EP0023372B1 - Procedure for loading and unloading of semi-trailers on and off low loading rail cars and low loading rail car therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

A rail car comprises a movable loading floor for use with a pair of platforms of substantially equal height, the platforms being located on respective opposite longitudinal sides of the rail cars for loading and unloading of trailers, motor vans, passenger cars, etc. The rail car has a recessed chassis bottom between the wheeled support trucks thereof, on which is supported the movable loaded floor for carrying and shipping a trailer. The rotatable loading floor is rotatable from a first position in which the longitudinal axis of the rotatable loading floor coincides with the longitudinal axis of the rail car, to a second position in which the longitudinal axis of the rotatable floor is at a given angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the rail car and in which the ends of the rotatable loading floor overlie respective platforms on opposite sides of the rail car. When in the second position, the rail car loading floor is in a position for transferring a trailer relative the rail car by selectively rolling the trailer on or off of the rail car. Hydraulic rams are coupled between the chassis and the wheeled support trucks of the rail car and to the rotating mechanism for the rotatable loading floor for raising the chassis relative to the trucks of the rail car to a height such that the rotatable loading floor is above the height of the platforms before the rotating means can rotate the rotatable loading platform.

Description

The invention relates to a method for loading and unloading railway flat-bed wagons with truck semitrailers from or onto side ramps, the semitrailer being mounted on a wagon by means of a tractor unit or on a wagon pivotable about a vertical axis. Loading platform is maneuvered and its saddle pin is gripped or released from a support device arranged on the wagon. Such a method is known from DE ― C ― 1242667. The wagon disclosed in this document has a relatively short loading floor on which there is space just for the rear wheels of the semi-trailer. The driver moves his semi-trailer from the side backwards onto the wagon until the ninter wheels are on the loading floor. Then a support arm, which is arranged on the other end of the wagon in the manner of a boom, should grip the fifth wheel coupling of the semi-trailer and position the semi-trailer, pivoting about the axis of the loading floor, in a parallel position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the wagon.

The object of the present invention is to accelerate the unloading and loading process based on the method described at the outset.

The solution provided according to the invention is characterized in that when loading the tractor pulls the semi-trailer completely onto the loading platform resting on ramps on both sides of the wagon, the supports of the trailer are lowered, the tractor is uncoupled and moved away, then the loading platform is pivoted into the driving position and is lowered, and the support device arranged on the wagon in front of the coupling-side end of the loading platform is extended until the supports are relieved from engagement with the fifth wheel coupling, and when unloading these processes take place in reverse order.

A wagon for the transport of passenger cars is known from US-A-3 584 584, in which a pivotable loading floor which extends over a large part of the wagon length can be driven on from both sides; the problems existing when transporting semitrailers do not occur when transporting passenger cars.

The invention also relates to a low-load railway wagon which is intended and suitable for carrying out the method. Such a wagon for the transport of semi-trailers with a loading platform pivotally mounted about a vertical axis on the wagon chassis and with an extendable support device for relieving the semi-trailer is from the US -A-2 835 209 known. Its loading floor is not only pivotable about a vertical axis, but can also be lowered with its one free end after pivoting out, so that a semi-trailer can be pushed backwards, after which a hydraulically extendable support device relieves the coupling-side end of the semi-trailer. The support device is arranged on the loading floor.

A similar construction is disclosed in US-A-3 075 479, which discloses a low-loader wagon with a raised and lowerable middle part for the transport of goods that extend upwards, including semi-trailers. This middle section can also be rotated about a vertical axis, and if trailers are to be transported, a support device is provided to relieve the coupling-side trailer end on the stationary part of the wagon chassis.

The time saved by the method according to the invention is lost again when the semitrailer driver has to carry out cumbersome and precise maneuvering during the loading maneuver. Therefore, the low loader wagon is designed in accordance with the invention in such a way that the support device is mounted on the wagon chassis and is self-searching for engagement in the fifth wheel coupling of the trailer.

The importance of further essential features of further developments of the wagon is evident from the explanation of the exemplary embodiments.

When using the method according to the invention and when using the wagons, the loading and unloading work is carried out extremely rapidly, so that the competitiveness of the so-called "roll on / roll off" traffic tends to be strengthened compared to the pure transport of road goods.

