GB2290767A - A railway vehicle for transporting trailers and containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A railway vehicle for transporting trailers 2 and containers 6b of different sizes has an open sided body 3 consisting of a centre beam 5 which extends between the wheel bogies 6 at a level which is below the upper edge 9 of the wheels 8. The corner pieces 4 of the containers 6b are supported on framing beams 20 extending above, and attached to, the bogies 6 and by load supports 12a, 12b pivotally attached to the centre beam 5. The load supports 12a, 12b can be raised level with the framing beams 20 for supporting containers 6b and lowered level with the centre beam 5 when the vehicle is carrying trailers 2. <IMAGE>

Description

RAILWAY CAR FOR TRANSPORTING TRAILERS AND CONTAINERS The object of the invention is a railway car for transporting semi-trailers, trailers, or the like, and alternatively containers of different sizes, comprising a body without side members having an longitudinal loadbearing centre beam which is mainly situated, as well as structures firmly secured to it in the area between the wheel bogies or the sets of wheels, correspondingly, essentially lower than the upper edge of the rail wheels, the railway car also comprising, at the ends of the railway car, framing beams joined to the centre beam and wheel bogies or sets of wheels with their rail wheels supported on the framing beams.

Thus the invention is directed to railway cars which carry semi-trailers, trailers or the like used in road transport, onto which the trailers are loaded using a crane, when the trailers are lowered into a loading well in the railway car.

Such railway cars are called well wagons. Publications DE-34 36 932 and US 4 456 413 describe railway cars used in this way.

These publications describe a construction in which a sufficient bending and torsional rigidity of the railway car frame are achieved by using relatively thick members on the sides of the car. The trailer to be loaded is lowered between these side members. However, such construction has the considerable drawback that the thick side members occupy a considerable part of the permitted lateral loading gauge, whereby it is not possible to use such car construction on narrow railway portions. Publication US-4 339 996 describes a construction where the essential, longitudinal, load-bearing beam of the railway car is an longitudinal, heavy, double-Ibeam in the middle of the car. Thus the whole transversal, permitted loading gauge can be used for the load alone because there is no need to use sides in the construction outside the trailer.However, this car cannot be used on railway track portions where the vertical loading height is very strictly limited relative to the height of the trailer to be transported because the loading wells are situated in the construction above the upper surfaces of the wheels o= the railway car, resulting in a considerably high loading height. These publications describe the transportation of road transport trailers and semi-trailers only, and they do not handle the transportation cf containers or swap bodies in similar railway cars. For instance, in the railway car according to publication US-4 339 996, it is completely impossible to carry conventional containers because the rising centre beam prevents the lowering of the container onto the loading surface.

The above-described bending and torsional rigidity problems of the railway car are solved by the centre beam structure described in previous patent application GB-9322140.6, in which structure the loadbearing centre beam is comprised of a tubular box beam or a box beam consisting of tubular parts which extends in the longitudinal direction of the railway car and which is mainly situated essentially lower than the upper edge of the rail wheels in the area between the wheel bogies or the sets of wheels, correspondingly.The cross-sectional form of the loadbearing centre beam is preferably a parallelogram or semi-parallelogram provided with rounded corners, or it is alternatively round or oval, or it consists of a combination of the corresponding forms, and the possible longitudinal welding seams of the beam are in points other than in the area of the edges of the centre beam. In order to receive buffer forces, among other things, the area of the wheel bogie or the set of wheels on top of the wheels and/or around them is provided with rigid framing beams where the buffers of the railway car are supported in the area of the upper edge of the wheels or above it, the buffers thus being at the standard height.The framing beams contain, adjacent to the edge of the bogies or the set of wheels on the side of the railway car, a beam structure which extends at least to the buffer height from the lower surface of the loadbearing centre beam in the transversal direction of the car, the centre beam being firmly joined to the beam structure.

