US2837037A - Rail carrier for highway van - Google Patents

Description

A. K. HOLMBERG RAIL CARRIER. FOR HIGHWAY VAN Jun; 3, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 15, 1954 INVENTOR Wi /4m. ,MM W

- I ATTORNEYS June 3, 1958 HOLMBERG 2,837,037

RAIL CARRIER FOR HIGHWAY VAN Filed Jan. 15, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 VIZ/l INVENTOR 4 7% wa/zfzww M $4M r [0M ATTORNEYS June 3, 1958 A. K. HOLMBERG RAIL CARRIER FOR HIGHWAY VAN 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 15, 1954 INVENTOR awklzum BY Mm; M 17M mm ATTORNEYS United States Patent Of'ice RAIL CARRIER FOR HKQHWAY VAN Aaron K. Holmberg, Eau Claire, Wis.

Application January 15, 1954, Serial No. 404,281

11 Claims. (Cl. Ills-362i) This invention relates to the transporting by rail of highway vehicles and is more particularly concerned with a novel railway car especially designed and adapted to receive and support one or more semi-trailers or highway vans in order that the same may be moved from place to place by rail rather than by highway.

It has already been broadly proposed to employ for the transporting of freight a combined highway-railway vehicle in which a semi-trailer or van is mounted for transit by rail upon a rail vehicle while being removable therefrom for conventional highway transit by means of a motor tractor. This arrangement offers many advantages in the conveyance of freight, combining the best features of railway transportation, such as high speed, low cost, bulk shipment, with the best features of highway transportation, such as door-to-door pick-up and delivery without reloading and efiicient handling of less than carload lots, without the disadvantages inherent in either system alone. In spite of the fact that this combined mode of operation could very well be the solution to many if not all of the problems facing both the highway and railway freight industries, up to the present time neither of these industries has displayed any inclination toward putting such mode of operation into effect, although the basic teachings of its desirability have been available to the art for a longperiod of time. The reluctance on the part of the railway and trucking industries to adopt such a potentially useful idea is diflicult to explain unless it be due to the somewhat unrealistic approach which prior workers in the field have given the problem. In virtually all cases, these prior workers have contemplated that the semi-trailer or van should function literally as the body of the combined railway vehicle, being pivotally connected at both ends to a railway car truck and supported above the tracks thereby. Consequently, the chassis of the van served as the sole draft connection between trucks and, of necessity, was required to bear the entire load of subsequent combination vehicles when a plurality of the units were arranged in a train. The usual highway rig comprises only a single tractor'and van and, as the horizontal loads, either in tension or compression, to which a van is subjected are not extreme, conventional vans are neither designed nor constructed to withstand loads even approaching those of the magnitude which would be encountered where large numbers of combination vehicles are connected .in series. Obviously then, vans which were to be used in the manner suggested by the prior art must needs be of especially sturdy and massive construction which characteristics in themselves would render the van less suitable for use on the highways where deadweight should be at a minimum. It is small wonder therefore that the trucking industry looked with little favor upon proposals which their standard equipment would be worthless.

In similar fashion, the railway car trucks which were to be employed in association with the vans were unique in many respects, such as to require rather radical modi- 2,837,037, Patented June 3, 1958 2 fication of existing car trucks, and thus-modified truck would find little utility apart from the hauling of vans. Thus, the basis for the railroads disinclination toward previous suggestions along this line is readily apparent.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a railway vehicle for transporting semi-trailers or vans in which the horizontal load is borne by the rail vehicle itself rather than by the van.

