EP3010775B1

EP3010775B1 - Container transfer system and method of its operation

Info

Publication number: EP3010775B1
Application number: EP13750143.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Heine BLACH JENSEN
Original assignee: Safe Green Logistics AS
Current assignee: Safe Green Logistics AS
Priority date: 2013-06-17
Filing date: 2013-06-17
Publication date: 2017-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 2033-06-17
Also published as: EP3010775A1; WO2014203024A1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention pertains to a system for transferring freight containers to and from a railway freight car, in particular between a truck and a railway freight car (see, for example, US 2 294 928 A , corresponding to the preamble of claim 1).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, no standard solutions exist for the integration of truck and rail goods transfer, and the two are most often seen as competing methods of transporting goods. One solution involves transporting the truck trailer on a special railway freight car. Normally, the freight container is transferred between a truck and a railway freight car by means of lifting cranes and can therefore only be done at locations where such cranes are present. These locations are normally not widespread, because the installation, maintenance and operation of lifting cranes are rather expensive.
In order to alleviate the use of cranes, a few concepts of transferring freight containers between trucks and a railway freight car have been developed, as briefly discussed below.
Instead of transporting whole trucks on railway tracks, another concept has been tried in USA, where only the "buggy" with the container was transferred to a specially built railway freight car. The 'buggy' and container is transferred to and from the railway freight car by means of large and powerful mobile units or traditional lifting cranes. Handling of the containers this way is time-consuming, and the solution is not energy efficient since the freight train needs to move the additional weight of the "buggy".
Another container transfer system employs a swivel function. Such a system is for example described in WO 2005/097 575 A1 , which utilizes a special railway wagon having a so-called swap body, which may be swiveled to one of the sides of the wagon. The container is then transferred end-wise to this swap body, after which it is swiveled back to the special railway wagon. In order to support the swap body when it is swiveled away from the train wagon, the swap body is equipped with a number of supporting legs. Although this and similar systems are commercially available, they are not widespread, because terminal investment costs are huge attributable to the need for providing a special railway train wagon having this swivel functionality. Furthermore it requires an extensive parking area which must be able to accommodate a large number of trucks.
In US 1,830,740 is disclosed transfer wagon, by which containers may be transferred from a warehouse to a railway freight car, or vise versa. The transfer wagon is placed on a railway track alongside the railway track, on which the freight train is placed, and the containers are transferred sideways to and from the freight cars.
In US 4,130,208 is disclosed another transfer wagon. In a typical operation, freight containers are transferred substantially horizontally and sideways between a railway freight car and the transfer wagon. Then the transfer wagon is moved to a parking place of a truck and aligned along the side of the boogie of the truck and transferred substantially horizontally and sideways from the transfer wagon to the truck.
In US 4,522,546 a system is described for transfer of containers to and from flatcars of a freight train halted on a main track by means of sets of self-propelled transfer vehicles running on ancillary tracks in parallel with the main track, wherein said transfer vehicles are equipped with supporting arms extendable transversely to the tracks, enabling movement of a selected container onto such vehicle from a flatcar aligned therewith, or vice versa, from the vehicle to the flatcar. Said supporting arms can extend half of their length to span the main track and to project underneath a container on a flatcar, whereupon the arms are elevated by jacks in order to release the container from stationary sills and to shift it together with the arms moving back on the corresponding transfer vehicle and resting on said vehicle. Moreover, the container can be transferred between transfer vehicles on neighboring tracks, and between a transfer vehicle and a roadside truck. Said system faces balance problems during transfer operations, which are counteracted by means of railhead-gripping jaws on the transfer vehicles.
In WO 2011/064 621 A1 is disclosed a transfer vehicle for transferring a freight container from a railway flatcar horizontally and sideways onto said transfer vehicle. When placed on the transfer vehicle, the bottom of the transfer vehicle can be lowered, and the container can roll of the transfer vehicle along the longitudinal direction of it.
EP 2 108 605 A1 shows a freight container, which is transferred horizontally and sideways directly from a railway freight car and a truck.
In WO 96/02445 A1 is described a method and device for transferring a freight container from a railway freight car to a truck. The transfer device is placed on a truck, and it comprises a telescopically extendable arm, which like the forks of a forklift is extended and placed under a container to be transferred. The system employs special twist locks, which may be lowered (vertically movable) when the arm is placed under the container, whereby the container will be free to move horizontally from the railway freight car to the truck.
