US3497169A - Low profile hitch for road semitrailer - Google Patents

Low profile hitch for road semitrailer Download PDF

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Publication number
US3497169A
US3497169A US656884A US3497169DA US3497169A US 3497169 A US3497169 A US 3497169A US 656884 A US656884 A US 656884A US 3497169D A US3497169D A US 3497169DA US 3497169 A US3497169 A US 3497169A
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Prior art keywords
standard
hitch
strut
road
semitrailer
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US656884A
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Samuel H Enochian
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General American Transportation Corp
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General American Transportation Corp
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B61—RAILWAYS
    • B61D—BODY DETAILS OR KINDS OF RAILWAY VEHICLES
    • B61D45/00—Means or devices for securing or supporting the cargo, including protection against shocks
    • B61D45/001—Devices for fixing to walls or floors
    • B61D45/004—Fixing semi-trailers
    • B61D45/005—Fixing semi-trailers by using fifth wheel locks

Definitions

  • a low-profile hitch for use in securing in place a road semitrailer comprising a substantially rectangular base including a pair of longitudinal side members of predetermined extent, a standard pivotally mounted at its lower end in the front end of the base and pivotable about an axis extending laterally thereof, the standard being pivotable between an erected position and a storage position, a strut arranged rearwardly of the standard and having its front end pivotally connected to the standard and having its rear end slideable with respect to the side members, a pair of longitudinal slide bars mounted in the front'of the side members for longitudinal sliding movements therealong, a pair of rails resiliently mounted on the outer sides of the side members, a pair
  • the present invention relates to hitches for road semitrailers, and more particularly to such hitches that are constructed and arranged so that they can be mounted upon a substantially flat deck of a wide variety of railway cars and present a low profile when it is in the storage position thereof, thus to accommodate the passage thereover of vehicles having low ground clearance.
  • a low-profile hitch of the type set forth including a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart supports having a predetermined vertical extent and adapted to be rigidly secured to an associated flat deck, a standard pivotally mounted on the supports about an axis extending laterally thereof for pivotal movement between a storage position and an erected position, the standard in the storage being disposed between the supports within the vertical extent thereof and rearwardly of the axis, an element extending laterally between the supports rearwardly of the axis and mounted on the supports for longitudinal sliding movements with respect thereto and being operatively connected to the standard, whereby the element is slid into a first position rearwardly of an away from the axis and a second positon rearwardly of and toward the axis in response to respective pivotal movements of the standard into its storage and erected positions, a longitudinally extending slide bar mounted on one of the supports, a pair of longi- 3,497,169 Patented Feb
  • connection wit-h the foregoing object, it is another object of the invention to provide a low-profile hitch of the type set forth wherein the predetermined vertical extent of the supports is no more than about 6 inches and preferably no more than 51/2 inches.
  • Another object of t-he invention is to provide in a lowprotle hitch of the type set forth a pick-up bar pivotally mounted on the standard and pivotable into a recess in the standard when the standard is moved to the storage position thereof.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide in an improved low-profile hitch of the type set forth a hollow base in which all other parts of the hitch are placed when in the storage position thereof, the hollow base having a small predetermined vertical extent of the order of no more than about 6 inches.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide in a lowprofile hitch of the type set forth an improved linkage structure for operating the fifth-wheel mechanism between its locked and unlocked positions with respect to the associated kingpin and for operating the latching mechanism, the linkage structure including a plunger mounted on a strut interconnecting the standard and the rails, a first linkage mounted on the standard and interconnecting the plunger and the fifth-wheel mechanism, and a second linkage mounted on the strut and interconnecting the latching mechanism and the plunger, the plunger and strut and the linkages all being disposed within the predetermined vertical extent of the support or base when the parts are in theA storage position thereof.
  • a still further object of the invention is to provide in a low-profile hitch of the type set forth a cover mounted on the strut and overlying the lower end of the linkage attached thereto for protection thereof when the hitch is in its storage position.
  • FIGURE l is a fragmentary side elevational View lof the right-hand end of a railway car carrying a road semitrailer and a hitch supporting the front end of the road semitrailer and securing the same in place via the cooperating kingpin, wherein the hitch is of the collapsible type that is selectively operative between storage and erected positions, and embodying the present invention;
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the end of the railway car, partly broken away, and illustrating the mounting of the hase of the hitch upon the deck of the railway car;
  • FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the end of the railway car similar to FIG. 2, and illustrating the parts of the hitch in the storage position thereof;
  • FIG. 4 is a further enlarged side elevational view of the hitch with certain portions broken away, and illustrating the standard incorporated in the hitch in its erected position and also illustrating the latching mechanism incorporated in the hitch for selectively restraining the standard in its erected position, and further illustrating the fthwheel mechanism carried by the upper end of the standard;
  • FIG. 5 is a side elveational view of the hitch of FIG. 4 as viewed from the right-hand side thereof;
  • FIG. 6 is a view of the lower portion of the strut and the latching mechanism forming a part of the hitch of FIG. 4 as seen in the direction of the arrows along the line 6 6 thereof;
  • FIG. 7 is a view in section along the line 7 7 of FIG. 6;
  • FIG. 8 is an enlarged view in horizontal section along the line 8 8 of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 9 is a view in vertical section along the line 9 9 of FIG. 8, certain portions having been broken away;
  • FIG. 10 is a partly ⁇ diagrammatic plan view illustrating the construction of the slide assembly and mounting thereof upon the base;
  • FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view in vertical section and on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 11-11 of FIG. 8;
  • FIG. 12 is a fragmentary View on an enlarged scale in vertical section along the line 12 12 in FIG. 8.
  • FIG. 1 of the drawings there is shown the right-hand end of a railway car 10 of the atcar type that is employed in piggyback service and that carries two road semitrailers 50 and that has mounted thereon two hitches 100 embodying the features of the present invention; only one of the road semitrailers 50 and one of the hitches 100 have been illustrated in the interest of simplification.
  • the two hitches 100 are arranged in longitudinal spaced-apart relation on top of the railway car 10 and support the front ends of the respective road semitrailers 50 arranged in like disposition on top of the railway car 10 in the piggyback operation.
  • the railway car 10 may be of any suitable construction and arrangement; and, as illustrated, the railway car 10 comprises an elongated longitudinally extending underframe 11 of fishbelly conguration and supported at the opposite ends thereof by wheeled trucks 12 that cooperate with an associated rail track 13 in the usual manner.
  • the underframe 11 comprises a pair of body bolsters (not shown) that are respectively arranged adjacent to the opposite ends thereof; which body holsters are respectively connected by associated kingpins (not shown) to the truck bolsters (not shown) of the wheeled trucks 12, so as to accommodate articulation between the opposite ends of the underframe 11 and the trucks 12, all in a conventional manner.
  • the top of the underframe 11 carries a deck in the usual manner and has thereon a substantially flat deck plate that extends over the entire deck of the railway car 10, the deck plate 20 having longitudinally extending side guide rails extending the length thereof on the outer longitudinally extending edges thereof, the side guide rails 25 extending upwardly substantially normal to the deck plate 2.0.
  • the deck is of strong, sturdy construction and is capable of supporting the two road semitrailers 50, as well as a road tractor (not shown) that is employed in loading and unloading the road semitrailers 50, as explained more fully hereinafter.
  • This traffic along the deck of the railway car 10 is longitudinally thereof, but it may be in either direction therealong, since the tractor normally backs the semitrailer 50 along the deck plate 20 in the loading operation and normally pulls the semitrailer 50 along the deck plate 20 in the unloading operation.
  • the side guide rails 25 ensure that the traffic along the deck plate 20 is confined thereto7 and the side guide rails 25 not only prevent a semitrailer 50 carried on the deck plate 20 from being hacked off of the deck plate 20 by the connected tractor, in the event of misalignment of the centerline of the semitrailer 50 and the centerline of the railway car 10', but they ruh or guide the rubber tires 51 carried at the rear end of the semitrailer 50 and thus exert a force thereon tending to straighten-up the misaligned semitrailer 50, in a well known manner.
  • Each of the road semitrailers 50 is entirely conventional; and the road semitrailer 50 comprises an underframe, the rear end of which carries one or more axles each carrying one or more pairs of rear wheels 51 adjacent to the outer ends thereof, and the front end of which carries a centrally located depending kingpin, not shown; all in a well-known manner.
  • the tractor (ngt shown) that is employed to pull and to back the road semitrailer 50 is altogether conventional, the rear end of which comprises one or more drive axles, each carrying one or more pairs of rear wheels adjacent to the outer ends thereof, as well as a fth-wheel mechanism disposed between the rear wheels mentioned.
  • the front end of the tractor comprises the usual motive power and control facilities as well as the hook to pull the hitches from the storage positions thereof to the erected positions thereof, all as will be explained more fully hereinafter.
  • the hitch 100 comprises an article of manufacture that may be employed on a wide variety of railway cars, including the railway car 10 illustrated, so as to adapt the same to piggyback service.
  • the hitch 100 comprises a unitary rigid base 101 of substantially rectangular hollow box-like structure that includes a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart side members or supports 102, each in the form of a welded structure including a pair of longitudinally spaced-apart top horizontal plate 103 and a thicker bottom horizontal plate 104 connected at the outer edges thereof by a vertical plate 105, suitable welds interconnecting the plates 103, 104 and 105.
  • each of the spacers 107 having a pair of elongated openings 108 therein (see FIG.
  • a reinforcing plate 109 is inserted between the adjacent ones of the horizontal plates 103 essentially centrally of the side members 102 in order to provide reinforcement at this point, the plate 109 being substantially thicker than the plates 103.
