WO2018029378A1

WO2018029378A1 - A transportation unit suitable for transporting cargo

Info

Publication number: WO2018029378A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/070527
Authority: WO
Inventors: Heine Blach Jensen
Original assignee: Safe Green Logistics A/S
Priority date: 2016-08-11
Filing date: 2017-08-11
Publication date: 2018-02-15
Also published as: EP3496986A1

Abstract

A transportation unit suitable for transporting cargo, said transportation unit comprising a first and a second downwardly facing open channel, each channel having a downwards facing U shaped cross section with a downwardly facing surface and first and second inwardly facing side surfaces arranged on either side of the downwardly facing surface, said channels being arranged in the bottom of the transportation unit, being arranged mutually parallel, being located near the first end and the second end respectively of the transportation unit, and being arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit. Said first and second channels comprising a first downwardly extending beam arranged on one side of the channel and defining the first inwardly facing surface of the channel and a second downwardly extending beam arranged on the other side of the channel and defining the second inwardly facing surface of the channel, said first inwardly facing surface of said first channel being located along the side of the first channel closest to the second channel, the first inwardly facing surface of the second channel being located along the side of the second channel side closest to the first channel, the second inwardly facing surface of the first channel and the second inwardly facing surface of the second channel being located on the side of the first and second channel respectively which is opposite the first inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels, and where said downwardly facing surfaces of said first and second channels are each arranged as a sliding surface. In this way, an economical and strength optimized transportation unit is provided.

Description

A transportation unit suitable for transporting cargo

The present invention relates to a transportation unit suitable for transporting cargo. Typically, the transportation unit will have a transport surface on which the cargo can be stacked. In some embodiments, the transportation unit will also comprise an enclosure surrounding the transportation surface for protecting the cargo. The transportation unit may most frequently consist of a box container, for example a container similar to a standard ISO shipping container. However, within the scope of the current specification, the transportation unit could also include a flatbed, a tank for liquids, a custom built container, a bulk materials container, etc.

The transportation unit is, for the sake of definition, enclosed within a virtual rectangular box defined by a length, a width and a height where the length is greater than the width and height and the length is greater than 2.5 m. The phrase "enclosed within a virtual rectangular box" should be understood in that the periphery of the transportation unit could be encased within said rectangular box, if such a box were constructed around the transportation unit.

The transportation unit is furthermore arranged to make it suitable for transferring between two transportation vehicles, for example between a railcar and a truck, or between a railcar and a transfer vehicle or between a truck and a transfer vehicle or some other combination. The transportation unit is according to the current invention arranged to be transferred in a horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the

transportation vehicles. For the sake of this specification, the term "railcar" is a general term referred to a carriage or wagon for carrying cargo on a rail transport system. Prior art

There are a number of systems described in the patent literature which disclose systems for transferring a transportation unit between different transport vehicles. It is especially interesting to transfer a transportation unit between a truck and a railcar. Moving cargo from trucks travelling on roads to railcars travelling on the rail system is of great interest, both for economic reasons but also for safety and environmental reasons. There are however not many commercial systems on the market as the combination of stability, strength, low cost, ease of use, lower power demands, etc. have not yet been effectively met by the systems proposed in the prior art.

EP1732797 B1 describes a system where a truck carrying a container is placed at an angle to a railcar and a mechanism mounted on the railcar pulls the container off the truck and onto the railcar. The motion of the container is at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the rail car. Once the container is pulled onto the railcar, the container is pivoted so that its longitudinal axis aligns with the longitudinal axis of the railcar. This requires a very complex and expensive mechanism on the railcar. In addition, the mechanism needs to be very strong in order to transfer the container at an angle.

Applicants own patent applications WO 201 1/064621 and WO 2014/203024, discloses transfer systems for horizontally and transversally transferring a freight container between a railcar and a vehicle, where the transfer system is placed on the vehicle and comprises at least two grabber arms, which are solely movable in a direction transversal to the longitudinal extension of the vehicle. In WO 2014/203024 the movement of the grabber arms is

accomplished by an endless chain driven by a drive wheel connected to a drive motor. Two tensioner wheels are placed at each side of said wheel, where said tensioner wheel cooperate with the chain in such way that one or the other tensioner wheels causes a tightening of the chain in dependence of whether the chain is driven in one or the other direction. The prior

applications also pertain to a method of transferring a freight container between a railcar and a vehicle. The systems also disclose the transfer mechanism comprising rails on the transport wagon and wheels on a frame mounted to the bottom of a standard shipping container. The disclosed systems have however shown to be too complicated, too expensive, and not strong enough and have therefore been shown not to work effectively. Other systems are disclosed in DE 19501543, EP 1840056, EP 1945545, EP 2108605, GB474362, WO9000481 , DE4244156, DE3833942 and

US2808289.

In particular, it was discovered that one of the issues with the prior art systems was that the use of rails and wheels increased the cost and complexity of the system. Furthermore, it was discovered that another major issue was related to the placement of the rails and wheels. Depending on where the rails and wheels are placed, the container/frame can bend during the transfer and can result in the system jamming during the transfer.

Another major issue with the prior art is that many of the systems require the container to be lifted requiring large amounts of power and also placing large forces on the system thereby increasing costs. Another major issue with the prior art systems is that in many cases, they are very expensive to implement since they require large investments in infrastructure and/or new equipment. For example many of the prior art systems will require custom built railcars, custom built truck wagons and/or custom built containers.

Summary of the invention It is the purpose of the invention to provide a more simple, cost efficient and suitable system for effectively transferring a transportation unit between two transportation vehicles, such as a truck and a railcar, when compared to the transportation systems of the prior art. The transportation unit may most frequently comprise a container which is arranged to be transferred in a horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of a railcar or a truck. It is also the aim of the invention to provide said transverse transfer of the transportation unit between the railcar and the truck with a cycle time which does not exceed the cycle time of the prior art systems. Furthermore, it is desired to provide a transportation unit which can be used with a transfer vehicle similar to the one disclosed in applicants own patent applications WO 201 1/064621 and WO 2014/203024, i.e. a transfer vehicle which first allows the container to be transferred onto the transfer vehicle in a transverse direction and then transferred in a longitudinal direction along the transfer vehicle.

It is by the current invention realized, that this purpose can in part be achieved by a transportation unit as mentioned in the introduction which comprises a first and a second downwardly facing open channel, each channel having a downwards facing U shaped cross section with a

downwardly facing surface and first and second inwardly facing side surfaces arranged on either side of the downwardly facing surface, said channels being arranged in the bottom of the transportation unit, being arranged mutually parallel, being located near the first end and the second end respectively of the transportation unit, and being arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit, said first and second channels comprising a first downwardly extending beam arranged on one side of the channel and providing the first inwardly facing surface of the channel and a second downwardly extending beam arranged on the other side of the channel and providing the second inwardly facing surface of the channel, said first inwardly facing surface of said first channel being located along the side of the first channel closest to the second channel, the first inwardly facing surface of the second channel being located along the side of the second channel side closest to the first channel, the second inwardly facing surface of the first channel and the second inwardly facing surface of the second channel being located on the side of the first and second channel respectively which is opposite the first inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels, and where said downwardly facing surfaces of said first and second channels are each arranged as a sliding surface.

It is herewith achieved, that the transfer of the transportation unit, e.g. a shipping container, can be transferred between two transportation vehicles, for example from a railcar to e.g. a truck, or the other way around, by arranging the sliding surfaces of the channels of the transportation unit on cooperating sliding surfaces of rails arranged on the transportation vehicles.

Then one can simply drag or push the transportation unit, from one

transportation vehicle to a second transportation vehicle, also provided with rails having upwardly facing sliding surfaces corresponding to and aligned with the rails on the first transportation vehicle.

