WO1994015822A1

WO1994015822A1 - A system for loading containers and the like on railway cars

Info

Publication number: WO1994015822A1
Application number: PCT/SE1994/000038
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gunnar Rodin
Original assignee: Albatec Ab
Priority date: 1993-01-18
Filing date: 1994-01-18
Publication date: 1994-07-21
Also published as: SE9300125L; DE4490123T1; SE9300125D0; AU5895394A; SE506082C2

Abstract

To load and unload load carriers (9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3) to and from railway cars (3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3) respectively, support means (14) are arranged on the top side of the railway cars for carrying or supporting the load carriers. A path or guide (13) on the railway cars extends in the longitudinal direction of the railway cars and a lifting device (11, 11') is displaceable along the path or guide (13) for movement to an arbitrary railway car. The lifting device (11, 11') can from below raise or lift a load carrier from a railway car and lower a load carrier to the railway car. The lifting device (11, 11') comprises one or several upper parts (17, 17'), which can be turned out from a railway car at the same time as it or they carry a load carrier, this allowing a simple unloading and loading of the load carrier.

Description

A SYSTEM FOR LOADING CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE ON RAILWAY CarS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to devices for loading and unloading load carriers such as containers and interchangeable platform bodies to and from railway cars respectively.

A system comprising these devices is intended to be incorporated in a total transport system where the load carriers are transported between consigners and consignees on several transport media, in addition to railway primarily by truck but also by boat.

PRIOR ART

The most common loading system for for example containers consists of large cranes or heavy industrial trucks, which lift the load carriers from the railway cars from above and place them adjacent the rails. Later they can be lifted or hoisted onto trucks. With this construction it is impossible to have electric overhead line systems for powering the trains what results in that the train has to be pulled by diesel locomotives within the loading area. This loading equipment is quick but costly what causes that the loading operations must be concentrated to a few terminal stations. It implies in turn that the load often has to travel a long distance from the consigner to a terminal by truck, then by railway and then finally again a long distance by truck to the consignee. Only for very long total transport distances it is profitable to use railway. For shorter distances the load carrier is transported directly by a truck from the consigner to the consignee.

Another loading system disclosed in the Swedish Patent Application SE-A 8206182-3 is made in such a way that trucks have been provided with hydraulic equipment which can pull the load carriers laterally from a railway car onto the truck. On the railway car there is provided, for receiving the load carrier, a frame which corresponds to the top side of the load carrying surface of the truck for the load carrier and which is turnable about the point located adjacent to one of the ends of the frame. The frame is, for unloading and loading operations, turned out a small angle from the transport position which is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the car. This method is time consuming since it requires that both the truck and train are at the same place simultaneously. It implies practically that one of these transport means has to wait for the other one in most cases.

Railway cars which are provided with more or less turnable upper parts are previously known from the International Patent

Application WO 81/02142, the European Patent Applications EP-A

0 208 228 and EP-A 0 207 491 and the Swedish Patent Application SE-A 7902194-5. The latter Swedish Patent Application also discloses a construction wherein the upper portion of the railway car which can be turned out, also can be swung about a horizontal axis.

The French Patent Application FR-A 2649373 discloses a railway car provided with a loading device. The car has a loading surface comprising raised, marginal portions extending at the sides and in the longitudinal direction and forming a broad groove therebetween, in which loading devices are located. They comprise an upper platform, which is capable of .being raised and lowered, for lifting a container at the bottom side thereof and a conveyer belt extending in the transverse direction of the car for moving load laterally. The loading devices are movable under a load placed on the car but only movable through a limited distance in the longitudinal direction of the car due to the propelling thereof. It is accomplished by means of gear wheels provided on the loading devices cooperating with fixed gear racks under the upstanding marginal portions of the railway car. For unloading or loading operations two cooperating loading devices are required.

The U.S. Patent 3,844,432 discloses a railway car provided with loading devices which are movable a limited distance in the longitudinal direction and are provided with units which are capable of being extended telescopically in the lateral direction, these units in their turn being provided with support legs which can be telescopically extended downwards. The loading devices cannot be moved in the longitudinal direction of the car when there is a load placed on the car.

The U.S. Patent 3,635,362 discloses a loading device for a railway car which appears to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the car. The loading device is configured as a turnable platform having an upper surface which has a fixed vertical location, and on which surface a container or the like can be placed in a loading operation, to be turned to an appropriate position by means of the force provided by a truck on which the container is first placed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object and a purpose of the invention to provide a railway based transport. system satisfying the following requirements:

1. The loading of the load carriers is to be performed by devices working from the bottom side or from the lateral side in order not to interfere or be disturbed by overhead line systems provided for the electric contacting.

2. Unloading and loading is to be made with little or no requirements on equipment or devices at the side of the place for unloading from the train so that the loading operations will not be limited to a few terminal stations but can be made at a very great number of places.

3. Unloading from a railway car is to be made without the condition that e.g. a truck must be present adjacent to the car to take care of the load carrier.

4. In the unloading operation the loading carrier is to be placed sufficiently long from the train beyond the security zone which exists along the railway track. It implies that a truck must not necessarily fetch the load carrier before the train has run away. Further it allows that other trains can pass the unloading place when the load carrier is still left standing at the side of the railway path and not yet has been transported away.

5. The unloading and loading operations shall be so automatic, that they can be performed by the locomotive driver alone.

