CA1223772A - Convertible rail-highway semi-trailer with spread tandem axle units - Google Patents
Convertible rail-highway semi-trailer with spread tandem axle unitsInfo
- Publication number
- CA1223772A CA1223772A CA000411455A CA411455A CA1223772A CA 1223772 A CA1223772 A CA 1223772A CA 000411455 A CA000411455 A CA 000411455A CA 411455 A CA411455 A CA 411455A CA 1223772 A CA1223772 A CA 1223772A
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- highway
- wheel
- set axle
- axle unit
- rail
- Prior art date
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Abstract
CONVERTIBLE RAIL-HIGHWAY SEMI-TRAILER
WITH SPREAD HIGHWAY TANDEM AXLE UNITS
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A convertible rail-highway semi-trailer carrying highway running gear axle units with rubber tired wheels, the axles being usually two in number, and a railway running gear axle unit with flanged wheels with means to alternately raise and lower the highway and railway axle units for selective use in highway and railroad travel modes. The highway axle units are spread apart with one of them mounted to the underframe closely adjacent the rear of the body, the railway axle unit being mounted to the underframe forward thereof and the second highway axle unit mounted to the underframe in front of the rail-way axle unit to permit greater loads to be carried on the highway axles for compliance with various State laws, to allow for greater payloads and to minimize potential damage to the rail wheels.
WITH SPREAD HIGHWAY TANDEM AXLE UNITS
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A convertible rail-highway semi-trailer carrying highway running gear axle units with rubber tired wheels, the axles being usually two in number, and a railway running gear axle unit with flanged wheels with means to alternately raise and lower the highway and railway axle units for selective use in highway and railroad travel modes. The highway axle units are spread apart with one of them mounted to the underframe closely adjacent the rear of the body, the railway axle unit being mounted to the underframe forward thereof and the second highway axle unit mounted to the underframe in front of the rail-way axle unit to permit greater loads to be carried on the highway axles for compliance with various State laws, to allow for greater payloads and to minimize potential damage to the rail wheels.
Description
3'7~
This invention relates to v~hicles each carrying highway running gear wlth rubber tlred wheels and railroad running gear with flanged railroad wheels with means to al~ernately raise and lower the highway running ge~r and railroad running gear for selectlve use for highw~y mode and rallroad mode of travel, more partieularly the convert-ible rail-highway semi-trailer ~hown and descrilbed in C~nadian patent no. 1,094,886 and constitute~ an improvement thereon.
. In said patent no. 1,094,886, the rail wheel axle unit is mounted adjacent the rear of the vehicle with all of the highway wheel se~ a~le units, most frequently two in number, mounted forward of the rail wheel set axle unlt.
Thi~ arrangement results in an unsati~factory weigh~ distri-bution in the vehlcle for h~ghway operat~on. Th motor vehicle laws or regulations of the Federal Governmænt and all of the States limit not only the gross vehicle weight of a semi-trailer and the gross combination weight of the tractor semi-trailer combinatlon, but al~o limlt the weight permit~ed on each axle or group of axles. Typically, the wei~ht on a sin~le axle on a trailer is limited to 18,000 lb~, 20,000 lbs, or 22,400 lbs, while the wei~ht on ~ Pair of axles on a ~railer, known in the trade a8 tandem a~ 88, i!3 limited to 32,000 lbs, 34,000 lb~ or 36,()()0 lb~. Th~L~
latter restrietion generally applles to a pair of axle~
spaced 48" to 60" apart. Most 3tates allow greater load~
~co be carried on a pair of axles ~paced further apart. For example 9 on a pair of axles ~paced 108" Ito 12V" aplart, loads oE 39,000 lbs t~ 44,000 lb~ are permitted.
~ .
, ~ ~
_ ~ _ ~2 ~
It is the primary object of this invention to pro-vide a convertible vehicle of the character described in which the tandem highway axles are spre~d to a spacing o approximately 96" to 120" thus permitting greater loads to be carried and comply with the requiremen~s of most ~tates as noted hereinbefore.