By using channels and rails with sliding surfaces instead of wheels and rails, it is possible to significantly decrease the costs of the different components of the system while also providing a system which can have a higher degree of stability and a better resistance to dirt. A rail can extend further outwards than a wheel can, and therefore the stability can be increased. Likewise, a wheel needs to be lubricated and dirt which accumulates during transport will often lead to blocking of the wheels.

According to the current specification the term "sliding surface" should be understood as a planar surface which is arranged to be slid on another element. The sliding surface could be formed of multiple elements arranged beside each other so that there are gaps in the sliding surface or it could be a single long surface. While it is clear that to some extent it is possible to slide on all forms of surfaces, it should be clear to the person skilled in the art, that certain surfaces are specifically arranged as sliding surfaces and this will be clear to the person skilled in the art. In many cases, the sliding surfaces will be treated in some way to make the more suitable for sliding. For example a special coating, a special surface treatment, a set of friction reducing blocks, etc will be attached to the surface.

According to the current specification the term "U shaped" should be understood as a shape having a cross section with a bottom, and two sides. In one embodiment, the bottom is arranged as a flat surface and the two sides are arranged perpendicular to the bottom surface. However, other forms could also be imagined. For example in one embodiment, the bottom is flat and the two sides are tapered towards each other so that the base of the U is wider than the opening of the U. The opposite could also be true.

According to the current specification, terms relating to direction should be understood in the devices most common use position. For example downwardly facing would refer to something which is facing down in its normal use position. Furthermore, terms relating to direction should be interpreted broadly. A surface which is facing downwards could have a normal vector which has a component facing downwards and a component facing sideways. However, a downwards facing surface would have a larger component facing downwards than to the side. Likewise a sideways facing surface would have a larger component facing sideways than downwards.

According to the current specification, the term "beam" should be understood as a strength giving element which provides strength to the channel and the sliding surface. In one embodiment, the beam can be in the form of a vertically arranged flange. In another embodiment, the beam could be in the form of a box shaped structure. Other more complex beams could also be provided. In one embodiment, at least the first inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels and/or the second inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels are arranged as guiding and sliding surfaces. In this way the guiding and sliding surfaces can interact with side surfaces of a rail on a transportation vehicle to control of the positioning of the first transportation unit during the transfer between the transportation vehicles, as the guiding and sliding surfaces will limit the size of an oblique angle between the sliding surfaces on the first transportation unit and the second transportation unit. The sliding and guiding surfaces will cause a smoother guiding of the transportation unit during the transfer between the railroad wagon and the truck. In one embodiment only one inwardly facing surface of each channel is arranged as a guiding and sliding surface. In another embodiment, both inwardly facing surfaces of both channels are arranged as guiding and sliding surfaces.

In order to optimize the construction of the transportation unit and reduce costs as much as possible, it has been found that specific placement of the channels can be important. In one embodiment, the transportation unit can therefore be arranged such that the maximum distance measured along a vector parallel to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit between the first inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels is less than L1 , in that the minimum distance measured along a vector parallel to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit between the second inwardly facing surfaces is greater than L2 and in that L1 and L2 are chosen from the following four length pairs L1 =1 1 .861 m and L2=12.109 m or L1 =8.794 m and L2=9.042 m or L1 =5.729 m and L2=5.97 m or L1 =2.663 m and L2=2.91 1 m. According to these dimensions, the channels can be placed directly under the corner fittings of 40', 30', 20' or 10' standard ISO shipping containers. This placement has two advantages. The first is that standard shipping containers are built to support their weight at their corner fittings. By placing the channels under the corner fittings, the transportation unit can be based on a standard ISO container while minimizing any bending during transport. The second is that this placement allows one to place the rails on the transportation vehicles at the location of the existing corner pins. The corner pins can therefore be arranged inside the rails which will reduce the extra build height of the system as much as possible. In order to facilitate a vertical securing of the first transportation unit according to the invention when it is placed on a rail, the inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels can be formed such that a cross section taken through the channels perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the channels comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being arranged above the second portion and the minimum distance between opposing inwardly facing surfaces of the channel in the first portion is greater than the minimum distance between opposing inwardly facing surfaces of the channel in the second portion. When the rails are

correspondingly formed with a portion that is thinner than the first portion and a portion that is wider than the second portion of the channels, then the channels are prevented from being lifted off the rails. This secures the channels on the rails in a vertical direction without the need for any active locking mechanisms . In one embodiment, this width reduction could be provided in that the inwardly facing surfaces of the channels could comprise at least one slit, slot or recess arranged for receiving a therewith cooperating protruding element of a locking mechanism on a rail of a transportation vehicle. In another embodiment, a flange, ridge or protrusion can be attached to one or both of the inwardly facing surfaces of the channels at a lower portion thereof to narrow the width of the channel. To compensate for possible misalignment between two transportation vehicles during the transfer procedure of the transportation unit according to the invention, the channels could be arranged such that they are wider in the centre than at the ends along their length direction. This will allow a slight misalignment of the two opposed rails on the two transportation vehicles while still allowing for a secure connection between the rails and the channel. In one embodiment, this could be provided by forming the channels with two parallel sides and mounting sliding pads at either end of the channel to narrow the channel at either end.

This will allow for an oblique angle, however in a limited extent, between the centre line of the transportation unit and the centre line of the transportation vehicle, which will in turn prevent the first transportation unit from getting stuck in case the pushing or dragging means which causes the transportation unit to slide on the rails of the transportation vehicles, are not working totally synchronously. It will also compensate in some extent for a slight angle between the rails on the two transportation vehicles, preventing the transportation unit from getting stuck if the rails on the transportation vehicles are not properly aligned, simply because the transportation unit will adjust itself as it slides onto the rails.

With the intent to enable handling of the first transportation unit using a container transfer vehicle as for example disclosed in applicants own patent applications WO 201 1/064621 and WO 2014/203024, the transportation unit could comprise two bottom side edges arranged along the bottom long sides of the transportation unit and that each of said two bottom side edges comprises two straight portions which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit and are arranged lower than the other parts of the bottom side edges of the transportation unit, said two straight portions being located near each end of the unit nearest to the first inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels, each of said straight portions being at least 40 cm long. The length of the straight portions should be greater than the distance between the centres of two adjacent wheels on the transfer vehicle which are supporting the edge portion of the transportation unit. In one embodiment, the two straight portions can be connected into one long straight portion. In another embodiment, more than two straight portions are arranged on each long bottom side edge.

In a preferred embodiment of the transportation unit according the invention, the transportation unit may comprises a standard ISO shipping container and a frame element, said frame element being fastened to the bottom of the standard ISO shipping container and said frame element comprising said first and second channels. In one embodiment, the transportation unit comprises a standard 40' shipping container, a standard 30' shipping container, a standard 20' shipping container or a standard 10' shipping container.

In another preferred embodiment of the transportation unit according to the invention, the transportation unit may comprise a tank or vessel for carrying liquids and a frame element, said frame element being attached to the bottom of the tank or vessel and said frame element comprising said first and second channels.

In a further preferred embodiment of the transportation unit according to the invention, the transportation unit may comprise a flatbed cargo transporting structure and a frame element said frame element being attached to the bottom of the flatbed and said frame element comprising said first and second channels.

To make the transportation unit according to the invention useable for all standard freight units, it may comprise a frame suited to be mounted to the bottom of a standard shipping container, -tank, -vessel or -flatbed, to transform said standard shipping container , -tank, -vessel or -flatbed into the transportation unit.