• Fig. 1-5 stellen eine Anzahl von Momentaufnahmen einer Station dar, in der das Entladen von und Beladen mit Aufliegern eines aus Tiefladewaggons zusammengesetzten Zuges erfolgt.
• Fig. 6 zeigt eine Draufsicht auf einen Tiefladewaggon gemäß der Erfindung,
• Fig. 7 ist eine Längsansicht des Waggons nach Fig. 6,
• Fig. 8 ist ein Schnitt nach Linie VIII-VIII der Fig. 7,
• Fig. 9 A+B stellen einen Schnitt bzw. eine Seitenansicht des Chassisbodens des Waggons sowie des drehbaren Ladebodens dar,
• Fig. 10 A+B zeigen in vergrößertem Maßstab ein Detail der hydraulischen Sattelkupplung, und
• Fig. 11 zeigt in vergrößertem Maßstab ein Detail der rechten unteren Ecke in Fig. 7.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the attached figures.

• Fig. 1-5 represent a number of snapshots of a station in which the unloading and loading with trailers of a train composed of low loader wagons takes place.
• 6 shows a top view of a flatbed wagon according to the invention,
• Fig. 7 is a longitudinal view of the wagon of Fig. 6,
• Fig. 8 is a section along line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7,
• 9 A + B represent a section or a side view of the chassis floor of the wagon and of the rotatable loading floor,
• 10 A + B show on a larger scale a detail of the hydraulic fifth wheel, and
• 11 shows a detail of the lower right corner in FIG. 7 on an enlarged scale.

1 shows at 9.50 a platform 10 with bays 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a etc. to the left of a rail track 5 and bays 1b, 2b, 3b, 4b etc. to the right of a rail track. On the platform there are four tugs 6 to 9 in bays 1a, 2a, 3a and 4a, which wait until the train arrives at 10 a.m. The tugs are on the left side of the track. To the same There are four freighted trailers on the right-hand side with tugs 11 to 14 in bays 1b, 2b, 3b and 4b and are waiting to get as soon as the first-mentioned tugs 6 to 9 bring the loaded trailers from the rotating loading floors that are mounted on the wagons have driven off to load the newly loaded trailers onto these floors.

In FIG. 2, a train stops at platform 10 at exactly the specified point at 10 a.m., and the tugs 6 to 9 are ready to start in order to couple the trailers 16a to d etc. which have just arrived and to depart from the train 15. The four trailers 17a to d to be transported with tugs 11 to 14 are ready to start on the right side.

In Fig. 3, approximately at 10.50 a.m., immediately after the arrival of the train 15, as many hand cranks are pressed down as the number of trailers 16 that must be unloaded from the wagons; in the present case of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th wagons 18. The cranks 21 are mounted on an operating panel 20 on the front on the wagons 18 on both sides; see Fig. 7. The relevant hand cranks 21 are connected to an integrated switch, so that these cranks in the depressed position by one hand movement perform all manipulations, whereby the rotating loading floor 24 comes about 40 ° on both sides outside the wagon 18 and over the platforms 10 is rotated in the direction of travel of the waiting tractors 6 to 9, which have to drive backwards in order to drive the trailers 16 brought up by train from the rotating loading floors 24. The loading floors 24 are at the same time in the correct direction of travel of the tractors 11 to 14 with trailers 17a to d to be transported, which drive forward onto the relevant wagons 18 or on their rotating loading floors 24 as soon as the tractors 6 to 9 with trailers 16a to d Have cleared wagons 18 or their loading floors 24.

According to FIG. 4, 5 minutes later, ie at 10.10 am, the rotatable floors 24 on the platforms 10 are still pivoted 40 ° on both sides. The drivers of the tugs 6 to 9 drive backwards to the pivoted-out rotating loading floors 24, couple to the semitrailers 16 and depart from the rotating loading floors 24 within a few minutes. Immediately afterwards, the tractors 11 to 14, which are ready in the same oblique direction of travel, drive with the trailers 17 to be transported via the rotating loading floors 24 onto the wagons 18 and uncouple the respective trailer at the correct location on the rotating floor 24.