In addition, the ends of this loadbearing, longitudinal centre beam are lifted on the longitudinal, inclined end portions of the car to be supported by the bogie centers of the bogies or the suspension of the sets of wheels, correspondIngly, whereby the inclined portions begin at a distance corresponding to about the length of the bogie or the double length of the set of wheels at the most, and preferably at a distance corresponding to about the diameter of the rail wheel, at the most, from the edge of the bogie or the set of wheels on the side of the car, and extend to the area of the length of the bogie or the set of wheels.

The railway car described in the above-mentioned patent application partly solves the problem of how conventional containers could be transported in a similar railway car as highway trailers and semi-trailers. The railway car according to this previous patent application can be used namely in transporting containers and swap bodies the length of which is sufficient to extend from the framing beams at the one end of the railway car to the other framing beams at the other end of the railway car. Thus the container or swap body is supported at its ends by the framing beams and the lowered centre beam of the railway car, which is between them, does not prevent this.

However, this described construction has the drawback that if shorter containers are to be transported, they must be placed on the lowered portion of the centre beam, whereby only one short container can be accommodated by the railway car, leading to poor loading capacity.

Thus the object of the invention is a railway car for transporting semi-trailers, trailers, and the like, as well as containers and swap bodies in narrow railway portions where the permitted travelling gauge is so low that trailers cannot be loaded on a surface at the buffer height or in its vicinity but only on wheel wells which are clearly downwards from it. The object of the invention is to especially provide a structure which makes it possible to transport flat-bottomed containers and swap bodies of different lengths and standards in a railway car in which all the components of the loadbearing frame, mainly consisting of the loadbearing centre beam, are situated essentially lower than the upper edge of the rail wheels and thus lower than the buffer height. The second object of the invention is such a railway car which makes it possible to load these containers and swap bodies of different lengths, when needed, so that they extend from the vicinity cf the ends cf the railway car to the middle parts of the car and thus fill up the length of the ca e~--c*~vely. This means that it should be possible to load several small standard containers onto the reight wagon one after another, preferably so that they touch each other or only with small spaces between them, the containers being placed horizontally. The third object of the invention is such a railway car which contains no projections which disturb the loading of the semi-trailers, trailers, and the like, but they can be loaded onto the freight wagon the same way as they can be loaded onto any other railway car intended for them. Thus the object is to combine the desired properties of railway cars intended for transportation of road transport trailers and semi-trailers, and the desired properties of railway cars intended for transportation of containers and swap bodies, into one railway car.

In order to eliminate the above-described drawbacks and to realize the above-set objects the railway car according to the invention is characterized in what is defined by the characterizing clause of Claim 1.

The most important advantage of the invention is that the railway car according to the invention can be loaded with semitrailers and trailers the width of which is close to or even the same as the transversal travelling gauge of the railway portion and the height of which is considerably higher than the distance between the upper point of the rail wheels and the upper limit of the travelling height. The second advantage of the invention is that this railway car can carry one or more containers or swap bodies with the freight wagon always being loaded in an effective way, whereby there is a minimum amount of empty, unused space left In the railway car.The third advantage of the invention is that whether semi-trailers and trailers or standard containers of different sizes, the bottom of which is essentially flat, are loaded onto the freight wagon, there are no loading spaces comprising structures such as projections which would disturb or prevent the placing of the load. The fourth advantage age cf the invent ion is tat it is easy, quick, and requires cl simple procedures to convert the car so tt it is 5' =' r carryThg semI-traIlers and tilss, on one hand, and, and containers, on the otter hand.

The invention is described in the following in more detail wIth reference to the appended drawings.

Fig. 1 shows the railway car according te the invention as viewed from the side from direction I of Fig. 4, the car being loaded with a semi-trailer.

Fig. 2 shows the railway car according to the invention in a similar figure as Fig. 1, but loaded with a long container.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the railway car according to the invention from direction II of Fig. 5, the car being loaded with two short containers.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the railway car according to the invention from direction III of Fig. 2, the car being empty and with the moving loading tables lowered.

Fig. 5 is a top view of the railway car according to the invention from direction IV of Fig. 3, the car being empty and with the moving loading tables raised.

