WO1997007007A1

WO1997007007A1 - System and apparatus for the transportation of cargo

Info

Publication number: WO1997007007A1
Application number: PCT/EP1995/003288
Authority: WO
Inventors: Solomon W. Zelmanov
Original assignee: Mind - E.M.S.G. Ltd.; Benedum, Ulrich, Max
Priority date: 1993-02-01
Filing date: 1995-08-17
Publication date: 1997-02-27
Also published as: IL104578A

Abstract

Method of transporting a plurality of shipping containers in a discrete block of containers, the system comprising: (a) carrying the said block of containers on a cargo vessel (2, 3); (b) carrying the said block of containers on a rail vehicle (13) which is supported on at least two railway tracks (12) disposed in parallel; and (c) transferring the said block of containers between the vessel and the rail vehicle by means of a crane adapted to lift and maneuver the entire block of containers.

Description

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FORTHE TRANSPORTATION OF CARGO

This invention relates to a transport system and apparatus for the transportation of cargo and particularly, although not exclusively, relates to a railroad transport system in which the rail vehicles travelling on the railroad run on at least two tracks. In this specification the term "track" means the two rail track of a conventional railroad, but also encompasses a monorail track or any other fixed track such as those used by air cushion or magnetically suspended trains. It is known to use water (sea, river and lake) transport, railroad, automobile and air transport for the mass carriage of freight. The transportation speed and costs of the latter exceed those of the other kinds of transport.

Transport over water, and by railroad are the cheapest options for mass freight carriage. To improve efficiency the freight is usually carried in standard FEU or TEU containers.

By using such containers a water or railroad transport unit (a vessel or a train) with a minimal crew can carry a large number of containers replacing a large number of container trucks and a corresponding number of drivers.

A known mass freight transport system using both sea and rail carriage is the 10,000 Km transcontinental Transsiberian container line extending over the territory of the former USSR and connecting the Far East (Nakhodka) and Baltic (Klaipeda, Saint Petersberg etc.) ports. This line transports freight in containers from Japan and other Far East countries to Europe and back. During 1 8 years of continuous operation the line has proved its competitiveness in comparison with ^'container sea transport without transhipment around Asia and Africa or by the Polar Sea Way. The infrastructure of the operation, including vessels, port cranes, container terminals and railroad rolling stock is entirely conventional. A drawback of the transport system, in the inventor's opinion, is the limited railroad capacity. This is due to the rigidly restricted overall outside dimensions of the railroad. In particular, the size of the existing tunnels limits the size of the rolling stock which can be used. In addition, heavy rail traffic on the national railroad network can lead to delay and disruption of the freight schedule. Under these conditions, radical changes to the rolling stock are not possible while the use of conventional rolling stock makes radical changes to ports and cargo handling cranes and an increase in the fleet capacity inexpedient. During 1 8 years of intensive operation, the capacity of the above described container line has hardly changed.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of transporting a plurality of shipping containers in a discrete block of containers, the system comprising: carrying the said block of containers on a cargo vessel; carrying the said block of containers on a rail vehicle which is supported on at least two railway tracks disposed in parallel; and transferring the said block of containers between the vessel and the rail vehicle by means of a crane adapted to lift and manoeuvre the entire block of containers. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rail mounted vehicle which is adapted to be supported on at least two railway tracks disposed in parallel.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a transport system for mass transportation of cargoes, particularly containers, between two ports comprising: (a) a cargo ship adapted to carry block containers comprising a plurality of standard containers; (b) ports with rapid freight transfer facilities including a stationary and/or movable hydraulic cranes with tackle adapted for loading/unloading block containers; (c) a rail vehicle for carrying the block-containers and other cargoes; and (d) a railroad line having at least two parallel tracks and having means for controlling the rail vehicle running simultaneously on two tracks.