As will be made clearer from the detailed description, the channels and the sliding surfaces in the channels on the transportation unit are arranged to cooperate with rails and upwardly facing sliding surfaces of the rails on the transportation vehicles. It is therefore evident, that the distance between, and the location of said rails are adapted to make said cooperation possible. The invention also comprises a transportation vehicle comprising an upwards facing transportation surface suitable for transporting a transportation unit. The transportation vehicle is arranged such that the transportation surface comprises a first rail and a second rail, said first and second rails being arranged mutually parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transportation vehicle and arranged near either end of the transportation surface, each rail being in the form of an upwardly extending elongated ridge comprising a top surface arranged as an upwards facing sliding surface, a first sideways facing surface and a second sideways facing surface, said rails being arranged to cooperate with the channels and the sliding surfaces of the transportation unit described above. It should be noted that according to the current specification, the term rail should be understood as an elongated structure on which another object is supported in a slideable manner. The term should not be limited to a specific shape or material as such.

In one embodiment, the sliding surface of the rail is arranged above the other elements on the transportation surface of the transportation vehicle.

To improve guiding of the transportation unit during the transfer between two transportation vehicles, at least one of said sideways facing surfaces of the rails could be arranged as a guiding and sliding surface. This surface could be arranged to cooperate with one or more inwardly facing sliding and guiding surface of the channels.

In one embodiment, the rails can have a width of at least 124 mm. This will allow the rails to be placed over standard corner pins.

In one embodiment, to compensate for oblique angles and to compensate in some extent for a slight angle between the rails on of two transportation vehicles, preventing the transportation unit from getting stuck if the channel on the transportation unit and the rails on the two transportation vehicles are not properly aligned, the rails could be arranged such that they are thickest at the ends, and thinner at the middle along their longitudinal direction. The narrower part will compensate for oblique angles between the rails of the transportation vehicles, and further, the thicker ends provides for a more accurate final location on the transportation unit, subsequent to the sideways displacement of the transportation unit, simply because the transportation unit will adjust itself as it slides onto the rails.

To secure the transportation unit from being lifted upwards away from the rails, the rails can be arranged such that in a cross section taken

perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail there is a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being arranged above the second portion and the distance between the sideways facing surfaces of the rail in the first portion is greater than the distance between the sideways facing surfaces of the rail in the second portion and in that the transportation vehicle is arranged to cooperate with the channels of a transportation unit where the first portion of the cross section of the rail is wider than a lower portion of the cross section of the channels. In a preferred embodiment of the transportation vehicle according to the invention, the rails may comprise at least one vertical locking mechanism beneath the sliding surfaces, the edge of which is protruding horizontally outside the vertical plane bounding the sliding surface on the mutually averted side of the rails. The protruding part will form an edge which the narrower part of the channels in the first transportation unit can^'t pass, thus the locking mechanism will prevent vertical displacement of the transportation unit with respect to the transportation vehicle. In one embodiment, the protruding edges of the vertical locking mechanisms has a convex shape. This will enable a smoother cooperation between adjacent flanges on the transportation unit, when the transportation unit is pushed transversely, sliding on the sliding surfaces on the rails and in the bottom of the channels in the transportation unit.

In a further embodiment the vertical locking mechanism could be spring loaded. In another embodiment, the vertical locking mechanism is designed to cooperate with slits in the inwardly facing sides of the channels, or the narrower part of the channels in the transportation unit. This will secure the first transportation unit against unauthorized release and displacement in the vertical direction relative to the second transportation unit.

To prevent undesired sideways displacements of the transportation unit on the rails during transport of the transportation unit, the transportation vehicle, according to invention may comprise a transverse locking mechanism to lock a transportation unit arranged in position upon the transportation vehicle.

The combination of the vertical locking mechanism, the transverse locking mechanism and the interaction between the sideways facing surface of the rails and channels prevents unauthorized relative displacement of any kind and in any direction between the transportation unit and the transportation vehicle. In this way, the transportation unit, e.g. a container is held down on the transportation vehicle and prevented from being lifted up, shifted sideways or forwards and backwards with respect to the transportation vehicle.

In one embodiment, the transportation vehicle could comprises a frame fastened to a standard transportation vehicle, e.g. a railcar, a truck, a deck on a ship, a wheeled stand or platform, or a cargo platform for an airplane, said frame comprising said first and second rails and means for attachment to said standard transportation vehicle.

It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising/comprised of when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. For example, in the claims it is stated that the transportation unit comprises two channels. This should be interpreted as at least two channels and a transportation unit with for example three or four channels would still be encompassed within the scope of the claims.

In one embodiment, which could form the basis of a divisional application, a transportation system could be provided which comprises a transportation unit as mentioned in the introduction with a downwards facing sliding surface and a transportation vehicle comprising an upwards facing sliding surface suitable for transporting a transportation unit in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transportation vehicle and where the upwards facing sliding surface and the downwards facing sliding surface are arranged to be in contact with each other when the transportation unit is being transported and where the upwards facing transportation surface or the downwards facing transportation is formed of a plastic material and where the downwards facing sliding surface or the upwards facing sliding surface respectively is formed of a metal material. The combination of a plastic material and a metal material provides for a low coefficient of friction between the two surfaces with a low cost. The plastic material can be provided as plastic blocks which can be exchanged over time as they get worn. Prior art systems usually use wheels on rails or use metal against metal sliding surfaces. In one example embodiment, the plastic material could be PEHD. In one embodiment the plastic material could be PEHD 1000 or 500. In one embodiment the metal material could be manganese steel. Brief description of the drawings

In the following, the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to embodiments shown by the enclosed figures. It should be emphasized that the embodiments shown are used for example purposes only and should not be used to limit the scope of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a rear top perspective view of a first embodiment of a transportation unit arranged on a railcar, and a truck arranged beside the railcar, fig. 2 is a rear top perspective exploded view of figure 1 showing that the transportation unit comprises a standard ISO shipping container secured to a frame and that the railcar has a frame mounted on its transportation surface with rails for cooperating with the frame of the transportation unit, fig. 3 is a top view of fig. 1 and 2, where an alignment device on the truck is attached to the railcar nearest to the front end of the railcar, fig. 4 is a further exploded rear top perspective view of the embodiment shown in fig. 2, this figure showing the frame on the railcar, the load surface of the truck, with truck adapter units mounted on the truck, each unit having alignment device and dragging/pushing facilities for dragging/pushing the transportation unit in a transverse direction relative to the centre axis of the truck, fig. 5 is a perspective view obliquely from above, of the frame of the transportation unit shown in fig. 2, according to the invention suited to be attached to the bottom of a standard shipping container, fig. 6 shows the same as fig. 5, but seen obliquely from below, fig. 7 shows a top view of the embodiment shown in fig. 5, fig. 8 is a side view of the embodiment shown in fig. 5, fig. 9 is an end view of the embodiment shown in fig. 5, fig. 10 is a perspective detail view of a corner of the first embodiment of the frame shown in fig. 5, showing the corner pins used to lock a standard shipping container to the frame, fig. 1 1 is an oblique perspective top view of a standard 40' ISO shipping container attached to the frame shown in fig. 5 fig. 12 is an oblique perspective bottom view of fig. 1 1 , fig. 13 is a perspective detail bottom view of a corner of the frame shown in fig. 5, showing the channel with a downwardly facing sliding surface, and a lower portion of the channel having a reduced width compared to the rest of the channel, fig 14 is a perspective detail top-view of a corner of the frame shown in fig. 5, showing displaceable locking pins for securing the standard shipping container to the frame, fig. 15 is a perspective top view of a first embodiment of a frame suited for attachment to a standard transportation vehicle, vessel, deck etc, fig. 16 is a partial perspective top view of one end of the frame shown in fig. 15, showing a rail with an upwardly facing sliding surface, vertical locking unit to prevent vertical displacement of a transportation unit placed on the frame, and releasable transverse locking means to avoid unauthorized relative sideways displacements of a transportation unit placed on the frame, fig. 17 is a perspective detail top view of the first, spring loaded vertical locking unit, where a top portion of the rail and the sliding surface are hidden, fig. 18 is a perspective detail top view of the first, spring loaded vertical locking unit shown in fig. 17 with an extra plate removed to show the internal details of the mechanism, fig. 19 is a perspective view of the frame of the transportation unit, the frame of the railcar and the two truck adapter units attached to a truck, said units showing an alignment device for alignment of the rails of the frame on the railcar and the rails on the truck, and with a pull/push unit to pull/push the transportation unit, fig. 20 is a detail perspective view of the detail XX defined in fig. 19, showing the function of the alignment device, fig. 21 is a detail perspective view of the detail XXI defined in fig. 19, showing the rails of the truck and the rails of the railcar, prior to activating the alignment device, fig. 22 is a detail perspective view of the vertical locking mechanism and the transverse locking mechanism of the frame mounted on the railcar, fig. 23 is a detailed perspective view of figure 22 where a portion of the frame has been removed to show the transverse locking mechanism in more detail, fig. 24 is a perspective detail view of detail XXIV defined in fig. 19, showing a detail of a truck adapter unit comprising a rail comprising a sliding surface, also showing a support leg, an alignment device comprising a displaceable pin, a displaceable locking pin, for engagement into the transverse locking mechanism shown in fig. 22, and a pull/push mechanism, fig. 25 a-c schematically show the unique form of the rails/channels which prevent jamming when the rails/channels are misaligned, and fig. 26 a-b schematically shows how the alignment device is formed to allow pivoting motion between two sets of rails.

