not shown). Secured to
the bottom end of each telescoping landing gear end
139 is a foot plate 141 adapted to resting on the
ground. The bogie landing gear 140 is lowered when
the bogie 120 is to be stored and is raised when the
bogie 120 is to be moved or is connected to a
trailer 160. -
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W0 96105094 PCTIU594/08929
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Referring now primarily to Figure 5, the
forward end i24 of the bogie 120 has a longitudinal
V-slot 138 at the center thereof with a wide forward
facing opening and a narrow channel having parallel
sides. The V-slot 138 is designed to receive and ,
hold in place the downwardly oriented center king
pin 184 on a trailer 160. The wide opening on the
V-slot 138 facilitates the alignment of the center
king pin 184 with the V-slot 13B and the insertion
therein.
Also on the forward end 124, offset
rearwardly from the V-slot 138, are two forward
facing locking side king pin slots 153. The locking
side king pin slots 153 are laterally offset from
each other and are designed to received and lock
into place the side king pins 185 on a trailer 160.
The relative positions of the V-slot 138 and the
locking side king pin slots 153 correspond to the
relative._positi,ons of the center king pin 184 and
the side king pins 185 on the bottom 164 of a
trailer 160. The V-slot 138 and the locking side
king pin slots 153 are located at the vertices of a
triangle that is approximately equilateral,
providing the forward end 124 of the bogie 120 with
multiple spaced-apart connecting mechanisms. These
three slots are constructed and arranged for rigidly
coupling the bogie 120 to a trailer 160, functioning
as a bogie rigid coupling mechanism.
The locking aide king pin slots 153 have a
locking mechanism 149 designed to lock the side king
pins 185 into the locking side king pin slots 153.
Each locking side king pin slot 153 comprises a
forward facing half-oval opening sized to receive a
side king pin 185 and a U-clamp 152 which slides
laterally outwardly from the center of the frame 122
and holds a king pin in the middleof the "U" part
of the U-clamp 152. The U-clamp 152 surrounds the
W096I05094 PCTlUS94108929
- 17 -
side king pins 185 on the forward, inward and
rearward sides, and the frame 122 blocks the outward
side and also keeps the U-clamp 152 from being
pulled forward. When the U-clamps 152 are slid
laterally outwardly, the side king pins 185 sitting
in the locking side king pin slots 153 are locked
into place.
A locking lever 151-is pivotally connected
to the frame 122 about a pivot point 155 midway
between the locking side king pin slots 153. On
each side of the pivot point 155, a locking lever
engagement bar 158 pivotally connects the locking
lever 151 to one of the U-clamps 152. The frame 122
has a curved slot 157 through which an extension 156
on the lower part of the locking lever 151 passes,
limiting the range of motion of the locking lever
151. A spring 150 secured to the frame 122 and the
locking lever 151 biases the locking lever 151 so as
to keep the U-clamps 152 in a closed position. By
moving the locking lever 151, the locking lever
engagement bars 158 laterally slide the U-clamps 152
to unlock and lock the locking side king pin slots
153. A conventional pin (not shown) can be used to
keep the locking lever 151 in an open (unlocked) or
a closed (locked) position. The unlocked position
is shown in phantom in Figure 5.
Referring now primarily to Figures 5-7,
when an operator uses a tractor to rigidly couple a
trailer 160 to a bogie 120, the operator first opens
the locking lever 151 and uses the conventional pin
(not shown) to keep the locking lever 151 open (or
checks to see that the locking level 151 has already
been opened). The operator uses the tractor to back
up the trailer 160 over the forward end 124 of the
bogie 120, inserting the center king pin 184 on the
trailer 160 into the V-slot 138 on the bogie 120 and
the side king pins 185 in the locking side king pin
R'O 96105094 ~ PCTIOS94108929
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slots 153. The operator then closes and pins shut
the locking lever 151, thereby moving the U-clamps
152 laterally outwardly and lockingly engaging the
side king pins 185 into the locking side king pin
slots 153. These spaced-apart connecting mechanisms
rigidly couple the trailer 160 to the bogie 120,
maintaining the trailer I6D and the bogie 120 in
fixed positions relative to each other.