As well as being applicable to twin rail railway tracks the invention is also applicable to alternative track systems such as monorail tracks or tracks for air cushion or magnetically suspended trains, freight ducts or conveyors adapted for conventional container transportation. For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a general diagrammatic view of a transport system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a container catamaran carrying block containers;

FIG. 3 shows two railroad block flatcars carrying block containers;

FIG. 4 shows a railway bed on a piled base;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a port hydraulic crane, mounted on a block flatcar, unloading a catamaran vessel (the latter is shown in cross section);

FIG . 6 is a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 5;

FIG . 7 is a front view of a stationary hydraulic crane, mounted on a pier, unloading a vessel ( the vessel is shown in cross section) ; and

FIG. 8 is a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 7.

Referring to Fig. 1 , the transport system comprises cargo ships 2, 3 which carry freight on specific sea routes, mainly in containers, ports 4, 5 with high-speed freight transfer equipment, and a special railroad main line 6 with rolling stock including block flatcars 7 for transport of containers, the latter forming a block container 8 (FIG . 3).

The vessels 2, 3 are provided with means (not shown in the drawings) for disposing and securing the block containers 8. Each block container 8 (LUF-system) can include up to several dozen standard FEU or TEU-type containers disposed in parallel at least in two tiers and adapted for grasping by a special port crane block spreader 1 1 .

Ports 4, 5 are provided with stationary 9 and/or movable 10 cranes with block spreaders 1 1 for loading/unloading block containers 8 (FIG. 5, 7), multi-track railroad lines 1 2 with appropriate equipment including control equipment for simultaneous movement of block containers 8 and/or hydraulic cranes 10, at least over two parallel tracks and stationary or mobile block container collecting platforms (not shown in the drawings) . The special main railroad line defined by terminal ports 4, 5 is designed both for block flatcar 7 trains and conventional rolling stock.

The special rolling stock for block containers 8 and other freight mass transport includes trains 1 3 of block flatcars 7 on conventional railroad bogies (not shown in the drawings) running at least over two tracks 12. The trains are hauled by conventional or special synchronised control locomotives 1 1 (FIG . 1 ) . Block containers 8 are located on block flatcars 7 longitudinally or laterally relative to the railroad tracks 1 2.

The standard FEU and/or TEU containers forming block containers 8 may be secured to one another.

The cargo ships 2 with a limited sailing area may be designed as catamarans FIG . 1 , 2), air cushion ships (eg hovercraft) or hydrofoils (not shown in the drawings) .

The vessels 2, 3 may be provided with means for positioning, attachment and/or individual loading/unloading of block containers 8 and other freight. The means may be designed as lifting separating platforms 1 5 (FIG. 7), deck hydraulic cranes with similar lifting gear to the port cranes 9, 10, as well as antiheeling and other means which may or may not form part of the vessel equipment (not shown in the drawings) . The hydraulic cranes 9, 10 for mass loading/unloading of block containers 8 are mounted on a pier 1 6 (FIG. 7), on a vessel 2 or 3, or on a vehicle movable along the pier 1 6, such as on of the railroad block flatcars 7 running simultaneously at least over two tracks 1 2, or on a pontoon (not shown in the drawings movable over water along the pier 1 6.

The cranes 9, 10 are designed as at least one supporting tower-hydraulic cylinder 1 7 filled with water. Within the tower-hydraulic cylinder there is a piston 1 8 movable substantially in a vertical direction and connected with a jib 1 9, provided with a block spreader 1 1 , by a slider 20 with two degrees of freedom and a ball joint 21 .

The cylinder 17 has a diameter of 5 to 10 metres to provide a lifting capacity of several hundred tonnes at a pressure of 3 to 5 atm. By contrast, a conventional oil hydraulic system would need to run at pressures of 1 50 to 300 atm to achieve the same lifting capacity and would require expensive components such as special piston rings and cuffs. Furthermore, as the working medium is water rather than oil, slight leakage of the water past the piston is acceptable. The cylinder 1 7 is fed by a water pump or alternatively can be fed by any source of water having sufficient head. For example water could be provided from a reservoir provided on a nearby hill.