Despite all the commercial and pre-commercial solutions already known in the art, all of them suffer from drawbacks, such as high energy consumption, complex design being difficult and expensive to maintain, and terminal investments such as integration with equipment already in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a system for transferring freight containers to and from a railway freight car, in particular between a truck and a railway freight car, which is environmentally friendly, cost effective, flexible and easy to operate.
According to the present invention as defined in claim 1, the above-mentioned and other objects are fulfilled by a transfer system for horizontally and transversally transferring a freight container between a railway freight car and a vehicle, said transfer system being placed on said vehicle and comprising at least two grabber arms which are movable only in a direction transversal to the longitudinal extension of said vehicle into openings in a frame placed under the freight container, wherein the movement of each of the at least two grabber arms is accomplished by an endless chain which is driven by a drive wheel that cooperates with said chain, and which is operatively connected to a drive motor, and in that two tensioner wheels are placed at each side of said drive wheel, characterised in that each of the tensioner wheels are hinged to a shaft, which is tensioned by a spring force or hydraulic cylinder and piston means, said tensioner wheels cooperating with the chain in such a way that one or the other tensioner wheels causes a tightening of the chain in dependence of whether the chain or both the chain and the grabber arm is/are driven in one or the other direction.
When a chain is driven in one direction, it will only be tensioned at one side of the drive wheel. (This situation is for example known to anyone who owns a standard bicycle, wherein the chain is tight above the drive wheel and relaxed under it).
By using two tensioner wheels, one at each side of the drive wheel, a transfer system is achieved wherein the grabbing arm can move in two opposite directions, without risking losing the chain, which could otherwise fall off the drive wheel when the chain is driven in the opposite direction. This situation is, however, precluded by letting the two tensioner wheels cooperate with the chain in such a way that one or the other tensioner wheel causes a tightening of the chain in dependence of whether the chain, and thereby the grabber arm, is driven in one or the other direction. Accordingly, by the invention is achieved a transfer system that may be used regardless of which of the two sides of the vehicle that faces the railway freight car, because it is possible to move the grabber arm in both directions by the claimed transfer system. This greatly increases the flexibility of the system as compared to those known in the art.
Throughout the present patent specification the wordings "shipping container, or "standard shipping container", or simply "container" are used interchangeably. By this is meant what commonly is called an intermodal container, freight container, ISO container or shipping container. In essence, it is a standardized reusable steel box used for the safe, efficient and secure storage and movement of materials and products within a global containerized intermodal freight transport system. "Intermodal" indicates that the container can be moved from one mode of transport to another (from ship, to rail, to truck) without unloading and reloading the contents of the container, each of which has a unique ISO 6346 reporting mark. The container capacity is often expressed in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), which is a unit of capacity equal to one standard 20 ft × 8 ft (6.10 m × 2.44 m) (length × width) container.
A typical container has doors fitted at one end, and is constructed of corrugated weathering steel. The containers are typically 8 feet (2.44 m) wide by 8 feet (2.44 m) high, and either a nominal 20 feet (6.1 m) or 40 feet (12.19 m) long. They could be stacked up to seven units high. At each of the eight corners are castings with openings for twistlock fasteners.
The "pallet wide" containers are about 2 inches (5 cm) wider than standard containers to accommodate for Euro-pallets common in Europe. These containers feature an internal width of 2440 mm for easy loading of two 1200 mm long pallets side by side-many sea shipping providers in Europe allow these, as overhangs on standard containers are sufficient and they fit in the usual interlock spaces. With the same floor panel, the side ribs of pallet-wide containers are embossed to the outside instead of being molded to the inside.
By a freight car is meant a railway wagon configured to transport a standard shipping container. These freight cars could also be ordinary flat cars equipped with twistlocks accommodated to lock the containers to it.
In a preferred embodiment of the transfer system according the invention, the tensioner wheels are symmetrically arranged at each side of the drive wheel. Hereby is achieved a symmetrical tensioning of the chain when the direction of movement of it is changed. According to the invention, each of the tensioner wheels is hinged to a shaft, which is tensioned by a spring force, and preferably said spring force is dimensioned to ensure sufficient tightening of the chain.