Detailed description of the embodiments Fig. 1 is a rear top perspective view of a first embodiment of a transportation unit 2 comprising a standard freight container 8 attached to a frame 24. Said transportation unit is arranged on a first transportation vehicle 4, in this embodiment a railcar 4. A second transportation vehicle 6, in this

embodiment is a truck 6, is arranged beside the railcar such that the transportation unit can be transferred to the truck and then further

transported by the truck. As it appears, the truck 6 is placed parallel with the railcar 4. The freight container 8 is in this embodiment a standard ISO 40' shipping container 8, defined by a length, a width and a height where the length is greater than the width and height. The corners of the freight container 8 comprise facilities 10 for receiving locking pins 12 (c.f. also fig. 2, fig. 3 and fig. 14) to secure the freight container 8 to the frame 2. In the current embodiment, the facilities for receiving locking pins are standard corner fittings as defined by ISO Standard 1 161 .

The truck 6, comprises a load surface 14 with two parallel and spaced apart rails 16 arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 18 (c.f. fig. 3) of the truck 6, said rails 16 comprising upwardly facing sliding surfaces 20. The longitudinal axis 18 of the truck 6 is parallel with the longitudinal axis 22 of the railcar 4 (c.f. fig. 3). The longitudinal axes of the truck and the railcar are aligned with the driving direction of the truck and railcar respectively.

Fig. 2 is a top rear perspective view, somewhat exploded, of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 of the transportation unit 2, embodied as a frame 24 upon which the standard freight container 8 is supposed to be secured using the facilities 10 and the locking pins 12, indicated in the corners of the frame 24.

Fig. 2 also shows the load surface 26 of the railcar 4, and the load surface 14 of the truck 6, as shown in fig. 1 , for transferring the transportation unit 2 with the container 8, in a transverse direction 28 to the longitudinal axis 18, 22 (c.f. fig. 3) of the truck and the railcar 4. The load surface 26 of the railcar 4 comprises parallel rails 30 arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 22 of the railroad wagon 4. The upper surfaces of the rails 30 comprise sliding surfaces 32. It should be understood, that the above embodiment of the transportation unit 2, is suited to be attached to standard freight units, e.g. a standard shipping container 8, which do not in advance comprise facilities to cooperate with the rails. However, in another embodiment of the transportation unit 2, the freight unit could comprise integrated facilities to cooperate with the rails 16, 16^' on the truck 6, the rails 30, 30^' on the railcar 4 or to cooperate with rails arranged on another transportation vehicle. For example, a custom shipping container could be provided where the integrated bottom surface of the shipping container was provided with integrated means for cooperating with rails.

Fig. 3 is a top view of fig. 1 and 2, showing the rails 16 with the sliding surfaces 20 on the rails 16 on the load surface 14 of the truck 6. Further is shown alignment means 34, 34^' on the truck 6 used to align the rails 16 on the truck 6 and the rails 30 on the load surface 26 of the railcar 4. In fig. 3, the alignment device 34^' on the front of the truck 6 is engaged with the railcar 4 while the rear alignment device 34' is not engaged with the railcar 4. This is just for illustration purposes, in an actual case, during the operation of transferring a transportation unit from the railcar to the truck both alignment devices would be engaged.

Furthermore, for illustration purposes, the alignment device on the outer rear corner of the truck has been extended for illustration purposes. In an actual situation, only the alignment devices on the side of the truck facing the railcar would be extended.

Fig 3 also shows drag/push devices 36, 36^' on the truck 6 for

transferring/dragging the transportation unit 2 in the transverse direction 28 to the two longitudinal axes 18, 22 from the railcar 4 to the load surface 14 on the truck 6. Fig. 4 is a further exploded top rear perspective view of the embodiment of the transportation unit 2 shown in fig. 1 and 2, the railcar 4, the load surface 26 of the railcar 4, the truck 6, and the load surface 14 of the truck 6. As can be seen from figure 4, a frame 1 10 is fastened to the load surface 26 of the railcar. The rails 30 are arranged on this frame 1 10. Openings (not shown) on the bottom surface of the frame 1 10 engage with standard locking pins 27 placed at the corners of the railcar. In this way, a standardly available railcar with standard means for mounting standard shipping containers via corner fittings can be converted to the current system just by adding the frame 1 10. No additional modifications need to be made to the railcar. However, in another embodiment, a railcar could be provided which was custom built with rails and locking mechanisms directly integrated into the construction of the railcar. Likewise, in the current embodiment, a rear and front truck adapter unit 15,15' are attached to a standardly available truck. In the current

embodiment, the truck chassis is of the kind known as a gooseneck chassis. However, the adapter units could also be attached to other forms of truck chassis, for example a straight chassis. Each truck adapter unit in the current embodiment is provided with an alignment device 34, 34^', a

dragging/pushing device 36, 36^' for dragging/pushing the transportation unit 2 in the transverse direction 28 relative to the longitudinal axis 18, 22 of the railcar 4 and the truck 6 as well as rails 16,16' with upwardly facing sliding surfaces 20,20'.

By providing such truck adapter units 15, minimum modifications need to be made to a standard truck to enable the truck to be used in the system according to this specification. If the truck should no longer need to be used together with the system of the current invention, then the truck adapter units can be removed thereby restoring the truck to its standard format. However, as with the railcar, it could also be imagined that a truck could be provided where the different mechanisms and functions required for the current system could be integrated directly into the structure of the truck.