6. The unloading and loading operations shall be quick.

7. The total cost of the transport system must not be too high which, in addition to the requirement of point 2. above, for instance means that each railway car cannot be equipped with a complicated automatic unloading and loading device. The main parts of the railway cars used shall be of a relatively conventional type or be able to be obtained from available cars by a reconstruction thereof which is not too costly. A railway based transport system comprising a loading method to and from railway trains and with railway cars satisfying these requirements will be commercially competitive compared to heavy vehicle road transports also for short total distances.

The mentioned object is achieved by and the requirements above are fulfilled by the invention providing a design of devices for unloading and loading operations in a railway based transport system according to the claims.

The unloading and loading system thus comprises a lifting device which is arranged to lift the load carrier from the train and the railway car and which is capable of being displaced along the train, preferably also a device mounted at a fixed position in the train for power conversion and other operations on a waggon, the home waggon, which is in particular intended and constructed therefor, and further preferably a load receiving device arranged next to the railway, on which the lifting device places the load carrier until it is fetched by another train, a truck or similar devices. In some embodiments of the invention and the load carrier the device next to the railway is not necessary but the lifting device can fold down legs from the load carrier and place it next to the railway track directly on the ground, which for this purpose should comprise an essentially horizontal, hard and smooth surface.

The lifting device is constructed so that it can move from a railway car to another railway car, to the car where that loading load carrier is present which is to be unloaded. In that movement the lifting device moves under the load carriers. It means that the lifting device will not be in contact with or in the path of objects above and at the side of the train, such as overhead lines, bridges, and other things. In addition the lifting device can be displaced, even from one car to another car, when the train is moving. In one embodiment the loading carriers stand directly on the normal load receiving surface of open flat cars. The lifting device moves in this embodiment in a space which is limited in the upward direction by the mentioned load receiving surface, in the lateral direction by the wheels and in the downward direction by the wheel shafts. The length of the lifting device is essentially determined by the length of the load carriers which most often have a length of between 5 and 12 m.

The railway cars can, in order to allow the displacement of the lifting device, be arranged in such a way that there is an opening in the load receiving surface below the load carriers which has a sufficient size in order that the lifting device is to be raised therethrough. In another embodiment the load carriers are placed at stands such a short supports or similar devices, at a short distance above the normal flat, substantially horizontal loading surface of an open flat car, and the lifting device moves along a path or guide at the top of the load receiving surface and beneath the load carriers.

The lifting device rolls on wheels on a flat surface immediately above the wheel shafts of the railway car. The wheels can suitably be arranged mounted at two shafts at each end of the lifting device since it facilitates a travel or transfer between the railway cars. In one embodiment of the invention also a wheel pair is used in each end of the lifting device to raise or lift the whole device and the load carrier beneath which it has stopped.

The lifting device can in one embodiment consist of three parts: a lower part, a middle part and an upper part. On the lower part the wheels are arranged with the associated motor driving the whole device. The middle part is articulated to the lower part by a hub which can be located centrally in the lifting device. When the lower part has been raised sufficiently, the middle part will be located above the load receiving surface of the goods car and can turn to the side, suitably between 60 and 120 degrees. On top of the middle part the upper parti is located, accompanying the middle part in the turning movement thereof and can be extended laterally in a telescopic manner. A possible load carrier rests on the upper part and accompanies the upper part out to the side of the railway.

In order to support the middle part a support may arranged which is folded down, when the end of the middle part arrives outside the railway car. The support can be terminated by one or several wheels rolling against the ground next to the railway. The wheels are arranged so that they will roll when the middle part is turned. The wheels should be possible to be raised or lowered and/or the length of the support device can be variable so that the whole lifting device can be raised and lowered at the same time as the wheels all the time are supported by the ground.

In a similar way one or more extendable wheels, which are capable of being raised and lowered, can be arranged at one or both ends of the upper part. These wheels are arranged in such a way that they roll against the ground when the upper part is extended.

In other embodiments the middle part can have unfoldable or extendible supports in both ends or have extendible wheels rolling against the load receiving surface of the railway car. It is in addition suitable to arrange small support wheels or rolls between the various parts of the lifting device and between it and the railway car. The turning movement of the lower and middle parts is suitably accomplished by a motor having a gear wheel engaged with a gear ring. The telescopic movement can be accomplished by gear wheels/gear racks or by cable operation.

The control of the lifting device can be performed manually but will be time consuming since a large number of cylinders and motors are to be operated simultaneously. In one embodiment of the invention there is in the lifting device a monitoring unit which, commanded from the locomotive or a person standing next to the train, performs the loading and unloading operations. On several of the movable parts transducers for length and pressure are arranged. By means of these transducers the monitoring unit controls the displacement of the load.

In automatic loading it is important that the monitoring unit is informed on the position where the lifting device is located in relation to the train and in relation to a load receiving device or a load carrier standing on own legs. Therefor marks or signs may be arranged next to the railway track in the neighbourhood of those places which are used for loading operations. Sensors on the lifting device or at a special place in the train, e.g. the home car, can then be read when passing these sensors. At the special place in the train sensors should also be provided which are connected to some wheel shaft in order to read the displacement of the train. A video camera can also be arranged on the lifting device so that it can position itself in an exact position in relation to a load carrier located at the side of the railway. This positioning can be performed automatically if suitable marks are present on the load carrier and the monitoring unit is connected to the video camera.

