GB2122579A

GB2122579A - Method of transferring containers between road and rail vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2122579A
Application number: GB08314097A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Derek Sharpe
Original assignee: WHD DEV Ltd
Current assignee: WHD DEV Ltd
Priority date: 1982-05-22
Filing date: 1983-05-20
Publication date: 1984-01-18
Also published as: GB8314097D0

Abstract

A method and apparatus for transferring a container between a railway wagon and a road vehicle by performing the steps of moving the container relative to the railway wagon, whilst supported thereby, between a transport position, in which the container is orientated with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the railway wagon and a transfer position, in which the longitudinal axis of the container is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the railway wagon, and supporting the container in said transfer position by supporting means independent of the railway wagon.

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of and apparatus for transporting articles by rail and road This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for transporting articles by rail and road.

Combined road and rail transport of articles necessitates the transfer of articles between a road vehicle and a railway wagon at the commencement and end of the rail part of the journey. For many years the transfer was done by trans-shipment, that is emptying of the road vehicle and filling of the railway wagon and vice versa. Trans-shipment is an expensive operation and considerably increases the overall cost of combined road and rail transport.

More recently, a container having articles to be transported has been transferred between a road vehicle and a railway wagon thereby avoiding.the need to trans-ship individual articles. In the United Kingdom this is known as the "Freightline system". Whilst this is quicker and less expensive than transshipment, the method requires expensive handling equipment to lift the container off a road vehicle and onto a railway wagon and vice versa and in addition is still relatively labour intensive since an operator is required for the lifting apparatus as well as personnel to operate the fastner means between the container and the railway wagon and road vehicle.

Another method is that known in the United Kingdom as "Minicon" in which small containers are transported by a road vehicle provided with hydraulic lifting gear to lift the container onto and off a railway wagon. The container is carried by the railway wagon with the axis of the container which extends longitudinally of the road vehicle extending transversely of the railway wagon. As a result, this system suffers from the disadvantage of limited container size since the length of the container is constrained to the maximum permitted load width restriction for the railway wagon and the width of the container is constrained to the maximum permitted load width for the road vehicle.

The present invention is intended to overcome the shortcomings of the above described known apparatus and method for conveying articles by rail and road.

According to one aspect of the present invention we provide a method of transferring a container between a railway wagon and a road vehicle by performing the steps of moving the container relative to the railway wagon, whilst supported thereby, between a transport position, in which the container is orientated with its longitudinal axis parallel, to the longitudinal direction of the railway wagon and a transfer position, in which the longitudinal axis of the container is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the railway wagon, and supporting the container in said transfer position by supporting means independent of the railway wagon.

By longitudinal axis we mean the axis which extends lengthwise of the container and by longitudinal direction we mean the axis which extends parallel to the direction of movement of a wagon or vehicle.

When the container is being transferred from the railway wagon to the road vehicle, the container is moved from said transport position to said transfer position and then supported in said transfer position by said support means, the method including the step of moving the railway wagon in said longitudinal direction out of supporting relationship with the container and moving the road vehicle into supporting relationship with the container with the longitudinal axis of the container parallel to the longitudinal direction of the road vehicle.

Alternatively, when the container is being transferred from the road vehicle to the railway wagon, the method includes the step of positioning, by means of the road vehicle, said container in said transfer position with its longitudinal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of a railway track for the railway wagon, supporting the container in said transfer position by said supporting means, moving the road vehicle in the longitudinal direction thereof out of supporting relationship with the container and moving the railway wagon in said longitudinal direction thereof along said track into supporting relationship with the container with the longitudinal axis of the container transverse to the longitudinal direction of the railway wagon, and then moving the container from said transfer position to said transport position whilst supported by the railway wagon.

The step of moving the container relative to the railway wagon whilst supported thereby between said transport and transfer positions may include the step of varying the height of the container relative to the railway wagon to move the container between a lower position in which the container may be locked to the railway wagon in said transport position and an intermediate raised position in which the container may be rotated to and from said transfer position.

The method may include the further step of moving the container between a lowered position in which it may be locked to a road vehicle for transport thereby and a raised position in which the container may be supported by said supporting means and the road vehicle moved out of supporting relationship with the container.

The step of moving the container relative to the railway wagon whilst thereby between said transport positions may include the step of moving the container longitudinally of the railway wagon, the longitudinal movement may be performed whilst the container is in said intermediate raised position.

According to another aspect of the present invention, we provide a method of transporting articles by rail and road wherein an elongate container of articles to be transported is transferred between a railway wagon and a road vehicle according to the first aspect of the invention.

According to another aspect of the invention, we provide a railway wagon comprising a support for a container and means mounting said support for rotation about a vertical axis.

The railway wagon may have means to permit of movement of a container in a direction longitudinally of the wagon.