In another preferred embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, said spring force or said tensioner wheels are coupled to an activation mechanism which activates one or the other of the tensioner wheels in dependence of whether the chain is driven in one or the other direction.
Preferably, the chain runs along the entire length of the grabber arm and over a turning wheel placed at each opposite end of said arm. Hereby is achieved that the grabber arm is effectively embedded by or surrounded by the chain. Hereby is achieved that a container can be moved both by a movement of the chain alone or by a movement of the grabbing arm alone, or by a simultaneous movement of both the chain and the grabbing arm. However, preferably the container is moved by a movement of the chain alone, followed by a movement of the grabbing arm alone or vise versa, depending on whether the container is transferred to or from the vehicle.
In another embodiment, the transfer system according to the invention may further comprise wheel locking means for locking the turning wheels and thereby causing the grabber arm to move when the endless chain is driven.
In a further embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, the wheel locking means are activated to lock the turning wheels when the grabber arm is moved from the vehicle into the opening in the frame placed under the freight container until the grabber arm reaches a position wherein the grabber arm engages the frame of the container, after which the wheel locking means are released and the container is pulled onto the vehicle by driving the chain in the opposite direction. Hereby a simple, effective and reliable way of moving the grabber arm is achieved by moving the chain.
In a further preferred embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, at least one catch is fixed to the chain, said catch comprising a transversal shaft for engaging a feature of the frame under the container. Preferably, only one catch is attached to the chain.
In a further preferred embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, the catch is fixed to one single chain link, such that the transversal shaft may follow the turning wheels to a position lower than the upper side of the grabbing arm, and be inserted into an opening of the frame, where after it may be locked to said frame by a movement of the chain in the opposite direction.
In a further preferred embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, each of the grabbing arms is placed on an elongated console having a first and a second end and substantially the same length as the grabbing arm, said console comprising identical activation means placed at each end thereof, each said activation means being operatively connected to at least one container lock for fixing a container to the vehicle by locking engagement to the container frame when the grabbing arm slides past said activation means. By operatively linking the container locks on the vehicle to the movement of the grabbing arm, it is ensured that a proper activation/deactivation of the container locks is achieved when moving the container to or from the vehicle.
In a further embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, said container locks engage the inner side of the frame of the container when the container is locked to the vehicle.
In a further embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, the grabbing arm is operable to be moved in a direction away from the railway freight car, to or from which freight car a container is to be moved in order to first deactivate the container lock(s) in the side of the vehicle that are furthest away from the railway freight car.
In a further embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, the grabbing arm is operable to be moved in a direction towards the railway freight car, to or from which freight car a container is to be moved in order to secondly deactivate the container lock(s) in the side of the vehicle that are closest to the railway freight car.
Hereby is ensured that only the container lock in the side that is necessary for the movement of the container is de-activated.
The transfer system according to the invention may further comprise grabbing arm locking means which are operable to fix the grabbing arm relative to the vehicle when the wheel locking means are released in order to ensure that there is no movement of the grabbing arm when only the chain is to be moved; otherwise the arm will move as well due to inevitable friction.
The transfer system according to the invention may in a further embodiment comprise at least one locking arm configured for engaging a special lock in the railway freight car in order to unlock the frame and thereby the container that is placed on the railway freight car. In a further preferred embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, said locking arm furthermore causes alignment of the vehicle with the particular railway freight car, to or from which the container is to be moved. Hereby is achieved that the grabbing arms will be aligned with the openings in the frame under the container to be moved from a railway freight car.
In a further embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, the vehicle or the transfer system further comprises at least two rails, whereon wheels placed under the frame of the container can roll during movement of the container to and from said vehicle.
In a further preferred embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, the openings in the frame under the container are formed as an inverted T. Hereby the shaft of the catch can be inserted into the openings when it is placed in the position that is lower than the upper side of the grabber arm, and locked to the frame by moving the chain in a direction that forces the catch to move upwardly along the turning wheel until it engages the "narrow" part of the inverted T. Then the container may be moved by a movement of the catch via a movement of the chain and/or the grabbing arm.
In a further preferred embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, the vehicle is a truck, for example an electrically powered truck.