Another object of this invention is to provide a convertible vehicle of the character described which allows greater payloads to be carriecl by redlstributing the heavies~ parts of the vehicle to move the center of gravity to a more favorable location, as far forward as practical.
Another object of this inventicn is to minimize potential damage to the rail wheels of this type of convert-ible rail-highway semi-~railer by mounting the rail wheel-set axle units forward of the rearmost highway axle unitso that the rubber tired highway wheels act as bumpers against ground obstructions.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide greater stabili~y during loading of the convertible rail-highway semi-trailer at typical "tailgate" loading docks when the imp~ct of heavily loaded fork trucks pass from the loading dock onto the rear end of the vehicle floor. Since this operation is performed while the vehicle is on its highway tires, the rearmost highway axle closely adjacent the rear oE the bocly acts as the fulcrum of a lever with the vehicl~ floor acting as the lever.
The foregoing objects are attained by a vehicle of ~ ~ 3 ~7~
the charac~er described in patent noO1~094,886 which comprises a body in the form of a seml-trailer of con-ventional length, width and height, a p~air of sin~le axle highway units mounted to the underframe ~f the body via air spring suspensions, one of saidl units being mounted closely adjacent the rear of the body and the other between 108" and 120" forward of the rear unit and a single axle railway bogie or unit independently connec~ed to the vehicle underframe by a forwardly extend-ing tongue, and including air springs as the primarysuspension, the railway unit being locAted between the highway axle unit~,there being conduit~ and V81Ve8 ~0 selectively inflate or deflate the highway and rail ~us-pension air springs operative with rail bogie and highway axle lifting and retaining mechanisms whereby the high-way axle and wheel assemblies may be raised and stored in an elevated inoperative po~ition wh~le the rail wheels are lowered into rolling engagement with the tracks, and vice versa. The vehicle bodies are coupleable end-to-end to form a traln for the rail mode and are uncoupleable for the highway mode, the foregoing components being so constructed and arranged as ~o render them easily adaptable to various vehicle body styles such as van, tank, hopper, etc.
These and o~her objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceads in conjunction with the accompanying drawing~ whereln:
~ ~ ~ 3 ~ ~
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic slde view of the vehicleready to be coupled to a tractor for the highway mode of operation;
Fig. lA is a rear elevational view of ~he vehicle in the highway mode;
Fig. 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 of the vehicle in the railway mode of operation with the vehicles coupled end-to-end to form a train;
Fig, 2A is a rear elevational view of the vehicle in the railway mode;
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 oE Fig. 2A;
Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the rail bogie lifting and retaining mechanism shown in the center oE Fig. 3 but in the lifting mode;
Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the rear sill construc-tion of the vehicle taken from the line 7-7 of Fig 1.
Specific reference will now be made to the drawings in which similar reference characters are used for corres-ponding elements throughout.
Referring first to Figs. 1, lA, 2 and 2A, thle present vehicLe ls generall~ shown at 10 and includes ~ body 12 of conventlonal semi-trailer dimensions which could be 45 Et.
long, having a male coupling member 14 a~ its front end, ~L2~37~2 and a female member 16 at it~ re~r end to ree~ive the male roupler of an ad~acent body a at 18 eo form a train for the railroad mode of operation, as seen in Fig. 2. The vehicle also lncludes a conventional k:Lngpin 20 adj~cent its front end for removable coupling to the fifth wheel of a tractor or the highway mode of operation, conventlonally placed, telescoping ~emi-trailer landing gears 22~ hlghway running gear lncluding highway wheel-set axle unit,~ 23 and 25 having tandem axles 24 and 26 each mounting Idual tired wheels 28 and a railroad ~heel-set axle unlt or bogie 29 including a single railroad axle 30 mounting flanged railway wheels 32 engageable with tracks 34.
As seen in Figs. 3-7 9 the underfr~m2 of the body lncludes longitudinally extending transver~ely ~paced 15 h~ghway running gear mounting cha~nel rails 36 and 38 located at ~he rear portion of the body and e~tending to the very rear 40 of the body.