As it also appears from fig. 4, the truck adapter units 15,15' comprises pivotably mounted, length adjustable stands or support legs 38, to be brought into contact with the ground surface 40, to support the rails 16 during the transfer of the transportation 2 unit from the railcar 4, to the truck 6. In figure 4, three of the support legs are folded down and one support leg is folded up for the sake of illustration. In an actual use situation, it would typically be the case that the support legs on the side of the truck facing the railcar would be folded down while the others would be folded up. It should be mentioned that in other embodiments of the system, it could be imagined that the support legs were not needed. As indicated in fig. 4, but shown in more detail in the following figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 1 1 , 12, 13 and 14 the transportation unit 2 comprises a channel 46, 46^' at each end, orientated transversely to the longitudinal axis 50 of the transportation unit 2, and in the current embodiment, the channels 46, 46^' are located in alignment with the facilities 10 for receiving locking pins 12 of the shipping container 8.

As it also is indicated in fig. 4, the frame 1 10 mounted on the railcar 4, comprises vertical locking mechanism 42 on each rail and transverse locking mechanisms 44 in each corner. Both locking mechanisms shall be disclosed in more detail later. It should be noted that the locking mechanisms on the railcar are all passive locking mechanisms with no requirements for power. Furthermore none of the mechanisms need to be manually operated. The truck adapter units on the other hand incorporate hydraulic actuators which power the different functions. In this way, the railcar does not have to be supplied with any power and all the power functions come from the truck which is equipped with power already due the presence of the engine. It is therefore relatively easy to add hydraulic power to the truck. Likewise, the transportation unit is also completely passive with no power requirements.

In the following the transportation unit 2 is described in more detail with reference to figures 5 to 14.

Figure 5 is a perspective view obliquely from above, of a first embodiment of a frame 24 of the transportation unit 2 shown in fig. 2, according to the invention. The frame 24 is adapted to be attached to the bottom of a standard ISO shipping container 8 by locking pins 12 (corner pins) to be introduced into the receiving facilities (corner fittings) 10 located in the corners of the standard freight unit, e.g. a standard shipping container 8.

The frame 24 of this embodiment comprises a first and a second mutual parallel, downwards facing open channel 46, 46^' arranged in the bottom of the first transportation unit 2, located (respectively) at the first end 48 and the second end 48^' of the frame 24. The channels are arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 50 of the frame 24. In this embodiment, the channels are U shaped in cross section with two side edges and a bottom edge.

The first and the second downwardly facing channel 46, 46^' each comprises at least one downwardly facing sliding surface 60, 60^' (fig. 13), said downwardly facing sliding surfaces 60, 60^' consisting in the shown

embodiment of mutually spaced plate shaped bars 62 on the downwardly facing side 64 of the channels 46, 46^', said sliding surfaces 60, 60^' being designed to cooperate with the upwards facing sliding surfaces 20, 20^', 32, 32^' on the rails 16, 16^', 30, 30^' on the load surfaces 14, 26 on the truck 6, and the railroad wagon 4. In the current embodiment, the plate shaped bars 62 on the sliding surface of the channels is chosen as a material which has a low coefficient of friction with sliding blocks placed on the sliding surface of the rails. In the shown embodiment of the frame 24, the first channel 46 has a first downwardly extending flange 52 (c.f. fig. 6, fig. 8, fig. 13 and fig. 14) and a second downwardly extending flange 54, and the second channel 46^' has a third downwardly extending flange 56 and a fourth downwardly extending flange 58.

The first downwardly extending flange 52 of the first downwardly facing channel 46 is located along the channel side closest to the second channel 46^', the third downwardly extending flange 56 of the second channel 46^' is located along the channel side closest to the first channel 46. The second downwardly extending flange 54 of the first channel 46 and the fourth downwardly extending flange 58 of the second channel 46^' are located on the distant side to the other channel, as it appears from fig. 6 and fig. 8, but more clearly from fig. 13 and fig. 14.

In the current embodiment, at both of the inwardly facing surfaces of the downwardly extending flanges 52, 54, 56, 58 in each of the respective channels 46, 46^' are arranged as a guiding and sliding surface. By inwardly facing surface is meant a surface which faces the centre of the channel.

It should be noted that in the current embodiment, the sides of the channels are formed as straight flanges which extend downwardly along the sides of the channels. These flanges contribute to providing strength to the channel. In other embodiments, it could be imagined that other structures are provided instead of flanges. For example a box beam or an I-beam could be arranged on either side of the channel. Or a simple flange could be arranged on one side of the channel and a more complex beam could be arranged on the other side of the channel. In effect, a beam is provided on either side of the channel and each beam has an inwardly facing surface. In the current embodiment, the distance between the inwardly facing surface of the first downwardly extending flange 52 and the inwardly facing surface of the third downwardly extending flange 56 is L1 and the distance between the inwardly facing surface of the second downwardly 54 extending flange and the inwardly facing surface of the fourth downwardly extending flange 58 is L2 as shown in figure 8.

In order to optimize strength and the total height of the system, the lengths L1 and L2 are chosen such that the channels are placed over the typical locations of the corner pins on a railroad wagon. Likewise the channels are placed underneath the typical location of the corner fittings of a standard shipping container. The distances are provided based on ISO Standard 668 (Shipping containers) and 1 161 (corner fittings). According to the standard, the distances between the centres of the corner fittings of standard ISO shipping containers are as follows:

40' container - 1 1 .985 m

30' container - 8.918 m

20' container - 5.853 m

10' container - 2.787 m

According to ISO standard 1 161 , the hole dimension on a corner fitting is 124mm and as such the distance L1 is chosen to be less than the following values.

40' container: 1 1 .985-.124=1 1 .861

30' container: 8.918 - .124=8.794

20' container: 5.853 - .124=5.729

10' container: 2.787 - .124=2.663

Likewise, the distance L2 is chosen to be greater than the following values. 40' container: 1 1 .985 + .124=12.109

30' container: 8.918 + .124=9.042

20' container: 5.853 + .124=5.977

10' container: 2.787 + .124=2.91 1

The frame 24 (or the transportation unit) will typically be designed to fit with either 10', 20', 30' or 40' containers. As such, the above distances should define four distance pairs and should not define 8 independent distances. Odd sized containers like 45' containers could also be used. In these cases, it could be imagined that the channels are defined according to the

dimensions of one of the standard containers as listed above. For example, it could be imagined that a 45' container could use the same channel dimensions as a 40' container thereby allowing the 45' container to be mounted on a transportation vehicle which is also able to transport a 40' container.

By choosing these dimensions, two benefits will be achieved. Firstly, the rail on the railroad wagon can be placed directly over the corner pins on the railroad wagon. This will minimize the total height of the system. Secondly, standard shipping containers are optimized in strength such that the loads on the container are transferred to the corner fittings. By placing the channel underneath the corner fittings, the frame itself does not have to be as strong since the container itself will bear most of the loads. As it appears in fig. 5, fig. 6, fig. 8 and more clearly in fig. 13 and fig. 14, the bottom of the frame 24 comprises two long bottom side edges. Near either end of the bottom side edges, is a straight portion 68. The purpose of these straight portions is to provide support for the container when being used on a transfer vehicle as described in applicants co-pending application WO