5, the rotatable loading floors 24 with the trailers 17 located thereon have been rotated back onto the wagons 18 by the hand cranks 21 being put up again. When the hand cranks 21 have been raised, the rotating floors 24 automatically turn back in the opposite direction, as previously described, and lock automatically within a few minutes. The train 15 then had a stay of about 20 minutes in which four trailers 16 left the train and four trailers 17 hit the train. If a train 15 arrives with 30 trailers 17 and leaves again with 30 trailers 17, this can take place in practically the same period of time, provided that as many "pick-up" tugs 6 to 9 are available as "bring" tugs 11 to 14 with attached trailers 17 and enough operating personnel.

Fig. 6 shows a loading floor 24 on a flat bed wagon 18 in plan view.

The loading floor 24 is e.g. 8.64 m long and, as soon as it lies on the wagon 18 in the longitudinal direction or is rotated, is automatically locked by securing pins 25 at the front and rear, so that the floor 24 cannot swing out while the wagon 18 is traveling. With 23 an electric motor is indicated, which drives a cranked screw shaft 26 a + b and can work in both directions of rotation. The screw shaft 26 is connected to a hydraulic fifth wheel 28 through a screw hole. The electric motor 23 with the screw shaft 26 urges the hydraulic fifth wheel 28 forward when the electric motor turns to the right; when the electric motor 23 turns to the left, the clutch 28 is pulled backwards by means of the screw shaft 26. There is also an electric motor 29 which drives a screw shaft 31 and pushes the hydraulic fifth wheel 28 to the left or pulls to the right in the transverse direction. This motor can also work in both directions of rotation, so that the hydraulic fifth wheel 28, if the trailer 16 in Fig. 7 is not quite straight on the rotating loading floor 24, can still be coupled to the wagon 18 by this possibility, so that also an emergency stop of the trailer 16 can neither forwards nor backwards nor sideways.

Fig. 7 is a side view of a flat bed wagon 18 with a loading floor height of 25 cm, calculated from the upper edge of the rails. On the loading floor 24 is a semi-trailer 16 12.20 m long, 2.50 m wide and 4.00 m high.

FIG. 7 shows a handwheel 32 which is used when the motor in FIG. 6 fails. Fig. 7 further shows the hydraulic fifth wheel 28, which is operated electrically with a double-acting cylinder 33. The cylinder 33 can adjust the hydraulic fifth wheel 28 both upwards and downwards. As soon as the clutch 28 receives an upward counter pressure of, for example, 15 bar, the electric hydraulic pump 34 in the circle of the cylinder 33 is automatically switched off. The hydraulic fifth wheel 28 maintains its counter pressure even when a safety lock bolt 36 is unlocked. This is the first action the moment the trailers are unloaded.

The hydraulic fifth wheel 28 is arranged on the wagon 18 in order to completely block the trailer 16 so that the trailers cannot roll or drive forwards or backwards during braking and pulling on the train or in the event of an emergency stop. The hydraulic fifth wheel 28 also serves to relieve the weight on the front supports of the trailer. The hydraulic saddle. Coupling acts electrically / hydraulically as previously described and can be operated by a hand crank 21, which is mounted on a switch panel 20, at the front. This hand crank has only two positions, up and down, and then works by means of an integrated switch. When the hand crank is in the middle, everything is switched off. The whole process for unloading and loading the semitrailer 16 is as follows:

• (1.) Vier elektrisch/hydraulische Pumpen 40, dargestellt in Fig. 11, werden wirksam, welche Pumpen mit vier Hochdruckzylindern 39 verbunden sind, die an der Federung 41 der Waggons montiert sind und welche das Waggonchassis ungefähr 5 bis 10 cm aus den Federn heben, so daß sich der drehbare Ladeboden 24 mit genügendem Spiel (d.h. genügender Höhe), über die Bahnsteige 10 links und rechts in Fig. 6 und 8 drehen kann.
• (2.) Darauf wird automatisch die Pumpe 34 der Sattelkupplung 28 der Fig. 7 eingeschaltet, die den Druck (ungefähr 15 bar), der noch auf die Kupplung einwirkt, entlastet, wonach sich die Kupplung bis in ihre freie Lage senkt, d.h. sie bleibt am Kupplungszapfen 42 hängen.
• (3.) Der Elektromotor 23 wird nun automatisch eingeschaltet. Dieser zieht die Kupplung 28 mittels der abgekröpften Schraubenwelle 26 a+b zurück; die Sattelkupplung 28 senkt sich dann zum niedrigsten Punkt, so daß zwischen dem Auflieger 16 und der Kupplung 28 ungefähr 200 mm lichte Weite besteht. Der Auflieger 16 steht dann ganz frei auf dem drehbaren Ladeboden 24, d.h. auf seinen Vorderstützen 37 und seinen Hinterrädern 43, so daß sich der drehbare Ladeboden auf dem Waggon drehen kann, nachdem vorher die Sicherheitsza^pfen 25 vorn und hinten aus dem drehbaren Ladeboden herausgezogen worden sind.
• (4.) Ein Elektromotor 44 (Fig. 6) wird gleichfalls automatisch eingeschaltet, um die vorher erwähnten Sicherungszapfen 25 zu eintriegeIn. In diesem Moment ist der drehbare Ladeboden 24 ganz frei von den Sicherungszapfen 25 des drehbaren Ladebodens. Versteifungen 46a, 46b verleihen dem ganzen Ladeboden überall genügend Tragkraft und bewirken, daß sich der drehbare Ladeboden bei einer Belastung von maximal 40 T nicht durchbiegt. Hierzu dienen ferner 16 stählerne Rollen 48 mit einem Durchmesser von 100 mm. Die Rollen 48 rollen über eine ebene Stahlplatte 49 von 10 mm Dicke, die über ihre ganze Länge und Breite am Chassis 50 des Tiefladewaggons 18 montiert bzw. verschweißt ist. Das Chassis besteht u.a. aus einem Bodenchassis 51 und vorn und hinten aus einem Radchassis 52 über den Rädern 53. An dem drehbaren Ladeboden ist ein stählernes Zahnrad 54 mit einem Durchmesser von 2800 mm und einer Dicke von 50 mm montiert. Dieses stählerne Zahnrad stützt sich ab auf einer Anzahl von 40 Drehkugeln 55, wie sie auch in Flugzeugböden verwendet werden, über welche die Ladeplatten rollen. Diese Drehkugein 55 mit einem Durchmesser von 100 mm sind teilweise in der Stahlplate 49 des Tiefladewaggons 18 versenkt, so daß die Tragfläche 84 nur 20 mm+50 mm=70 mm also insgesamt über die Stahlplatte 49 hinausragt. Die Unterseite de Rollen 48 stützt sich ab auf dem stählernen Boden des Tiefladewaggons 18 und die Oberseite der Drehkugeln 55 stützt sich ab gegen die Unterseite des großen Zahnrades 54.

First, the safety lock latches 36 of the trailers 16 (FIG. 7) that need to be unloaded are manually ejected. Then the hand cranks 21 (FIG. 7) of the wagons, the trailers 16 of which have to be unloaded, are pressed downwards. All of this happens in a matter of minutes. The following processes then run automatically (see also Fig. 11):

• (1.) Four electric / hydraulic pumps 40 shown in Fig. 11 operate, which pumps are connected to four high pressure cylinders 39 which are mounted on the suspension 41 of the wagons and which the wagon chassis about 5 to 10 cm from the springs lift so that the rotating loading floor 24 can rotate with sufficient play (ie sufficient height) over the platforms 10 left and right in FIGS. 6 and 8.
• (2.) Then the pump 34 of the fifth wheel coupling 28 of FIG. 7 is automatically switched on, which relieves the pressure (approximately 15 bar) which still acts on the coupling, after which the coupling lowers to its free position, ie it hangs on the coupling pin 42.
• (3.) The electric motor 23 is now switched on automatically. This pulls the clutch 28 back by means of the cranked screw shaft 26 a + b; the fifth wheel 28 then lowers to the lowest point, so that there is approximately 200 mm between the trailer 16 and the coupling 28. The trailer 16 is then completely free on the rotatable loading floor 24, ie on its front supports 37 and its rear wheels 43, so that the rotating loading floor can rotate on the wagon after the Sicherheitsza ^p fen 25 pulled out front and rear of the rotating loading floor have been.
• (4.) An electric motor 44 (FIG. 6) is also automatically switched on in order to enter the safety pins 25 mentioned above. At this moment, the rotatable loading floor 24 is completely free of the securing pin 25 of the rotating loading floor. Stiffeners 46a, 46b give the entire loading floor sufficient load-bearing capacity everywhere and ensure that the rotating loading floor does not bend under a maximum load of 40 T. 16 steel rollers 48 with a diameter of 100 mm are also used for this purpose. The rollers 48 roll over a flat steel plate 49 of 10 mm thickness, which is mounted or welded to the chassis 50 of the flat-bed wagon 18 over its entire length and width. The chassis consists inter alia of a floor chassis 51 and front and rear of a wheel chassis 52 above the wheels 53. A steel gearwheel 54 with a diameter of 2800 mm and a thickness of 50 mm is mounted on the rotatable loading floor. This steel gear is supported on a number of 40 rotating balls 55, as are also used in aircraft floors, over which the loading plates roll. These rotary balls 55 with a diameter of 100 mm are partially sunk in the steel plate 49 of the flatbed wagon 18, so that the support surface 84 protrudes only 20 mm + 50 mm = 70 mm, thus overall over the steel plate 49. The underside of the rollers 48 is supported on the steel floor of the flat-bed wagon 18 and the top of the rotating balls 55 is supported against the underside of the large gear 54.