The power to the lifting device can be supplied from the locomotive. Electric locomotives conventionally are supplied with power from overhead lines which have a voltage and frequency which is poorly suitable to be supplied directly to the lifting device. Therefore, in the railway train a fixed car, the home car, can be arranged wherein the current supplied from the locomotive is converted to a suitable form. From the home car the electric power can be provided in a cable to the movable lifting device. In this cable also possible control signals and video signals can pass between the locomotive and the lifting device. In one embodiment the cable is arranged as a coaxial cable in which all signals and power pass. In another embodiment the electric current can be supplied in particular current rails inside the railway cars, wherefrom the lifting device can access it by means of current collectors. In another embodiment the lifting device is provided with an own power unit which can be an internal combustion motor, e.g. a diesel driven motor arranged inside the lifting device. If further, possible commands between the locomotive and the lifting device are transmitted by means of radio signals no cable at all is required.

The home car can also be arranged as a protective station for the lifting device where it is moved when it is not needed and where it is protected to snow, coldness, dust etc. The home car is connected to the locomotive by fixed cables for signalling and power. The locomotive can be provided with display devices for video signals from the lifting device and state signals and a keyboard for commands to the lifting device.

The power transmission within the lifting device can be arranged electrically to electric motors or hydraulically to hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders. Since large forces are to be developed in a short time for a raising movement and for a displacement of heavy load carriers most motors etc. are arranged in a hydraulic way. A relatively weak electric motor or local motor such as a diesel motor can then during a long time pump fluid to a hydraulic accumulator wherefrom large energy amounts can be drawn rapidly. In order to save energy two different hydraulic accumulators can be arranged with different pressures so that high pressure fluid is used only when it is necessary. For certain movements oil from high pressure cylinders may be returned to the low pressure accumulator, for instance when lowering a load.

Generally there are several railway cars provided for loading and unloading load carriers to and from the railway cars respectively. The cars have support means on the top side of the railway cars which are arranged to carry one or several load carriers wherein the support means ordinarily correspond to portions of the normal load supporting surface on a flat railroad car or car of the flat bed type and can be constituted by upstanding marginal portions extending along the longitudinal sides of the cars. Further there is on the cars a path or guide in the longitudinal direction. A lifting device is used which can be moved along the path or the guide to an arbitrary railway car. It can lift a load carrier from a railway car and lower a load carrier to the railway car.

The lifting and lowering of the load carrier can here be performed essentially from the bottom side thereof. Advantageously the path or guide comprises a groove which is at least partly open upwards. Further the groove should be arranged in an upper load supporting surface such as a normal platform of the railway cars so that the support means are formed by those paths of this upper load receiving surface where the groove is not located. The main part of the path or guide will then suitably be located in a space between the wheels of the railway car and above the wheel shafts.

Further the lifting device, in the displacement between the railway cars when passing a load carrier placed on a railway car, can move essentially below or underneath the load carrier. In an embodiment comprising a normal load receiving platform and a groove therein then the lifting device moves quite inside the groove, below the geometric plane formed by the flat load carrying portions of the platform. Further the lifting device can be arranged in such a way that it, in a raised state with an elevated load carrier, is capable of turning the load carrier about a vertical axis passing through the lifting device. Advantageously the lifting device then comprises an upper part and a lower part which in turn comprises a bearing by means of which the parts are turnable in relation to each other above a vertical axis.

Advantageously the upper part comprises at least one unfoldable, extendable or lowering support leg, which in the turning movement of the upper part out from a position with its longitudinal axis located in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the railway car to a position in an angle to the longitudinal direction of the railway car can be unfolded, extended or descended and support the upper part. The leg can be supported directly by the railway car itself and/or by a ground surface existing next to the railway car. The leg can be a short or long support rod which is provided with wheel or rolls at the free end thereof.

The support leg or support legs can have adjustable lengths whereby they can be supported by ground surfaces at various levels and for various elevational heights of the lifting device and in the raising and lowering movements thereof. A control and drive equipment is then suitably arranged to adapt the lengths of the support leg or legs in the unfolded state thereof such that this support leg or legs continuously support the upper part against a ground surface during at least some part of the raising and lowering movement of the lifting device.

The lifting device can, at each of its two ends located in the longitudinal direction of the path or guide, comprise two wheel pairs, whereby the lifting device rests on the path or guide, one pair of these two wheel pairs at one end being located more close to the end of the lifting device than the other wheel pair, whereby the lifting device in a displacement thereof can move beyond recesses or interrupts in the path or guide. One wheel pair at an end of the lifting device can then be so mounted or guided that it can be moved downwards in relation to the other part of the lifting device, and that a motor is arranged acting on this wheel pair for the motion thereof downwards, so that, in this downward motion, the other part of the lifting device is raised.

The lifting device can thus comprise wheels with which it rests on the path or guide, then at least some of these wheels being so mounted or guided that they can be displaced in a downward direction in relation to the other part of the lifting device and that or more motors thus are arranged actuating the displaceable wheels for their downward motion so that, in this downward motion, the other part of the lifting device is raised.