Furthermore, this rigid coupling allows the trailer
160 to lift the bogie 120 when the airbag assembly
171 is inflated and the roadway tires 168 are
extended away from the bottom 164, as is shown in
Figure 7. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 8, when
the roadway tires 168 are retracted towards the
bottom 164, the railway wheels 130 support both the
bogie 12-0 and the posterior end 162 of the trailer
160.
Referring now primarily to Figures 4, 5
and 8, a fifth wheel 148 of conventional design is
pivotally mounted on the upper surface 123 of the
frame 122 at the rearward end 126 of the bogie 120.
The fifth wheel 148 is designed for receiving and
lockingly engaging a pivot coupling king pin 192' on
a second trailer 160'. When this connection is
made, the bogie 120 is pivotally coupled to the
second trailer 160'. Because there is only one
point of connection between the bogie 120 and the
second trailer 160', the second trailer 160' is free
to pivot relative to the bogie 120, allowing a train
of trailers and bogies to bend when going around
curves.
Referring now to Figures-9A-9P, using a
tractor-114, a single operator can convert a trailer
16D and a bogie 120 into an intermodal railroad car
and connect several intermodal railroad cars
together to farm a train 113. As shown in Figure
9A, a tractor 114 is cannected to a first trailer
WO 96105094 ' PCTIUS94J08929
- 19
160 and is driven close to a first bogie 120. The
bogies are stored off track, near a grade crossing,
minimizing cost and effort need to set up a transfer
point. The landing gear 140 on the bogies are in a -
lowered position, keeping the bogies from tipping
over. The locking side king pin slots 153 are
opened.
As shown in Figure 9B, an operator uses
the tractor 114 to back up the first trailer 160
over the forward end 124 of the first bogie 120.
Because bogies are small relative to trailers, it is
helpful to center the bogies between two indicators
so as to assist the operator of the tractor in
aligning the trailer 160 over the bogie 120. The
retractable roadway tire assembly 166 might need to
be partially retracted or extended so that the
bottom 164 of the first trailer 160 and the forward
end 124 of the first bogie 120 are at the same
height.
As the trailer 160 is backed up, the
center king pin 184 enters in the V-slot 138 and the
side king pine 185 enter the locking side king pin
slots 153. The operator uses the locking lever 151-
to move the U-clamps 152 laterally outwardly and -
lockingly engage the side king pins 185 in the
locking side king pin slots 153 (see Figure 5).
Hoses for the braking system on the first bogie 120
are connected to the brake piping (not shown) of the
first trailer 160.
As shown in Figure 9C, the landing gear
140 on the first bogie 120 is raised, and the airbag
assembly 171 is operated to extend the roadway tires
168 and lift the first bogie 120 off the ground 105.
As shown in Figure 9D, the tractor 114 is operated
to move the first trailer 160 and the first bogie _
120 to a position over a railway 102.
R'~ 96/05094 219 ~ ~ & ~ ~ PCTIUS94108929
- 20 -
The airbag assembly 171 is deflated, as is
shown in Figure 9E, lowering the posterior end 162
of the first trailer 160 and the first bogie 12o and
engaging the railway wheels 130 on the first bogie
120 with the railway 102. As is shown in Figure 9F, ,
the airbag assembly 171 is further deflated,
retracting the roadway tires 168. At this point the
airbag assembly 171 is locked in place using the
conventional locking pin (not shown).
As shown in Figures 9G-9H, the landing
gear 174 at the anterior end 163 of-the first
trailer i60 is lowered, and the tractor 114. is
uncoupled from the first trailer 160 and driven
away.
This process is repeated for placing
subsequent trailers and bogies onto the railway 102.