Each highway wheel-set axle unit i~ mounted as at 41 to th~ underframe rails 36 and 38 by air spring sus-penslons 42 and ~, and as at 43 by r~g~d bracket8 ~S, there being a means or mechani~m within 45 generally shown at 46 for lifting and retaining the highway wheel-set axle units to the elevated stored inoperative positlon when the vehicle is operated in the railroad mode with the railroad wheels 32 engaging the track~ 34. The air spring suspensions and highway wheel-set ~xle unit liftlng and retaining means are shown ancl describe.d in patent no . 1, 094, 886 .
The underirame, see Fig. 7, also includ~s a sandwich 48 oi transverse plates at the rear of the body which are bolted as at 49 to the side rail5 40g the plates ~15s? mounting a casting 52 having the female coupl~r 5 member 16. The underframe also includes a tran~v~rsely extending sandwich of plates 54 which overlies the channel rails 36 and 38 and which is bolted at at 55 to the ~ide rail~ 50 a~d serving as a mid-underfram~ section mounting the bogie 29 through air sprlng~ 80 through cast~ng~
mounted at 57. The mid-underframe section is spaced for-wardly of the rear underframe section 48 as at 56, there being a transverse bracing member 58 in the space 56 secured to the side rails.
The bogie or rail wheel-set axle unit 29 i~ in the form of a yoke mounting the rallroad axle 30 and com-prises longitudina~ rearwardly extending ~ide members 60 and 62 connected by a cros8 member 64 which mounts the brake mechanism~ 65, an arcuate tube 66 ~ecured between . the rails 36 and 38 and a tongue 68 slidably engag~ng~at its forward end as at 70, the arcuate ~ub~ 66 to form a self-steering unit as shown and described in 8aid patent 1,094,886.. The tongue of the instant invention differ~
from that of the patent in that the tongue 68 is a V-shaped member which extends upwardly at its forw~rd end and which 25 is bolted at its rear ends to plates 72 which sre welded to the cross member 64 of the bogie. The tongue include~ an exten~ion 74 which extends upwardly and rearwardly and i8 braced to the cross member 64 by members 76 and is operat-ively connected to the body by lateral damper3 7~.
30The 7.?ogie ?9 i s mounted on the underfr~mle section `- J 54 by airs springs 80 which are shown and described in s~id ~ 22137 7 ~
patent 1,094,886 and in United States patent 4,342,264 entitled "Convertlble Rail-Highway Semi-Trailer Fluid Suspen~ion" issued to Hindin ~t al . As ~een in F~go 4, the l~mit~ of railroad axle motlon while ~te~rlng ie indicated at 82 and of tongue motion at 84O
In the operatlon of the vehicle to convert the ~ame from the rail mode ~o the highway mode~ a means is prov-ided to lift and retain the rail wheel-set axle unit 2~
in the ~levated stored inoperative position. Such a means is shown in patent 1,094,886 and in United State~ pat~nt 4,342,265 entitled "Convertible Rail-Highway Semi-Trail-er Axle Lifting and Retaining Mechanlsm issued Aug. 3, 1982 to Hindin et al. The mechanism shown in Figs. 3,4 and 6 is substantially the same as in the 4,342,265 patent but it uses a single hook instead of the two of the 4,342,265 unlt.
Thu~, the bottom plate 88 of the mid-underfr~mæ
~andwich 54 ha~ welded thereto a ver~ical web me~ber having a pair of ~paced ~u~set3 90 which rotatably moun~ ~ pin 92 upon which 1~ ~ecured a pair of spaced b~ll crsnk~ 94 between.which i8 adjustably mounted the hook m~mberE 86 ~8 ~ 96. In the bogie lifting and retaining pha~s, ~he hook 86 ~ ad~pted to engage the pin 98 which i8 ~ecur~d to tho tongue e~tension 74 acro~ an opening 100 th~rein~ t~e hook belng actuated by a pi~ton rod 102 operatively ~n~erconnected be~ween the hook member and a diaphrsgm-sprln~ cylinder 104, the hook being operatively connected to a two-wa~ valv~
106, the oper~tlon belng that descrlbed ln said patem~ r~u.