Fig. 6A shows on a larger scale the structure of the invention for supporting the containers on the moving loading tables in their lower position, as viewed from the top of the railway car, in the same figure as in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6B shows the structure and operational space of Fig. 6A, as viewed from the side of the railway car, in the same figure as in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7A shows, in a larger scale, the structure according to the invention for supporting the containers on the moving loading tables in the upper position thereof, as viewed from the top of the railway car, in the same figure as in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7B shows the structure and operational space of Fig. 7A as viewed from the side of the railway car, i the same figure as in Fig. 3.

The figures snow ra 'wa-i car 1 or transporting semi-trailers 2, trailers or corresponding loading bodies provided with wheels and used in road transportation. Railway car 1 includes body 3 with no side members comprising centre beam 5 situated in the longitudinal direction L of the railway car and carrying the weight cf traer 2 which is the load of the railway car.

Thus both sides 35a and 35b cf railway car 1 are mainly open and non-bearing, as best viewed in Figs. 4 and 5. In addition to this, the railway car naturally includes, at both ends of the car, either bogies 6 for each car, as viewed in the Figs., or alternatively, sets of wheels for each car at the ends of the car, or wheel bogies in common with the next closest car.

The two latter construction alternatives are not shown in the Figs. The bogies or the sets of wheels naturally include car rail wheels 8 the number of which is different for each car, respectively, depending on which of the above structure is used. The buffer height B of the railway car according to the invention is normal which, for instance in accordance with the UIC standard, is 1060mm. It also comprises normal bogies with wheels of large diameter, this diameter thus being about 80-90k of the buffer height. The wheel size of small wheel bogies can be as small as 360mm, i.e., less than 50W of the buffer height.

According to the invention centre beam 5, which forms body 3 and carries the load, is formed into a tubular box beam or a box beam consisting of tubular parts which extends in the longitudinal direction of the railway car and which is essentially solid in its most preferred embodiment. Rather large holes in the walls cf the box beam decrease the bending stiffness and the torsional stiffness of the beam too much.

However, smaller holes can be allowed in the wall of the beam for discharging water, for instance. According to the invention the centre beam is situated in area 7 between sets of wheels 6 mainly essentially lower than upper edge 9 of rail wheels 8 and consequently essentially lower than buffer height B. Namely, upper surface of centre beam 5 is preferably situated, throughout the whole above-mentioned length 7, under upper edge 9 of rail wheels 8 and buffer heIght B, as shown in Fig. 1.

HeIght H of centre beam 5 between its lower surface and upper surtace or between tne owe surface ant the upper surface of the structural parts firmly jointed to it defines the ground clearance of trailer 2 which is suitable for transportation.

When the bottom of wheel wells 27a and 27b which carry wheels 29 of trailer 2 is arranged as low as possible won respect t the ground clearance of the railway car, the vertical thickness H of the centre beam will be nearly the ground clearance of the trailer. When it comes to width W of centre beam 5, as large a gauge can be selected as the gap between wheels 29 of trailers 2 to be transported is at its smallest. It is appropriate to dimension the outer boundary surface of beam 5 in accordance with the most unadvantageous trailers which will be transported so that all potential trailers can be transported. One should also take into account the small margins between the railway car and the trailer.Thus width W of cent beam 5 will be in the order of 0.8-lm and vertical thickness H of the centre beam will be in the order of 30-50cm. When the external boundary surface of the box beam preferably only contains straight and convex portions in its cross-section, and when a sufficient material thickness is used, sufficient bending stiffness and, at the same time, sufficient torsional stiffness of the one centre beam is achieved so that no oscillation induced by the swaying of the trailer is created.