In another embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, the vehicle is a transfer vehicle configured to be movable on railway tracks alongside the railway freight car. Such a transfer vehicle is to be used at a central hub reloading station.
The transfer vehicle may further comprise a plurality of wheels arranged along each longitudinal side of said transfer vehicle, wherein said wheels are configured to engage the frame of the container when the transfer system onto which a container is placed is lowered, thereby enabling the container to roll off the transfer vehicle in a direction along the railway tracks. Preferably, a whole freight train comprising a plurality of railway freight cars can be unloaded in a very short time by using a plurality of such transfer vehicles. This can be done by first and substantially simultaneously horizontally and transversally moving the containers from the railway freight cars, and then moving the containers on the wheels of the transfer vehicles, so that they will roll from one transfer vehicle to the next until they reach a stationary container transport system at the end of the first transfer vehicle. In this way, a whole freight train may be unloaded in a matter of minutes.
At least some of said wheels of the transfer vehicle are operatively connected to a drive motor and control system for controlling the movement of the container on said wheels.
The transfer system may further comprise such a stationary container transport system for transporting the containers to and from a parcel and goods management facility, where the containers are unloaded and reloaded for shipment to local stations, where they are transferred from the freight train to trucks for further distribution of the goods to the end consumer.

BREIF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings. In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, wherein

Fig. 1: shows an embodiment of a transfer system according to the invention,
Fig. 2: shows an embodiment of a transfer system according to the invention,
Fig. 3: shows an embodiment of a transfer system according to the invention,
Fig. 4: shows an embodiment of a frame for a container,
Fig. 5: shows an embodiment of a transfer system according to the invention placed on the chassis of a vehicle,
Fig. 6: shows an embodiment of a transfer system according to the invention, which further comprises a locking arm,
Fig. 7: shows how the catch is engaged and locked to the openings in the side sections of the container frame,
Fig. 8: shows how the catch is engaged and locked to the openings in the side sections of the container frame,
Fig. 9: shows a container frame which has been partly pulled over onto a vehicle,
Fig. 10: shows an end view of an embodiment of a transfer vehicle,
Fig. 11: shows a close up of a detail of a transfer vehicle,
Fig. 12: shows a side view of an embodiment of a transfer vehicle,
Fig. 13: shows an end view of an embodiment of a transfer vehicle, wherein the transfer system has been lowered,
Fig. 14: shows a side view of an embodiment of a transfer vehicle wherein the transfer system has been lowered, and
Fig. 15: shows an embodiment of a transfer vehicle, without the transfer system attached to it.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims, to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Like elements will, thus, not be described in detail with respect to the description of each figure.
Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a transfer system 2 according to the invention, i.e. a transfer system 2 for horizontally and transversally transferring a freight container (not shown) between a railway freight car (not shown) and a vehicle (not shown). The illustrated transfer system 2 is placed on the vehicle, e.g. a truck, and comprises at least two grabber arms 4 which are movable only in a direction transversal to the longitudinal extension of said vehicle into openings in a frame placed under the freight container. The movement of each of the at least two grabber arms 4 is accomplished by an endless chain 6 which is driven by a drive wheel 8 that cooperates with said chain 6 and which is operatively connected to a drive motor (not shown). The transfer system 2 also comprises two tensioner wheels 10 which are placed at each side of said drive wheel 8, where said tensioner wheels 10 cooperate with the chain 6 in such a way that one or the other tensioner wheels 10 causes a tightening of the chain 6, depending on whether the chain 6, or both the chain 6 and the grabber arm 4, is driven in one or the other direction.
One catch 12 is fixed to the chain 6. The catch comprises a transversal shaft 14 for engaging a feature of the frame under the container to be moved.
The drive wheel 8 and tensioner wheels 10 are sprocket wheels, which cooperate with the individual links of the chain 6.
By using two tensioner wheels 10, one at each side of the drive wheel 8, a transfer system 2 is achieved wherein the grabbing arm 4 (and/or chain 6) can move in two opposite directions, without risking losing the chain 6, which could otherwise fall off the drive wheel 8 when the chain 6 is driven in the opposite direction. This situation is, however, precluded by letting the two tensioner wheels 10 cooperate with the chain 6 in such a way that one or the other tensioner wheel 10 causes a tightening of the chain 6 in dependence of whether the chain 6 and the grabber arm 4 is driven in one or the other direction. Accordingly, it is by the invention achieved a transfer system that may be used irrespective of which of the two sides of the vehicle faces the railway freight car, because it is possible to move the grabber arm 4 in both directions by the claimed transfer system 2. This greatly increases the flexibility of the system 2 as compared to those known in the art.