The lifting device can also in this case comprise an upper part which in turn comprises a base part and a telescopic part which is guided thereon and is extendable therefrom. The telescopic part can then be extendable in an essentially horizontal direction and it will, when the lifting device is in raised state, come into contact with the load carrier and lift it in order to, in its tranεlational movement from the base part, then also displace the load carrier. Advantageously the telescopic part comprises unfoldable support legs which in the translational movement of the telescopic part can be unfolded and be supported by a ground surface present next to the railway car. These support legs can have adjustable lengths whereby they can be supported by ground surfaces at various levels and at various lifting heights of the lifting device. A control and drive means can then be arranged in order to also adapt the length of the support legs in the unfolded state thereof so that the support legs continuously are supporting the telescopic part against the ground surface during at least of a part of the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting device. The telescopic part can further comprise support arms which are arranged to be unfolded or extended in a plane below the bottom support surface of the load carrier in order to support the load carrier in movements of the lifting device, in particular the base part and the telescopic part.

Further at least one platform or stand can be used which is arranged at the side of a railway track along which the railway car is intended to be moved and which platform is arranged to be capable of carrying a load carrier and of receiving, from the lifting device, and transferring, to the lifting device, a load carrier when actuating the lifting device. This stand can be arranged so that it can be raised and lowered, whereby it can lower a load carrier placed thereon onto the load receiving surface of a truck and lift a load carrier placed on the loading surface of a truck, so that a truck can unload and load a load carrier from and onto the platform or the stand respectively.

In somewhat different words, the lifting device can thus comprise an upper part and a lower part which in turn comprise a bearing by means of which the parts are turnable in relation to each other around a vertical axis. The lower part is then suitably elongated having its longitudinal direction, when the lifting device is placed in its path or guide, essentially aligned with or in parallel to this path or guide or with the longitudinal direction of the railway car and further the other parts also are advantageously elongated. The upper part can then further comprise a support for a load carrier and guides for this support such that it is movable along the upper part, also when the support carries a load carrier.

In another embodiment the upper part comprises two parts and further two bearings are arranged, around which each one of the upper parts is turnable in relation to the lower part and in particular between a turned-in position in which the upper parts are essentially aligned with the path or guide or the longitudinal direction of a railway car, to a turned-out position in an angle, e.g. between 60° and 120°, in relation thereto.

Then the upper parts preferably comprise supports for a load carrier and guides for the supports such that they are displaceable along the upper parts, also when they support a load carrier. The upper parts can then comprise at least one unfoldable support leg which, in the turning movement of the upper parts out from the position having its longitudinal direction aligned or in parallel to the path or guide or the longitudinal direction of the railway car to a position in an angle thereto, can be unfolded and support against a ground level present next to the railway car. In a manner similar to the first embodiment the support leg or legs can have adjustable lengths whereby they can be supported by surfaces at various levels and at various elevational heights of the lifting device. A control and drive means can then also be arranged for adapting the length of the support leg or legs in the unfolded state thereof such that the support leg or legs continuously support the upper part on a ground surface during at least a part of the raising or lowering movement of the lifting device.

In another aspect, in a device for loading and unloading load carriers to and from a railway car respectively, the railway car has, like above, an upper or top load supporting surface which is arranged to carry one or several load carriers. A lifting device can lift a load carrier from the railway car and lower a load carrier to the railway car. In an elevated state it is turnable, such as by means of a motor in the lifting device, about an essentially vertical axis to an arbitrary angular position in relation to the longitudinal direction of the railway car. Hereby an elevated load carrier can also be turned arbitrarily in an essentially horizontal plane.

In a third aspect the lifting device comprises a base part and a telescopic part which is guided thereon and is extendable therefrom. The telescopic part will, in a raising operation of the lifting device, carry and support the load carrier and will also, in its displacement to an extended position in relation to the base part, move the load carrier in the corresponding way.

In all the aspects all the motors which are required for the various movements of the lifting device and the various parts thereof are arranged in the lifting device itself. Any exterior particular devices are not required in most of the railway cars used. Some exterior power supply to the lifting device can, as has been mentioned above, be arranged, for instance in the shape of a rollable electric cable connected in a specially designed car.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments selected as examples of the device according to the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l shows a train with railway cars and load carriers in an embodiment having the home car located first in the train and an embodiment of the lifting device in a turned-out state,

Fig. 2 shows a cross section of a railway car with a lifting device in a not raised state,

Fig. 3 shows the lifting device in more detail,

Fig. 4 illustrates a load receiving device, Fig. 5 shows a truck arranged to be able to load and unload a load carrier onto and from the lifting device,

Fig. 6 shows a detail of the lifting device, i.e. the mechanism to force a wheel pair downwards,

Fig. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the lifting device,

Fig. 8 illustrates an unloading operation performed by means of the alternative lifting device.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 shows a railway train moveable along a railway track and comprising an electric locomotive 1 which at the roof thereof has a current collector for an overhead cable (not shown) arranged above the railway track. The locomotive 1 pulls a home car 3 which in the case shown is located next to the locomotive 1. The locomotive 1 further pulls three other cars 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3, which are coupled one after the other behind the home car 3. The home car 3 is arranged so that it both has a covered place 7 where a lifting device, which will be described below, can be run in, and has space for at least one load carrier on the essentially flat upper load supporting surface thereof. The other cars 5.1 - 5.3 have each one space for two load carriers. In the case illustrated in the figure the first other car 5.1 carries one load carrier 9.1 and the following car 5.2 a load carrier 9.2 which stands on the front portion of this car, and a load carrier 9.3 which has been lifted away by means of a lifting device, generally referenced 11.