4,342,265 a~ long a~ the hook engage~ the pin 98, vnlv~ 106 ln~ures that no air can flow lnto the r~ ir b~gl~, ~3~72 The operation to convert the veh~cls3 frolm ~he rail mode to the hlghw~y mode ~nd vice v~rBa by pn~umatic ,' ~an~ u~ing a mode ~elector valve 7 helght con~rol valve~, conduits and varlous o'cher ontrol means i~ de~cribed ln s~id patent 19094,~86 and United States patents 4,342,Z64 and 4,342,265 and in Uni~ed S~cates patent 4,3169418 enti-tled "Convertible Rail-Highway Semi-Trailer Air Controlled Susp0nslon Shifting System" issued Feb. 23,1982 to ~1indin.
Briefly9 to convert 'ch~ vehicle from the ra~l mode to the highway snode, a mode ~elector valve is moved to a transfer position to ~uickly vent the rail air bag~
80 whereupon the v~hicle body ~ettle8. Thi8 ~hort~nfl the di~tance between the body 12 and the bogie 29 whereupon a~ the body approaches it~ lowe~t po3ition the hook 86 i~
rs~t~t~d count~r-clockwi e by t~e camming action of ~urf~ce R9 of hook 86 on the upper ~urf~ce of pin 98, until the hook slid~3 lnto engagement under the pln 98 IS the hook 18 urE~ed into clockw~se rot~tion by the return sprlng (not 8hown) within cylinder 1()4. When ~he highw~y alr b~g8 42 and 44 are ~ub~equent~y in~lated by movement of the mode selector vQlve to a hig~way position, the hook ret~in~ the bogie in it~
elevated. inoper~tive position while the hi~shw~y wh~ls 28 eng~ge the ground. As long a~ th2 hook engage~ the pin 98 no air can 10w into the rail ~ir bag~.
In the reverse conver~ion from hi~shw~y mode to the rail mod~" the mode ~elector valve- i~ moved 'co a t~an~er posi~ion cau~ing deflatlon of the highway air ba~s~3 42 and 44 ~llowing the body to ~e~tle until the rall wh~el~ 3;2 engage the track~ 34 . The mode ~ lec to~r valvi~ i ~ t:hen moved ~o 8 rail position and air is directed to chamber 104 which pushes rod 102 to pivot the bell crank 94 counter clQckwise to the dotted line posltion of Fig. 5 where the hook 86 disengage~ from the pin 98 simultaneously opening v~lv~ 106, permitting sir to be delivered to inflate the rail air bag~ 80 while the highw~y wheel-set axle unit~
are ret~ined in the elevated inoper~tive po~ition~ by the means 46.
The primary feature whlch dlstinguishe~ the instant invention from 19094,886 i~ that the tandem highway axles 24 and 26 and their air 5pring mo~nting~ to the under-frsme are spread apart so that the rear hlghway wh~eel-set axle unit 23 is closely adjacent the rear 40 of the vehicle and the other or front highway whee~-~et axle unit 2~ is -located forward thereof, wlth the axles ~paced apart about96" to 120" for a 45' long body and the railroad wheel-set axle unit or bogie 29 is air sprin~ mounted betw~en the spread highway axles 24 and 26. Thus9 by redistributing the heaviest parts of the convertible to mo~e the center of gravity as far forward as practical, the vehicle can carry great~r loads during the highway mode of tr~vel and still comply with State requirements. The vehicle also provldes greater stability during lo~din~ while the vehicle ix on its highway whe~ls. Additlonally, the rearmo~t z5 highway axle unit minimlzes potential d~mage to the r~
wheels mounted forward thereof since their rubber tir~ act bumpers ~g~inst ground obstructions during b~ck-up mov~m~nt8.
'" ' - 10 -
This invention relates to v~hicles each carrying highway running gear wlth rubber tlred wheels and railroad running gear with flanged railroad wheels with means to al~ernately raise and lower the highway running ge~r and railroad running gear for selectlve use for highw~y mode and rallroad mode of travel, more partieularly the convert-ible rail-highway semi-trailer ~hown and descrilbed in C~nadian patent no. 1,094,886 and constitute~ an improvement thereon.