In the area of wheel bogie 6 or the set of wheels of the railway car, respectively, framing beams 20 are provided on the tcp of wheels 8 and/or around them, typically at least at height B of buffers 36. Buffers 36 are supported by framing beams 20 to receive collision forces. Framing beams 20 preferably contain, adjacent to or against the edge of bogies 6 on the side of the car, beam structure 37 in the transversal direction of the car extending generally across the whole width of railway car 1 and from the lower surface of the loadbearing centre beam at least to buffer height B.When centre beam 5 is firmly joined to this transversal beam structure 37, using for instance welded joints, and when the height and the width of the inclined portion 38 of the centre beam are, throughout its length, at least approxltnately the same as those cf the centre beam in area 7 between the wheel bogies, in other words, the distance between the lower surface and the upper surface of te centre beam is maintained or. its end portions as well, a extremely stiff construction in flexure is achieved. In addition, the centre beam is joined at its end portion, i.e., in the area of bogies 6, to said framing beams 20 of the bogies using longitudinal supporting beams and transversal supporting beams of the car.With this construction, the bending of car body 3 caused by collision force exerted to the buffers is made very small.

In order to support the transported trailers 2 at their wheels to a point which is near the lower surface of the centre beam, the railway car preferably contains, in area 26 of wheels 29 of the transported trailers, transversal cross beams 30, 39 to length L of the car, which are joined to the centre beam and which extend therefrom towards both sides 35a and 35b of the car. The railway car according to the invention preferably employs wheel wells 27a and 27b made of thin material such as steel plate which are placed on these cross beams 30, 39. In addition, the wheel wells can be supported by the abovementioned transversal beam structure 37 of the framing beams.

Thus cross beams 30, 39 are cantilever beams projecting from centre beam 5. Wheel wells 27a, 27b can further be supported by edges which are bent upwards, for instance.

According to the invention, firstly, first loading tables lia- lid for receiving corner pieces 4 of the containers are arranged to framing beams 20 at both ends of the railway car for transporting containers 6a, 6b. As the dimensions of the containers are standard, the loading tables at the framing beams may be fixed. In the embodiment of the Figs., for instance, these four loading tables lla-lld are placed in accordance with the corner pieces of the corners of a 40 feet long container, whereby such container 6a may be placed on them, as shown in Fig. 2. The same positioning of the first loading tables can be also applied in securing two 20 feet long containers 6b to the railway car simultaneously, as shown in Fig. 3.This fixed positioning of first loading tables lla-lld to framing beams 20 constitutes a solid and simple structure, but it is not impossible to make these first loading tables movable at least in horizontal directions, for instance, by ral arrangements shown in the FIgs., whereby the same loading tables can be used to secure containers and swap bodies of different dimensions. Normally these first loading tables are fixed at least in the vertical direction because the gap between them in the horizontal direction is always free because of the above-described, lowered centre beam frame of the railway car.

According to the invention second loading tables 12a and 12b are secured to the above-described centre beam 5 situated lower down either directly or indirectly with the aid of transversal support beam 30 secured thereto, for supporting the ends of containers 6b which are essentially shorter than the railway car, the ends being placed on this lower portion 7. Naturally, two of these second loading tables 12a, 12b are provided in such a way that one of them is always close to each side 35a and 35b of the car in the same line as the first, fixed loading tables lia and lic and correspondingly lib and lid which are on the same side.This way the second loading tables support corner pieces 4 of the ends of containers 6b placed on this area 7 at the same height as the first loading tables lla-lld of the ends of the railway cars, as shown in Fig. 3. In order to achieve the support of the short containers 6b and to place the second loading tables 12a, 12b to one side so that they disturb the transportation of neither the long containers 6a nor semi-trailers 2, trailers, or other loading bodies, these other loading tables can be lifted up, using the mechanism described below, to height P1 of the first loading tables and lowered down P2 at least approximately to area H of the vertical dimensions of centre beam 5 and the structures fixedly joined thereto.

It is clear that all loading tables lla-lld and 12a, 12b comprise the known members 10 for securing them to corner pieces 4 of the containers. Because these components are standardized, they are not described here in more detail. The second loading tables 12a and 12b preferably comprise two fixing members 10 of the containers spaced apart from each other by longitudinal L distance S cf the railway car, making it possible to secure the opposite ends of the two short containers Sb by their corner pieces 4 to the same loading table 12a and 12b, respectively, as shown in Fig. 3.The length of distance S of these fixing members 10 is so selected that the ends of the containers or the like approximately touch each other, taking into consideration the dimensions of different containers and possibly the first fixed loading tables and their positions.