Along the cars 3, 5.1 - 5.3 a path or guide extends which is generally referenced 13 and along which the lifting device 11 can move. The path 13 is on the other railway cars 5.1 - 5.3 designed as a groove shaped recess extending in the longitudinal direction of the cars all over the length of the car. The groove 13 has its opening directed upwards and is constructed, at the ends of the railway cars, in such a way that the lifting device 11 can move between the cars. It can be accomplished e.g. by arranging that the lifting device 11 has a sufficient length for bridging a possible interrupt of the path or groove 13 or by arranging, that at the ends of the railway cars, plates are arranged which can be folded down to form a bridging floor in the groove 13. In the home car 3 there is also a groove 13 constructed in a corresponding way but it is here, at its portion next to the locomotive, i.e. in at its end which does not face the other cars, provided with a covering part or plate such that the covered protected place for the lifting device 11 is accomplished.

The groove 13 is in addition arranged centrally at each railway car 3, 5.1 - 5.3 and is recessed in the normal receiving load surface 14 of the railway cars. It means that the load carriers 9.1 - 9.3 rest on the remaining parts of the load receiving surface of the railway cars, i.e. on the parts of the load receiving surface, which are located at the sides of the railway cars and which comprise elongated, strip shaped areas.

The lifting device 11 comprises, see also Fig. 2, a lower part 15 and an upper part 17 , which in turn comprises a base part 19 and a support part 21 which is displaceable along and guided by the base part. The lifting device 11 is in its shape generally elongated having an outline, e.g. corresponding to an elongated, low and wide rectangular parallelepiped. Each one of its parts, the lower part 15 and the upper part 17 and in turn the parts therein, have the corresponding configuration. Hereby the lifting device can essentially be accommodated inside the groove 13, i.e. below the plane through the surfaces 14 on the railway car which are intended for supporting a load carrier.

It is not necessary to arrange a groove but other solutions are conceivable, e.g. that the load carriers are provided with short support legs with which they can rest on the load surfaces 14. Thereby a free space is formed below each load carrier placed on a railway car. In any case the lifting device can thus be displaced under a load carrier placed on a railway car.

Further it is arranged in some way so that the lifting device 11 can displace its upper top surface in the upward direction in order to hereby also lift a load carrier arranged on or above the lifting device. A pivot or hub 23 is further arranged such that the lower part 15 and the upper part 17 are pivotal or turnable in relation to each other about a pivot axis which has a generally vertical direction and e.g. passes through the central point of the lower part 15, as seen from above. By means of this hub or bearing 23 the upper part 17 can be turned or pivoted in relation to the part 13 and to the railway car, even when a load carrier is placed thereon. It is illustrated in Fig. 1 and there also is shown how the support part 21 of the upper part is displaced in relation to the base part 19 to deliver or receive a load carrier 9.3. The upper part 17 can be made in a telescopic manner such that its supports 21 can be displaced with its one end a long distance beyond the corresponding end of the base part 19, as is also indicated in Fig. 1.

The load carrier 9.3 is provided with own unfoldable legs 25, and in an unloading operation of the load carrier 9.3 from a position on the railway car 5.2, this load carrier 9.3 can be placed on the legs 25, when the top surface of the lifting device 11, in this case the upper surface of the support part 21, is somewhat lowered. If instead the load carrier 9.3 is to be loaded on the railway car 5.2, the load carrier thus first stands on its support legs 25, after which the support part 21 is inserted under the load carrier, and the lifting device 11 is elevated whereby also the load carrier 9.3 will be lifted.

Instead of the support legs 25 which are arranged on the load carrier and can be unfolded therefrom, a load receiving device as indicated 27 can also be used which thus will fulfil the same function as the support legs 25.

In the section illustrated in Fig. 2 through a railway car a load carrier 9 is arranged on the support surfaces 14 arranged at the sides of the railway car 3. The railway car has conventional wheels 25 and the groove 13 is here arranged so that it partly is located between the wheels 29. Particularly the bottom 31 of the groove 13 is arranged immediately above the shafts of the car wheels 29 and the side surfaces 33 of the groove 13 are arranged inside, at a short distance of the interior side of the car wheels 29. In the groove 13, further, the lifting device 11 is visible. Its lower part 15 is provided with eight wheels 35, generally arranged on four associated wheel shafts. The lower part 15 rests with its wheels 35 on the bottom 31 of the groove 13. The support part 21 is here illustrated as partly encompassing the base part 19 of the upper part 17 , such that the base part 19 is arranged in a recess or a longitudinal groove in the bottom surface of the support part 21. The support part 21 is guided in relation to the base part 19 by means of wheels 37 on the base part 19 having an essentially horizontal axis for receiving vertically directed forces and for guiding the support part 21 vertically in relation to the base part 19. The support part 21 is further also guided laterally in relation to the base part 19 by means of other wheels 39 on the base part 19.

In Fig. 3 the load carrier 9.3 is illustrated in a larger scale being unloaded from or loaded onto the railway car 5.2. The lower part 15 of the lifting device is here seen to be in a raised state. The lower part 15 thus has its wheels 35 arranged at the ends thereof with two wheel pairs at each end. Hereby the lower part 15 and hereby the whole lifting device 1 can move, in a displacement along the path 13 , over possible interrupts in the path. One of the wheel pairs 35 each end is arranged in such a way that it can be pressed down by means of a suitable mechanism, in a downward direction, from the lower part 15. When it is made, thus naturally the lower part 15 is lifted upwards and hereby also the whole lifting device 11.

