AU2003272835A1 - Pollution free transport system - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT POLLUTION FREE TRANSPORT SYSTEM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me POLLUTION FREE TRANSPORT SYSTEM This invention relates to a better, safer, more efficient pollution free way of transporting produce between capital cities and major centres.

Over the last 10 years the number and size of trucks on our roads seems to be increasing at a alarming rate, practically on the Newell highway and highway between Melbourne and Adelaide and Melbourne and Sydney with thousands of litres of fuel being burned, not to mention the number of accidents I've seen involving a car and a truck were the truck driver walks away and all is kied in the car.

This invention is a new way of transporting trucks with their cargo by rail over major truck routes, it over comes the hardship of loading vehicles on rail carriages by a very quick and easy system. A .computer controls fees, charges and mechanical operations, and the system has many advantages like using electric environmentally clean locomotives suppled with clean power generated by wind generators.

The invention consists of a standard rail carriage fitted with either a sideways sliding top deck or a rotating top deck that when it is required to open it simply rotates to a angle of approximately 40 degrees thereby travelling out over the nearby platform with the aid of rollers mounted underneath, both types allow the truck to drive on easily, the top decks have 300 millimetre high sides to stop anyone from coming off the edge, It wouldn't be any harder then driving onto an above ground weigh bridge which many drivers are well experience at.

The top deck is then closed by a railway employee, i.e. by sliding or rotating back by simply pressing a button, the movement is operated by a hydraulic or pneumatic rams powered by the locomotive, once fully slid or rotated back a pair of securing arms operated by another rain, raise through the top deck and then travel forward pining the truck forward against rubber pads mounted on the front wall of the carriage chassis, or the raised end walls could travel inwards powered also by hydraulic or pneumatic rams, or even inflatable air bags could be used.

The train would operate as an express between large cities and would only stop for minutes every 2 hours at major towns so drivers can depart and branch out and deliver to country areas.

One of the main advantages of the system is the capability of transport companies only sending their loaded trailers and assigning a company employee or a sub contractor at the other end to take over the deliveries and return the trailer to the station for further duties, The trailers are fitted with a transmitter which when entering a station signals a receiver buried in the road which if already booked via the internet signals the computer which sends a electronic signal to the train on its arrival to open the correct tray, so all that's required from the driver is to drive over the sensor and straight onto his open carriage, if he has not previously booked via the internet he can scan a card in a computer system and enters a designation, the clients account then is electronically charged the correct fee and the truck driver is given a carriage number and a arrival time and the system takes over, a railway employee would close the trays while the drivers makes their way to the lounge car ready for departure. But most times he will detach his trailer and connect up to a wrailer that has been sent to him, if the driver drives onto the wrong tray there is another receiver installed within which signals the computer system and therefore will show an error informing railway personal to attend to the matter, the carriage will not be able to be closed in such an event until the error is rectified, on arriving at their planned destination the tray will automatically open depending on two important factors, if the train is stationery and a platform is present.

If the truck driver was traveling with his truck he would receive a message on a screen in the lounge car to make his way to his truck to drive off the tray. The receiver in the tray sends another message to the computer giving instructions to the railway employees to close the tray ifit is not required to say open for any more trucks booked for that carriage. When this truck leaves the station altogether it drives over another receiver which completes the transaction, all these movements can be tracked via the internet by their transport company, if a truck driver fais to arrive on time and misses the 10 minute time window the computer will not open the tray but will make it available for new bookings and automatically sends a message informing the transport company of the problem and also informing them of the need to re-book.

Mnother major advantage of this system is the capability of a single operator to be able to send more than one trailer and the only requirement is to select the option of requiring railway employees assistance to load or unload their trailers at their interpedently chosen stations, if this option is chosen the railway employee receive their instructions via their computer screen. They would assist using tractors with three point linkages and an extra charge would be automatically charged for such a service, with this option one truck driver can send anyone of his loaded trailers to anyone of the systems stations using the system to travel between them and after his deliveries sending home his empty trailers by themselves, if he needs to check the location of his trailers he can use the computer terminal at the station or from anywhere else via the internet.

The innovation would be completed in stages depending on availability of a financier, the first stage would be to manufacture the carriage trays with their load securing mechanism's and to set up the computer systems, a diesel locomotive could be used at this stage until enough revenue is generated for the next stage of electric locomotive and there power supply requirements, the last stage would be to erect wind generators for the system to be self efficient with any excess power being returned to the grid to balance out for days of no wind.

The system may also be used to transport containers using trucks capable of loading and unloading containers directly from the open carriage trays with the 10-minute time frame.