In the embodiment of the Figs. the second loading tables 12a, 12b are secured, with the aid of swinging arms, to transversal support beam 30 of the car which is fixedly joined to the loadbearing centre beam 5 and which also supports wheel wells 27a, 27b. Swinging arms 13a and 13b are journalled to this support beam using first articulations 14 to be turned so that pivoted axle line 15 of articulations 14 is transversal to longitudinal direction L of the car and situated also in the area of vertical dimension H of the centre beam and the structures fixedly joined thereto. One swinging arm 13a, b is typically provided for each of the second loading tables 12a, b.The first articulations 14 of the swinging arms are approximately at the point in area 7 situated lower down the body of the railway car, to which point the ends of the short containers are designed to be placed, whereby articulations 14 are in the same vertical line as to which the ends of short containers 6b or especially their corner pieces 4 are meant to be placed when being loaded into the car. Thus swinging arms 13a and 13b are in the lifted-up position P1 approximately vertically, whereby they support the containers by their corner pieces so that bearing stress is exerted on them and they are not very apt to turn to any direction during the transportation of the containers.For this reason, the length of the swinging arms from pivoted axle line 15 of first articulations 14 is so dimensioned that the height of the second loading tables 12a, 12b joined thereto will be the same as that of the first loading tables. The other ends of swinging arms 13a, 13b are thus articulated 14 to be turnable with respect to the body of the car and the actual loading tables 12a, 12b are secured by articulation 17 to the other ends of the swinging arms, corner piece 4 of the container being supported on the loading tables 12a, 12b.As the th-z:i-ess cf swinging arm 13a, b in the direction ber-nd~z ar ^ -- voted axle line 15 cf first articulaton 14 is smaller than the vertical dimension of the centre beam and the structures fixedly joined thereto, swinging arms 13a, b can be pivoted around their axle line 15 to lie against centre beam 5 and its structures, in which lowered position P2 the swinging arms thus do nct increase the thickness or width of the body, whereby the transportation of trailers and semi-trailers 2 as well as containers 6a of other sizes may be carried out without disturbance.In addition to the above-described way of journalling them to the transversal support beam of the railway car, the swinging arms can be also journalled by articulations directly to loadbearing centre beam 5 or to an other suitable point in the car body.

Pivoted axle line 18 of the second articulation 17 between the second loading table 12a, 12b and swinging arm 13a, b is preferably parallel to pivoted axle line 15 of the first articulation, i.e., transversal to the car. Thus the second loading tables 12a, b are placed, while the swinging arm is in the lifted-up, i.e., vertical position Pi, into a position where they receive the corner pieces, as shown in Fig. 7B. When the swinging arms are turned about the amount of angle 20 which is generally approximately 900, whereby they are brought to their lowered position P2 being thus approximately parallel to centre beam 5, loading table 12, 12b turns at the same time, in this case in the opposite direction, about the amount of the same angle, whereby fixing members 10 of the container still point upwards, as can be seen in Fig. 6B.Thus neither loading table 12a and 12b nor any projection of theirs, such as fixing member 10 of the containers, is outside the vertical dimension of the centre beam and the structures fixedly joined thereto, whereby for this reason also, the semi-trailers, trailers, and other loaded goods can always be loaded with no trouble.