The hub or bearing 23 between the lower and upper parts of the lifting device 11 is here seen to be arranged centrally both in the lower part 15 and the upper part, in particular in the base part 19 of the latter one. Further a support leg 41 is arranged at the bottom side and at one end of the base part 19. The support leg 41 can be folded in or shut under the base part 19 and is provided with wheels 43 with which it will rest on the ground in the unfolded state of the support leg. The support leg 41 can further be prolonged telescopically in order that its length will be able to be adapted to different levels of the ambient ground and in order to be capable of cooperating in a raised and lowering movement of the lifting device.

Rolls 45 are arranged at the top surface of the lower part 15 such that the base part 19 in a swinging movement above the bearing 23, in the angular positions thereof which are not too much turned out, can rest on the support wheels 45. In addition further support wheels or rolls, not shown, may be arranged at the bottom surface of the base part 19, to be able to, in the even more turned-out position of the upper part 17, rest on the surfaces 14 intended for receiving the load carrier.

The telescopically extendable support part 21 has also support legs 49 with wheels 51 with which the support leg can rest on the ground surface. Like the support leg 41 this support leg 49 can be prolonged and have its length adjusted to the varying height of the surrounding ground surface and also cooperate in a raising and lowering movement of the lifting device. A cylinder 53 arranged at the top surface of the support part 21 can come into engagement with means in the bottom surface of the load carrier 9.3 to actuate the unfoldable support legs 25 thereof, see Fig. 1.

Other support devices or support arms 55 can be arranged on the upper part 17 to be unfolded or extended from the support part 21 thereof laterally and hereby also more securely support the load carrier 9.3.

Further, in Fig. 3 a part of the equipment is indicated which is required to control the device. Thus a video camera 57 is arranged at the end of the upper part 17 , in particular the end of the support part 21. The video camera 57 is used for an exact automatic positioning of- the railway car in relation to possible loading equipment present next to the railway track, e.g. in relation to a platform, such as 27 in fig. 1, or in relation to a load carrier placed next to the railway track which is to be loaded. Further a cable 59 is illustrated containing power supply and control signal lines for the lifting device 11 and a cable drum 61 for the cable 59 which is arranged to automatically maintain the cable 59 in a suitably tensed state. In the lower part 15 of the lifting device 11 there is a closed space 63 accommodating an electronic monitoring and control unit 65 for the lifting device 11, hydraulic accumulators 67, hydraulic pumps, valves etc.

The procedure in unloading a load carrier 9.3 will now be described in summary. A loading operation of a load carrier standing at the side of the railway will be made in the corresponding way with the different operations in an inverse order and in the inverse direction.

The load carrier 9.3 is supposed to first rest on the support surfaces 14 on the railway car 5.2. The train is run so that the road carrier is placed opposite to a desired unloading position. This position can be sensed by suitable sensing devices (not shown) registering fixed marks or signs arranged in the neighbourhood of the railway. At this occasion a lifting device 11 is displaced along its path 13 from the place, e.g. from its protected place 7 on the home car 3, from one car to another, to a position in the middle of and under the load carrier 9.3. The lifting device 11 will then lift the load carrier 9.3, by pressing the inner wheel pairs 35 (35.2 in Fig. 6) in the lower part 15 thereof in a downward direction. Then the upper part 17 of the lifting device 11 will be located with its lower surface above the load surfaces 14 and thus be undisturbed by them in a turning operation. The support arms 55 are unfolded from the sides of the upper part 17 , particularly from the support part 21. The load carrier 9.3 hereby rests more steadily and the risk is reduced for a tilting movement thereof in the following turning or swinging out movement of the upper part 17 from the position thereof aligned with the lower part 15 to a position which forms an angle of about 90°, e.g. between 60 and 120° to the longitudinal direction of the railway car or path 13. In the swinging movement also the upper part 17 rests first against the rolls 45 in the lower part 15 and then with its rolls which can be extended or lowered, arranged in the bottom side of the base part 19 on the support surfaces 14 on the railway car 5.2. The support leg 41 is folded out, during the turning-out movement, as fast as it is not obstructed by the railway car itself, from the bottom side of the upper part 17 and the length of the support leg 41 is adapted such that its support wheels 43 will, during the turning movement, well be supported by the surrounding ground level, and also in the stationary position when the swinging movement is terminated.

Now the upper part 17 can be prolonged by displacing its support part 21 and telescopically extending it in relation to the base part 1 . In this movement the support part 17 rests against the support wheels 37 arranged at the sides of the base part 19 and is guided in its longitudinal direction by the rolls 39, also arranged at the sides of the base part 19. The support part 21 is however only displaced in the outward direction through such a long distance that the support legs 49 can be folded out. In some embodiments this support part is longer than the other turnable part of the lifting device so that the support leg 49 is mounted on the extending part of the support part 21, and then the support leg 49 can be unfolded earlier, e.g. simultaneously with the support leg 41. When this support part is extended, its length is adjusted by means of suitable mechanical means, such that the support wheels 51 will rest securely on the ground surface. After that the support part 21 can be extended to a suitable length, the wheels 51 of the support leg 49 then being able to roll on the ground surface.

When the load carrier 9.3 has come to a suitable position to be lowered, the hydraulic piston 53 is operated and will engage in means provided in the load carrier 9.3, so that the support legs 25 of the load carrier are unfolded or extended. The lifting device 11 is lowered somewhat and in this movement the rolls at the bottom side of the base part are swung in, which rest against the support surfaces 14, in the corresponding extent so that the support legs 25, see Fig. 1, will receive the entire weight of the load carrier 9.3. After that the side arms 55 are folded into the upper part 17 and the support part 21 is pulled in to be placed essentially quite above its base part 19, after which the entire upper part 17 is turned in to its position straight above the lower part 15. Then again the lifting device 11 is lowered by removing the pressing force on its interior wheel pairs. The lifting device 11 can then be displaced to a position straight beneath another load carrier to unload it in the same way.