. In said patent no. 1,094,886, the rail wheel axle unit is mounted adjacent the rear of the vehicle with all of the highway wheel se~ a~le units, most frequently two in number, mounted forward of the rail wheel set axle unlt.
Thi~ arrangement results in an unsati~factory weigh~ distri-bution in the vehlcle for h~ghway operat~on. Th motor vehicle laws or regulations of the Federal Governmænt and all of the States limit not only the gross vehicle weight of a semi-trailer and the gross combination weight of the tractor semi-trailer combinatlon, but al~o limlt the weight permit~ed on each axle or group of axles. Typically, the wei~ht on a sin~le axle on a trailer is limited to 18,000 lb~, 20,000 lbs, or 22,400 lbs, while the wei~ht on ~ Pair of axles on a ~railer, known in the trade a8 tandem a~ 88, i!3 limited to 32,000 lbs, 34,000 lb~ or 36,()()0 lb~. Th~L~
latter restrietion generally applles to a pair of axle~
spaced 48" to 60" apart. Most 3tates allow greater load~
~co be carried on a pair of axles ~paced further apart. For example 9 on a pair of axles ~paced 108" Ito 12V" aplart, loads oE 39,000 lbs t~ 44,000 lb~ are permitted.
~ .
, ~ ~
_ ~ _ ~2 ~
It is the primary object of this invention to pro-vide a convertible vehicle of the character described in which the tandem highway axles are spre~d to a spacing o approximately 96" to 120" thus permitting greater loads to be carried and comply with the requiremen~s of most ~tates as noted hereinbefore.
Another object of this invention is to provide a convertible vehicle of the character described which allows greater payloads to be carriecl by redlstributing the heavies~ parts of the vehicle to move the center of gravity to a more favorable location, as far forward as practical.
Another object of this inventicn is to minimize potential damage to the rail wheels of this type of convert-ible rail-highway semi-~railer by mounting the rail wheel-set axle units forward of the rearmost highway axle unitso that the rubber tired highway wheels act as bumpers against ground obstructions.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide greater stabili~y during loading of the convertible rail-highway semi-trailer at typical "tailgate" loading docks when the imp~ct of heavily loaded fork trucks pass from the loading dock onto the rear end of the vehicle floor. Since this operation is performed while the vehicle is on its highway tires, the rearmost highway axle closely adjacent the rear oE the bocly acts as the fulcrum of a lever with the vehicl~ floor acting as the lever.
The foregoing objects are attained by a vehicle of ~ ~ 3 ~7~
the charac~er described in patent noO1~094,886 which comprises a body in the form of a seml-trailer of con-ventional length, width and height, a p~air of sin~le axle highway units mounted to the underframe ~f the body via air spring suspensions, one of saidl units being mounted closely adjacent the rear of the body and the other between 108" and 120" forward of the rear unit and a single axle railway bogie or unit independently connec~ed to the vehicle underframe by a forwardly extend-ing tongue, and including air springs as the primarysuspension, the railway unit being locAted between the highway axle unit~,there being conduit~ and V81Ve8 ~0 selectively inflate or deflate the highway and rail ~us-pension air springs operative with rail bogie and highway axle lifting and retaining mechanisms whereby the high-way axle and wheel assemblies may be raised and stored in an elevated inoperative po~ition wh~le the rail wheels are lowered into rolling engagement with the tracks, and vice versa. The vehicle bodies are coupleable end-to-end to form a traln for the rail mode and are uncoupleable for the highway mode, the foregoing components being so constructed and arranged as ~o render them easily adaptable to various vehicle body styles such as van, tank, hopper, etc.