When swinging arms 13a, 13b are in the lifted-up position P1, loading tables 12a, 12b should be locked to their swinging arms so that the loading tables remain in the right position (P4) during the placing and transportation of the containers without tilting over around pivoted axle line 18 of second articulation 17. This locking can be implemented, for instance, by a lock pin which goes through suitable points in the loading table and the swinging arm, or by a member which interlocks the loading table and the swinging arm in some other way. Several different constructions suitable for this purpose are easy to design depending, for instance, on the design c- the loading table and the swinging arm.As difftrent locks suitable fsr this purpose are well-known, the mater is not described in this application in more detail. The loading tables of several embodiments should also be locked in their lowered position P2, P3 so that the loading tables do not tilt over around pivoted axle line 18 into an unadvantageous position. This locking can be accomplished using the same or corresponding members as the locking in the lifted-up position is accomplished. In case no second articulation 17 is provided but second loading tables 12a, 12b are rigidly joined to their swinging arms, no such locking is needed, of course.

It is obvious that especially pivoted axle lines 18 of second articulations 17 can be in other directions than transversal to the car, longitudinal to the car or pointing in some other direction, for instance, depending on the details of the structure of lowered portion 7 of the car body and the place and the form of the place where loading tables 12a and 12b are meant to be placed, when the swinging arms are in the lowered position P2. Thus it is not completely necessary in all cases to arrange second articulations at all, but the second loading tables may be in some cases rigidly or nearly rigidly secured to the swinging arms. Likewise, pivoted axle lines 15 of first articulations 14 can be pointed to other directions, for instance, to the longitudinal direction of the car. However, problems then generally arise in finding and forming points where the swinging arms and the loading tables can be lowered down so that no point of theirs essentially rises higher than the centre beam and the structures fixedly joined thereto. In principle, this could be solved by making several articulations to the swinging arms, whereby they could be folded up in another way, but then the structure will be more complicated and its fIrmness will not be suffIcient. Thus it is more simple to use rigid swinging arms articulated only on one end thereof or on boon enas thereof.

In order to increase the transversal support of the swinging arm structure of the invention and to support the swinging arms in their lowered position P2, swinging arms 13a, 13b, situated on different sides cf the car, are connected to each other by transversal support 15. Transversal support 15 is secured fixedly to the swinging arms and either to such point in swinging arms 13a, 13b, or the transversal support is alternatively so formed, that distance 22 between longitudinal level 34 of the swinging arms going through pivoted axle line 15 of first articulations 14 of the swinging arms and first side 21 of the transversal support pointing towards this level is of the same magnitude as distance 23 between pivoted axle line 15 of the first articulations and the upper surface of the centre beam and the structures joined thereto which is at this spot.This should be true with respect to level 34 of distance 22 of first side 21 of transversal support 16 in the transversal direction of the car at least within width W of centre beam 5. The above-described manner is implemented in the embodiment of the Figs., as can be seen in Figs. 7A and 7B, for instance. This design has the advantage that the transversal support in any case provides support in the transversal direction of the car to the swinging arms while they are in the vertical position P1, and when the swinging arms are turned to lowered position P2, where they are approximately horizontal and extend to the direction of length L of centre beam 5, transversal support 16 supports the swinging arm structure according to the invention by supporting itself on the upper surface of centre beam 5, without using other special fixing methods.