When the load carrier 9.3 has not been provided with own built-in and unfoldable or extendable support legs 25, instead a platform or load receiving device 27 is used and in this case instead, in the extending movement, the support part is inserted between two parallel leg stands 69, which are, as is shown in Fig. 4, identical but have a mirrored shape. Each leg stand 69 has two legs 71, which in a controlled manner, for instance hydraulically, can be prolonged or shortened, so that the leg stand 69 is raised or lowered. Both leg stands 69 are simultaneously operated so that the top surfaces thereof which are intended to receive a load carrier, always are located at essentially the same level.

The load receiving device 21 normally is arranged with its load receiving surface in a lowered position. Then the load carrier is unloaded from a train, the load carrier is placed on top of the upper surface of the lifting device 11, see Fig. 3. Then the support part 21 of the upper part is extended between the leg stands 69 in a position which is raised so much that the load carrier and the side arms 55 are located above the leg stands 69. When then the load carrier has entered a suitable position above the platform 27, the lifting device 11 is lowered, so that the side arms 55 on the upper part 17 match recesses 73 arranged in the top load receiving surface of the leg stand 69. The lowering movement is allowed to continue until the load carrier rests on the top surfaces of the leg stands 69.

When a truck is to fetch a load carrier resting on the load receiving device 27, the driver first raises the top surface of the leg stands 69 and hereby also the load carrier itself. For the operation of the height position of the leg stands 69 suitable, not shown, hydraulic motors are arranged and the power for the operation thereof is either taken from some local driving source, arranged at the load receiving device, or from a hydraulic power take-off on the truck. When the leg stands 69 have been raised sufficiently, the truck is run backwards in between the leg stands 69 and partly below the top loading receiving surface of the leg stands.

The truck is provided with a load receiving surface 45, which is centrally located and which is raised, extending in the longitudinal direction of the loading platform of the truck, see Fig. 5, and possibly also raised, fixedly arranged supports 77 protruding laterally from the central raised portion 75 and arranged to match into the recesses 73 of the leg stands 69. The fixed supports 77 and the longitudinal raised portion 75 have top support surfaces located in the same plane, on which surfaces load carriers can be securely placed.

After that the leg stands 69 are again lowered and then the recesses 73 in the load receiving surfaces of the leg stands will match over the fixed supports 77 on the truck. When the lowering movement is sufficient the load carrier will instead rest on the truck and in particular its central load receiving portion 75 and the possibly arranged lateral supports 77. A free space exists along the sides of the truck under the lateral supports 37 and then the leg stands 79 can be lowered further so that the inward extending portions of the top load receiving surface of the leg stands will be located under the lateral supports 77 on the truck. After that the truck is free to be run forwards with the load carrier carried on its support and load receiving surfaces.

In Fig. 6 is shown as seen from the side an end of the lower part 15 of the lifting device 11, with a fixed wheel pair 35 arranged to rotate about an axis near the end of the lower part 15. A movable wheel pair 35.2 is arranged to rotate about an axis located at a little longer distance from the same end of the lower part 15. The wheel shaft 79 for this movable wheel pair 35 is arranged on a knee lever 81 which is articulate to the lower part 15 through an axis 83. At the end of one arm of the lever 81 thus the shaft 79 for the movable wheel pair 35.2 is arranged and at the end of the other arm of the lever 83 there is an articulated connection to a cylinder and piston assembly 85, the other end of which is in articulated connection to the lower part 15 at a fixed point. When operating the cylinder and piston assembly 85 thus the movable wheel pair 35.12 will be pressed downwards whereby the lower part 15 and the whole lifting device 11 will be raised.

Position transducers, not shown, are in addition arranged on the cylinder and piston device 85 and are connected to the above mentioned monitoring unit 65 of the lifting device 11, whereby it can control the movement of the movable wheel pairs 35.2. This control is necessary in order that the two movable wheel pairs 35.2 which are arranged at each end of the lower part 15, are to be depressed to the same extent, so that the top surface of the lifting device is maintained substantially horizontal. It is necessary, since a load carrier lifted by the lifting device for instance can have its point of gravity displaced from a central position such that an oblique force acting on the lifting device 11 will be produced at the movement thereof in the upward direction.

The propagation of the lifting device 11 along the path 30 is accomplished by driving the wheels 35.1 and 35.2 in a rotational movement by means of schematically indicated hydraulic or electric motors 86 acting on the shafts of these wheels.

In Figures 7 and 8 another embodiment of the lifting device is illustrated which is here generally indicated 11'. The lower portion 15' of this lifting device 11 is here substantially constructed in the same way as the lifting device 11 illustrated in Figures 2, 3, and 6, and thus details common to these two embodiments of the lower part are not illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. On top of the lower part 15' here instead two upper parts 17' are arranged, which are able to be turned out and which are turnable about hubs 87, one hub arranged for each upper part. The hubs 87 are in these cases arranged at the end of the elongated upper parts 17' and also near the ends of the lower part 15' and more close to the side thereof. In a folded-in or shut position the two upper parts 17' are located in parallel to and adjacent to each other. The upper parts 17' comprise as above base parts 19' and support parts 21' which are displaceable and guided along the base parts 19'.