  • a rear cross channel 110 including an upper flange 111 abutting against the undersurfaces of the adjacent top plates 103, a lower flange 112 resting upon the upper surfaces of the bottom plates 104, and a web 113 interconnecting the flanges 111 and 112, the rear cross channel 110 preferably being held in the position indicated in FIG. 9 in any suitable manner, such as by welding.
  • the forward end of the side members 102 are held in fixed spacedapart relationship by a front cross channel 115 that is constructed of three individual flat pieces of metal, and more specifically includes a top flange 116, a bottom flange 117 and a web 118 interconnecting the anges 116 and 117, the web 118 being welded to the forward ends of the side members 102.
  • a pair of lugs 120 are mounted in spaced-apart position on the web 118 and are secured thereto as by welding, the lugs 120 extending rearwardly lfrom the web 118 and having aligned openings 121 therein for the reception of a laterally arranged pivot pin that will be described more fully hereinafter.
  • the base 101 is formed hollow, as is best shown in FIG. 8, and accommodates therein the remaining parts of the hitch 100 when the hitch 100 is in its storage position. Further, the base 101, and specifically the side members 102, rest directly upon the deck plate 25 of the railway car and are iixedly secured thereto, preferably as by Welding. v
  • a standard 130 which carries on the lower end thereof pairs of spaced-apart ears 131 that are adapted respectively to receive therebetween the lugs 120, the ears 131 having openings 132 therein that are in alignment with the openings 121 in the lugs 120 so as to receive therethrough pivot pins 133.
  • the described arrangement serves to mount the standard 130 for pivotal movements about the lower end thereof and between a rearwardly disposed storage position in which it is arranged within the hollow base 101 and a forwardly disposed erected position in which it is disposed principally out of the hollow base 101, the pivotal motion described being in effect about an axis disposed transversely of the base 101 and coinciding with the longitudinal axes of the pivot pins 133.
  • the standard 130 in its erected position projects well above the front end of the base 101; while the standard 130 in its storage position is disposed within the hollow base 101 and below the plates 103 and the reinforcing plate 109 of the side members 102.
  • the standard 130 is selectively pivotable between its two positions described above and between the inwardly facing portions of the top plates 103 of the side members 102 and through the open top of the hollow base 101, as defined by the laterally spaced and inwardly facing portions of the top plate 103.
  • the standard 130 in fact comprises in the upper end thereof a pair of spaced-apart arms that carry at the outermost portions thereof a pair of aligned laterally extending openings, the purpose of which will be described more fully hereinafter.
  • a pick-up bar 140 Mounted upon the intermediate portion of the standard 130, and specifically on the spaced-apart arms 135 thereof, is a pick-up bar 140 that is arranged generally transversely of the base 101.
  • the pick-up bar 140 further comprises end members 141 that have bearing portions therein receiving pivot pins 142 mounted in aligned openings in the standard arms 135.
  • the pick-up bar 140 is pivotal between an operative position illustrated by solid lines in FIG. 4 wherein the pick-up bar 140 extends forwardly with respect to the standard 130 to be engaged by a pick-up hook on an associated road tractor, and a storage position illustrated in dashed lines in FIG. 4 wherein the pick-up bar 140 is disposed completely within the confines of the standard 130 to provide a compact arrangement resulting in the lowprofile hitch 100 of the present invention.
  • a pair of springs 147 are respectively provided on the opposite sides of the rock lever 145 and are connected to the standard and urge the rock lever 145 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4 against a stop 148 also mounted on the standard 130. From FIG.
  • a fifth-wheel mechanism 150 is carried by the upper end of the standard 130, and specifically by the upper ends of the arms 135 thereof, and mounted thereupon for lateral pivotal movements with respect thereto. More specifically, the fifth-wheel mechanism 150 has two pairs of laterally spaced-apart and depending ears 151 receiving respectively therebetween the upper ends of the arms 135 and having openings in alignment with the openings 136 and receiving therethrough pivot pins 152.
  • the fifthwheel mechanism 150 is preferably of the construction and arrangement of that disclosed and claimed in U.S. Patent No. 3,050,320, granted Aug.
  • fifth-wheel mechanism 150 comprises a supporting head 156 that is adapted to be disposed in the erected position of the standard 130 below and in supporting relation with the cooperating road semitrailer 50, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • the front end of the head 156 has a centrally disposed forwardly opening slot 157 therein, as indicated in FIG.
  • the head 156 incorporates locking mechanism, not shown, that includes a pair of locking jaws respectively disposed on opposite sides of the slot 157; which locking jaws are selectively operative into locked and unlocked positions with respect to a cooperating kingpin disposed in the slot 157.
  • the head 156 is moved forwardly, as the standard 130 is pivoted into its erected position; whereby a cooperating kingpin may ride into the slot 157, as the head 156 is moved forwardly into supporting position with respect to the associated road semitrailer 50 carried by the deck plate 20 of the railway car 10.
  • the clamping jaws 155 are automatically operated into their locking position with respect to the kingpin, so as to connect and to hold the same in order positively to ensure securing in place of the front end of the supported road semitrailer 50.
  • the head 156 incorporates a locking block, not shown, which is mounted for sliding movements therein; which locking block is normally biased forwardly in the head 156; and which locking block may be slid rearwardly in the head 156 by the rearward movement of an associated plunger 153 provided with a forwardly disposed operating button 154, as shown in FIG. 4. More particularly, when the operating button 154 is moved rearwardly, to the left in FIG.
  • the rearward movement of the plunger 153 causes the locking block mentioned to move rearwardly and out of locking relation with the locking jaws 155, so that the locking jaws 155 may be operated into their unlocked position with respect to the kingpin, thereby to disengage and to release the same in order to accommodate the removal of the head 156 from its support position with respect to the front end of the road semitrailer 50.
  • the hitch 100 comprises a strut 160 disposed rearwardly of the support 130, the lower end 161 of the strut being disposed between the side members 102 within the hollow base 101. Extending upwardly from the lower end 161 is a pair of spaced-apart generally parallel and longitudinally extending arms 162, the arms 162 having the cross section illustrated best in FIG.
  • the lower end 161 has a transverse opening 163 therein which receives therethrough a laterally extending pivot shaft 164 carrying on the opposite ends thereof a pair of bearing slides or shoes 165 respectively disposed in guideways provided on the inner sides of the side members 102, the shoes 165 more specifically resting upon the bottom plates 104 and bearing against the ller blocks 106 and the spacers 107, as the case may be, in close sliding relation therewith.
  • the upper end of the strut 160, and specilically the upper ends of the arms 162 have aligned openings therethrough that receive pivot pins 166 disposed in transversely arranged aligned openings in the arms 135 of the standard 130,
  • the pivot shaft 164 also carries a pair of latches 170 adjacent to the side members 102, each of the latches 170 having a rearwardly facing abutment surface 171, a forwardly facing cam l surface 172, and an elongated slot 173 in the inner surface thereof receiving a pin 175 slidingly engaged therein, all for purposes to be described more fully hereinafter.
  • the slide assembly more specifically includes a pair of longitudinally extending and spaced-apart slide bars 181 which are respectively mounted in the guideways provided on the inner sides of the side members 102, the slide bars 180 more particularly resting upon the bo-ttom plates 104 and engaging laterally against the blocks 106 and the spacers 107, as the case may be, in close sliding relation therewith.
  • the forward ends of the slide bars 181 extend beyond the front cross channel 115 and carry a pair of support plates 182 on the lower edges thereof extending inwardly toward each other and supporting a pair of transversely arranged angle irons 183 that are also secured to the slide bars 181 such as by
  • Each of the slide bars 181 also carries adjacent to the rear end thereof a latch keeper 185 having a forwardly disposed abutment surface 184 adapted to engage the abutment surface 171 on the latch 170 and a cam surface 186 on the rear surface thereof adapted to engage the cam surface 172 on the associated latch 170 to cam the latch 17 0 upwardly or in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4.
  • the shoes 165 carrying the pivot shaft 164 and the strut 160 move from the left toward the front of the slide assembly 180 until the cam surface 172 on the latches 170 engage the cam surface 186 on the latch keepers 185. Further movement of the parts toward the erected position causes the latches 170 to be cammed upwardly by action of the cam surfaces 172 on the cam surfaces 186, thereby to pivot the latches 170 in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, and finally the latches 170 fall downwardly upon the respective latch keepers 185 to bring the abutment surfaces 171 into engagement with the respective abutment surfaces 184, thereby to interconnect the slide assembly 180 and the lower end of the strut 160.
  • the hitch 100 further comprises a pair of cushioning assemblies 190 each of which includes a longitudinally extending hollow rub rail 191, the rails 191 being respectively disposed adjacent to the outer sides of the side members 102 and below the upper surfaces of the top plates 103 thereof, and respectively mounted upon the vertical plates 105 for independent longitudinal movements with respect thereto. More particularly, each of the rails 191 is resiliently mounted upon the adjacent plate 105 by a series of longitudinally spaced-apart bodies or blocks 192 of elastomeric material, such as live rubber. An opposed pair of outer surfaces of each block 192 have secured thereto mounting plates 192a and 192b, respectively, carrying bolts 194, three bolts 194 being illustrated on each mounting plate.
  • a pair of cushioning assemblies 190 each of which includes a longitudinally extending hollow rub rail 191, the rails 191 being respectively disposed adjacent to the outer sides of the side members 102 and below the upper surfaces of the top plates 103 thereof, and respectively mounted upon the vertical plates 105 for independent longitudinal movements with respect thereto. More particularly
  • the outer mounting plate 192er is secured to a plate 193 that supports the associated rail 191 and the inner mounting plate 192b is secured to the adjacent plate 105, nuts 195 being provided engaging the bolts 194 thus firmly to mount the bodies 192 upon the adjacent side member 102, it being understood that the inner nuts 195 are accessible through the slots 108 in the spacers 107.