Another object of the invention is to provide a railway carrier for highway vans of conventional design which is simple both in the design and construction and which contemplates the maximum use of conventional railway equipment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail carrier for highway vans which while being especially adapted for such use is nevertheless not specifically limited thereto but is capable of utility in other applications.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a rail carrier for highway vans which can be swiftly and easily loaded and unloaded without the assistance of additional special equipment.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved van carrier, showing in dotted lines the van in transporting position and in dot-dash lines the platform of the carrier in loading and unloading position;

Figure 2 is a plan view looking down on Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the platform, showing the details of the automatic coupling means carried by one of the car trucks and the cooperating means carried by the platform; I

Figure 4 is a view in cross-section along line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in perspective of the portion of the platform included in Figure 3, showing the details of the platform cooperating means alone;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view in perspective of a portion of the edge of the platform, showing in association with the platform elevating means for raising and lowering the platform from loading and unloading position to and from coupling position.

Figure 7 is a view looking at the inner end of the front car truck with the platform disengaged therefrom, showing the operating mechanism for the automatic coupling means;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention for use in transporting a duality of vans; and

Figure 9 is a plan view looking down on Figure 8.

in general terms, the novel van carrier constructedin accordance with the present invention comprises at least two railway car trucks and a platform supported a slight distance above the rail tracks for movement therealong by means of these trucks, the platform functioning as the sole draft connection therebetween. Carried by one truck are automatic coupling means which are engageable with cooperating means provided on one end of the platform, one element of the coupling means being a projection having an upper inclined surface for guiding the cooperating means into coupling relationship. Upon disengagement of the coupling and cooperating means, the platform is adapted to be lowered at one end thereof .by jack means to loading and unloading position and, upon completion of loading or unloading, to be re-elevated to coupling position.

Turning now to a detailed description of the invention, in Figure l the numeral 11 and 11' generally designate a pair of railway car trucks adapted for rolling movement otherwise permanently aflixed thereto.

3 along a pair of spaced parallel tracks 13. As is well known, the trucks comprise the usual side frames and 15', wheels 17 and 17', and axles, bolster, braking elements, compressed air conduits and connections, etc., all notshown. Mounted onthe trucks by means of a conventional bolster, center plate, and center pin connection, not shown, are horizontal decks 19 and 19 which are provided at their outer ends with conventional coupling member 21 and 21' and at their inner ends with vertical frames or frameworks 23 and 23, extending downwardly from and transversely of the deck but terminating short of the top of the rails 13. If desired, the vertical frameworks 23 and 23' may be braced against loads normal thereto by means of suitable bracing members 25 and 25'.

One of the trucks, preferably that which appears to the left in Figure l and indicated by the numeral 11, being termed the front truck for purposes of convenience, is supplied with a fifth wheel 27 mounted centrally on the deck near the vertical framework 23. The fifth wheel may be of the type ordinarily employed in coupling highway vans to motor tractors, consisting of a pedestal member 29 fixedly secured to the deck 19 and a slightly inclined plate member 31 having a rearwardly directed tapering slot 33 therein for the reception of a kingpin or male coupling member 35 carried beneath the forward end of the van. As is well known, locking means of any desired design, not shown, form a part of the fifth wheel for retaining the kingpin in coupled relationship.

Mounted on the lower ends of framework 23 on front truck 11, adjacent the outer sides thereof, are a pair of automatic couplers'37 which are generally identical to the standard railroad coupler with the exception of several external modifications by which they are rendered especially adapted for use in the present invention. Contrary to the usual practice of mounting couplers on railway cars in which the knuckle is either at the one side or the other of the coupler with the knuckle axis extending vertically, the present couplers 37 are rotated 90 about their longitudinal axis to place the knuckle 39 at the top with the knuckle axis extending horizontally, the guard arm being at the bottom of the coupler, as can be seen in Figure 4.

In addition, the guard arm 41 is extended two or three times its normal length, the upper face 42 of the arm forming an inclined surface leading up to the body of coupler. The purpose of these modifications will appear hereinafter.