2014/203024 which is incorporated in this specification by reference. In such a transfer vehicle, means are provided for allowing the container to displace along its longitudinal axis. In the truck and railroad wagon as shown in the figures, rails are provided for allowing the transportation unit to be transferred in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the transportation unit. A transfer vehicle as disclosed in WO 2014/203024, has a similar system as disclosed on the truck to allow transverse transferring of a container from a railcar to the transfer vehicle. However, in addition, means are provided to release the connection between the channels and the rails and then allow the container to displace longitudinally on the transfer vehicle. In the embodiment of WO 2014/203024, the rails are lowered and the transportation unit is therefore also lowered until the transportation unit's side bottom edges come into contact with wheels arranged along the side edges of the transfer vehicle to support the bottom side edge of the transportation unit. The wheels are arranged with their axis of rotation perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit. The long bottom side edges of the transportation unit therefore need to be arranged such that they can be supported by the wheels. In general, it is necessary to have a straight edge portion which is lower than the other portions of the long bottom side edges and which has a length which is greater than the distance between the centres of two wheels. Furthermore, in order to balance the transportation unit as well as possible, it is best to have two such straight edge portions along each bottom side of the transportation unit, one located near each end of the transportation unit. It also appears from fig. 6 and 12, that the transportation unit 2 next to the straight edge portions 68, comprises third and fourth transverse channels 70, 72, parallel with the first and the second downwardly facing open channels 46, 46^', the facing sides of which comprises spaced protrusions 74 for cooperation with parts of the drag and push devices 36, 36^' of the truck 6 as will be described later. As it most clearly appears from fig. 13 and 14, the bottom 76 of the two mutual parallel, downwardly facing open channels 46, 46^' is narrower than the middle of said channels in a cross section perpendicular to the

longitudinal axis of the respective channel 46, 46^'. This is in the shown embodiment of the transportation unit 2 provided in that the lower edge of the first and second downwardly extending flanges 52, 56 have a protrusion flange 78 extending inwardly towards the centre of the channels 46, 46^', and further that the lower edge of the second and fourth downwardly extending flanges 54 and 58 over a portion has a protruding horizontal flange 66 protruding into the channels 46, 46^'. It should be stated, that the protrusion 78 does not necessarily need to extend along the whole channel sides 52, 56.

To secure a standard cargo unit, e.g. a standard shipping container 8 to the frame 24, the top surface of the frame, just above the channels 46, 46^' is provided with upwardly extending locking or corner pins 12, as it appears in fig. 7 but more clearly in fig. 10 which is a partial perspective view of a corner portion of the frame 24 and fig. 14 which is a partial perspective view of one end 48 of the frame 24. The locking pins 12 are located on the frame 24 to cooperate with the receiving facilities 10 on a standard freight unit, e.g. a freight container 8 (fig. 1 ff.), and the standard locking pins comprises a hole 80 to receive a locking mechanism 82.

The receiving facilities 10 (corner fittings) on the container comprise openings 84, 86, 88 in the averted sides relative to the container, as it appears in fig. 4, this means that the bottom of the receiving facilities 10 comprises an opening 88 for receiving the locking pin 12.

As it appears from fig. 10 and fig. 14, the frame 24 comprises a locking mechanism 82, which in the shown embodiment consists of a pin 90, the first end 92 of which is suited to be introduced into the hole 80 of the corner pin 12, and the second end 94 of which comprises an orthogonally extending plate shaped arm 96, the end of which comprises a cam 98 extending on the side facing away from the pin 90. As it also appears from fig. 1 , 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 1 1 , 12, 13, 14, and 19, the frame 24, comprises longitudinal flanges 100 extending from each corner of the frame. As it also appears, the flanges 100, have a short tapered portion 102 nearest to the corners of the first transportation unit 2, which comprises a first recess 104 located in alignment with the holes 80 in the locking pins 12, and a second recess 106, nearest to the ends 48, 48^' of the first

transportation unit 2 as a seat 106 for the cam 98 on the arm 96 of the locking mechanism 82. As it appears from fig. 14, the locking mechanism 82 is situated in a locked position, with the cam 98 located in the recess 106, nearest to the end 48. The adjacent sides of the arm 96 and the flange 100 will block the pin 90 from being displaced out of its position in the hole 80 in the locking pin 12.

The recesses 104 and 106 are cooperating with the locking mechanism 82, the pins 12 and the facilities 10 for receiving the pins on a standard freight unit/the standard freight container 8, as follows.

The locking mechanism 82 is released by turning the arm 96 upwards from the position where the cam 98 is located in the seat 106 to a vertical position wherein the arm 96 is located to pass the first take out 104 in the flange 100, and then retract the pin.

The container 8 is hereafter arranged in the frame 24, with the locking pins 12 introduced in the holes 88 in the corner fittings 10 in the container 8 for receiving the locking pins 12. Subsequently the pins 90 are introduced into the holes 86 in the corner fittings 10 and into the hole 80 in the locking pin 12, and the arm 96 with the cam 98 of the locking mechanisms 82 is turned sidewise, so the cam 98 is located in the second recess 106 in the flange 100, and the pin 90 is locked, and so the container will be locked to the frame 24. This is however just one mechanism for locking the container to the frame. In another embodiment, a standard twist lock could be used, or some other entirely different locking mechanism could be provided.

Fig. 15 is a perspective top view of a first embodiment of the frame 1 10 arranged on the load surface 26 of the first transportation vehicle 4. In this embodiment, the frame is suited for attachment to a standard railcar 4, as shown in fig. 1 , 2 and 3. The frame 1 10 has a substantially rectangular shape with a first end 1 12 and a second end 1 14, and with rails 30, 30^' at either end, extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis 1 16 of the frame 1 10. The upwards facing sides of the rails 30, 30^' comprise sliding surfaces 32, 32^'. Transverse locking mechanisms 44 are located at the corners 1 18, 120, 122, 124 of the frame 1 10. The transverse locking mechanisms 44 serve to block for undesired relative transverse displacements of the transportation unit 2 when the transportation unit is arranged on the frame 1 10.

In fig 16 is disclosed a more detailed perspective top view of one end of the frame 1 10 shown in fig. 15. The two ends of the frame are essentially identical and therefore only one side is described in detail.

The figure shows a rail 30 with an upwardly facing sliding surface 32, a spring loaded vertical locking unit 42 arranged to prevent vertical

displacement of a transportation unit when such a unit is arranged on the frame, and releasable transverse locking means 44 to avoid unauthorized sideways displacement of the transportation unit when such a unit is arranged on the frame. The two rails 30, 30^' are arranged mutually parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 1 15 of the frame 1 10. Each rail 30, 30^' has a top surface arranged as an upwardly facing sliding surface 32, 32^'. In the current embodiment, the sliding surface is arranged with a number of individual triangular sliding tiles screwed to the top surface of the rail. The tiles are made of a material which has a low coefficient of friction with the sliding surface of the channel of the transportation unit. The tiles can furthermore be exchanged when the tiles are worn. Likewise, dirt and other foreign

substances can be trapped in the spaces between the tiles. In the current version, the tiles are made from a plastic material. Furthermore, in the current embodiment, each rail 30, 30^' has a first sideways facing surface 1 16, 1 16^' and a second sideways facing surface 1 18, 1 18^'. In the current embodiment, the sideways facing surfaces 1 16,1 16', 1 18,1 18' are arranged as guiding and sliding surfaces which cooperate with the inwardly facing sides of the channels of the transportation unit to guide the transportation unit in the longitudinal direction.

In order to compensate for misalignment between the channel and the rail, the rail is not as wide as the channel. This allows for a certain amount of misalignment without causing a jam. As it appears in the embodiment shown in fig. 16, the first sideways facing surfaces 1 16, 1 16^' are arranged with extra sliding blocks 120, 120^' at the ends of the rails 30, 30^' and are arranged to cooperate with the second 54 downwardly extending flange and the fourth downwardly extending flange 58 of the channels 46, 46^'. Likewise, the second sideways facing surface 1 18,1 18' are also arranged with sliding blocks which cooperate with the first and third 52,56 downwardly extending flanges of the channels. Sliding blocks are also arranged on the second sideways facing surface at either end of the rail.