IN THE DRAWINGS Fig 1 shows the top tray of the carriage with the tray in the transport position and one end wall driven inwards by rams as if to press onto a truck.

Fig 2 shows the top tray of the carriage with both end walls fully retracted and the tray driven sideways by rams into the drive on, drive off position.

Fig 3 shows the top tray of the carriage with load securing arms raised through the carriage tray and in the forward most position as to press onto a truck.

Fig 4 shows the top tray of the carriage with load securing arms returned to one end and fully lowered to allow the tray to move into the drive on drive off position, Fig 5 shows a computer and equipment layout at different stations.

Fig 6 shows electronic controllers on different carriages, one with input and output devices Computer program requirements for the poliution free transport system Internet web site for users to register to obtain their web page with functions to allow them to input multiple bookings with essential information like, number of trailers, if assistance is required to load wrailer or a number of trailers, and to display information like time, date, carriage numbers for their trip, cost to be charged and once they enter the system to display their trailers current locations which is achieved be simply recording and displaying which stations enter transponder or exit transponder their trailers last passed over or in the case of being in transport their trailers will be parked over the carriage tray transponder and therefore can be recorded and displayed which was the last station it passed through or if it is stationary at a station or if it has been removed from the tray awaiting pick up.

2. Program capable of sorting of assigning trays efficiently for example customer one booking is for 100% of the systems route so any fray that not previously partly booked would be assigned to customer one and there fore no longer be available for anyone else's booking for that current trip but would be available for the return trip. Another Example, customer two books a tray from the first station to the fourth and customer three books a tray from the fourth station to the last station therefore this tray would be assigned to them both and so on. If the sideways opening type trays are used which only require one platform to be present the program also needs to consider the fact that if two or more customers have booked at the same station it there fore needs to spread apart the booked trays leaving trays not required to open in the middle to give room to enter or exit their trays.

3. Program to detect if the right trailer is installed on the right tray by comparing the signal received between the trays transponder and the trailers transponder for a match and if a mismatch occurs to alert railway staff. This signal is achieved using the RS232 connection of the PLC.

4. Program to display names of next customers required departing the train at the next stop on a display mounted in the lounge car.

System to include a display terminal at each of the systems stations so customers can access their web page.

6. Program capable of performing electronic payment transfers for customers accounts.

7. Possible security figure, customers web page to be able to access the security cameras at stations and in addition a second transponder could be fitted to their prime mover and programmed to be paired up with only their trailers so in the odd event they left with the wrong trailer or a theft occurred, the exit transponder would detect the mnismatch and automatically close a gate stopping the trailer from leaving the secure railway yar and then alerting railway staff.

Claims (8)

1. 2. The pollution free transport system of claim 1 wherein incorporates the use of load securing arms controlled by hydraulic or pneumatic rams or mechanical chains or gears that raise through slots in the tray floor which then are drawn forward to press firmly against trucks, similar type vehicles or containers to hold them securely in place.
2. 3. The pollution free transport system of claim 1 to 2 wherein incorporates computer systems with web sites and web pages to control systems fuanctions of receiving instructions from clients, making available carriages, billing operations, opening carniage trays, and givig instructions via electronic visual display units, printed documents or by voice command, such instructions include the number of the assigned carriage, the arrival time, the departure time, the priced charged, account details, current location of their trucks and trailers.
3. 4. The pollution fr-ee transport system of claim I to 3 wherein incorporates computer systems that can send and receiving signals between computers, trains and stations. The pollution free transport system of claim 1 to 4 wherein incorporates rail carriages fitted with a movable top tray with fixed raised sides that can be either slid side ways or rotated by hydraulic or pneumatic rams or mechanical chains or gears, to a position or angle so that to enable trucks and similar type vehicles to drive onto from built up platforms.
4. 6. The pollution free transport system of claim I to 5 wherein incorporates Rollers on the under side of the trays to support the load and assist with sliding sideway movements or rotation movements.
5. 7. The pollution free transport system of claim I to 6 wherein can also incorporate inflatable air bags that are inflated to press firmly against trucks, similar type vehicles or containers to hold them securely in place.
6. 8. The pollution free transport system of claim 1 to 7 wherein can be driven by both electric and diesel locomotives.
7. 9. The pollution free transport system of claim 1 to 8 wherein those electric locomotives can receive their electrical supply from both wind generators and the state power grid. The pollution free transport system of claim I to 9 wherein that the system can be bought on line in separate stages.
8. 11. The pollution free transport system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. R J MERRETT24sp02 24 sep 2002