By virtue of the rotation of the couplers 90 from their ordinary position, special operating means are required and to this end, as can be seen in Figure 7, the lock lifter arm of the coupler, arranged either for what is usually termed top or bottom operation as the case may be, is extended exteriorly of the body of coupler 37, as at 45, and is provided at its free end with a disc 47 welded or A compression spring 49, encircles the exterior portion 45 of the lock lifter arm, hearing at one end against the inner face of coupler body 37, the lifter lever thus being normally biased to locking position. Pivotally mounted on framework 23 is a bell crank lever 51, having the end of its short arm bearing against the outer face of the disc and its long arm connected by means of a cable 53, passing around a pulley 55, to an arm 57 carried by an operating shaft 59. The operating shaft 59 extends the full width of framework 23, being secured for rocking movement thereto by means of brackets 61, and has an operating handle 63 at both ends thereof. It will thus be apparent that uncoupling can be accomplished from either side of' the carrier by merely rocking the shaft 61 about its axis which causes the lock lifter arms to move outwardly, disengaging the locking mechanism inside the coupler and actuating the knuckle thrower to swing the knuckle 39 about its axis to open position. The friction between the surfaces of themoving parts inside the coupler head 37 as increased by the presence of spring 49 will normally disc 47 and at the other against the external surface of the be great enough to maintain the knuckle in open position once that position has been achieved; however, any of the well known devices for locking a knuckle in open position may be utilized, if thought desirable.

The vertical framework 23' carried by the rear car truck, designated 11', has fixedly connected to the lower end thereof a platform generally indicated by the numeral 71 which is adapted to support a van 72 (shown in broken lines in Figures 1 and 2), the platform extending longitudinally of the rails 13 toward the front car 11, being of a width comparable to a conventional flat car and of a length corresponding to the major portion of the van exclusive of the end portions thereof which overlap or project over the deck portions 19 and 19. The construction of platform 71 may be widely varied; for example, it may consist of a spaced pair of side rails 73 in the form of steel or cast iron I-beams arranged with the web vertically and secured at one end, as by welding or riveting, to the side elements of the framework 23 with a floor of heavy boards or planks 75 disposed edge to edge transversely of side rails 73 and secured thereto by bolts or other common fastening means. The wooden floor can be replaced by metal plates if this is considered advantageous but, in any event, it is preferred that side rails of some character be utilized to prevent the van from accidentally shifting off the platform, the rails being disposed as low with respect to the floor as is feasible in order that they will interfere as little as possible with loading and unloading of the platform.

The end of the platform 71 remote from rear car truck 11' is provided with cooperating means for engaging in coupling fashion with the automatic couplers 37 carried by the frame 23 of front car truck 11. To form this coupling means, as can be best seen in detail in Figures 3-5, a rod 77 of very heavy round stock is fastened across the end of floor 75 by means of several heavy metal straps 79 and the edge of the last plank in the floor, that is, the plank adjacent to the rod 77 is cut away to provide several rectangular openings 81, bounded on one side by rod 77, the openings corresponding-in number to the number of the couplers 37 carried by the front car truck 11 and being in longitudinal alignment with such couplers. The depth or longitudinal extent of the openings 81 is such as to permit the knuckle 39 of the couplers 37 topass freely into and out of the same. The size and stress bearing characteristics of the round stock from which rod 77 is made and the number and gauge of sheet metal. straps 79 are so selected that these elements will be capable of withstanding any load to which they may be subjected during the course of transporting a train of the vehicles of the present invention cross country. It will be noted that by virtue of the extended guard arm 41 on the coupler 37, it is not necessary that the cooperating means at the end of platform 71 be precisely positioned prior to coupling with the couplers 37 since the rod 77 will be contacted by the inclined upper face 42 of arm 41 and moved into proper coupling relationship even though the rod might be several inches lower than what would otherwise be the required position for coupling.

While the specific coupling arrangement illustrated and described herein is by way of example only, other coupling arrangements being obviously suitable for this purpose, it nevertheless offers certain important advantages. In the first place, it is simple and inexpensive. In the second place, the cooperating means carried by the platform 71 neither projects above nor below the plane of the platform and, accordingly, there are no parts which might tend to interfere with the loading or unloading operation or which might become bent or broken. In the third place, the arrangement results in the maximum continuity between the front truck 11 and platform 71 which isv to say that the gap between the front truck and the platform is quite narrow.