The presence of these sliding blocks results in, that the rails 30, 30^' along their longitudinal direction are thickest at the ends, and thinner at the middle. This enables a certain compensation for oblique angles and to compensate to some extent for a slight angle between the channels on the transportation unit and the rails during the transfer, thereby preventing the transportation unit 2 from getting stuck, if the channels 46, 46^' on the first transportation unit 2 and the rails 30, 30^' on the first transportation vehicle 4 and/or the rails 16, 16^' on the second transport vehicle 6 (the truck) are not properly aligned, or if the drag/push system 36, 36^' does not work totally synchronously.

At the beginning of the transfer one end of the channel will be in contact with one end of the rail. At this time, the channel is able to pivot slightly without jamming on the rail. At the end of the transfer, the channel will be in contact with both ends of the rail, and therefore also the sliding blocks at each end of the rail will be in contact with the sides of the channel. This ensures for a more accurate final location of the first transportation unit 2 on the load surfaces 26, 14. In another embodiment, it could be imagined that the sliding blocks were arranged on the inside surface of the channels such that the channels were narrower at their ends than at the centre. This is schematically illustrated in figures 25 a-c.

As it appears from the embodiment shown in fig. 16, the first sideways facing surfaces 1 16, 1 16^' have a slit 122, 122^', and the second sideways facing surfaces 1 18, 1 18^' have a slit 123, 123^'. The slits 122, 122^', 123, 123^' are located in the centre of the rail below the sliding surface 32, 32^'. As it also appears, a portion 136,136^' of the spring loaded vertical locking mechanisms 42, 42^' protrudes through the slits outside the vertical planes bounding the rails 30, 30^', which shall be described in more detail below.

An embodiment of the spring loaded, vertical locking mechanism is disclosed in more detail in figures 17 and 18. The spring loaded vertical locking mechanism 42 comprises horizontally displaceable spring loaded locking plates 130, 130^', guided and retained between an upper and a lower guide plate 132, 134 secured to the rails 30, 30^'. The locking plates 130, 130^' have a first end 138, 138^' which is pivotally attached to the guide plates 132, 134. Each of the second ends 140, 140^' of the locking plates 130, 130^' is connected to a spring 142, 142^' which presses the respective locking plates 130, 130^' in the direction of the slits 122, 122^', 123, 123^' in the first and the second sideways facing surfaces 1 16, 1 16^', 1 18, 1 18^'. The locking plates comprises in the second ends a portion extending behind the bounding of the slits 122, 122^', 123, 123^' which by the springs 142, 142^' is brought into abutment of the sideways facing surfaces 1 16, 1 16^', 1 18, 1 18^' in the locking plates active position, and limits the extent of the protruding portions 136, 136^'.

The vertical locking means 42, 42^' cooperates with the horizontal flange 66 on the lower edge of second and the fourth downwardly extending flange 54, 58 in the channels 46, 46^' of the transportation unit, as the protruding portions 136, 136^', in case of a relative vertical directed displacement between the transportation unit 2, and the rails 30, 30^', will come into contact with the horizontal flanges 66, and therefore stop the vertical displacement.

The spring loaded guide plates also stabilize the position of the transportation unit in the longitudinal direction of the transportation unit during travel.

As it also appears from fig. 16, the frame 1 10 comprises releasable transverse locking mechanisms 44 which serve to block undesired relative transverse displacement of the transportation unit relative to the frame. The transverse releasable locking mechanisms 44 are disclosed in more detail in fig. 22 and fig. 23. As it appears from fig. 15 and fig. 16, the locking mechanisms 44 are located in a portion 150 on the outside long sides 152 of the frame 1 10, close to the adjacent sides 1 18, 1 18^' of the rails 30, 30^'. Each of the locking mechanisms 44, comprises a pivotal locking member 154 pivotally mounted in the portion 150 by a shaft 156. The pivotal locking member 154 comprises a first end 158 and a second end 160. The pivotal locking member 154 is in the figures 15, 16, 22 and 23 shown in its active position, wherein the first end 158 is positioned in a level above the top surface 162 of the frame 1 10. The first end 158 is held in this position thanks to a counter weight portion 164 on the second end 160, the weight of which will cause a torque on the pivotal locking member 154 to push the first end in upwards direction, thus the first ends 158 of the pivotal locking members 154 of the locking means 44, will normally be situated in the active position. The portion 150 comprises an upper wall 166 which limits how much the first end 158 can extend above the top surface 162 of the frame. The first end 158 has a surface 168 facing the longitudinal centre line 1 15 of the frame 1 10. The surfaces 168 serve as the contact surface to the outside of the transportation unit 2, and the distance between two opposing surfaces 168 of pivotal locking members 154 located near the same rail 30, 30^' corresponds at least to the outside width of the transportation unit 2.

As it appears in fig. 22 the outwardly facing wall 170 of the portion 150, comprises two openings, a narrow opening 172 closest to the shaft 156, and a larger opening 174 between the narrow opening 172 and second sideways facing surfaces 1 18, 1 18^' of the rails 30, 30^'.

As it appears from fig. 23 (where the side wall 170 has been removed for illustration purposes), the pivotal locking member 154 comprises a narrow portion 176, between the first end 158 and the counter weight portion 164 in the second end 160, said narrow portion having a downwards facing straight edge 178, and an upwards facing straight edge 180 having an upwardly extending portion 182 cooperating with a slit 184 in the bottom of the rails 30, 30^', the purpose of this shall be explained later. Between the narrow portion 176 and the portion 164 in the second end 160 is located a small downwards extending rectangular portion 186. The narrow portion 176 of the locking pin 154 is located adjacent to the larger opening 170 in the outwardly facing wall 170 of the portion 150, and the small downwards extending rectangular portion 186 is located next to the narrow opening 172, as it appears from fig. 22.

In fig. 24 is disclosed a partial detail view of an embodiment of a truck adapter unit 15 comprising an alignment device 34 and a drag/push device 36. The alignment device 34 is in the shown embodiment supported by a pivotally mounted, length adjustable support leg 38 supported on the ground surface 40.

The alignment device 34 comprises a sensor cooperating with the narrow opening 172 in the outwardly facing wall 170 of the portion 150, and the small downwards extending rectangular portion 186 of the pivotal locking member 154. The sensor's registration of the presence of the rectangular portion 186 in the narrow opening 172 indicates that the rails 30, 30^' on the load surface 26 of the first transport vehicle 4 are in alignment with the rails 16, 16^' on the second transport vehicle 6 and that the transverse locking mechanism is in its locked position.

The alignment device 34,34' comprises a horizontally displaceable bar 200 slideably located inside the rails 16,16' of the truck. The displaceable bar is displaced by an actuator (not shown). The free end 202 of the bar 200 is formed as a truncated pyramid, and is suited to be introduced into an opening 204 formed in the rail of the railcar. The opening 204 is bounded by the first sideways facing surfaces 1 16, 1 16^', the second sideways facing surfaces 1 18, 1 18^', the bottom 183 of the rail and the downwards facing side 206 of the top surface of the rail 30 (c.f. fig. 22 and 23). In fig. 20, the bar 200 has been introduced into the opening 204 in the rail. The bottom side 207 of the bar 200 facing the bottom 183 of the rail 30 with the slit 184, comprises an opening (not shown) formed to cooperate with the locking portion 182 on the pivotal locking member 154. When the bar 200 is sufficiently introduced into the channel 204 (shown in figure 20), the opening in the bottom of the bar and the slit 184 in the bottom side of the rail 30 will be aligned, and the rails 16, 16^' are now aligned with the rails 30. A recess 216 in the top surface of the bar 200 allows the two rails to pivot slightly with respect to each other about an axis which is coplanar with the plane of the rails and perpendicular to the rails. This is schematically illustrated in more detail in figure 26.

The alignment device 34, 34^' also comprises a second actuator (not shown) and a second displaceable rod 210 for unlocking the transverse releasable locking means 44.