Sea water or fresh water may be used as the working medium in the hydraulic cylinder 1 7. The jib 1 9 is rotatable in the vertical plane around a horizontal pivot 22 secured to the supporting base 24 by means of a girder 23. The supporting tower-hydraulic cylinder 1 7 is also secured to this base 24. The supporting base 24 is rotatable around a vertical pivot 25 together with the tower 1 7, girder 23 and the jib 1 9, and is pivotally mounted on the pier 1 6, block flatcar 7 a vessel or a pontoon (not shown in the drawings) . The piston 1 8 side surface can be shaped as a rotation evolventoid. The girder 23 securing the jib 1 9 to the tower-hydraulic cylinder 1 7 and/or the base 24 also serves as a means for balancing the lifted cargo.

The block spreader 1 1 is provided with means for simultaneously grasping or otherwise engaging several standard containers forming a block container 8 (LUF-system) . The means may comprise several small spreaders 26 mounted on the main block spreader. The block spreader is rotatable in the horizontal plane relative to the jib 19 and is connected with the latter by hydraulic struts 27.

The hydraulic cranes 9, 10 are provided with pumps (not shown in the drawings) for water feeding/draining in the tower-hydraulic cylinder 17 and with drives for turning the jib 1 9 together with the base 24 and actuating the block spreader 1 1 .

The block container collecting platforms are movable over the same railroad tracks 1 2 as the block flatcars 7. It is also possible to use the block flatcars 7 as mobile collecting platforms.

The main railroad line 6 (FIG. 1 ) is at least a double-track railroad defined by terminal ports 4, 5 and provided with passing sidings 28, dead-end sidings 29, switches (not shown in the drawings) and other engineering means for block flatcar 7 trains running simul¬ taneously over two tracks 1 2 or conventional rolling stock running over one track 1 2.

This line may be provided with engineering means, such as protective fencing 30 on both sides as well as switches (not shown in the drawings) and a crossover track 31 for periodical coincidence with a conventional railroad network.

The line 6 can also have additional tracks (not shown in the drawings). To supply current to electric locomotives 14 conductor rails 32 may be laid (FIG. 3, 4) . The centre lines of the tracks 1 2 are spaced at a precisely defined distance and the tracks are provided with engineering means for ensuring and maintaining this separation, such as the use of a common piled base 33. This also makes the attachment of the rails to the line embankment more reliable. The main line 6 may be replaced by alternative transport means of higher capacity, such as air cushion or magnetically suspended trains, freight ducts or conveyors adapted for conventional container mass transportation.

The block flatcars 7 have conventional railroad bogies and means for attaching the flatcars 7 to the bogies, and further means for synchronizing the movement of the latter over parallel tracks (not shown in the drawings) . The synchronizing means operates to control a special double bogie locomotive or two conventional locomotives operating on respective tracks and hauling block flatcars 7 such that the movement of their respective bogies and the bogies of the flatcars 7 on one track are synchronized with the movement of the corresponding bogies on the other track. In particular, the synchronizing means operates to control the bogies during acceleration, deceleration, regular and emergency braking, ascending, descending and movement round a bend.

Such synchronizing means are well known to engineers and are used for instance on special railroad transports and in special vehicles for moving multi-storey buildings and historic monuments. Consequently it is unnecessary to describe these means in detail. The block flatcars 7 can also be provided with engineering means such as supports for small vessels and other heavy cargo, which may, for example, be used for the construction and repair of railroad tracks 1 2 and embankments as well as for the construction of structures such as buildings (not shown in the drawings) located along the railroad. Additional tracks 1 2 may be located along steep sections of mainline 6 on which run boosting locomotives 14 provided with attachments for coupling with trains of block flatcars

7 running over the main tracks 1 2. The booster locomotives provide additional power to haul the trains up the incline. The booster locomotives and additional track may be replaced by a stationary hauling means (ie a winch) which assists in hauling the trains up the incline.