It is contemplated that for loading and unloading the platform will be disengaged from the couplers 37 by actuation of the coupler operation mechanism previously described and the end of platform 71 remote from rear car 11' lowered to the top of the rail 13, the platform thus pivoting slightly with respect to rear car truck 11. The play normally occurring in the bolster-center pin connection between deck 19 and rear car truck 11 will generally be adequate to permit such movement as the deflection at this point will be extremely small, although the conventional arrangementmay be modified slightly to allow this movement, if. necessary. To prevent the platform, after uncoupling, from dropping suddenly from coupled position to the top of the tracks 13 and to enable the platform to be raised from lowered position to coupling position, there are mounted on the sides of the platform a pair of fluid-operated jacks 82. Each jack consists of a cylinder 83 aflixed to one of the side rails 73 and a piston 85 moving in the cylinder and having at its lower end a shoe 87, the piston normally being urged to raised position by means of a spring (not shown). While each carrier may be provided with its own individual supply or source of fluid used in operating the jacks .82, ,it is preferred that the jacks be connected to the compressed air system conventionally employed on trains for use, in braking, etc., such connection being made through a conduit 89. The functioning of the jack is controlled by a four-way valve 90 of any commercially available design, the position of which is governed by an operating lever, such as handle 91. The four positions of the valve are supply, gradual exhaust, quick exhaust, and neutral, the valve being fully closed at the latter position to maintain the piston and shoe fixed in whatever position they may happen to occupy at the time. While the carrier is in motion, the piston and shoe would normally occupy a raised position, as is shown in Figure 6. When the vehicle is halted and it is desired to load or unload the same, prior to uncoupling, the valve is moved to supply position, permitting compressed air to flow into cylinder 83, lowering piston 85 and shoe 87 until the latter contacts the ground or whatever surface may be present, whereupon the valve is moved to neutral position to maintain the piston in its lowered position. After front truck 11 has been uncoupled from the platform and moved down the track a short distance, the valve is turned to gradual exhaust which slowly vents the chamber, permitting the platform to descend at a gradual rate. The platform may then be unloaded and reloaded. To raise the platform to a position where the cooperating means carried thereby is able to couple with the couplers carried by the front truck 11, the valve is turned again to gradual supply which slowly raises the platform to the desired position and coupling between the front truck and platform accomplished. Thereafter the valve is moved to quick exhaust whereby the compressed air flows quickly from cylinder 83, the piston being swiftly raised by the action of its return spring and the carrier is ready for operation. A fluid operated jack is normally preferred by reason of the ready availability of a supply of compressed fluid; however, its mechanical equivalent may be employed in lieu thereof if desired.

In Figure 8 there is shown a modification of the van carrier of the present invention which is adapted for the transportation, as a single unit, of a duality of vans. In accordance with this alternative form, an eight-wheel car truck 101 is arranged between two platforms 103 and 103, the platform extending longitudinally in opposite directions from the truck. The deck of the truck 101 is divided into two substantially equal areas 105a and 105b, the areas having individual bolster-center pin connections with truck 101 in order that they may pivot about their center pin axes both with respect to truck 101 and to each other. The adjacent edges of the deck areas a and b are rounded as at 107 .and 107' toavoid interference between the areas during turning movement. The platforms 103 and 103 may be constructed in a manner identical with that of platform 71, being equipped with the cooperating means and fluid-operated jacks previously described, and each is adapted to be coupled to and uncoupled from a car truck 109 similar to front truck 11 already referred to. It will be noted that with the modified version two vans can be easily transported with the use of one less car truck than would be the case if a single van carrier were merely duplicated and with a concomitant reduction in expense of construction.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the practice of this invention does not require even the slightest change in the design in construction of highway vans as the van does not contribute any operative function to the device. Furthermore, maximum use has been made of conventional railway instrumentalities, the deck and platform being the only part which is not conventional, and these parts are relatively simple and inexpensive to construct. Obviously, the carrier will be particularly easy to load and unload and these operations can be accomplished in a minimum amount oftime since precise positioning of the platform prior to recoupling is not required, the design of the invention allowing for slight discrepancies in the elevation thereof.