  • the forward ends of the rails 191 extend beyond the forward end of the base 101 and carry thereon brackets 196 between which extends a connecting bar 197.
  • the connecting bar 197 also passes through openings in the slide bars 181 and extends laterally between the angle irons 183, thus to provide a connection between the forward end of the slide assembly 180 and the forward ends of the rub rails 191 of the cushioning assemblies 190.
  • the cushioning assemblies 190 serve to bias the rails 191 into normal positions; and the rails 191 bias the slide assembly 180 into a normal position.
  • the slide assembly 180 is movable in the guideways on the inner sides of the side members 102 lo-ngitudinally thereof in the front parts thereof, all for a purpose more fully explained hereinafter. Any movement of either rub rail 191 from its normal position places the associated group of bodies 192 under shear stresses, whereby the thus stressed bodies 192 resiliently oppose such movement of the rail 191 and react to return the rail 191 back into its normal position.
  • the bodies 192 acting through the rails 191 resiliently cushion movements of the slide assembly 180 acting through the connecting bar 197, and also they resiliently return the slide assembly 180 back into its normal position.
  • the extreme upper end of the strut 160 slidably carries a plunger 200, the front end of which terminates in a strike button 205 positioned forwardly of the upper portion of the standard 130 in its erected position.
  • the plunger 200 has a transverse and longitudinally extending slot 201 therein receiving therethrough a pin 202 mounted on the strut 160 to guide the movement of the plunger 200 between the outer normal or rest position thereof illustrated in FIG. 4 and an actuated position thereof disposed to the left of the position illustrated in FIG. 4.
  • the extreme rear end of the plunger 200 abuts against the rock lever 145 which serves to urge the plunger 200 to the outermost position thereof.
  • the upper end of the rock lever 145 is in position to strike the operating button 154 of the plunger 153 on the fth-wheel mechanism.
  • the rear end of the plunger 200 also is in position to contact a rock lever 206 that is pivotally mounted upon the strut 160 and in turn acts upon and is connected to a linkage system connected to the latches 170.
  • the linkage system includes a slide 210 mounted on the arms 162 of the strut 160 for movement longitudinally thereof and held in place by a plurality of guides 214 also mounted on the strut 160.
  • the upper end of the slide 210 has mounted thereon a rst attachment member 213 which carries a bolt 212 extending upwardly therefrom and engaging a seco-nd attachment member 211, a nut 209 threadedly engaging the upper threaded end of the bolt 212 and adjustably to interconnect the bolt 212 and the attachment member 211.
  • a pair of springs 215 acting between the slide 210 and the strut 160 serve to bias the slide 210 downwardly away from the rock lever 206.
  • the lower end of the slide 210 carries a pair of cams 216 on either side thereof that travel in elongated slots 217 formed in the strut 160, the cams 216 being in position to engage beneath links 218 on the opposite sides of the strut 160, the links 218 being pivotally mounted 9 on a pivot shaft 219 mounted for pivotal movement on the strut 160.
  • the forward ends of the links 218 respectively carry the pins 175 that engage the associated latches 170.
  • a torsion spring 208 is provided about the shaft 219 to urge the parts into the Set position of the latches 170.
  • the strike button 205 is struck a sharp blow causing it to move rearwardly to the left as viewed in FIG. 4, whereby the linkage, including the elements 206, 210, 216, and 218 are actuated to operate the latches 170 in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, readily t lift the latches 170 so that the latches 170 disengage or unhook from the associated latch keepers 185.
  • the standard 130 ⁇ is biased by gravity back into its storage position, whereby the combination of this bias and of the sharp blow mentioned causes the standard 130 to pivot in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, so that the standard 130 is pivoted from its erected position back into its storage position.
  • the strut 160 moves therewith causing the sohes 165 to slide from their front positions into their rear positions in the guideways on the side members 102.
  • Both the standard 130 and the strut 160 move through the open top of the base 101 and between the side members 102 and are thus completely housed within the hollow base 101 at this time; whereby the latches 170 are disposed in the lower rear portion of the base 101, as illustrated by the broken lines in FIG. 3.
  • the standard 130 may be readily moved or pivoted from its storage position into its erected position by an associated tractor, not shown, mounted upon the deck plate 20 of the railway car 101 in order to facilitate such movement, the tractor is provided with a hook that engages the pick-up bar 140 carried by the standard 130, the hook preferably being carried by a chain or eXible cable so that access may be readily had to the pick-up har 140.
  • the tractor carried by the deck plate 20 may be driven forwardly therealong under its own motive power, causing a pull-up torque or force to be applied to the standard 130, with the result that it is pivoted from its storage position into its erected position.
  • the latches 170 may be tripped in the manner previously explained by the tractor mentioned carried by the deck plate 20.
  • the tractor is driven backwardly along the deck plate 20 to cause the rear bumper structure carried thereby to strike or bump into the strike button 205, so as to cause the standard 130 to be pivoted from its erected position back into its storage position in the manner described above.
  • This arrangement accommodates the transfer of the support of the front end of a road semitrailer 50 carried by the railway car 10 ⁇ from the fifthwheel mechanism 150 of the hitch 100 to the fifth-wheel mechanism carried by the rear end of the tractor carried by the railway car 10.
  • the tractor is driven rearwardly along the deck plate 20 of the rear of the railway car 10 until the rear bumper structure carried thereby strikes the strike button 205; whereby the fifth- Wheel mechanism 150 is actuated into its unlocked position, and the latches 170 are tripped so as to cause the standard 160 to be pivoted from its erected position back into its storage position in the manner previously explained.
  • the tractor continues its rearward movement after striking the strike button 205; whereby the fthwheel mechanism carried by the rear end of the tractor is moved into supporting relation with the front end of the road semitrailer 50, as the fifth-wheel mechanism 150 is moved out of supporting relation therewith.
  • the fifthwheel mechanism carried by the rear end of the tractor automatically locks the kingpin carried by the supported front end of the road semitrailer 50; whereby the tractor may then be driven forwardly along the deck plate 20 to pull or draw the road semitrailer 50 therewith and from the deck plate 20 of the railway car 10.
  • this arrangement of the hitch accommodates the transfer of the support of the front end of a road semitrailer 50 from the fifth-wheel mechanism carried by the rear end of the tractor to the fifth-wheel mechanism 150 carried by the upper end of the standard 130 of the hitch 100.
  • the tractor is driven rearfardly along the deck plate 20 of the railway car 10 so as to cause the support road semitrailer 50 to be backed over the hitch 100 and therebehind.
  • the tractor hook is then connected to the pick-up bar 140.
  • the tractor is then driven forwardly along the deck plate 20, so as both to draw the road semitrailer 50 forwardly therewith and to initiate the pivotal movement of the standard 130 from its storage position upwardly under the front end of the road semitrailer 50 and behind the kingpin thereof and toward the erected position of the standard 130.
  • the fifth-wheel mechanism carried by the rear end of the tractor and supporting the front end of the road semitrailer 50 is actuated to unlock the kingpin of the road semitrailer 50; whereby further forward movement of the tractor pivots the standard 130 completely into its erected position and moves the fifth-wheel mechanism carried by the rear end of the tractor from its supporting position with respect to the front end of the road semi-trailer 50 and moves the fth-wheel mechanism carried by the top of the standard 130 into supporting position with respect to the front end of the roadV semitrailer 50.
  • the locking mechanism incorporated therein is automatically actuated into its locked position with respect to the kingpin carried by the supported front end of the road semitrailer 50, in the manner previously described.
  • the iifth-fheel mechanism 150 moves therewith and through the open top of the hollow base 101.
  • the strut and the fifth-wheel mechanism 150 are housed within the hollow base 101 and disposed below the top of the side members 102, all as best illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings.
  • a tractor, a road semtrailer and even the Hi-Cube van-type of trailer, or other vehicle carried by the deck plate 20 of the railway car 10 may pass over the base 101, without interference between the underframe or chassis of the tractor, etc., and the base 101, even when the vehicle has a low ground clearance.
  • This arrangement accommodates traffic along the deck plate 20 of the railway car 10 when the bitches 100 occupy their collapsed positions, so as to facilitate the loading and unloading of the road semitrailers 50 with respect to the railway car 10.
  • the hitch 100 comprises a buffer arrangement or retarder assembly 220 for absorbing kinetic energy from the standard 130, the strut 160 and the fifth-wheel mechanism 150 incident to the movement of these elements into their storage positions within the base 101, aS previously described. More particularly, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, a buffer head 221 is mounted between the side members 102 and rearwardly of the shoes 165 carried by the lower end of the strut 160. The buffer head 221 is carried upon the front end of a longitudinally extending rod 222 that is mounted for longitudinal sliding movements in a bearing 223 carried by the rear cross channel 110. The extreme rear end of the rod 222 is connected to a link 224 that is opeatively connected to a buffer device 225.
  • a buffer arrangement or retarder assembly 220 for absorbing kinetic energy from the standard 130, the strut 160 and the fifth-wheel mechanism 150 incident to the movement of these elements into their storage positions within the base 101, aS previously described. More particularly, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, a buffer
  • the buffer device 225 may be of any suitable type, such, for example, as that shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,704,634, granted on Apr. 5, 1955 to Frederick W. Sampson and Allen L. Everitt.