The rotatable loading floor 24 is held in place by an axis 56 with a diameter of 100 mm, which projects through a bearing opening 57 in the center line 58 of the chassis floor 51 of the flatbed wagon 18. The axis 56 with a thickness of 100 mm is attached to the top of the gear 54 with a tapered support plane 61 and clamped by a nut 62 with a locking ring 63 and secured by a split pin, not shown. The axis 56 protrudes 120 mm from below out of the gear 54 and is supported and rotates in a conical ball bearing 66 which is sunk in the floor 49, 51 of the wagon, so that the nut 67, with which the entire rotating loading floor 24 is held in its place, does not protrude below the wagon 18, so it cannot get caught on an obstacle.

• (5.) Die Elektromotoren 71 (vorn und hinten) schalten automatisch ein. Der vordere Motor dreht links herum und der hintere Motor dreht rechts herum. Die Motore 71 bringen die Achsen 72 (vorn und hinten) in Bewegung, d.h. die eine Achse dreht links herum und die andere Achse dreht rechts herum. Das andere Ende dieser Achsen 72 treibt mittels eines Getriebes, montiert in einem Zahnradkasten 70, ein kleines horizontales Zahnrad 73 an. das m Eingriff mit dem großen Zahnrad 54 ist. Naturgemäß sind die Achsen 72 gelagert und sind die Zahnräder 54 und 73 einstellbar. Das Zahnrad 54 mit einem Durhmesser von 2800 mm ist an dem drehbaren Ladeboden 24 mit einer Anzahl versenkter Stahlbolzen 74 befestigt und kann daher leicht ersetzt werden, wenn Verschleiß oder etwaiger Bruch aufgetreten ist.

The axis 56 also does not protrude from the nut 67; the nut is namely held in place with a locking ring 68 by a slot (not visible) in the axis 56. A through hole 69 is drilled through the nut 67 and through the axle 56, in which a split pin (not shown) is attached. The moment the fifth wheel 28 (FIG. 10) is in its lowest position and the two safety pins 25 have been unlocked, the following occurs:

• (5.) The electric motors 71 (front and rear) switch on automatically. The front motor turns left and the rear motor turns right. The motors 71 set the axes 72 (front and rear) in motion, ie one axis turns to the left and the other axis turns to the right. The other end of these axles 72 drives a small one by means of a gearbox, mounted in a gear box 70 horizontal gear 73 on. that m mesh with the large gear 54. Naturally, the axles 72 are supported and the gears 54 and 73 are adjustable. The gear 54 with a diameter of 2800 mm is fastened to the rotatable loading floor 24 with a number of countersunk steel bolts 74 and can therefore be easily replaced if wear or breakage has occurred.

• (6.) Die elektrisch/hydraulischen Motoren 38 werden automatisch eingeschaltet und der Druck der Hochdruckzylinder 39 wird allmählich verringert, so daß sich der drehbare Ladeboden 24 sanft in Richtung auf die Bahnsteige 10 absenkt. Die Handkurbel 21 springt danach automatisch in die mittlere Position des Bedienungspaneels 20. Nun können die oben beschrieben Entlade- und Ladevorgänge ablaufen.