The above description explains the actual supporting parts of the swinging arm structure. In addition to this, the swinging arm structure according to the invention comprises members which serve to support the swinging arms and their loading tables in the lifted-up position P1. For this reason, supports are provided for both sides of the upright standing swinging arms 13a, 13b, when the matter is considered with respect to longitudinal level 34 of the swinging arms going through pivoted axle line 15 of the first articuiations. The other side of this Itl is provided wit flange 24 cr tangles 24 preferably pointed upwards and rigidly secured either to loadbearing centre beam 5, and/or to support beam 30 which is in the transversal direction of the car, or to some other structure part firmly joined to the centre beam. These flanges 24 are typically so situated that the surface, which is pointed towards said level 34, will be on the spot on which the outer surface 25 of the swinging arm is placed, the outer surface being pointed towards this flange 24, when the swinging arms are in the lifted-up position P1. Thus the swinging arm is supported at its side surface 25 on this flange 24, when it has been turned upwards about the amount of angle 20 and it does not turn any further from this vertical position.The swinging arms are supported at the other side of level 34 by inclined support 32 in the solution according to the invention, this support 32 consisting of bar-like parts which are journalled to transversal support 16 at one end thereof using a third articulation, and which, in the lifted-up position P1 of the swinging arms, are pointed towards the other side of level 34 than that where flange 24 is situated. In this case supporting bracket 33 is arranged to the loadbearing centre beam 15 of the car, the other ends of the inclined supports being placed against that inner surface of this supporting bracket which is pointed towards the swinging arms, when the swinging arms are in vertical position P1.This situation is shown in Fig. 7B indicating that flange 24 prevents the swinging arm from turning to the right and inclined support 32, which is supported on fixed part 33 of the body, prevents the swinging arms from tilting to the left to the side of deflection angle 20. Thus the swinging arms are supported to their lifted-up position. When inclined support 32 is lifted up or off from behind fixed supporting bracket 33, as is possible to do by the movement around pivoted axle line 31 of articulation 28 of the inclined support, swinging arms 13a, 13b and their transversal supports 16 are released and the swinging arms are free to turn about the amount of angle 20 to height dimension H of the centre beam and its structures, as shown in Fig. 6.The swinging arms and the loading tables are then supported by transversal support 16, this transversal support 16 being supported on the upper surface o the centre beam. Inclined support 32 is also turret t sew s onto the upper surface of centre beam 5, as can be seen in Figs. 6A and 6B. It is clear that these flange structures as well as the inclined support structures can be arranged in many other ways. Flange 24 can be also placed in some other fixed component of the car body cr te the swinging arms or its transversal support or the like.Ithe same way, the inclined support can be journalled to the swinging arms or their transversal supports, to another spot in the structure, or the inclined support can be alternatively secured, using an articulation, to centre beam 5 or any fixed structural part joined thereto, and the support spot of the inclined support can be arranged correspondingly to any suitable spot in the swinging arm structure.

Because the containers are of the standard size, the second loading tables can generally be fixed in the railway car and its longitudinal direction L. However, if the railway car is intended for transporting containers and/or swap bodies of different sizes, the second loading tables with their swinging arms can be made to be movable in the longitudinal and/or transversal direction of the car, even though the structure will thus be more complicated and it may be difficult to achieve sufficient firmness. Another possibility is to install, on the lowered portion of the railway car's centre beam body, which is without side beams, more pairs of second loading tables than the above-described one pair of second loading tables. Because all the containers and swap bodies are in accordance with a standard, whereby the number of the required positioning places of the loading tables is very limited, the latter-described arrangement can be used to easily make the railway car suitable for transporting all the desired loading types, the loads being always horizontal and well-supported.

It will of course be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

1. A railway car for transporting semi-trailers (2), trailers, or the like, and alternatively containers (6a, 6b) of different sizes, the railway car t1? comprising a body (3) without side members having a longitudinal (L) loadbearing centre beam (5) which is mainly situated, as well as structures firmly secured thereto in the area (7) between the wheel bogies (6) or sets of wheels, respectively, essentially lower than the upper edge (9) of the rail wheels (8), the railway car also comprising, at the ends of the railway car, framing beams (20) secured to the centre beam and wheel bogies (6) or sets of wheels with their rail wheels (8) supported on the framing beams, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the framing beams comprise vertically fixed first loading tables (lla-lld) for receiving the corner pieces (4) of the containers (6a, 6b) and that second loading tables (12a, 12b) are secured, using articulations, to said centre beam (5) situated lower down (7) between the wheel bogies (6) or sets of wheels for receiving the corner pieces (4) of the containers (6b) so that these second loading tables (12a, 12b) can be lifted up (Pl) to the height of the first loading tables and lowered down (P2) at least approximately to the area of the vertical dimension (H) of the centre beam and the structures fixedly secured thereto.