The tensioner wheels 10 are symmetrically arranged at each side of the drive wheel 8. Hereby is achieved a symmetrical tensioning of the chain 6 when the direction of movement of it is changed. Each of the tensioner wheels 10 is hinged to a shaft 16, which is tensioned by a spring force, and preferably said spring force is dimensioned to ensure sufficient tightening of the chain 6. Said spring force or said tensioner wheels 10 are coupled to an activation mechanism (not shown), which activates one or the other of the tensioner wheels 10 in dependence of whether the chain 6 is driven in one or the other direction. However, in an alternative embodiment the tensioner wheels 10 are not tensioned by a spring force, but tensioned by other means, i.e. hydraulic piston and cylinder means. Preferably, the tensioner wheels 10 are thereafter fixed (in a "tensioned stated") by bolt and nut means.
The chain 6 runs along the entire length of the grabber arm 4 and over a turning wheel 18 placed at each opposite end of said grabber arm 4. Hereby is achieved that the grabber arm 4 effectively is embedded by or surrounded by the chain 6. Hereby is achieved that a container can be moved both by a movement of the chain 6 alone or by a movement of the grabbing arm 4 alone, or by a simultaneous movement of both the chain 6 and the grabbing arm 4. However, preferably the container is moved by a movement of the chain 6 alone followed by a movement of the grabbing arm 4 alone or vice versa, depending on whether the container is transferred to or from the vehicle. The grabber arm 4 is attached to a console 20.
The transfer system 2 comprises wheel locking means 22, for locking the turning wheels 18, and thereby causing the grabber arm 4 to move when the endless chain 6 is driven by the drive wheel 8. As better illustrated in Fig. 2 the wheel locking means 22 comprises a cylinder 24 and pin 26. The pin 26 can upon activation of the cylinder be moved in between the sprockets of the turning wheel 18, whereby a movement of the chain by the drive wheel 8 will cause a movement of the grabber arm 4.
The transfer system 2 according to the invention may further comprise grabbing arm locking means 28, which are operable to fix the grabbing arm 4 relative to the vehicle, when the wheel locking means 22 are released in order to ensure no movement of the grabbing arm 4, when only the chain 6 is to be moved-otherwise the grabbing arm 4 will move as well due to inevitable friction. The illustrated grabbing arm locking means 28 is embodied as a cylinder and pin, where the pin is configured to engage an aperture in the grabbing arm 4 when the cylinder is activated.
As may be seen in Fig. 3, the illustrated grabbing arm 4 is placed on an elongated console 20 having a first and a second end 30, 32, and substantially the same length as the grabbing arm 4. The console 20 comprises identical activation means 34 placed at each end 30, 32 thereof. Each of these activation means 34 is operatively connected to at least one container lock 36 for fixing a container to the vehicle by locking engagement to the container frame when the grabbing arm 4 slides past said activation means 34. By operatively linking the container locks 36 on the vehicle to the movement of the grabbing arm 4 it is ensured that a proper activation/de-activation of the container locks 36 are achieved, when moving the container to or from the vehicle. The container locks 36 are configured to engage the inner side of the frame of the container, when the container is locked to the vehicle.
Fig. 4 shows a frame 38 for a container (not shown). The illustrated frame 38 is rectangular and configured to accommodate a 40 foot shipping container. The frame 38 can in some embodiments form an integral part of the bottom part of a container or may as illustrated be a separate unit, which is fixed to a container to be used in connection with the inventive transfer system 2. The frame 38 comprises two side sections 42, which are connected by two end sections 44. At least two openings 40 are provided in each of the frame side sections 42. These openings 40 are embodied as an inverted T. Since the openings 40 in the frame 38 under the container are formed as an inverted T, the shaft 14 of the catch 12 can be inserted into the openings 40, when it is placed in the position, which is lower than the upper side of the grabber arm 40, and locked to the frame 38 by moving the chain 6 in a direction, which forces the catch 12 to move upwardly along the turning wheel 18 until it engages the "narrow" part of the inverted T. Then the container may be moved by a movement of the catch 12 via a movement of the chain 6 and/or the grabbing arm 4.