The underside of the gear 54 is completely flat and is supported on the rotating balls 55, which protrude 20 mm above the fixed bottom 49, 51 of the wagon 18. Thanks also to these rotating balls 55 and the 16 rollers 48 mentioned above, the rotating loading floor 23 rotates slightly above the floor 49, 51 of the wagon 18 and over the platforms 10 of FIGS. 6 and 8. As soon as the rotating loading floor protrudes 40 ° outside the wagon 18 , ie at the left front and rear right, the last process takes place:

• (6.) The electric / hydraulic motors 38 are automatically switched on and the pressure of the high-pressure cylinders 39 is gradually reduced, so that the rotatable loading floor 24 gently lowers in the direction of the platforms 10. The hand crank 21 then jumps automatically into the middle position of the control panel 20. Now the unloading and loading processes described above can be carried out.

• Sobalt der Auflieger 17 ganz in der Längsrichtung auf dem Waggon 18 steht, d.h., sobald der drehbare Ladeboden 24 aufs neue von Sicherungszapfen 25 verriegelt worden ist und die hydraulische Kupplung 28 in die erste Position von unten gegen den Auflieger 17 mit einem leichten Gegendruck gedrückt ist und der Elektromotor 23 die hydraulische Sattelkupplung 28 über Rollen 86 rückwärts drückt, die über 4 Längsschienen 87 gleiten, gleitet sie über den Kupplungszapfen 42 des Aufliegers. Wenn der Auflieger 17 jedoch von dem Fahrer nicht ganz gerade auf den drehbaren Ladeboden 24 gestellt worden ist, würde der Zapfen 42 nicht mittig in die hydraulische Sattelkupplung 28 schnellen. Deshalb sind an der Sattelkupplung 28 an der Vorderseite 2 Gleitschalter 76 links und rechts angebracht, die den Elektromotor 29 in Fig. 6 ein und aus, nach links und rechts drehen lassen können. Dabei versetzt die Kupplung 28 sich in der Querrichtung über Rollen 88, die in der richtigen Spur mit 3 Querrollen 89 in Fig. 10 bleiben. Der Motor 29 treibt eine Schraubenwelle 31 an, die sich in einem Schraubenloch 77 befindet und an der Sattelkupplung 28 befestigt ist. Mittels dieses Mechanismus ist es möglich, die hydraulische Sattelkupplung 28 etwa 10 cm nach links oder 10 cm nach rechts zu versetzen, so daß sie selber automatisch ihre richtige Stelle aufsucht und in den Kuplungszapfen 42 einrastet. Steht die hydraulische Sattelkupplung 28 in der richtigen Position unterhalb des Aufliegers 17 und somit in dem Kupplungszapfen 42, so wird sie, wie oben schon beschrieben, elektrisch/ hydraulisch hochgedrückt, bis ein vorgegebener Gegendruck erreicht ist, wonach sich der Elektromotor 29 ausschaltet. Das blockierungsschloss 36 der hydraulischen Sattelkupplung wird manuell eingedrückt, und die Auflieger 17 sind erneut blockiert.

Immediately afterwards, the hand cranks 21 are moved from the central position into the upper position, and the same processes take place in the reverse order. When turning back the shelves 24, an additional operation must be carried out:

• As soon as the trailer 17 is in the longitudinal direction on the wagon 18, that is, as soon as the rotatable loading floor 24 has been locked again by securing pin 25 and the hydraulic coupling 28 is pressed into the first position from below against the trailer 17 with a slight counter pressure and the electric motor 23 pushes the hydraulic fifth wheel 28 backwards via rollers 86 which slide over 4 longitudinal rails 87, it slides over the coupling pin 42 of the trailer. If, however, the trailer 17 was not placed quite straight on the rotatable loading floor 24 by the driver, the pin 42 would not snap into the center of the hydraulic fifth wheel 28. Therefore, 2 slide switches 76 are attached to the left and right of the fifth wheel coupling 28 on the front, which can turn the electric motor 29 in FIG. 6 on and off, left and right. The clutch 28 is offset in the transverse direction via rollers 88 which remain in the correct track with 3 transverse rollers 89 in FIG. 10. The motor 29 drives a screw shaft 31, which is located in a screw hole 77 and is fastened to the fifth wheel coupling 28. By means of this mechanism, it is possible to move the hydraulic fifth wheel 28 about 10 cm to the left or 10 cm to the right, so that it automatically searches for its correct position itself and engages in the coupling pin 42. If the hydraulic fifth wheel 28 is in the correct position below the trailer 17 and thus in the coupling pin 42, it is, as already described above, pushed up electrically / hydraulically until a predetermined back pressure is reached, after which the electric motor 29 switches off. The locking lock 36 of the hydraulic fifth wheel coupling is pushed in manually, and the trailers 17 are blocked again.