  • the buffer device 225 comprises a piston 226 operating in a cylinder 227, the forward end of the cylinder 227 being pivotally mounted upon the rear cross channel 110 by a pivot 228 and the rear end of the piston 226 being pivotally connected to the link 224; also a coil spring 229 is arranged in surrounding relation with the rod 222 and acting between the rear of the buffer head 221 and the adacent side of the rear cross channel 110.
  • the cylinder 227 houses resilient facility, such as coil springs, not shown, acting between the cylinder 227 and the piston 226 and resiliently opposing expansion of the cylinder 227 relative to the piston 226 and biasing the piston 225 into its retracted position relative to the cylinder 227.
  • resilient facility such as coil springs, not shown
  • the extreme rear lower end of the strut 160 strikes the buffer head 221 moving the same rearwardly and compressing the coil spring 229 and causing the rod 222 to slide rearwardly in the bearing 223.
  • the rearmost movement of the rod 222 effects expansion of the buffer device 225 between the strap 224 and the pivot 228.
  • a cover 230 has been provided thereover and carried by the strut 160, the cover 230 being held in the operative position by attachment structures 231 and 232, see FIGS. 4 and 6 particularly.
  • the overall height of the hollow base 101 is no more than about 6 inches, and in the preferred constructional form of the hitch 100 is no more than 51/2 inches. Furthermore, each and every part of the hitch 100 in the storage position thereof lies below the upper surface of the base 101 and lies no lower than the lowermost surface of the base 101; whereby it may be truly said that all parts of the hitch 100 are confined between the top and bottom of the hollow base 101.
  • the pick-up bar 140 is pivotal so that it is completely contained within the confines of the standard 130
  • the plunger 200 is shaped so that it is in effect a continuation of the outline of the strut 160 and is disposed between the arms 162 thereof; furthermore, the plunger 200 is disposed between the arms of the standard 130 and pivots downwardly into a position adajcent to the pick-up bar when the parts are in the storage position.
  • the configuration of the fifthwheel mechanism is also such that when it pivots 90 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG.
  • a low-profile hitch for use in securing in place a road semitrailer on a substantially flat deck of an associated railway car, said hitch comprising a base of rigid substantially rectangular hollow box-like structure having an open top and adapted to be firmly anchored to the deck of the associated railway car, said base including a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart upstanding side members having a predetermined vertical extent, a standard pivotally mounted at the lower end thereof in the front end of said hollow base about an axis laterally thereof for pivotal movement between a storage position and an erected position, said standard in its storage position being disposed within said hollow base and between said side members and within the vertical extent thereof and rearwardly of said axis and in its erected position being disposed principally out of said hollow base and principally between said side members, a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart guideways arranged in said hollow base and respectively mounted upon the inner sides of said side members, a strut arranged rearwardly of said standard,

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Description

Feb. 24, 1970 s. H. ENocHlAN LOW PROFILE HITCH FOR ROAD SEMITRAILER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28, 1967 Feb. 24, 1970 s, H. ENocHlAN 3,497,169
LOW PROFILE HITCH FOR ROAD SEMITRAILER Filed July 28. 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 24, 1970 s. H. ENOCHIAN LOW PROFILE HITCH FOR ROAD SEMITRAILR m NNN .www www Filed -July 28, 1967 Feb. 24, 19m s, H, ENOCHMN 3,497,169
LOW PROFILE HITCH FOR ROAD SEMITRAILER Filed July 28, 1967 5 vSheets-Sheet 5 /02\` v ,//80 Aff/L"` 1 United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 248-119 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed a low-profile hitch for use in securing in place a road semitrailer comprising a substantially rectangular base including a pair of longitudinal side members of predetermined extent, a standard pivotally mounted at its lower end in the front end of the base and pivotable about an axis extending laterally thereof, the standard being pivotable between an erected position and a storage position, a strut arranged rearwardly of the standard and having its front end pivotally connected to the standard and having its rear end slideable with respect to the side members, a pair of longitudinal slide bars mounted in the front'of the side members for longitudinal sliding movements therealong, a pair of rails resiliently mounted on the outer sides of the side members, a pair of latch keepers disposed at the rear ends of the slide bars latching mechanism having a set position connecting the rear end of the strut to the latch keepers and a trip position disconnecting the strut from the latch keepers, means operative to trip the latching mechanism so that the standard is biased into its storage position for automatically pivoting in response to tripping of the latching mechanism, and a fifth-wheel mechanism carried by the upper end of the standard to engage an associated road semitrailer when the standard is in its erected position, all parts of the hitch being confined within the predetermined vertical extent of the side members when the standard is in the storage position, thereby to provide a low-prole hitch accommodating in the storage position thereof the passage thereover of vehicles having low ground clearance.
The present invention relates to hitches for road semitrailers, and more particularly to such hitches that are constructed and arranged so that they can be mounted upon a substantially flat deck of a wide variety of railway cars and present a low profile when it is in the storage position thereof, thus to accommodate the passage thereover of vehicles having low ground clearance.
It is an important object of the present invention to provide a low-profile hitch of the type set forth including a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart supports having a predetermined vertical extent and adapted to be rigidly secured to an associated flat deck, a standard pivotally mounted on the supports about an axis extending laterally thereof for pivotal movement between a storage position and an erected position, the standard in the storage being disposed between the supports within the vertical extent thereof and rearwardly of the axis, an element extending laterally between the supports rearwardly of the axis and mounted on the supports for longitudinal sliding movements with respect thereto and being operatively connected to the standard, whereby the element is slid into a first position rearwardly of an away from the axis and a second positon rearwardly of and toward the axis in response to respective pivotal movements of the standard into its storage and erected positions, a longitudinally extending slide bar mounted on one of the supports, a pair of longi- 3,497,169 Patented Feb. 24, 1970 "Ice tudinally extending rails respectively resiliently mounted upon the outer sides of the supports and within the vertical extent thereof, a connection arranged between the slide bar and the adjacent one of the rails forwardly of the axis, a latch keeper disposed on the slide bar adjacent to the rear end thereof, latching mechanisms having a set position connecting the standard to the latch keeper and a trip position disconnecting the standard from t-he latch keeper, means responsive to pivotal movement of the standard into its erected position for setting the latching mechanism, means operative to trip the latching mechanism, the standard being biased into its storage position, a buffer arranged between the supports adjacent to the rear ends thereof and within the vertical extent thereof and disposed in the path of travel of the element, and a fifth-wheel mechanism carried by the upper end of the standard and adapted to be disposed in the erected position of the standard in supporting relation with the front end of a cooperating semitrailer and holding the cooperating kingpin thereof, all parts of the hitch being confined within the predetermined vertical extent of the supports when the standard is in the storage position thereof thereby to provide a low-profile hitch accommodating in the storage position the passage thereover of vehicles having low ground clearance.
In connection wit-h the foregoing object, it is another object of the invention to provide a low-profile hitch of the type set forth wherein the predetermined vertical extent of the supports is no more than about 6 inches and preferably no more than 51/2 inches.
Another object of t-he invention is to provide in a lowprotle hitch of the type set forth a pick-up bar pivotally mounted on the standard and pivotable into a recess in the standard when the standard is moved to the storage position thereof.
Another object of the invention is to provide in an improved low-profile hitch of the type set forth a hollow base in which all other parts of the hitch are placed when in the storage position thereof, the hollow base having a small predetermined vertical extent of the order of no more than about 6 inches.
A further object of the invention is to provide in a lowprofile hitch of the type set forth an improved linkage structure for operating the fifth-wheel mechanism between its locked and unlocked positions with respect to the associated kingpin and for operating the latching mechanism, the linkage structure including a plunger mounted on a strut interconnecting the standard and the rails, a first linkage mounted on the standard and interconnecting the plunger and the fifth-wheel mechanism, and a second linkage mounted on the strut and interconnecting the latching mechanism and the plunger, the plunger and strut and the linkages all being disposed within the predetermined vertical extent of the support or base when the parts are in theA storage position thereof.
In connection with the foregoing object, it is another object of the invention to provide a linkage between the latching mechanism and the plunger which is adjustable, thereby to accommodate a change in the effective length of the linkage to compensate for wear in the linkage and the latching mechanism.
A still further object of the invention is to provide in a low-profile hitch of the type set forth a cover mounted on the strut and overlying the lower end of the linkage attached thereto for protection thereof when the hitch is in its storage position.
'Further features of the invention pertain to the particular arrangement of the elements yof the hitch, whereby the above-entitled and additional operating features thereof are attained.
The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof will best be understood by reference to the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE l is a fragmentary side elevational View lof the right-hand end of a railway car carrying a road semitrailer and a hitch supporting the front end of the road semitrailer and securing the same in place via the cooperating kingpin, wherein the hitch is of the collapsible type that is selectively operative between storage and erected positions, and embodying the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the end of the railway car, partly broken away, and illustrating the mounting of the hase of the hitch upon the deck of the railway car;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the end of the railway car similar to FIG. 2, and illustrating the parts of the hitch in the storage position thereof;
FIG. 4 is a further enlarged side elevational view of the hitch with certain portions broken away, and illustrating the standard incorporated in the hitch in its erected position and also illustrating the latching mechanism incorporated in the hitch for selectively restraining the standard in its erected position, and further illustrating the fthwheel mechanism carried by the upper end of the standard;
FIG. 5 is a side elveational view of the hitch of FIG. 4 as viewed from the right-hand side thereof;
FIG. 6 is a view of the lower portion of the strut and the latching mechanism forming a part of the hitch of FIG. 4 as seen in the direction of the arrows along the line 6 6 thereof;
FIG. 7 is a view in section along the line 7 7 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged view in horizontal section along the line 8 8 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 9 is a view in vertical section along the line 9 9 of FIG. 8, certain portions having been broken away;
FIG. 10 is a partly `diagrammatic plan view illustrating the construction of the slide assembly and mounting thereof upon the base;
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view in vertical section and on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 11-11 of FIG. 8; and
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary View on an enlarged scale in vertical section along the line 12 12 in FIG. 8.
Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown the right-hand end of a railway car 10 of the atcar type that is employed in piggyback service and that carries two road semitrailers 50 and that has mounted thereon two hitches 100 embodying the features of the present invention; only one of the road semitrailers 50 and one of the hitches 100 have been illustrated in the interest of simplification. The two hitches 100 are arranged in longitudinal spaced-apart relation on top of the railway car 10 and support the front ends of the respective road semitrailers 50 arranged in like disposition on top of the railway car 10 in the piggyback operation. The railway car 10 may be of any suitable construction and arrangement; and, as illustrated, the railway car 10 comprises an elongated longitudinally extending underframe 11 of fishbelly conguration and supported at the opposite ends thereof by wheeled trucks 12 that cooperate with an associated rail track 13 in the usual manner. Also, the underframe 11 comprises a pair of body bolsters (not shown) that are respectively arranged adjacent to the opposite ends thereof; which body holsters are respectively connected by associated kingpins (not shown) to the truck bolsters (not shown) of the wheeled trucks 12, so as to accommodate articulation between the opposite ends of the underframe 11 and the trucks 12, all in a conventional manner.
The top of the underframe 11 carries a deck in the usual manner and has thereon a substantially flat deck plate that extends over the entire deck of the railway car 10, the deck plate 20 having longitudinally extending side guide rails extending the length thereof on the outer longitudinally extending edges thereof, the side guide rails 25 extending upwardly substantially normal to the deck plate 2.0. Thus the deck is of strong, sturdy construction and is capable of supporting the two road semitrailers 50, as well as a road tractor (not shown) that is employed in loading and unloading the road semitrailers 50, as explained more fully hereinafter. This traffic along the deck of the railway car 10 is longitudinally thereof, but it may be in either direction therealong, since the tractor normally backs the semitrailer 50 along the deck plate 20 in the loading operation and normally pulls the semitrailer 50 along the deck plate 20 in the unloading operation. The side guide rails 25 ensure that the traffic along the deck plate 20 is confined thereto7 and the side guide rails 25 not only prevent a semitrailer 50 carried on the deck plate 20 from being hacked off of the deck plate 20 by the connected tractor, in the event of misalignment of the centerline of the semitrailer 50 and the centerline of the railway car 10', but they ruh or guide the rubber tires 51 carried at the rear end of the semitrailer 50 and thus exert a force thereon tending to straighten-up the misaligned semitrailer 50, in a well known manner.
Each of the road semitrailers 50 is entirely conventional; and the road semitrailer 50 comprises an underframe, the rear end of which carries one or more axles each carrying one or more pairs of rear wheels 51 adjacent to the outer ends thereof, and the front end of which carries a centrally located depending kingpin, not shown; all in a well-known manner. Of course, the tractor (ngt shown) that is employed to pull and to back the road semitrailer 50 is altogether conventional, the rear end of which comprises one or more drive axles, each carrying one or more pairs of rear wheels adjacent to the outer ends thereof, as well as a fth-wheel mechanism disposed between the rear wheels mentioned. Also, the front end of the tractor comprises the usual motive power and control facilities as well as the hook to pull the hitches from the storage positions thereof to the erected positions thereof, all as will be explained more fully hereinafter.
Considering now the construction and arrangement of the hitch 100, embodying the features of the present invention, it is first noted that the same comprises an article of manufacture that may be employed on a wide variety of railway cars, including the railway car 10 illustrated, so as to adapt the same to piggyback service. As best shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, the hitch 100 comprises a unitary rigid base 101 of substantially rectangular hollow box-like structure that includes a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart side members or supports 102, each in the form of a welded structure including a pair of longitudinally spaced-apart top horizontal plate 103 and a thicker bottom horizontal plate 104 connected at the outer edges thereof by a vertical plate 105, suitable welds interconnecting the plates 103, 104 and 105. There is disposed between the plates 103 and 104 intermediate the lengths thereof a block 106 which cooperates with the associated plates 103 and 104 to Iform a section of a longitudinally extending guideway on the inner side of the associated side member 102. Spacers or plates 107 are also provided between the plates 103 and 104 on each side of the block 106 and extending substantially to the adjacent end of the side member 102 further to deiine the remaining portions of the guideway on the inner side of the side member 102, the spacers 107, however, being spaced inwardly away from the adjacent portion of the vertical plate for a purpose which will be more fully understod hereinafter, each of the spacers 107 having a pair of elongated openings 108 therein (see FIG. 9). Finally, it will be noted that a reinforcing plate 109 is inserted between the adjacent ones of the horizontal plates 103 essentially centrally of the side members 102 in order to provide reinforcement at this point, the plate 109 being substantially thicker than the plates 103.
Interconnecting the rears ends of the side members 102 is a rear cross channel 110 including an upper flange 111 abutting against the undersurfaces of the adjacent top plates 103, a lower flange 112 resting upon the upper surfaces of the bottom plates 104, and a web 113 interconnecting the flanges 111 and 112, the rear cross channel 110 preferably being held in the position indicated in FIG. 9 in any suitable manner, such as by welding. The forward end of the side members 102 are held in fixed spacedapart relationship by a front cross channel 115 that is constructed of three individual flat pieces of metal, and more specifically includes a top flange 116, a bottom flange 117 and a web 118 interconnecting the anges 116 and 117, the web 118 being welded to the forward ends of the side members 102. Finally, a pair of lugs 120 are mounted in spaced-apart position on the web 118 and are secured thereto as by welding, the lugs 120 extending rearwardly lfrom the web 118 and having aligned openings 121 therein for the reception of a laterally arranged pivot pin that will be described more fully hereinafter.
The base 101 is formed hollow, as is best shown in FIG. 8, and accommodates therein the remaining parts of the hitch 100 when the hitch 100 is in its storage position. Further, the base 101, and specifically the side members 102, rest directly upon the deck plate 25 of the railway car and are iixedly secured thereto, preferably as by Welding. v
Considering further the construction of the hitch 100, there is mounted upon the lugs 120 a standard 130 which carries on the lower end thereof pairs of spaced-apart ears 131 that are adapted respectively to receive therebetween the lugs 120, the ears 131 having openings 132 therein that are in alignment with the openings 121 in the lugs 120 so as to receive therethrough pivot pins 133. The described arrangement serves to mount the standard 130 for pivotal movements about the lower end thereof and between a rearwardly disposed storage position in which it is arranged within the hollow base 101 and a forwardly disposed erected position in which it is disposed principally out of the hollow base 101, the pivotal motion described being in effect about an axis disposed transversely of the base 101 and coinciding with the longitudinal axes of the pivot pins 133. The standard 130 in its erected position, as shown in FIG. 4, projects well above the front end of the base 101; while the standard 130 in its storage position is disposed within the hollow base 101 and below the plates 103 and the reinforcing plate 109 of the side members 102. Thus, the standard 130 is selectively pivotable between its two positions described above and between the inwardly facing portions of the top plates 103 of the side members 102 and through the open top of the hollow base 101, as defined by the laterally spaced and inwardly facing portions of the top plate 103. Referring to FIG. 5 particularly, it will be seen that the standard 130 in fact comprises in the upper end thereof a pair of spaced-apart arms that carry at the outermost portions thereof a pair of aligned laterally extending openings, the purpose of which will be described more fully hereinafter.
Mounted upon the intermediate portion of the standard 130, and specifically on the spaced-apart arms 135 thereof, is a pick-up bar 140 that is arranged generally transversely of the base 101. The pick-up bar 140 further comprises end members 141 that have bearing portions therein receiving pivot pins 142 mounted in aligned openings in the standard arms 135. As illustrated, the pick-up bar 140 is pivotal between an operative position illustrated by solid lines in FIG. 4 wherein the pick-up bar 140 extends forwardly with respect to the standard 130 to be engaged by a pick-up hook on an associated road tractor, and a storage position illustrated in dashed lines in FIG. 4 wherein the pick-up bar 140 is disposed completely within the confines of the standard 130 to provide a compact arrangement resulting in the lowprofile hitch 100 of the present invention.
The upper portion of the standard 130, and specifically the spaced-apart arms 135 thereof pivotally support a rock lever 145 that is Wishbone shaped with the legs thereof disposed downwardly and having aligned openings therein receiving therethrough pivot pins 146 that are channeled respectively in the standard arms 135. A pair of springs 147 are respectively provided on the opposite sides of the rock lever 145 and are connected to the standard and urge the rock lever 145 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4 against a stop 148 also mounted on the standard 130. From FIG. 4 it further will be seen that when the rock lever is in its outermost position and held therein by the springs 147, it is still confined within the general outline of the standard 130, thus to provide the compact arrangement for the storage purpose, all as will be described more fully hereinafter.