The described transport system operates as follows. Cargo ships 2 or 3 with block containers 8 formed by conventional FEU or TEU container sets arrive at a port 4, 5 where they moor at a pier ( 1 6. Hydraulic cranes 9, 10 lift (alternately or simultaneously) the block containers 8 and place them onto block flatcars 7 coupled as a train or onto a collecting platform.

The conventional containers which make up each block container 8 may be connected with one another by flexible or rigid joints.

The mobile collecting platform loaded with block containers is transferred to a relief track, and a train is made up of loaded block flatcars 7. A locomotive 14 located on parallel tracks and integrated by movement synchronization means guides the train of block flatcars 7 along the mainline 6 to the next port at which a further crane 9, 10 loads the block containers 8 onto another vessel 2, 3 sailing to another port in the same basin. Likewise small vessels and other heavy freight is transported on block flatcars 7. To increase transportation efficiency in the system vessels are used which are best adapted for sailing in their particular area of operation. Thus, container catamarans 2 (FIG. 2) are chiefly used for sailing in a limited water area, outside the main oceans, as they may encounter only comparatively small storms (as in the Mediterranean or Black sea) .

Under such conditions, most of the block containers 8 may be carried on the open upper deck in order to speed up loading/unloading of the vessel. However, this approach would not be appropriate, and could even be considered dangerous for open ocean crossings; for which conventional single hull container ships 3 are more suitable. These ships can be provided with equipment adapted to handle block containers 8 and other freight loading/unloading such as lifting separating platforms 1 5 and hydraulic cranes 9, 10. These measures reduce the ship's freight handling time and thus increase the ship's efficiency. Every vessel 2, 3 is provided with engineering means for freight handling and securing which are conventional and therefore not including in the description.

The operation of a crane 9, 10 is as follows. At the beginning of its operation the crane 9, 10 turns on the supporting base 24 around the vertical pivot 25 until the block spreader 1 1 is located over a block container 8 on the ship 2, 3. The block container 8 is then gripped by the block spreader 1 1 . After that sea water or fresh water is pumped into the cylinder 1 7 and the jib 1 9 rises, turning around the pivot 22.

The girder 23 supported by the cylinder 1 7 and/or supporting base 24 serves as a counterweight. The slider 20, ball joint 21 and the evolventoid side surface of piston 1 8 serve as compensators, which allow angular movement of the jib 19 without the jamming of piston 1 8 in cylinder 1 7. Any water leakage from the cylinder 1 7 (e.g. past the piston 1 8) is compensated for by the water pump. The hydraulic struts 27 dampen the transfer of inertia loads from the lifted cargo to the jib 1 9.

Every spreader 26 of the block spreader 1 1 grips a particular container. The supporting base 24 turns at an angle of 90° or 1 80° around the vertical pin 25 secured to the pier 1 6 or the block flatcar 7 and the block container 8 is swung over the freight block flatcar 7 or the collecting platform. By actuating the appropriate drive the block spreader 1 1 can be turned in such a way that the containers become oriented along or across the track 1 2 according to the overall dimensions of block flatcars 7 or collecting platforms. Then water is drained out of the hydraulic cylinder 1 7, and the jib 1 9 together with the block spreader 1 1 and block container 8 is lowered until the freight is put in place on the block flatcar 7 or collecting platform. Other freight is transferred in the same way.

When the crane 10 is moved water, is drained out of the cylinder 1 7 so that the crane weight is considerably reduced.

Such a design of crane 9, 10 allows the overall dimensions and weight to be reduced in comparison with conventional cranes of equal lifting capacity and eliminates the use of conventional wire ropes, pulleys, spars and other similar devices which become more and more complicated as the design lifting capacity is increased. Cranes of the above described type can be mounted on container ships or on block flatcars of construction and repair trains. The railroad main line 6 is closed between ports 4, 5 like underground lines and comprises at least two tracks. It is laid, as straight as possible, to avoid additional loads on the rolling stock. Protective fencing serves to eliminate accidents and collisions with conventional transport.