These and o~her objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceads in conjunction with the accompanying drawing~ whereln:
~ ~ ~ 3 ~ ~
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic slde view of the vehicleready to be coupled to a tractor for the highway mode of operation;
Fig. lA is a rear elevational view of ~he vehicle in the highway mode;
Fig. 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 of the vehicle in the railway mode of operation with the vehicles coupled end-to-end to form a train;
Fig, 2A is a rear elevational view of the vehicle in the railway mode;
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 oE Fig. 2A;
Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the rail bogie lifting and retaining mechanism shown in the center oE Fig. 3 but in the lifting mode;
Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the rear sill construc-tion of the vehicle taken from the line 7-7 of Fig 1.
Specific reference will now be made to the drawings in which similar reference characters are used for corres-ponding elements throughout.
Referring first to Figs. 1, lA, 2 and 2A, thle present vehicLe ls generall~ shown at 10 and includes ~ body 12 of conventlonal semi-trailer dimensions which could be 45 Et.
long, having a male coupling member 14 a~ its front end, ~L2~37~2 and a female member 16 at it~ re~r end to ree~ive the male roupler of an ad~acent body a at 18 eo form a train for the railroad mode of operation, as seen in Fig. 2. The vehicle also lncludes a conventional k:Lngpin 20 adj~cent its front end for removable coupling to the fifth wheel of a tractor or the highway mode of operation, conventlonally placed, telescoping ~emi-trailer landing gears 22~ hlghway running gear lncluding highway wheel-set axle unit,~ 23 and 25 having tandem axles 24 and 26 each mounting Idual tired wheels 28 and a railroad ~heel-set axle unlt or bogie 29 including a single railroad axle 30 mounting flanged railway wheels 32 engageable with tracks 34.
As seen in Figs. 3-7 9 the underfr~m2 of the body lncludes longitudinally extending transver~ely ~paced 15 h~ghway running gear mounting cha~nel rails 36 and 38 located at ~he rear portion of the body and e~tending to the very rear 40 of the body.
Each highway wheel-set axle unit i~ mounted as at 41 to th~ underframe rails 36 and 38 by air spring sus-penslons 42 and ~, and as at 43 by r~g~d bracket8 ~S, there being a means or mechani~m within 45 generally shown at 46 for lifting and retaining the highway wheel-set axle units to the elevated stored inoperative positlon when the vehicle is operated in the railroad mode with the railroad wheels 32 engaging the track~ 34. The air spring suspensions and highway wheel-set ~xle unit liftlng and retaining means are shown ancl describe.d in patent no . 1, 094, 886 .
The underirame, see Fig. 7, also includ~s a sandwich 48 oi transverse plates at the rear of the body which are bolted as at 49 to the side rail5 40g the plates ~15s? mounting a casting 52 having the female coupl~r 5 member 16. The underframe also includes a tran~v~rsely extending sandwich of plates 54 which overlies the channel rails 36 and 38 and which is bolted at at 55 to the ~ide rail~ 50 a~d serving as a mid-underfram~ section mounting the bogie 29 through air sprlng~ 80 through cast~ng~
mounted at 57. The mid-underframe section is spaced for-wardly of the rear underframe section 48 as at 56, there being a transverse bracing member 58 in the space 56 secured to the side rails.
The bogie or rail wheel-set axle unit 29 i~ in the form of a yoke mounting the rallroad axle 30 and com-prises longitudina~ rearwardly extending ~ide members 60 and 62 connected by a cros8 member 64 which mounts the brake mechanism~ 65, an arcuate tube 66 ~ecured between . the rails 36 and 38 and a tongue 68 slidably engag~ng~at its forward end as at 70, the arcuate ~ub~ 66 to form a self-steering unit as shown and described in 8aid patent 1,094,886.. The tongue of the instant invention differ~
from that of the patent in that the tongue 68 is a V-shaped member which extends upwardly at its forw~rd end and which 25 is bolted at its rear ends to plates 72 which sre welded to the cross member 64 of the bogie. The tongue include~ an exten~ion 74 which extends upwardly and rearwardly and i8 braced to the cross member 64 by members 76 and is operat-ively connected to the body by lateral damper3 7~.