The railway wagon may have means to lock the container to the wagon in a transport position with the longitudinal axis of the container parallel to the longitudinal direction of the wagon.

The railway wagon may have means to lift the container out of said transport position to an intermediate, raised, position wherein the container can be rotated on said support about said axis and, when such means are provided, moved longitudinally of the wagon.

The lifting means may comprise a pneumatically operated means and may comprise at least one air bag disposed between a fixed part of the wagon and an intermediate member which carries said support.

The support may be mounted on the wagon by at least one air bearing so that the support can be rotated and/or moved longitudinally of the wagon.

The air bearing(s) may be disposed between the support and the intermediate member.

A guide means may be provided for the support whereby it is constrained to move along a predetermined line longitudinally of the wagon, and preferably said line is disposed laterally centrally of the wagon.

The guide means may comprise a track, such as a slot, extending longitudinally of the wagon and a part engaged with the track fixed to the support, and the guide means permitting of rotation of the support relative to the wagon.

The container may be of any desired configuration and may comprise, for example, an open-topped box of right parallelopiped shape, a hopper having bottom opening means, or a platform, or may be of standard container configuration provided with ISO corner boxes.

Particularly in the latter case, the railway wagon may be provided with twistlocks for engagement with the ISO corner boxes to lock the container to the railway wagon in the transport position.

The present invention thus overcomes the shortcomings of the previously described known methods since articles do not have to be directly trans-shipped between a road vehicle and a railway wagon, neither is any expensive and labour intensive handling equipment required to transfer containers of articles between road vehicles and a railway wagon, and in addition the containers may be of any desired size capable of being transport ted by road and rail in conventional manner.

For example, when it is desired to load a train of railway wagons with containers, the road vehicles each transporting a container are driven to a loading station of the railway system and each lorry is driven to a position so that the container straddles the railway track with the longitudinal axis of the container extending generally transversely of the longitudinal axis of the railway track. A lifting means provided on the vehicle is then operated to raise the containers, support means, for example in the form of telescopic legs, are moved into position for each container so that the containers may be supported thereby, the lifting means is then lowered to disengage the container from the road vehicle and the road vehicles are driven away thus leaving each container in a transfer position and in approximately parallel, spaced, positions straddling the railway track.

It is not necessary for the containers and hence the road vehicles to be positioned particularly accurately in said straddling relationship, and in practice an accuracy of within a few inches of the preferred position is adequate.

Thereafter a train of railway wagons is driven along the track to position the wagons beneath the containers. Each railway wagon is provided with a lifting means and, carried on the lifting means, a platform supported on an air bearing. The lifting means are operated to engage a platform beneath a container the support means are removed and the container is then moved longitudinally of the wagon to a position where it can be rotated from the transfer position to the transport position after retraction of the support legs.

A similar longitudinal movement and rotational movement or solely rotational is performed for each of the other containers, the containers being moved longitudinally to the extent necessary to permit them to be rotated without obstruction from other containers.

The accompanying drawings show, in: Figure 1 a railway wagon in side elevation, embodying the present invention; Figure 2 a plan view of part of the wagon shown in Fig. 1; Figure 3 an end elevation to an enlarged scale of the wagon of Fig. 1; Figure 4 a side elevation of a container for use with a wagon embodying the invention and in a method embodying the invention; and Figure 5 a diagrammatic illustration of a method embodying the invention and utilising a wagon embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a railway wagon embodying the invention comprises a main frame 10 supported on bogies II in conventional manner. The frame 10 is essentially rectangular comprising longitudinally extending side members 1 2 and transversely extending end members 13, together with secondary longitudinally and transversely extending members 14, 1 5 respectively. The wagon is also provided with conventional coupling means 1 6 and buffers 1 7.

The frame is provided with brackets 20 for twistlocks at appropriate positions for the size of container to be transported. In the present case, the wagon is provided with twistlocks 21 and 22 for transporting two 20 foot containers. If desired, only twistlocks 21 may be provided to permit transport of a single 40 foot container. Alternatively, twistlocks 23 may be provided which in co-operation with one set of twistlocks 21 permit transport of a single 30 foot container. If the wagons were thus adapted for 30 or 40 foot containers, the lifting means, hereinafter to be described, would be correspondingly positioned and arranged.

The frame 10 also carries two lifting means each in the form of four airbag-type lifting means comprising a base plate 25, an upper plate 26 and a flexible air bag 27 therebetween, together with associated pipework and control valve means (not shown) so that the upper plate 26 can be raised from a transport position (not shown) to a raised intermediate position as shown in Fig. 2 by admission of air to the interior of the bags 27.

If the wagon is to transport containers other than two 40 foot containers then an appropriate number of airbag lifting means will be provided at the appropriate positions. For example, if a single 40 foot container is to be transported, then a single airbag lifting means will be provided disposed centrally of the wagon whilst if a single 30 foot container is to be transported a single airbag lifting means will be provided at an appropriate position in relation to the size of the container.