The overall dimensions of railroad traffic travelling on a train rail line 6 is not as limited as on conventional lines, so that block containers 8 can be disposed on block flatcars 7 both along and across the direction of travel.

When the line is laid, a pre-set distance between the tracks 1 2 is selected and is adhered to as strictly as the standard track gauge. As the gauge of each track is standard, the line can carry both block flatcars 7 and conventional rolling stock. The latter may run over the main line 6 chiefly in emergency situations such as repair work or long breaks in running of block flatcar 7 trains. For these cases a track 31 is provided which connects the main line 6 with the conventional railroad network.

The piled bases 33 serve for strengthening the main line bed, securing the distance between tracks centres and preventing the rails being displaced during high load situations such as when a heavily laden train makes an emergency stop.

If electric locomotives are employed, the current is supplied to the latter through conductor rails 32. To ensure uninterrupted traffic over the main line 6 the latter is provided with passing sidings 28, dead-end sidings 29, switches and other means similar to those applied in railroad transport. All the main line improvements are aimed at increasing its carrying capacity.

The application of the described transport system which comprises known engineering solutions and new improvements will be highly efficient as it greatly increases the carrying capacity of a railroad . These advantages in combination with the provision of specialised cargo ships adapted for sailing in their particular area of operation make the transport system competitive in comparison with sea shipping lines such as the line connecting the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean ports via the Suez canal or the Atlantic- Pacific line via the Panama canal . The main time and money saving is obtained due to the reduction of demurrage while making up convoys for sea canal passage, elimination of underloading of vessels and the saving on fees for canal passage.

The vessel yearly turnover increases approximately by 10%, which brings additional profit to the shipowners. It is projected that a large-capacity container ship using the Transisraeli Mediterranean - Indian Ocean transport line and operated in the Mediterranean would carry twice as much container cargo as a similar ship sailing to the Indian Ocean via the Suez canal.

The described system has been designed chiefly for freight delivery from the

Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean or back via Israel or Egypt. At the same time it may be applied in other parts of the world as well for similar transport systems both short, such as through Isthmus of Panama or longer ones such as the Transamerican line via the USA,

Transrussian etc.

Claims

C L A I M S

1 . A method of transporting a plurality of shipping containers in a discrete block of containers, the system comprising:

(a) carrying the said block of containers on a cargo vessel;

(b) carrying the said block of containers on a rail vehicle which is supported on at least two railway tracks disposed in parallel; and

(c) transferring the said block of containers between the vessel and the rail vehicle by means of a crane adapted to lift and manoeuvre the entire block of containers.

2. A rail mounted vehicle which is adapted to be supported on at least two railway tracks disposed in parallel.

3. A rail mounted vehicle as claimed in claim 2, in which each railway track comprises a pair of rails disposed in parallel and the rail mounted vehicle comprises a pair of laterally spaced apart bogies, each bogie engaging a respective pair of rails.

4. A rail mounted vehicle as claimed in claim 3, further comprising synchronizing means for synchronizing the movement of the bogies on respective tracks.

5. A transport system for mass transportation of cargoes, particularly containers, between two ports comprising:

(a) a cargo ship adapted to carry block containers comprising a plurality of standard containers;

(b) ports with rapid freight transfer facilities including a stationary and/or movable hydraulic cranes with tackle adapted for loading/unloading block containers;

(c) a rail vehicle for carrying the block-containers and the other cargoes; and

(d) a railroad line having at least two parallel tracks and having means for controlling the rail vehicle running simultaneously on two tracks.

6. A transport system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the standard containers forming the block container are attached to each other.

7. A transport system according to claim 5 or 6, in which each crane comprises a hydraulic ram which uses water as a hydraulic fluid.

8. A transport system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the crane tackle is provided with means for engaging a complete block of containers.

9. A transport system as claimed in claim 8, in which the engaging means comprises several interconnected clamping devices, each clamping device engaging a respective container.

10. A transport system as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 9, in which the tracks are supported by common piled foundations.