30The 7.?ogie ?9 i s mounted on the underfr~mle section `- J 54 by airs springs 80 which are shown and described in s~id ~ 22137 7 ~
patent 1,094,886 and in United States patent 4,342,264 entitled "Convertlble Rail-Highway Semi-Trailer Fluid Suspen~ion" issued to Hindin ~t al . As ~een in F~go 4, the l~mit~ of railroad axle motlon while ~te~rlng ie indicated at 82 and of tongue motion at 84O
In the operatlon of the vehicle to convert the ~ame from the rail mode ~o the highway mode~ a means is prov-ided to lift and retain the rail wheel-set axle unit 2~
in the ~levated stored inoperative position. Such a means is shown in patent 1,094,886 and in United State~ pat~nt 4,342,265 entitled "Convertible Rail-Highway Semi-Trail-er Axle Lifting and Retaining Mechanlsm issued Aug. 3, 1982 to Hindin et al. The mechanism shown in Figs. 3,4 and 6 is substantially the same as in the 4,342,265 patent but it uses a single hook instead of the two of the 4,342,265 unlt.
Thu~, the bottom plate 88 of the mid-underfr~mæ
~andwich 54 ha~ welded thereto a ver~ical web me~ber having a pair of ~paced ~u~set3 90 which rotatably moun~ ~ pin 92 upon which 1~ ~ecured a pair of spaced b~ll crsnk~ 94 between.which i8 adjustably mounted the hook m~mberE 86 ~8 ~ 96. In the bogie lifting and retaining pha~s, ~he hook 86 ~ ad~pted to engage the pin 98 which i8 ~ecur~d to tho tongue e~tension 74 acro~ an opening 100 th~rein~ t~e hook belng actuated by a pi~ton rod 102 operatively ~n~erconnected be~ween the hook member and a diaphrsgm-sprln~ cylinder 104, the hook being operatively connected to a two-wa~ valv~
106, the oper~tlon belng that descrlbed ln said patem~ r~u.
4,342,265 a~ long a~ the hook engage~ the pin 98, vnlv~ 106 ln~ures that no air can flow lnto the r~ ir b~gl~, ~3~72 The operation to convert the veh~cls3 frolm ~he rail mode to the hlghw~y mode ~nd vice v~rBa by pn~umatic ,' ~an~ u~ing a mode ~elector valve 7 helght con~rol valve~, conduits and varlous o'cher ontrol means i~ de~cribed ln s~id patent 19094,~86 and United States patents 4,342,Z64 and 4,342,265 and in Uni~ed S~cates patent 4,3169418 enti-tled "Convertible Rail-Highway Semi-Trailer Air Controlled Susp0nslon Shifting System" issued Feb. 23,1982 to ~1indin.
Briefly9 to convert 'ch~ vehicle from the ra~l mode to the highway snode, a mode ~elector valve is moved to a transfer position to ~uickly vent the rail air bag~
80 whereupon the v~hicle body ~ettle8. Thi8 ~hort~nfl the di~tance between the body 12 and the bogie 29 whereupon a~ the body approaches it~ lowe~t po3ition the hook 86 i~
rs~t~t~d count~r-clockwi e by t~e camming action of ~urf~ce R9 of hook 86 on the upper ~urf~ce of pin 98, until the hook slid~3 lnto engagement under the pln 98 IS the hook 18 urE~ed into clockw~se rot~tion by the return sprlng (not 8hown) within cylinder 1()4. When ~he highw~y alr b~g8 42 and 44 are ~ub~equent~y in~lated by movement of the mode selector vQlve to a hig~way position, the hook ret~in~ the bogie in it~
elevated. inoper~tive position while the hi~shw~y wh~ls 28 eng~ge the ground. As long a~ th2 hook engage~ the pin 98 no air can 10w into the rail ~ir bag~.