It is to be understood that the specific embodiments of the invention have been described by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation since minor variations in design and construction could obviously be made without departure from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, that which is claimed is:

1. A rail carrier for highway vans comprising a first and second railway car truck having axles and wheels, a longitudinal body member for supporting the wheels of a van having one end supported by said first truck at a height intermediate the top of the rails and said axles and being adapted to pivot downwardly with respect to said first truck, cooperating elements on the other end of said body member and said second truck for coupling said second truck and other end to temporarily support said other end in van transporting position at substantially the same height as said first-mentioned end, means for uncoupling said other end and second truck to permit said body member to pivot downwardly and drop said uncoupled end to a position at which a van may be loaded on and unloaded from said body member, said platform constituting the draft connection between said trucks.

2. A carrier as in claim 1 wherein said body member is provided with means operable to elevate, said other end from van loading and unloading position to a height at which the coupling elements on said body member are positioned for proper coupling with the elements on said truck.

3. A rail carrier for highway vans comprising a first and second railway car truck, a platform for supporting the wheels of a van, which platform is suspended above the rails from said trucks and adapted to pivot bodily with respect to one of said trucks to lower one end thereof to van loading and unloading position, said platform being of a length substantially equal to at least the major portion of the length of a van and constituting the draft connection between said trucks, and means for detaching said one end of said platform from one of said trucks to permit said end to be lowered.

4. A carrier as in claim 3 including means carried by said platform operable to elevate the detachable end thereof from said loading and unloading position to its initial unpivoted position for reattachment to said truck.

5. A carrier as in claim 3 wherein said detaching means comprises at least one automatic coupler carried by said truck, cooperating means carried by said platform end to engage with said coupler, and means for opening said 7 coupler to permit disengagement of said cooperating means. i

6. A- carrier as in claim 5 wherein said coupler is provided with an extension having an inclined surface thereon adapted to contact said cooperating means and guide the same into proper position for engagement with said coupler.

7. A rail carrier for highway vans comprising front, intermediate, and rear railway car trucks, a pair of platforms having adjacent ends supported above the rails from said intermediate truck, automatic coupling means carried by said front and rear trucks, means carried by the remote ends of said platforms engageable with said automatic coupling means to couple said platforms and front and rear trucks together, means operable to uncouple said platforms from said trucks, said platforms when uncoupled being adapted to respectively pivot downwardly relative to said intermediate truck to lower the remote "ends thereof of the rails for loading and unloading,

and means on each of said platforms for raising the remote ends thereof to coupling position.

8. A carrier as in claim 7 wherein said raising means comprises at least one jack having an element fixed to said platform, a lift element movable to and from an extended position with respect to said fixed element, 26

said elements to raise and lower said platforms and return means normally urging said lift element to nonextended position.

9. A rail carrier for highway vans comprising first and second railway car trucks, a frame member connecting said trucks, having a depressed center portion between said trucks for supporting the wheels of a van and end portions overlying said trucks, and a detachable connection between one end of said depressed center portion and one of said end portions to permit said one end to be lowered adjacent the rails in order that a van may be loaded thereon or unloaded therefrom.

10. A carrier as in claim 9 wherein said detachable connection comprises automatic coupling means carried by said end portion and cooperating means on said end of said center portion adapted to engage with said auto matic coupling means.

11. A carrier as in claim 10 including manually operated uncoupling means for disengaging said cooperating means and coupling means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,121,181 Bayerl June 21, 1938 2,246,543 Smith June 24, 1941 2,638,852 Bannen May 19, 1953

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