The upper plate 26 carries an intermediate framework 28 which carries a container support 30 which is mounted by four air bearings 31 on a base plate 32 carried on the intermediate frame 28. The support plate 30 has four flexible diaphragms 33 mounted on the underside thereof and air is supplied to the interior of each diaphragm and escapes therefrom through apertures to provide a film of air which escapes between the diaphragm 33 and the base plate 32 so as to support the support plate 30 on a film of air.

A wheel 35 is provided centrally of the support 30 and is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis on a downwardly depending pin 36. The wheel 35 is engaged in a slot 37 in the base 32 so as to permit of sliding movement of the plate 30 longitudinally of the wagon and to permit of rotation of the plate 30 about the vertical axis of the pin 36.

As shown in Fig. 5, each container C is provided with four legs 40 each of which is telescopic and is pivoted to the container body for movement between an extended position shown at A in Fig. 5 and a retracted position shown at B in Fig. 5.

Such a container is loaded with articles to be transported, for example at a factory, and is loaded onto the load carrying platform of a suitably adapted road vehicle R and locked thereto, for example by twistlocks, with the legs 40 being in their retracted position. The vehicle then transports the container to a loading station of the railway system and the driver of the vehicle drives the vehicle until the container is positioned between four marks indicated at 50 in Fig. 5 so that the container straddles a railway track 51. A pneumatically operated lifting means of conventional form on the vehicle R is then operated to raise the container and the legs 40 are moved to their extended position, whereafter the lifting means on the vehicle is retracted so that the container is supported on the legs 40 in a transfer position and the road vehicle R is driven from beneath the container.If desired the vehicle R may then be driven to another siding of the goods station and have a similar container mounted thereon by reversal of the above operations, the container having been previously unloaded from a railway wagon as hereinafter to be described.

Other road vehicles and similar containers which may, if desired, be of different length, are likewise driven to the railway siding with the containers positioned between the appropriate marks 50 in generally spaced parallel relationship as shown in Fig. 6. The containers do not have to be positioned very accurately so long as they lie within the marks 50 and the marks 50 can allow for a latitude of up to 1 5 ins.

A railway train made up of wagons as described hereinbefore with reference to Figs.

1 to 3 is then moved along the track 51 so that wagons are positioned beneath the containers.

The air bags 27 on each wagon are then inflated to lift each container by engagement between the underside of the container and the support platform 30. The legs 40 are then moved to their retracted position. A container is then pivoted, about the vertical axis of the pin 36, the weight of the container being carried on the air bearing which is activated so that the effort required to thus pivot the container is very little and can be easily performed by a single person unaided.

In order that the container may be pivoted into a position in which its longitudinal axis L-L lies parallel to the lengthwise direction D-D of the wagon upon which it is supported, the support platform 30 is moved longitudi nally of the wagon on the air bearing and is guided in this movement by engagement of the wheel 35 in the slot 37.

In order to permit of pivotal movement of a container it may be necessary temporarily to move other containers longitudinally of their associated wagon whilst any particular container is rotated into position.

After any one container has been moved away from an adjacent container for rotation into position, it can be moved back towards the container as necessary to position the container correctly on the wagon.

When all the containers have been rotated so that their longitudinal axes L-L lie parallel to the longitudinal direction of their associated wagon, the air bags 27 are depressurised so that the containers are lowered into their final transport position and the twistlocks engaged with the ISO corner boxes of the container to lock the containers to the wagon.

The.train, thus loaded with containers, is then driven to its desired destination where it is moved into a similar siding and the reverse of the above operations performed. That is to say the air bags 27 are inflated, after disen gagement of the twistlocks, to raise the containers to an intermediate raised position where they are clear of the headstocks of the wagons and hence can be swung to a position in which their longitudinal axes L-L are gener ally.transverse to the longitudinal direction of the wagon. Again, containers are moved lengthwise as necessary prior to rotation, to permit of rotation without obstruction by a next adjacent container.Generally speaking, the containers would be unloaded from one or both ends by moving the or each end container away from the next adjacent container and then rotating and then performing the same operation with the next adjacent container or containers and so on.

The legs 40 of the containers are then extended and the air bags 27 evacuated so that the containers are left supported on the legs 40 in a transfer position independently of the train which is then removed from beneath the containers. The containers can then be picked up by reversing a suitable road vehicle beneath the containers and engaging a lifting means of the vehicle with the containers thereby permitting the legs 40 to be retracted and then lowering the lifting means of the vehicles to lower the containers to their transport position in which they are locked to the vehicle by twistlocks.

In order to faciliate positioning of the containers in the correct position for transport on a vehicle, the vehicle is preferably provided with an air bearing support plate similar to the support plate 30 of the wagon to permit of ease of adjustment of the containers into their transport position in which they can be locked to the vehicle.