2. A railway car according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the second loading tables (12a, 12b) are situated approximately in the area of the longitudinal (b) middle point of the railway car and comprise at least two loading tables which are situated near the opposite sides (5a, 5b) of the car for supporting the corner pieces (4) on both sides of the container (6b) to be loaded in the lifted-up position (P1) of the second loading tables, that all the loading tables (load, 12a-b) include members (10), known per se, for securing them to the corner pieces of the containers, and that each of the second loading tables (12, 12b) comprise two securing members (10) for the corner pieces of the container spaced from each other at a distance (S) in the longItudinal directi () cf the car.

3. A railway car according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that between each of the second loading tables (12a, 12b) and the loadbearing centre beam (5) or alternatively the transversal support beam (30 of the car, which is integral with this centre beam, there is a sw-nc-nc arm (13a, 13b) which is journalled, using a first artIculation (14), to the centre beam or correspondingly to the support beam to be turned around a transversal pivoted axle line (15) of the car, the pivoted axle line being situated in the area of the vertical dimension (H) of the centre beam and the structures fixedly secured thereto, and that the swinging arms (13a, 13b) are at least approximately vertical in said lifted-up position (P1) and the swinging arms (13a, 13b) are at least approximately horizontal in said lowered position (P2).

4. A railway car according to Claim 2 or 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the swinging arms (13a, 13b) of the corresponding loading tables situated on different sides (5a, 5b) of the car, are joined together by a transversal support (16), that each loading table (12a, 12b) is journalled, using a second articulation (17), to its swinging arm to be turned around a transversal pivoted axle line (18) of the car, whereby the loading table (12a, 12b) may settle into the position (P4) in which it receives the corner pieces (4) of the container while the swinging arms are in the lifted-up position (P1), and to settle into a space-saving position (P3) prearranged for it while the swinging arms are in their lowered position (P2), and that the second loading tables can be locked at least in the position (P4) where they receive the containers.

5. A railway car according to Claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the transversal support (15) is secured to the swinging arms (13a, 13b) in such a manner, or alternatively the transversal support is so formed that the distance (22) between the level (34) going through the longitudinal pIvoted axle iine (15) of the first articulations of the swinging arms and the first side (21) of the transverse support cn the side cf tns level is, at least through the dImensIon cf the centre ceam (5) and the corresponding wiut (W), in the same order as the distance (23) between the pivoted axle line (15) of the first articulations and the upper surface of the centre beam (5) in this spot, and that the loadbearing centre beam (5i and/cr the transversal support beam (30) of the car integral with the centre beam, have a flange or flanges (24) pointed upwards fixedly secured thereto in line with the swinging arms in their lifted-up position and/or that side (25) of the transversal support which is pointed away from the angle (20) between the lowered and the lifted-up positions of the swinging arms.

6. A railway car according to any of the preceding Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a bar-like or corresponding inclined support (32) have secured to the swinging arms (13a, 13b), or the transversal support (16), or alternatively to the loadbearing centre beam (5), or the structures fixedly joined thereto, using a third articulation (28), to be turned preferably around the transversal pivoted axle line (18) of the car, the end of the inclined support (32) away from the articulation (28) being arranged to be supported (33) on the loadbearing centre beam or the structures fixedly joined thereto, or correspondingly to the swinging arms or the transversal support while the swinging arms are in their lifted-up position (P1).

7. A railway car according to any of the preceding Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the inclined support (32) is pointed, in the lifted-up position (P1) of the swinging arms (13a, 13b), from the swinging arms to the side other than that where said flange or flanges (24) are situated, and that the first side (21) of the transversal support (16) is pointed towards the angle (20) between the lowered and lifted-up positions of the swinging arms.

8. A railway car according to any of the preceding Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said transversal support beam secured to the centre beam (5) is preferably one (30) of the transversal beams situated in the area (25) of the wheels (29) cf the trailers (2i to be transported, these transversal beams su-n~crg hc that whee~ wells (27a, 27b) extending to both sides (5a, 5i=! of the car from the centre beam of the railway car (1) and manufactured from sheet material, for instance.

9. A railway car for transporting semi-trailers, trailers, or the like, or alternatively containers of different sizes, the railway car being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.