The frame 38 is also equipped with a plurality of wheels 46 arranged on suitable beams 48, which extend between the two side sections 42 of the frame 38. The wheels 46 placed under the frame 38 of the container are configured to roll during movement of the container to and from said vehicle. As will be illustrated in further embodiments of the transfer system 2 according to the invention, the vehicle or the transfer system 2 further comprises at least two rails, on which said wheels can roll at least during parts of the horizontal and transversal movement of the container between the vehicle and railway freight car.
Fig. 5 shows a transfer system 2 according to the invention placed on a chassis 50 of a vehicle. The vehicle is placed next to a railway freight car 52, on which a container is placed. In order to increase the intelligibility of the illustration, only the frame 38 of the container is shown. All the container locks 36 are operatively connected via the axle 54. In this illustration the shaft 14 of the catch 12 is more clearly visible. Also illustrated are the rails 56 whereon the wheels 46 placed under the frame 38 of the container can roll during movement of the container to and from the vehicle. The railway freight car 52 is equipped with a special lock 58, which has a gripper 60, which is configured to engage an aperture in the side section 42 of the frame 38 for locking the container frame 38 and thereby the attached container (not shown) to the railway freight car 52 during transport.
As Illustrated in Fig. 6, the transfer system 2 according to an embodiment of the invention, further comprises at least one locking arm 62 configured for engaging the special lock 58 in the railway freight car 52 in order to unlock the frame 38 and thereby the container that is placed on the railway freight car 52. When the locking arm 62 is inserted into the lock 58, the gripper 60 is forced to disengage the aperture 64 in the side section 42 of the frame 38, and lowered below the frame 38. This way the frame 38 has been released in the side, which faces the vehicle, where the transfer system 2 is placed. It still remains locked at the opposite side, whereby it is precluded that it may slide off the railway freight car 52. The engagement of the locking arm 62 with the lock 58 furthermore causes alignment of the vehicle with the particular railway freight car 52 from which the illustrated frame 38 and container (not shown) is to be moved. Hereby is achieved that the grabbing arms 4 will be aligned with the openings 40 in the frame 38 under the container to be moved from the railway freight car 52.
Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 shows how the catch 12 is engaged and locked to the opening 40 in the side section 42 of the frame 38. Initially the wheel locking means 22 are activated to lock the turning wheels 18 when the grabber arm 4 is moved from the vehicle into the opening 40 in the frame 38 placed under the freight container until the grabber arm 4 reaches a position wherein the grabber arm 4 engages the frame 38 of the container, after which the wheel locking means 18 are released, and the container is pulled onto the vehicle by driving the chain 6 in the opposite direction. Hereby a simple, effective and reliable way of moving the grabber arm 4 is achieved by moving the chain 6.
In the illustrated embodiment, the catch 12 is fixed to one single chain link, such that the transversal shaft 14 may follow the turning wheels 18 to a position lower than the upper side of the grabbing arm 4 and be inserted into the opening 40 of the frame 38, where after it may be locked to said frame 38 by a movement of the chain 6 in the opposite direction. In Fig. 7 the shaft 14 of the catch 12 is in the lower position, where it may enter the opening 40 at the "wise" part of the inverted T. Thereafter the movement of the grabbing arm 4 is stopped, ant it is held fixed in that position, while only the chain 6 is moved-now in the opposite direction, thereby pulling the catch 12 and thereby the shaft 14 in up over the turning wheel 18 until it reaches the upper side of the grabbing arm 4 (se Fig. 8). In this position the shaft 14 of the catch 12 will engage the narrow part of the inverted T shaped opening 40, and the frame and thereby the container attached to it may be pulled by moving the chain 6 and/or the grabbing arm 4.
In the illustrated embodiment of the transfer system 2 the grabbing arm 4 is operable to be moved in a direction away from the railway freight car 52, from which freight car 52, the container is to be moved in order to first deactivate the container lock(s) 36 in the side of the vehicle, which are furthest away from the railway freight car 52. Then, when the grabbing arm 4 is moved in a direction towards the railway freight car 52 it will slide past said activation means 34 and thereby secondly deactivate the container lock(s) 36 in the side of the vehicle, which are closest to the railway freight car 52. Hereby is ensured that only the container locks 36 in the side, which is necessary for the movement of the container, is de-activated.