There are as many pushbuttons 78 on the control panel 20 as there are operations that must be carried out. If there is a malfunction in the integrated switch that could not be used, you can switch to manual control. Even if the power of a wagon were to fail, everything can be operated manually by pulling the rotating loading floors inwards and outwards with the help of the tractors on hooks 82, which are attached to the rotating loading floors 24, with handwheels 32 and 79 and hand crank 81 are. In the event of a fault, the hydraulic part is operated by a mobile diesel hydraulic pump which is kept in reserve on the loading platforms and which can be connected to the wagons with a quick-release fastener by means of a high-pressure fitting 83 on both sides of the wagon 18.

A train is delayed somewhat by such a disturbance, but thanks to the precautionary measures described, there is no fundamental operational disturbance.

The parts 23, 25, 28, 29, 33, 34, 36, 39, 40, 44, 71, which are operated electrically or electrically / hydraulically, can also be driven pneumatically. The pneumatic pressure is approximately 10 bar throughout the train. This pressure is supplied by the locomotive's compressor. If for some reason this would not be possible, the trains will be connected to an air pressure source of the station during the deleting and loading process of the trailers.

Parts 21 and 78 in Fig. 7 are then connected to an integrated timer which sequentially performs the operations using high pressure valves and switches.

Claims (12)

1. Method of loading and unloading low-loader railway wagons (18) with lorry semi-trailers from or onto lateral ramps (10), the semi-trailer (16, 17) being manoeuvred by means of a tractor onto or from a loading platform (24) that is mounted on the wagon pivotably about a vertical axis (56), and its kingpin (42) being engaged by a supporting device (28) arranged on the wagon or being released therefrom, characterised in that

a) when loading, the tractor pulls the semi-trailer completely onto the loading platform which rests on ramps on both sides of the wagon, the supports (37) of the trailer are lowered, the tractor is uncoupled and driven away and then the loading platform is pivoted into the travel position and lowered, and the supporting device (28) arranged on the wagon in front of the coupling- side end of the loading platform is extended into engagement with the coupling device (42) until the supports are relieved of load, and

b) when unloading, these operations take place in the reverse order.

2. Low-loader railway wagon (18) for transporting semi-trailers, having a loading platform (24) mounted on tha wagon chassis pivotably about a vertical axis (56), and having an extensible supporting device (28) for relieving the load on the semi-trailer, characterised in that the supporting device (28) is mounted on the wagon chassis (10) and is constructed to engage in the coupling device (42) of the trailer in self-centring manner.

3. Wagon according to claim 2, characterised by an electro-hydraulically operated supporting device (28).

4. Wagon according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the supporting device can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the wagon into and out of engagement with the coupling device and in so doing can be displaced laterally in self-centring manner.

5. Wagon according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the supporting device can be locked in its engagement position by means of a securing device (36).

6. Wagon according to any one of claims 2 to 5, - characterised by securing locks (25) for securing the loading deck (24) in its travel position.

7. Wagon according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterised by a lifting device (39, 40) which acts between the wagon chassis (10) and the wagon running gear (41) and can be operated while the loading deck (24) is turning.

8. Wagon according to claim 7, characterised in that the lifting device is of electro-hydraulic construction.

9. Wagon according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterised in that the loading deck (24) is roller-mounted on the wagon chassis (10).

10. Wagon according to claim 9, characterised in that under the loading deck (24) there is mounted a drivable toothed wheel (54) which is mounted on balls (55) embedded in the chassis.

11. Wagon according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that the loading deck (24) is provided with reinforcements (46a, 46b) which are supported on the chassis by means of rollers.

12. Wagon according to claims 2 to 8, characterised by a sequential control device for the automatic progression of the following operations after the pivoted-out loading deck has been loaded:

a) operation of the lifting device,

b) pivoting of the loading deck into the travel position,

c) lowering of the lifting device,

d) operation of the securing locks,

e) movement of the supporting device until it engages with the coupling device,

f) raising of the coupling device by means of the supporting device,

the sequential control device for the unloading operation being constructed to operate in the reverse order.

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