A fifth-wheel mechanism 150 is carried by the upper end of the standard 130, and specifically by the upper ends of the arms 135 thereof, and mounted thereupon for lateral pivotal movements with respect thereto. More specifically, the fifth-wheel mechanism 150 has two pairs of laterally spaced-apart and depending ears 151 receiving respectively therebetween the upper ends of the arms 135 and having openings in alignment with the openings 136 and receiving therethrough pivot pins 152. The fifthwheel mechanism 150 is preferably of the construction and arrangement of that disclosed and claimed in U.S. Patent No. 3,050,320, granted Aug. 2l, 1962 to Deodat Clejan; and which fifth-wheel mechanism 150 comprises a supporting head 156 that is adapted to be disposed in the erected position of the standard 130 below and in supporting relation with the cooperating road semitrailer 50, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The front end of the head 156 has a centrally disposed forwardly opening slot 157 therein, as indicated in FIG. 5; which slot 157 is adapted to receive and guide in place a depending kingpin, not shown, carried by the front end of a supported road semitrailer 50; also, as disclosed in the Clejan patent noted, the head 156 incorporates locking mechanism, not shown, that includes a pair of locking jaws respectively disposed on opposite sides of the slot 157; which locking jaws are selectively operative into locked and unlocked positions with respect to a cooperating kingpin disposed in the slot 157. More particularly, when the locking jaws 155 occupy their unlocked position, the head 156 is moved forwardly, as the standard 130 is pivoted into its erected position; whereby a cooperating kingpin may ride into the slot 157, as the head 156 is moved forwardly into supporting position with respect to the associated road semitrailer 50 carried by the deck plate 20 of the railway car 10. When the kingpin mentioned reaches its home position in the slot 157, the clamping jaws 155 are automatically operated into their locking position with respect to the kingpin, so as to connect and to hold the same in order positively to ensure securing in place of the front end of the supported road semitrailer 50. Further, as disclosed in the Clejan patent noted, the head 156 incorporates a locking block, not shown, which is mounted for sliding movements therein; which locking block is normally biased forwardly in the head 156; and which locking block may be slid rearwardly in the head 156 by the rearward movement of an associated plunger 153 provided with a forwardly disposed operating button 154, as shown in FIG. 4. More particularly, when the operating button 154 is moved rearwardly, to the left in FIG. 4, the rearward movement of the plunger 153 causes the locking block mentioned to move rearwardly and out of locking relation with the locking jaws 155, so that the locking jaws 155 may be operated into their unlocked position with respect to the kingpin, thereby to disengage and to release the same in order to accommodate the removal of the head 156 from its support position with respect to the front end of the road semitrailer 50.
Also, the hitch 100 comprises a strut 160 disposed rearwardly of the support 130, the lower end 161 of the strut being disposed between the side members 102 within the hollow base 101. Extending upwardly from the lower end 161 is a pair of spaced-apart generally parallel and longitudinally extending arms 162, the arms 162 having the cross section illustrated best in FIG. 7 thereby to impart great strength thereto, The lower end 161 has a transverse opening 163 therein which receives therethrough a laterally extending pivot shaft 164 carrying on the opposite ends thereof a pair of bearing slides or shoes 165 respectively disposed in guideways provided on the inner sides of the side members 102, the shoes 165 more specifically resting upon the bottom plates 104 and bearing against the ller blocks 106 and the spacers 107, as the case may be, in close sliding relation therewith. The upper end of the strut 160, and specilically the upper ends of the arms 162 have aligned openings therethrough that receive pivot pins 166 disposed in transversely arranged aligned openings in the arms 135 of the standard 130,
thereby pivotally to interconnect the upper end of the strut 160 to an intermediate point of the standard 130 disposed toward the upper end thereof. The pivot shaft 164 also carries a pair of latches 170 adjacent to the side members 102, each of the latches 170 having a rearwardly facing abutment surface 171, a forwardly facing cam l surface 172, and an elongated slot 173 in the inner surface thereof receiving a pin 175 slidingly engaged therein, all for purposes to be described more fully hereinafter.
Referring particularly to FIGS. 10 to 12, it will be seen that there is mounted on the forward portion of the hollow base 101 a cushioning slide assembly 180 mounted for longitudinal sliding movement with respect to the forward end of the base 101. The slide assembly more specifically includes a pair of longitudinally extending and spaced-apart slide bars 181 which are respectively mounted in the guideways provided on the inner sides of the side members 102, the slide bars 180 more particularly resting upon the bo-ttom plates 104 and engaging laterally against the blocks 106 and the spacers 107, as the case may be, in close sliding relation therewith. The forward ends of the slide bars 181 extend beyond the front cross channel 115 and carry a pair of support plates 182 on the lower edges thereof extending inwardly toward each other and supporting a pair of transversely arranged angle irons 183 that are also secured to the slide bars 181 such as by |welding. Each of the slide bars 181 also carries adjacent to the rear end thereof a latch keeper 185 having a forwardly disposed abutment surface 184 adapted to engage the abutment surface 171 on the latch 170 and a cam surface 186 on the rear surface thereof adapted to engage the cam surface 172 on the associated latch 170 to cam the latch 17 0 upwardly or in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4. More specifically, during the movement of the standard 130 to the erected position thereof illustrated in FIG. 4, the shoes 165 carrying the pivot shaft 164 and the strut 160 move from the left toward the front of the slide assembly 180 until the cam surface 172 on the latches 170 engage the cam surface 186 on the latch keepers 185. Further movement of the parts toward the erected position causes the latches 170 to be cammed upwardly by action of the cam surfaces 172 on the cam surfaces 186, thereby to pivot the latches 170 in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, and finally the latches 170 fall downwardly upon the respective latch keepers 185 to bring the abutment surfaces 171 into engagement with the respective abutment surfaces 184, thereby to interconnect the slide assembly 180 and the lower end of the strut 160.
Referring now vto FIGS. 8 and ll, the hitch 100 further comprises a pair of cushioning assemblies 190 each of which includes a longitudinally extending hollow rub rail 191, the rails 191 being respectively disposed adjacent to the outer sides of the side members 102 and below the upper surfaces of the top plates 103 thereof, and respectively mounted upon the vertical plates 105 for independent longitudinal movements with respect thereto. More particularly, each of the rails 191 is resiliently mounted upon the adjacent plate 105 by a series of longitudinally spaced-apart bodies or blocks 192 of elastomeric material, such as live rubber. An opposed pair of outer surfaces of each block 192 have secured thereto mounting plates 192a and 192b, respectively, carrying bolts 194, three bolts 194 being illustrated on each mounting plate. The outer mounting plate 192er is secured to a plate 193 that supports the associated rail 191 and the inner mounting plate 192b is secured to the adjacent plate 105, nuts 195 being provided engaging the bolts 194 thus firmly to mount the bodies 192 upon the adjacent side member 102, it being understood that the inner nuts 195 are accessible through the slots 108 in the spacers 107. The forward ends of the rails 191 extend beyond the forward end of the base 101 and carry thereon brackets 196 between which extends a connecting bar 197. The connecting bar 197 also passes through openings in the slide bars 181 and extends laterally between the angle irons 183, thus to provide a connection between the forward end of the slide assembly 180 and the forward ends of the rub rails 191 of the cushioning assemblies 190. Thus, the cushioning assemblies 190 serve to bias the rails 191 into normal positions; and the rails 191 bias the slide assembly 180 into a normal position. The slide assembly 180 is movable in the guideways on the inner sides of the side members 102 lo-ngitudinally thereof in the front parts thereof, all for a purpose more fully explained hereinafter. Any movement of either rub rail 191 from its normal position places the associated group of bodies 192 under shear stresses, whereby the thus stressed bodies 192 resiliently oppose such movement of the rail 191 and react to return the rail 191 back into its normal position. Hence the bodies 192 acting through the rails 191 resiliently cushion movements of the slide assembly 180 acting through the connecting bar 197, and also they resiliently return the slide assembly 180 back into its normal position.
As is best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the extreme upper end of the strut 160 slidably carries a plunger 200, the front end of which terminates in a strike button 205 positioned forwardly of the upper portion of the standard 130 in its erected position. The plunger 200 has a transverse and longitudinally extending slot 201 therein receiving therethrough a pin 202 mounted on the strut 160 to guide the movement of the plunger 200 between the outer normal or rest position thereof illustrated in FIG. 4 and an actuated position thereof disposed to the left of the position illustrated in FIG. 4. The extreme rear end of the plunger 200 abuts against the rock lever 145 which serves to urge the plunger 200 to the outermost position thereof. The upper end of the rock lever 145 is in position to strike the operating button 154 of the plunger 153 on the fth-wheel mechanism. The rear end of the plunger 200 also is in position to contact a rock lever 206 that is pivotally mounted upon the strut 160 and in turn acts upon and is connected to a linkage system connected to the latches 170. The linkage system includes a slide 210 mounted on the arms 162 of the strut 160 for movement longitudinally thereof and held in place by a plurality of guides 214 also mounted on the strut 160. The upper end of the slide 210 has mounted thereon a rst attachment member 213 which carries a bolt 212 extending upwardly therefrom and engaging a seco-nd attachment member 211, a nut 209 threadedly engaging the upper threaded end of the bolt 212 and adjustably to interconnect the bolt 212 and the attachment member 211. A pair of springs 215 acting between the slide 210 and the strut 160 serve to bias the slide 210 downwardly away from the rock lever 206. The lower end of the slide 210 carries a pair of cams 216 on either side thereof that travel in elongated slots 217 formed in the strut 160, the cams 216 being in position to engage beneath links 218 on the opposite sides of the strut 160, the links 218 being pivotally mounted 9 on a pivot shaft 219 mounted for pivotal movement on the strut 160. The forward ends of the links 218 respectively carry the pins 175 that engage the associated latches 170. A torsion spring 208 is provided about the shaft 219 to urge the parts into the Set position of the latches 170.