Fig. 9 shows a container frame 38, which have been partly pulled over onto a vehicle 66. As illustrated the grabber arm 4 is fixed in its extended position, while the container frame 38 is pulled over onto the vehicle 66. The illustrated vehicle 66 is a truck, which for example could be an electrically powered truck.
Similarly, when a container has to be moved from the vehicle 66, such as the illustrated truck, the transversal shaft 14 of the catch 12 is used to push on the outer side of the side section 42, where said shaft 14 will engage the narrow, upper part of the inverted T. Thus, it is seen that the illustrated form of the openings 40 in the side section 42 is configured to cooperate with the catch 12 in such a way that it enables a user to either transfer a container from the vehicle 66 to a railway freight car 52 or from a railway freight car 52 to a vehicle 66 using the same transfer system 2.
Fig. 10 shows an end view of another embodiment, wherein the transfer system 2 according to the invention is placed on a special transfer vehicle 68. The transfer vehicle 68 comprises a number of wheels 70 configured to be movable on railway tracks alongside the railway freight car 52. Such a transfer vehicle 68 is to be used at a central hub reloading station.
The transfer vehicle may further comprise a plurality of wheels 72 arranged along each longitudinal side of said transfer vehicle 68 as illustrated in the close up Fig. 11. Fig. 12 shows a side view of such a transfer vehicle 68, with a container frame 38 on top of it.
Fig. 13 and 14 show the transfer vehicle 68, where the transfer system 2 onto which the frame 38 is placed is lowered so that the wheels 72 engage the frame 38 of the container (not shown), thereby enabling the frame 38 (with a container) to roll off the transfer vehicle 68 in a direction along the railway tracks. Preferably, a whole freight train comprising a plurality of railway freight cars 52 can be unloaded in a very short time by using a plurality of such transfer vehicles 68. This can be done by first and substantially simultaneously horizontally and transversally moving the containers from the railway freight cars 52, and then moving the containers on the wheels 72 of the transfer vehicles 68, so that they will roll from one transfer vehicle 68 to the next, until they reach a stationary container transport system at the end of the first transfer vehicle 68. In this way, a whole freight train may be unloaded in a matter of minutes.
At least some of said wheels 72 of the transfer vehicle 68 are operatively connected to a drive motor (not shown) and control system (not shown) for controlling the movement of the container on said wheels 72.
Fig. 15 shows an embodiment of such a transfer vehicle 68, without the transfer system 2 attached to it. Here the wheels 72, which are configured to engage the side sections 42 of the frame 38 of a container, are clearly visible, and it is clearly visible that these wheels 72 enable the container frame 38, and thereby a container attached to it, to move along the longitudinal extension of the transfer vehicle, i.e. in a direction perpendicular to the direction, a container is transferred between a railway freight car 52 and the transfer vehicle 68.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

In the following is given a list of reference numbers that are used in the detailed description of the invention.

2: transfer system,
4: grabber arm,
6: chain,
8: drive wheel,
10: tensioner wheels,
12: catch,
14: transversal shaft of the catch,
16: shaft to which the tensioner wheels are hinged,
18: turning wheels,
20: console to which the grabber arm is attached,
22: wheel locking means,
24: cylinder of wheel locking means,
26: pin of wheel locking means,
28: grabbing arm locking means,
30, 32: ends of the console,
34: container lock activation means,
36: container locks,
38: frame of a container,
40: openings in the frame of the container,
42: side sections of the frame of the container,
44: end sections of the frame of the container,
46: wheels attached to the frame of the container,
48: beams to which the wheels 46 are attached,
50: chassis of vehicle,
52: railway freight car,
54: axle operatively connecting the container locks,
56: rails for the wheels 46 to roll on,
58: special lock on the railway freight car in order to fix container frame to it,
60: gripper of the lock 58,
62: locking arm for alignment of the vehicle and freight car while transferring a container,
64: aperture in the frame for engagement of the gripper 60,
66: vehicle,
68: transfer vehicle movable on railway tracks,
70: railway wheels of the transfer vehicle, and
72: rolling wheels of the transfer vehicle configured for engaging the side sections of the frame, when the transfer system is lowered.