As shown in Figures 9I-9J, a tractor 114', either
the same tractor or a different one as before, is
used to move a second trailer 160' and a second
bogie 120' onto the railway 102. The airbag
assembly 171' on the second bogie 120' .is operated,
engaging, the railway wheels 130' with the railway
102 and retracting the roadway tires 168'. The
tractor X14' backs up the second trailer 160' and
the second bogie 120' to the anterior end 163 of the
first trailer 160. The pivot coupling king pin 192
on the anterior end 163 of the first trailer 160 is
engaged with the fifth wheel 148' of the second
bogie 120' and is lockingly engaged therein,
pivotally coupling the second bogie 120' to the
first trailer-160. The hoses for the braking system
on the second bogie 120' (not shown) are connected
to the brake piping (not shown) of the first trailer
160.
_- Aa shown in Figures 9K, the landing gear
174 on the first trailer 160 is raised. To make
room on the railway 102 for more trailers to be
WO 96105094 PC1'IUS94/08929
- 21 -
added near the grade crossing, as is shown in Figure
9L, the tractor 114' is used to back up all of-the
. bogies and trailers along the railway 102.
As shown in Figures 9M-9N, the landing
gear 174' on the second trailer 160' is lowered, and -
the tractor 114' is uncoupled from the second
trailer 160' and driven away. This process is
repeated for all of the trailers to be connected
together, forming a train 113.
As shown in Figure 90, a locomotive engine
112 having a fifth wheel 111 on a back end thereof
is coupled to the pivot coupling king pin 192" on
the anterior end 163" of a last trailer 160" at the
front of the train 113. The engine 112 could be a
conventional train locomotive which has been
modified to have a fifth wheel 111, a Brandt Road
Rail Power Unit manufactured by Brandt Industries
Ltd., a puller as described in commonly owned U.S.
Patent application serial number 08/054,906, or any
other type of locomotive power, either directly or-
through a special bogie 120x having a fifth wheel at
one end and a standard railroad coupling mechanism
at the other end, as is shown in Figure 1B. As
shown in Figure 9P, the landing gear 174" on the -
last trailer 160" is raised and the train 113 is
ready to be used on the railway 102.
The process for disassembling a train 113
of trailers and bogies is similar. The landing gear
174' at the anterior end 163' of a first trailer
160' (located at the front of the train 113) is
lowered, and an engine 112 is uncoupled. A tractor
114' backs up to the anterior end 163' -of the first
trailer 160', and a fifth wheel 117' on the tractor -
114' lockingly engages the pivot coupling king pin
192' on the anterior end 163' of the first trailer
160'. The landing gear 174' on the first trailer
160' is raised, and the train 113 can be pulled
WO 96/05094 ~ PCfIU594/08929
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forwards. The landing gear 174 on a second trailer
160 located behind the first trailer 160' is
lowered.. A first bogie 120' is uncoupled from the
second trailer 160, and the tractor 114' pulls the
first trailer 160' and the first bogie 120' away
from the second.trailer 160 and the rest of the
train 113: The roadway tires 168' on the first
trailer 160' are extended, raising the first bogie
120' offthe railway 102. The tractor 114' pulls
l0 the first°trailer 160' and the first bogie 120' to a
storage area located off the tracks 102 and near a
grade crossing. The roadway tires 168' on the first
trailer 160' are retracted, lowering the first bogie
120' to the ground 105. The landing gear 140' on
the first bogie 120' is extended and the first bogie
120' is uncoupled from the first trailer 160'. The
tractor 114' pulls the first trailer 160' away from
the first bogie 120', leaving it in the storage
area. This process is repeated to remove all of the
trailers from the railway 102 and leave all of the
bogies in-the storage area.
The preferred embodiment has been
described as an example of. the invention as claimed.
However, the present invention should not be limited
in its application to the details illustrated in the
description of the preferred embodiment and in the
accompanying drawings since the invention may be
practiced or constructed in a variety of different
embodiments. Also, it must be understood that the
terminology and descriptions employed herein are
used solely for purpose of describing the general
operation of the preferred embodiment and therefore
should not be construed as limitations on the
operability of the invention.