In order to trip the set latches 170, the strike button 205 is struck a sharp blow causing it to move rearwardly to the left as viewed in FIG. 4, whereby the linkage, including the elements 206, 210, 216, and 218 are actuated to operate the latches 170 in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, readily t lift the latches 170 so that the latches 170 disengage or unhook from the associated latch keepers 185. The standard 130` is biased by gravity back into its storage position, whereby the combination of this bias and of the sharp blow mentioned causes the standard 130 to pivot in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, so that the standard 130 is pivoted from its erected position back into its storage position. As the standard 130 is thus pivoted rearwardly with respect to the base 101, the strut 160 moves therewith causing the sohes 165 to slide from their front positions into their rear positions in the guideways on the side members 102. Both the standard 130 and the strut 160 move through the open top of the base 101 and between the side members 102 and are thus completely housed within the hollow base 101 at this time; whereby the latches 170 are disposed in the lower rear portion of the base 101, as illustrated by the broken lines in FIG. 3.
The standard 130 may be readily moved or pivoted from its storage position into its erected position by an associated tractor, not shown, mounted upon the deck plate 20 of the railway car 101 in order to facilitate such movement, the tractor is provided with a hook that engages the pick-up bar 140 carried by the standard 130, the hook preferably being carried by a chain or eXible cable so that access may be readily had to the pick-up har 140. Thus, after connection of the tractor hook mentioned to the pick-up bar 140, the tractor carried by the deck plate 20 may be driven forwardly therealong under its own motive power, causing a pull-up torque or force to be applied to the standard 130, with the result that it is pivoted from its storage position into its erected position. Also, it will be understood that the latches 170 may be tripped in the manner previously explained by the tractor mentioned carried by the deck plate 20. In this case, the tractor is driven backwardly along the deck plate 20 to cause the rear bumper structure carried thereby to strike or bump into the strike button 205, so as to cause the standard 130 to be pivoted from its erected position back into its storage position in the manner described above.
Reconsidering the arrangement of the strike button 205, the linkage 145, 153, etc., and the linkage 206, 210, 216, 218, etc., it is noted that the rearward movement of the strike button 205 always operates completely the linkage 145, 153, etc., and then operates completely the linkage 206, 210, etc.; whereby the rearward movement of the strike button 205 rst actuates into its unlocked position the locking mechanism incorporated in the head 156 and then trips the latches 170 carried by the lower end of the strut 160. This arrangement accommodates the transfer of the support of the front end of a road semitrailer 50 carried by the railway car 10` from the fifthwheel mechanism 150 of the hitch 100 to the fifth-wheel mechanism carried by the rear end of the tractor carried by the railway car 10. Specifically, the tractor is driven rearwardly along the deck plate 20 of the rear of the railway car 10 until the rear bumper structure carried thereby strikes the strike button 205; whereby the fifth- Wheel mechanism 150 is actuated into its unlocked position, and the latches 170 are tripped so as to cause the standard 160 to be pivoted from its erected position back into its storage position in the manner previously explained. The tractor continues its rearward movement after striking the strike button 205; whereby the fthwheel mechanism carried by the rear end of the tractor is moved into supporting relation with the front end of the road semitrailer 50, as the fifth-wheel mechanism 150 is moved out of supporting relation therewith. The fifthwheel mechanism carried by the rear end of the tractor automatically locks the kingpin carried by the supported front end of the road semitrailer 50; whereby the tractor may then be driven forwardly along the deck plate 20 to pull or draw the road semitrailer 50 therewith and from the deck plate 20 of the railway car 10.
Also, this arrangement of the hitch accommodates the transfer of the support of the front end of a road semitrailer 50 from the fifth-wheel mechanism carried by the rear end of the tractor to the fifth-wheel mechanism 150 carried by the upper end of the standard 130 of the hitch 100. In this case, when the standard occupies its storage position, the tractor is driven rearfardly along the deck plate 20 of the railway car 10 so as to cause the support road semitrailer 50 to be backed over the hitch 100 and therebehind. The tractor hook is then connected to the pick-up bar 140. The tractor is then driven forwardly along the deck plate 20, so as both to draw the road semitrailer 50 forwardly therewith and to initiate the pivotal movement of the standard 130 from its storage position upwardly under the front end of the road semitrailer 50 and behind the kingpin thereof and toward the erected position of the standard 130. As the proper position of the road semitrailer 50 in its forward movement along the deck plate 20 and with respect to the hitch 100, the fifth-wheel mechanism carried by the rear end of the tractor and supporting the front end of the road semitrailer 50 is actuated to unlock the kingpin of the road semitrailer 50; whereby further forward movement of the tractor pivots the standard 130 completely into its erected position and moves the fifth-wheel mechanism carried by the rear end of the tractor from its supporting position with respect to the front end of the road semi-trailer 50 and moves the fth-wheel mechanism carried by the top of the standard 130 into supporting position with respect to the front end of the roadV semitrailer 50. As the fifth-wheel mechanism 150 is moved into its supporting position with respect to the front end of the road semitrailer 50, the locking mechanism incorporated therein is automatically actuated into its locked position with respect to the kingpin carried by the supported front end of the road semitrailer 50, in the manner previously described.
In the movement of the standard 130 between its storage and erected positions, the iifth-fheel mechanism 150 moves therewith and through the open top of the hollow base 101. In fact, when the standar-d 130 occupies its storage position, the strut and the fifth-wheel mechanism 150 are housed within the hollow base 101 and disposed below the top of the side members 102, all as best illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. Thus when the standard 130 occupies its storage position, a tractor, a road semtrailer and even the Hi-Cube van-type of trailer, or other vehicle carried by the deck plate 20 of the railway car 10, may pass over the base 101, without interference between the underframe or chassis of the tractor, etc., and the base 101, even when the vehicle has a low ground clearance. This arrangement accommodates traffic along the deck plate 20 of the railway car 10 when the bitches 100 occupy their collapsed positions, so as to facilitate the loading and unloading of the road semitrailers 50 with respect to the railway car 10.
Further, the hitch 100 comprises a buffer arrangement or retarder assembly 220 for absorbing kinetic energy from the standard 130, the strut 160 and the fifth-wheel mechanism 150 incident to the movement of these elements into their storage positions within the base 101, aS previously described. More particularly, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, a buffer head 221 is mounted between the side members 102 and rearwardly of the shoes 165 carried by the lower end of the strut 160. The buffer head 221 is carried upon the front end of a longitudinally extending rod 222 that is mounted for longitudinal sliding movements in a bearing 223 carried by the rear cross channel 110. The extreme rear end of the rod 222 is connected to a link 224 that is opeatively connected to a buffer device 225. The buffer device 225 may be of any suitable type, such, for example, as that shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,704,634, granted on Apr. 5, 1955 to Frederick W. Sampson and Allen L. Everitt. As illustrated, the buffer device 225 comprises a piston 226 operating in a cylinder 227, the forward end of the cylinder 227 being pivotally mounted upon the rear cross channel 110 by a pivot 228 and the rear end of the piston 226 being pivotally connected to the link 224; also a coil spring 229 is arranged in surrounding relation with the rod 222 and acting between the rear of the buffer head 221 and the adacent side of the rear cross channel 110. Also, the cylinder 227 houses resilient facility, such as coil springs, not shown, acting between the cylinder 227 and the piston 226 and resiliently opposing expansion of the cylinder 227 relative to the piston 226 and biasing the piston 225 into its retracted position relative to the cylinder 227.
As the shoes 165 move rearwardly in the guideways on the side members 102 incident to movement 0f the standard 130 from its erected position toward its storage position, the extreme rear lower end of the strut 160 strikes the buffer head 221 moving the same rearwardly and compressing the coil spring 229 and causing the rod 222 to slide rearwardly in the bearing 223. The rearmost movement of the rod 222 effects expansion of the buffer device 225 between the strap 224 and the pivot 228. Thus some of the kinetic energy of the moving parts 130, 160, etc., is transferred to and absorbed by the coil spring 229 and by the buffer device 225; thereby to minimize the `shock to the moving parts 130, 150, 160, etc., when they come to rest in their final storage positions within the hollow base 101, so as to prevent damage to the moving parts noted incident to the knock-down of the hitch 100, in the manner previously described.
In order to prevent injury to the associated operating mechanism therefor carried by the lower end of the strut 160, a cover 230 has been provided thereover and carried by the strut 160, the cover 230 being held in the operative position by attachment structures 231 and 232, see FIGS. 4 and 6 particularly.
It is an important feature of the present invention to provide a low-profile hitch 100 which has an extremely low retracted or storage height, so that veicles having low ground clearance, such as the Hi-Cube van-type of trailers, can be moved thereover. It further is highly desirable that the hitch 100 be directly mountable upon the top of the deck plate 20 without the provision of any pockets or well therefor, whereby the hitch 100 may be mounted at any desired point along the length of the associated railway car and specifically may be mounted directly over the draft pocket area, all without the use of special riser boards therealong, and all without extensive modification to the railway car 10.
To this end, the overall height of the hollow base 101 is no more than about 6 inches, and in the preferred constructional form of the hitch 100 is no more than 51/2 inches. Furthermore, each and every part of the hitch 100 in the storage position thereof lies below the upper surface of the base 101 and lies no lower than the lowermost surface of the base 101; whereby it may be truly said that all parts of the hitch 100 are confined between the top and bottom of the hollow base 101.