When a load carrier 9 is to be lifted from a railway car, as above the lifting device 11' is positioned centrally underneath the load carrier 9. At each end and on top of the lower part 15' a lifting rod 89 is arranged which can be moved upwards and downwards by means of some suitable mechanical actuating equipment. These two lifting rods 89 are now first raised so that their load receiving top surface will be located a little above the top surface of the support parts 21'. After that the whole lifting device 11' is elevated by means of the movable wheels 35.2, not illustrated in Fig. 7 and 8. The load carrier will then after a while rest on the lifting rods and be raised thereby. The lifting device 11' is elevated even more so that the upper parts 17' are not obstructed by the load receiving surfaces 14 of the railway car and can be turned out, first one and then the other one to the same side of the lifting device in a movement indicated by the arrows illustrated in Fig. 7. Due to the fact that the load carrier 9 is carried by the lifting rods 89 this swinging movement is not obstructed. Support legs 91 are as above unfolded from the bottom side of the upper parts 17', when the upper parts 17' have been turned out to a suitable position and the lengths of the support legs are adjusted to the ground surface such that they are supported thereby. The support parts 21' are now displaced to a suitable position below the load carrier 9 after which the lifting rods 89 are lowered so that the load carrier S will now instead rest on the support parts 21'. The support parts 21' are then caused to move along the base parrs 19' whereby the whole load carrier is displaced in a translational movement laterally away from the lifting device 11'. When the support parts 21' have reached appropriate positions, as above the lifting device 11' is lowered, so that the load carrier 9 will rest on support legs which have been unfolded or extended therefrom or on some stand or platform, configured similarly to the load receiving device according to Fig. 4.

Claims

1. A device comprising several or at least two railway cars for loading and unloading load carriers to and from the railway cars respectively, comprising support means on the top side of the railway cars arranged to carry one or more load carriers, a path or guide on the railway cars extending in the longitudinal direction of the railway cars, a lifting device,

- which is displaceable along the paths or guides, and

- which is arranged to raise a load carrier from a railway car and to lower the load carrier to the railway car, characterized in that the lifting device is arranged to be capable of passing a load carrier placed on the railway car and therein to move substantially under or below the load carrier, that the paths or guides on the railway cars are arranged to extend over the total length of the railway cars, so that the lifting device can be displaced along the whole extension of a railway car in the longitudinal direction thereof, and that the path or guide and the lifting device are arranged to allow a displacement of the lifting device between the railway cars for movement to an arbitrary railway car.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the path or guide is substantially located in the space between wheels of the railway car and above their wheel shafts.

3. A device according to one of claims 1 - 2 , characterized in that the lifting device is arranged to, substantially from below, raise a load carrier from a railway car and lower a load carrier onto the railway car.

4. A device according to one of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the lifting device comprises wheels, with which it rests on the path or guide, at least some of these wheels being so mounted or guided, that they can be displaced in a downward direction in relation to the other part of the lifting device and that one or more motors are arranged, acting on the displaceable wheels for their downward movement, so that in this downward movement the other part of the lifting device is raised.

5. A device according to one of claims 1 - 4, characterized in that the lifting device is arranged so that it in a raised state with a raised load carrier is capable of turning the load carrier about a vertical axis passing through the lifting device.

6. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that the lifting device comprises an upper part and a lower part, which comprise a bearing, by means of which the parts are turnable about a vertical axis, and that the upper part comprises a support leg, which is unfoldable or can be extended downwards and which when the upper part is turned in relation to the lower part, as in a movement out from a position with its longitudinal axis in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the railway car to a position in an angle to a longitudinal direction of the railway car and back again, can be folded out or extended in a downward direction in order to support the upper part, for instance on the railway car itself and/or a ground surface provided adjacent to the railway car.

7. A device according to one of claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the lifting device comprises an upper part, which in turn comprises a base part and a telescopic part, which is guided thereon and is extendable in relation thereto.

8. A device according to claim 7 , characterized in that the telescopic part is extendable in an essentially horizontal direction and, in the raising movement of the lifting device, will come into contact with the load carrier and then raise it in order to, in its displacement from the base part, then also displace the load carrier.

9. A device according to one of claims 1 - 8, characterized in one or several local motors, arranged in or on the lifting device, for powering movements of the lifting device and/or parts thereof.

10. A device for loading and unloading load carriers to and from a railway car respectively, characterized in support means on the top side of the railway car, which are arranged to carry one or several load carriers, a lifting device, - which is able to raise a load carrier from the support means of the railway car and lower a load carrier to the support means of the railway car, and which in a raised state is turnable about an essentially vertical axis to an arbitrary angular position in relation to the longitudinal direction of the railway car, whereby a raised load carrier also can be turned arbitrarily in an essentially horizontal plane.

11. A device for loading and unloading load carriers to and from a railway car respectively, characterized in support means on the top side of the railway car, which are arranged to carry one or several load carriers, a lifting device,

- which is able to raise a load carrier from the support means of the railway car and lower a load carrier to the support means of the railway car and

- which comprises a base part and a telescopic part, which is guided thereon and is extendable in relation thereto, which telescopic part in a raising movement of the lifting device will carry and support the load carrier and, in its displacement to en extended position in relation to the base part, also displaces the load carrier in the corresponding way.