Claims

A transfer system (2) for horizontally and transversally transferring a freight container between a railway freight car (52) and a vehicle (66), said transfer system being placed on said vehicle and comprising at least two grabber arms (4) that are movable only in a direction transversal to the longitudinal extension of said vehicle into openings in a frame (38) placed under the freight container, the movement of each of the at least two grabber arms is accomplished by an endless chain (6) which is driven by a drive wheel (8) that cooperates with said chain and which is operatively connected to a drive motor, and in that two tensioner wheels (10) are placed at each side of said drive wheel, characterized in that each of the tensioner wheels are hinged to a shaft (16), which is tensioned by a spring force or hydraulic cylinder and piston means, said tensioner wheels cooperating with the chain in such a way that one or the other tensioner wheels causes a tightening of the chain in dependence of whether the chain or both the chain and the grabber arm is/are driven in one or the other direction.
The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the tensioner wheels (10) are symmetrically arranged at each side of the drive wheel (8).
The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said spring force is coupled to an activation mechanism that activates one or the other of the tensioner wheels (10) in dependence of whether the chain is driven in one or the other direction.
The transfer system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the chain (6) runs along the entire length of the grabber arm (4) and over a turning wheel (18) placed at each opposite end of said arm (4).
The transfer system according to claim 4, further comprising wheel locking means (22) for locking the turning wheels (18), thereby causing the grabber arm (4) to move when the endless chain (6) is driven.
The transfer system according to claim 5, wherein the wheel locking means (22) are activated to lock the turning wheels (18) when the grabber arm (4) is moved from the vehicle (66) into the opening (40) in the frame (38) placed under the freight container until the grabber arm (4) reaches a position wherein the container is released, after which the wheel locking means are released, and the container is pulled onto the vehicle by driving the chain in the opposite direction.
The transfer system according to any of the claims 4, 5 or 6, further comprising at least one catch (12) fixed to the chain (6), said catch comprising a transversal shaft (14) for engaging a feature of the frame (38) under the container.
The transfer system according to claim 7, wherein the catch (12) is fixed to one single chain link, such that the transversal shaft (14) may follow the turning wheels (18) to a position lower than the upper side of the grabbing arm (4), and be inserted into an opening (40) of the frame (38), whereafter it may be locked to said frame by a movement of the chain (6) in the opposite direction.
The transfer system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the grabbing arms (4) is placed on an elongated console (20) having a first and a second end and substantially the same length as the grabbing arm, said console comprising identical activation means (34) placed at each end thereof, each said activation means being operatively connected to at least one container lock (36) for fixing a container to the vehicle (66) by locking engagement to the container frame (38) when the grabbing arm slides past said activation means.
The transfer system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the grabbing arm (4) is operable to be moved in a direction towards the railway freight car (52), to or from which freight car a container is to be moved in order to secondly deactivate container lock/s (36) in the side of the vehicle (66) that is closest to the railway freight car.
The transfer system according to any of the claims 5-10, further comprising grabbing arm locking means (28), which are operable to fix the grabbing arm (4) relative to the vehicle (66) when the wheel locking means are released in order to ensure no movement of the grabbing arm, when only the chain and not the grabbing arm - if only due to friction - is to be moved.
The transfer system according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one locking arm (62) configured for engaging a special lock (58) in the railway freight car (52) in order to unlock the frame (38) and thereby the container being placed on the railway freight car.
The transfer system according to claim 12, wherein said locking arm (62) furthermore causes alignment of the vehicle (66) with the particular railway freight car (52), to or from which the container is to be moved.
The transfer system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle (66) is a truck or a transfer vehicle (68) configured to be movable on railway tracks alongside the railway freight car (52).
The transfer system according to claim 14, wherein the vehicle (66) is a transfer vehicle and wherein the transfer vehicle further comprises a plurality of wheels (72) arranged along each longitudinal side of said transfer vehicle, said wheels being configured to engage the frame (38) of the container, when the transfer system onto which a container is placed is lowered, thereby enabling the container to roll off the transfer vehicle in a direction along the railway tracks.