Several important constructional features contribute to this compact, low-profile configuration of the hitch 100 in its retracted position. For example, the pick-up bar 140 is pivotal so that it is completely contained within the confines of the standard 130, the plunger 200 is shaped so that it is in effect a continuation of the outline of the strut 160 and is disposed between the arms 162 thereof; furthermore, the plunger 200 is disposed between the arms of the standard 130 and pivots downwardly into a position adajcent to the pick-up bar when the parts are in the storage position. The configuration of the fifthwheel mechanism is also such that when it pivots 90 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, its outline is in essence a continuation of the outline of the standard 130, and the mechanism thereof including the jaws fit within the opening between the arms 162 of the strut and an opening provided in the slide 210. All of the linkage carried by the strut 160 is contained within the confines thereof so that when the strut 160 is in its storage position, no part of the linkage extends above and out of the hollow base 101.
From the above, it will be seen that there has been provided a hitch which fulfills all of the objects and advantages set forth herein.
While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
What is claimed is:
1. A low-profile hitch for use in securing in place a road semitrailer on a substantially flat deck of an associated railway car, said hitch comprising a base of rigid substantially rectangular hollow box-like structure having an open top and adapted to be firmly anchored to the deck of the associated railway car, said base including a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart upstanding side members having a predetermined vertical extent, a standard pivotally mounted at the lower end thereof in the front end of said hollow base about an axis laterally thereof for pivotal movement between a storage position and an erected position, said standard in its storage position being disposed within said hollow base and between said side members and within the vertical extent thereof and rearwardly of said axis and in its erected position being disposed principally out of said hollow base and principally between said side members, a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart guideways arranged in said hollow base and respectively mounted upon the inner sides of said side members, a strut arranged rearwardly of said standard, means pivotally connecting the front end of said strut to said standard adjacent to the upper end thereof, a pair of laterally spaced-apart bearing shoes connected to the rear end of said strut and respectively mounted in the rear parts of said guideways for longitudinally sliding movements with respect thereto, whereby said strut is movable with said standard so that the rear end of said strut is slid into rear and front positions both disposed rearwardly of said axis in response to respective pivotal movements of said standard into its storage and erected positions, a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart slide bars respectively mounted in the front parts of said guideways and within the vertical extent of said side lmembers for longitudinal sliding movements with respect thereto and laterally outwardly with respect to both the standard and the strut, a pair of longitudinal extending and laterally spacedapart rails respectively resiliently mounted upon the outer sides of said side members within the vertical extent thereof for longitudinal movements with respectively arranged between said slide bars and the adjacent one of said rails forwardly of said axis, whereby said rails bias said slide bars into a normal position and resiliently cushion longitudinal sliding movement of said slide bars out of the normal positions thereof and with respect to said hollow base, a pair of latch keepers respectively disposed on said slide Ibars adjacent to the rear ends thereof, latching mechanism carried by the rear end of said strut and having a set position connecting the rear end of said strut to said latch keepers and a trip position disconnecting the rear end of said strut from said latch 13 keepers, means responsive to sliding of the rear end of said strut into its front position as said standard is pivoted into its erected position for setting said latching mechanism, said standard in its erected position being biased by said connected slide bars through said strut into a normal upstanding attitude and being pivotable foreand-aft with respect thereto longitudinally of said hollow base against the bias of said connected slide bars through said strut, means operative to trip said latching mechanism, said standard being biased into its storage position, whereby said standard is pivoted from its erected position back into its storage position in response to tripping of said latching mechanism, with the result that said strut moves therewith so that the rear end of said strut is slid from its front position back into its rear position, a buffer arranged within said hollow frame adjacent to the rear thereof and within the vertical eX- tent thereof and mounted thereon for longitudinal movements with respect thereto and disposed in the path of travel of the rear end of said strut, and a fifth-wheel mechanism carried by the upper end of said standard and adapted to be disposed in the erected position of said standard 'below and in supporting relation with the front end of a cooperating road semitrailer and holding the cooperating kingpin thereon, said fifth-wheel mechanism and a supportedand connected road semitrailer being movable as a unit longitudinally of said hollow base effecting corresponding pivotal movement of said standard in its erected position fore-and-aft with respect to its normal upstanding attitude and longitudinally of said hollow base, said fifth wheel mechanism being movable with said standard to the storage position thereof through the open top of said base, whereby said fifth-wheel mechanism is also disposed within said hollow base and between said side members when said standard occupies its storage position, all parts of said hitch being conned within the predetermined vertical extent of said side members of said hollow base when said standard is in the storage position thereof, thereby to provide a low-profile hitch accommodating in the storage position the passage thereover of vehicles having low ground clearance.
2. The low-profile hitch set forth in claim 1, wherein said strut has a central recess therein for receiving the upper end of said standard and said fifth-wheel mechanism when said standard is in the storage position thereof.
3. The low-profile hitch set forth in claim 1, wherein said fifth-wheel mechanism is pivotally mounted to the upper end of said standard to accommodate the movement of said fifth-wheel mechanism into said hollow base when said standard is returned to the storage position thereof.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,041,028 6/ 1962 McDowell. 3,050,320 8/1962 Clejan. 3,168,878 2/ 1965 Clejan. 3,189,307 6/1965 Peterson. 3,225,707 12/1965 Rollins et al. 3,252,432 5/ 1966 Hartzell. 3,358,955 12/1967 Wille et al.
FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. --368
US656884A 1967-07-28 1967-07-28 Low profile hitch for road semitrailer Expired - Lifetime US3497169A (en)

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Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4230431A (en) * 1979-01-31 1980-10-28 Stoller Patricia S Tractor operated fifth wheel hitch stand diagonal strut linkage
US4230430A (en) * 1979-01-31 1980-10-28 Stoller Patricia S Collapsible fifth wheel trailer hitch locked position indicator
US4239429A (en) * 1979-01-31 1980-12-16 Acf Industries, Incorporated Collapsible trailer hitch bumper block excessive impact protection assembly
US4264250A (en) * 1979-04-18 1981-04-28 Acf Industries, Incorporated Crane operated railway trailer hitch
US4407617A (en) * 1981-08-21 1983-10-04 Acf Industries, Incorporated Combination manual and automatic unlocking mechanism for trailer hitch head
US5026229A (en) * 1989-12-15 1991-06-25 Trinity Industries, Inc. Collapsible hitch
US5059072A (en) * 1990-07-09 1991-10-22 Acf Industries, Incorporated Cushioned retractable hitch for railway cars
US6539878B1 (en) 2000-08-29 2003-04-01 National Steel Car Limited Vehicle carrying rail road car with bridge plate assembly
US6550400B1 (en) 2000-08-29 2003-04-22 National Steel Car Limited Vehicle carrying rail road car
US6666148B1 (en) * 1975-07-18 2003-12-23 National Steel Car Limited Vehicle carrying rail road car structure
US20040007151A1 (en) * 2000-08-29 2004-01-15 National Steel Car Limited Vehicle carrying rail road car
US7255047B1 (en) 2000-08-29 2007-08-14 National Steel Car Limited Vehicle carrying rail road car and bridge plate therefor
US20080014039A1 (en) * 2006-07-17 2008-01-17 Schmidt Kenneth D Apparatus and method for supporting a semi-trailer on a railcar
US20130078078A1 (en) * 2010-03-08 2013-03-28 Lohr Industrie Removable supporting cross-member provided with an adjustable-height fifth wheel for supporting a semi-trailer during the loading, rail transport and unloading thereof

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Cited By (17)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6666148B1 (en) * 1975-07-18 2003-12-23 National Steel Car Limited Vehicle carrying rail road car structure
US4230431A (en) * 1979-01-31 1980-10-28 Stoller Patricia S Tractor operated fifth wheel hitch stand diagonal strut linkage
US4230430A (en) * 1979-01-31 1980-10-28 Stoller Patricia S Collapsible fifth wheel trailer hitch locked position indicator
US4239429A (en) * 1979-01-31 1980-12-16 Acf Industries, Incorporated Collapsible trailer hitch bumper block excessive impact protection assembly
US4264250A (en) * 1979-04-18 1981-04-28 Acf Industries, Incorporated Crane operated railway trailer hitch
US4407617A (en) * 1981-08-21 1983-10-04 Acf Industries, Incorporated Combination manual and automatic unlocking mechanism for trailer hitch head
US5026229A (en) * 1989-12-15 1991-06-25 Trinity Industries, Inc. Collapsible hitch
US5059072A (en) * 1990-07-09 1991-10-22 Acf Industries, Incorporated Cushioned retractable hitch for railway cars
US6550400B1 (en) 2000-08-29 2003-04-22 National Steel Car Limited Vehicle carrying rail road car
US6539878B1 (en) 2000-08-29 2003-04-01 National Steel Car Limited Vehicle carrying rail road car with bridge plate assembly
US20040007151A1 (en) * 2000-08-29 2004-01-15 National Steel Car Limited Vehicle carrying rail road car
US6857376B2 (en) 2000-08-29 2005-02-22 National Steel Car Limited Vehicle carrying rail road car
US7255047B1 (en) 2000-08-29 2007-08-14 National Steel Car Limited Vehicle carrying rail road car and bridge plate therefor
US20080014039A1 (en) * 2006-07-17 2008-01-17 Schmidt Kenneth D Apparatus and method for supporting a semi-trailer on a railcar
US7704025B2 (en) * 2006-07-17 2010-04-27 American Railcar Industries, Inc. Apparatus and method for supporting a semi-trailer on a railcar
US20130078078A1 (en) * 2010-03-08 2013-03-28 Lohr Industrie Removable supporting cross-member provided with an adjustable-height fifth wheel for supporting a semi-trailer during the loading, rail transport and unloading thereof
US9643666B2 (en) * 2010-03-08 2017-05-09 Lohr Industrie Removable supporting cross-member provided with an adjustable-height fifth wheel for supporting a semi-trailer during the loading, rail transport and unloading thereof

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