In this case, no guide for pivotal and sliding movement of the support plate is provided although of course limit means are provided to limit the extent of adjustment.

If desired, other means to position the container on the vehicle may be provided such as mechanical guides which are interengaged as the vehicle is backed underneath the container.

By providing the above described air bearing mounted support plate or other positioning means, the need accurately to drive the vehicle beneath the container is avoided.

It will be appreciated that when loading containers onto the train, because the support plates are constrained to move about an axis centred on the longitudinal axis of the wagon, the containers are automatically brought, when pivoted, to a position in which their longitudinal axis L-L is laterally aligned with the longitudinal direction D-D of the wagon and any initial displacement of a container from a position which it precisely straddles the track is compensated for by adjusting the support plate longitudinally of the wagon.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a container between a railway wagon and a road vehicle by performing the steps of moving the container relative to the railway wagon, whilst supported thereby, between a transport position, in which the container is orientated with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the railway wagon and a transfer position, in which the longitudinal axis of the container is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the railway wagon, and supporting the container in said transfer position by sup portirig means independent of the railway wagon.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the container is transferred from the railway wagon to the road vehicle, the container being moved from said transport position to said transfer position whilst being supported by the railway wagon and then supported in said transfer position by said support means, the method including the step of moving the railway wagon in said longitudinal direction out of supporting relationship with the container and moving the road vehicle into supporting relationship with the container with the longitudinal axis of the container parallel to the longitudinal direction of the road vehicle.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the container is transferred from the road vehicle to the railway wagon, the method including the step of positioning, by means of the road vehicle, said container in said transfer position with its longitudinal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of a railway track for the railway wagon, supporting the container in said transfer position by said supporting means, moving the road vehicle in the longitudinal direction thereof out of supporting relationship with the container and moving the railway wagon in said longitudinal direction thereof along said track into supporting relationship with the container with the longitudinal axis of the container transverse to the longitudinal direction of the railway wagon, and then moving the container from said transfer position to said transport position whilst supported by the railway wagon.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the step of moving the container relative to the railway wagon whilst supported thereby between said transport and transfer positions includes the step of varying the height of the container relative to the railway wagon to move the container between a lower position in which the container may be locked to the railway wagon in said transport position and an intermediate raised position in which the container may be rotated to and from transfer position..

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the method includes the step of moving the container between a lowered position in which it may be locked to a road vehicle for transport thereby and a raised position in which the container may be supported by said supporting means and the road vehicle moved out of supporting relationship with the container.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the step of moving the container relative to the railway wagon whilst supported thereby between said transport and transfer positions includes the step of moving the container longitudinally of the railway wagon.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the longitudinal movement is performed whilst the container is in said intermediate raised position.

8. A method of transferring a container between a railway wagon and a road vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A method of transporting articles by rail and road wherein an elongate container of articles to be transported is transferred between a railway wagon and a road vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A railway wagon comprising a support for a container and means mounting said support for rotation about a vertical axis.

11. A railway wagon acording to claim 10 wherein the railway wagon has means to permit of movement of a container in a direction longitudinally of the wagon.

1 2. A railway wagon according to claim 10 or claim 11 wherein the railway wagon has means to lock the container to the wagon in a transport position with the longitudinal axis of the container parallel to the longitudinal direction of the wagon.

1 3. A railway wagon according to any one of claims 10 to 1 2 wherein the railway wagon has means to lift the container out of said transport position to an intermediate, raised position wherein the container can be rotated on said support about said axis and, when such means are provided, moved longitudinally of the wagon.

14. A railway wagon according to claim 1 3 wherein the lifting means comprises a pneumatically operated means comprising at least one air bag disposed between a fixed part of the wagon and an intermediate member which carries said support.

1 5. A railway wagon according to any one of claims 10 to 14 wherein the support is mounted on the wagon by at least one air bearing so that the support can be rotated and/or moved longitudinally of the wagon.

16. A railway wagon according to claim 1 5 wherein the or each air bearing is disposed between the support and the intermediate member.

1 7. A railway wagon according to claim 1 5 or claim 1 6 wherein a guide means is provided for the support whereby it is constrained to move along a predetermined line longitudinally of the wagon.

1 8. A railway wagon according to claim 1 7 wherein said line is disposed laterally centrally of the the wagon.

1 9. A railway wagon according to claim 1 8 wherein the guide means comprises a track extending longitudinally of the wagon and a part engaged with the track fixed to the support, and the guide means permitting of rotation of the support relative to the wagon.

20. A railway wagon according to any one of claims 10 to 1 9 wherein the railway wagon is provided with twistlocks for engagement with ISO corner boxes to lock a container to the railway wagon in the transport position.

21. A railway wagon substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

22. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.