In the reverse conver~ion from hi~shw~y mode to the rail mod~" the mode ~elector valve- i~ moved 'co a t~an~er posi~ion cau~ing deflatlon of the highway air ba~s~3 42 and 44 ~llowing the body to ~e~tle until the rall wh~el~ 3;2 engage the track~ 34 . The mode ~ lec to~r valvi~ i ~ t:hen moved ~o 8 rail position and air is directed to chamber 104 which pushes rod 102 to pivot the bell crank 94 counter clQckwise to the dotted line posltion of Fig. 5 where the hook 86 disengage~ from the pin 98 simultaneously opening v~lv~ 106, permitting sir to be delivered to inflate the rail air bag~ 80 while the highw~y wheel-set axle unit~
are ret~ined in the elevated inoper~tive po~ition~ by the means 46.
The primary feature whlch dlstinguishe~ the instant invention from 19094,886 i~ that the tandem highway axles 24 and 26 and their air 5pring mo~nting~ to the under-frsme are spread apart so that the rear hlghway wh~eel-set axle unit 23 is closely adjacent the rear 40 of the vehicle and the other or front highway whee~-~et axle unit 2~ is -located forward thereof, wlth the axles ~paced apart about96" to 120" for a 45' long body and the railroad wheel-set axle unit or bogie 29 is air sprin~ mounted betw~en the spread highway axles 24 and 26. Thus9 by redistributing the heaviest parts of the convertible to mo~e the center of gravity as far forward as practical, the vehicle can carry great~r loads during the highway mode of tr~vel and still comply with State requirements. The vehicle also provldes greater stability during lo~din~ while the vehicle ix on its highway whe~ls. Additlonally, the rearmo~t z5 highway axle unit minimlzes potential d~mage to the r~
wheels mounted forward thereof since their rubber tir~ act bumpers ~g~inst ground obstructions during b~ck-up mov~m~nt8.
'" ' - 10 -
Claims (4)
1. In a vehicle convertible from highway to railroad mode of travel and vice versa including a body having a front and rear end; a first highway tired wheel-set axle unit, air spring means supporting said body on said first highway wheel-set axle unit closely adjacent the rear end of the body, a second highway tired wheel-set axle unit, air spring means supporting said body on said second highway wheel-set axle unit spaced forwardly of said first highway wheel-set axle unit, a flanged rail wheel-set axle unit, air spring means supporting said body on said rail wheel-set axle unit between said first and second highway wheel-set axle units, means to selectively and alternately inflate and deflate said air springs of said highway and rail wheel-set axle units to convert the vehicle from the railroad mode to the highway mode and vice versa, means operative to lift and retain said first and second highway wheel-set axle units in elevated stored inoperative positions while the flanged rail wheel-set axle unit is in a track engaging position and is the only load-carrying wheel-set of the vehicle in the railroad mode, and means to lift and retain said rail wheel-set axle unit in an elevated stored inoperative position while said first and second highway wheel-set axle units engaged the ground in the highway mode.
2 . The convertible vehicle of claim 1 and means to couple it end to end to similar vehicles to form a train for the railroad mode, said rail wheel-set axle unit and said end to end coupling means being the sole load supports for each vehicle.
3. The convertible vehicle of claim 1 wherein the body is about 45' long and the axles of said first and second highway wheel-set axle units are spaced apart about 96" to 120".
4. the convertible vehicle of claim 1 wherein said highway wheel-set axle units are mounted to the body independently of said rail wheel-set axle unit.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US41151082A | 1982-08-30 | 1982-08-30 | |
| US411,510 | 1982-08-30 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1223772A true CA1223772A (en) | 1987-07-07 |
Family
ID=23629233
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000411455A Expired CA1223772A (en) | 1982-08-30 | 1982-09-15 | Convertible rail-highway semi-trailer with spread tandem axle units |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1223772A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2611794A (en) * | 2021-10-15 | 2023-04-19 | Desmond Lewis Stephen | Increased power emergency braking system for trains |
-
1982
- 1982-09-15 CA CA000411455A patent/CA1223772A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2611794A (en) * | 2021-10-15 | 2023-04-19 | Desmond Lewis Stephen | Increased power emergency braking system for trains |
| GB2611794B (en) * | 2021-10-15 | 2023-10-11 | Desmond Lewis Stephen | Increased power emergency braking system for trains |
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| MKEX | Expiry |