The second displaceable rod 210 has a straight downwards facing edge 212, and a tapered end 214, which is designed to cooperate with the downwards facing straight edge 178 of the narrow portion 176 of the pivotal locking member 154. The second displaceable rod 210 is designed to be introduced through the larger opening 174 in the outwardly facing wall 170 of the portion 150. Pushing the rod 210 into the opening 174 will result in the tapered end 214 engaging the narrow portion 176 of the pivotal locking member 154, causing an initial pivotal movement of the locking member 154 which will displace the upwardly extending locking portion 182 at the second end of the of the pivotal locking member 154, into the aligned opening in the bottom of the bar 200 and the slit 184 in the bottom side 183 of the rail 30, thereby locking the horizontally displaceable bar 200 in the introduced position in the channel 204.

The sensor of the alignment device 34 is able to register that the bar 200 is in alignnnent with the rails 30, 30^'. Furthermore it is also able to register that the locking bar 200 is locked in the channel 204 by the member 182 because the turning of the pivotal locking member 154 also results in the small

downwards extending rectangular portion 186 located next to the narrow opening 172 being displaced away from the narrow opening 172. A control unit in the alignment device will subsequently allow the drag/push devices 36, 36^' to be activated, and the transfer procedure can proceed.

The drag/push devices 36, 36^' on the truck 6, comprise in the embodiment shown in fig. 24, a displaceable drag/push pole 230, in the following named displaceable pole 230, displaced by an actuator 232 in an outwardly and inwardly cycling movement, parallel to the rails 16, 30. The free end 234 of the pole 230 comprises a gripper head 236 with a pivotal arranged gripper mechanism 238. The gripper head 236 is designed to be introduced into the third transverse channel 70 or the fourth transverse channel 72 in the first transportation unit 2, and engage with the protrusions 74 therein.

The gripper mechanism 238 is first rotated to a position as shown in figure 24. The gripper mechanism is then inserted into the channel and then rotated about an axis perpendicular to the load surface such that the gripper mechanism is arranged perpendicular to the displaceable pole. This effectively increases the width of the gripper mechanism which can therefore engage with the protrusions 74 on the inside surfaces of the channels 70,74. The gripper head 236 can then be retracted an amount at least

corresponding to the space between to two adjacent protrusions 74. This will cause the transportation unit 2 to be displaced in a transverse direction to the longitudinal axis 22 of the transportation unit towards the truck 6, sliding on the sliding surfaces 32, 32^' on the rails 30, 30^' on the railcar 4, and on the sliding surfaces 16, 16^' on the rails 14 of the truck 6. The gripper mechanism can then be rotated again making is less wide. The arm can then push the gripper head 236 forward, pivoting the gripper mechanism again, and engaging the subsequent protrusions 74 in the third transverse channel 70 and the fourth transverse channel 72 of the transportation unit 2. This cycle will be repeated until the transportation unit 2 is transferred completely from the railcar 4 to the truck 6. Likewise, reversing the procedure and arranging the gripper mechanism on the opposite sides of the protrusions 74, the transportation unit can be pushed over from the truck towards the railcar.

After the transportation unit has been transferred from the railcar to the truck the second displaceable rod 210 is retracted from the transverse locking mechanism, releasing the bar 200 and allowing it to be retracted. At the same time as the bar is released, the pivotable locking member 154 is also allowed to pivot back into its transverse locking position. In case that the transportation unit has not been transferred fully, it will not be possible for the pivotable locking member to be pivoted back into its locking position, as the transportation unit will be arranged on top of the member. Hence, it will also not be possible to retract the bar 200. This is an extra safety precaution.

Finally the pivotally mounted, length adjustable support legs 38 are retracted from the ground surface 40, and folded up, and further transport of the transportation unit 2, now loaded on the truck 6, can be performed.

Figure 25 schematically shows details of the unique form of the rails 300 and channels 301 and how the form helps with aligning the transportation unit on the rails. In figures 25a-c, the rectangular bar illustrates a rectangular rail 300 on the truck or the railcar and the curved outline represents the inner walls of a channel 301 in the bottom surface of the transportation unit. As can be seen in figure 25a, the rail is arranged straight and the channel is attempting to slide onto the rail at an angle. This is possible due to the wider centre portion 302 of the channel. As the channel slides onto the rail, the channel is straightened up by the narrower portions of the channel, see figure 25b. Finally when the channel is fully placed on the rail, see figure 25c, the channel is fully aligned with the rail and the channel is held firmly on the rail via the narrow end portions 303 of the channel. In this way, during the sliding, slight misalignments are permitted, but once the channel is fully on the rail, it is held firmly in position.

Forming a channel having a curved inner surface can be complicated and/or expensive. A cheaper and simpler way of doing this is to have a channel with straight inner sides 304 and then place rectangular sliding blocks 305 at either end of the channel. This will have a similar effect. By chamfering or rounding the end edges of the sliding blocks and/or by chamfering or rounding the ends of the rail, the rails will not jam into the edges of the sliding blocks.

In the actual embodiment shown in the figures 1 -24, the situation is opposite to the illustration in figures 25 a-c and the channel has straight sides and the rail has thicker end portions via sliding blocks placed at the ends of the rail and a narrower centre portion. The effect is however the same as with the illustrated channel having narrower ends and a wide centre portion. Figure 26 schematically shows how the alignment device is arranged to ensure a vertical alignment of the ends of the rails, while still allowing the rails to pivot slightly with respect to each other about an axis which is coplanar with the rails and perpendicular to the rails. The alignment device comprises a bar 400 which is slideably arranged in the rail 401 on the first vehicle (for example the truck). The bar is firmly arranged in the rail on the first vehicle such that it can only displace linearly along the axis of the rail. The bar is then extended such that it enters an opening 402 on the rail 403 on the second vehicle (for example the railcar). The opening is sized such that the bar is essentially locked in the opening in the vertical direction. The two rails are therefore locked together in the vertical direction and when one vehicle raises or lowers the end of its rail, the other vehicle is forced to follow.

The bar is however provided with a recess 404 in the top surface and the tip 405 of the bar is tapered. This allows the rails to pivot with respect to each other as is shown by figure 26b. This allows the two vehicles to move more naturally with respect to each other during the transfer of the container, without risking that the transportation unit jams on the rails. It is to be noted that the above description has not described each individual technical feature. Many of the specific mechanical details have not been described since the person skilled in the art should be familiar with these details and they would just unnecessarily complicate this description. For example none of the hydraulic system details have been disclosed, but these should be easily implemented by the person skilled in the art of hydraulic systems.

List of reference numerals:

2 transportation unit

4 first transportation vehicle (railcar)

6 second transportation vehicle (truck)

8 standard freight container

10 facilities in 8 for receiving locking pins

12 locking pins

14 load surface of 6

15,15' truck adapter units

16, 16^' parallel rails on 14

18 longitudinal axis of 6 the second transportation vehicle (Truck)

20, 20^' sliding surfaces on 16

22 longitudinal axis of the first transportation vehicle (railroad

wagon) 24 frame of 2

26 load surface of the railroad wagon 4

27 Locking pins on load surface of the railroad wagon 4

28 transverse direction of 18 and 22

30, 30^' rails on the first load surface of the first transportation vehicle 4

(railroad wagon)

32, 32^' sliding surfaces on 30

34, 34^' alignment device on the second transportation vehicle 6

36, 36^' drag/push devices

38 pivotally mounted, length adjustable support legs

40 ground surface

42 vertical locking mechanism on 26 (vertical locking mechanism)

44 transverse locking mechanisms (blocking for unauthorized

relative transverse displacement between the first transportation unit 2 and the load surface on first transport vehicle unit 26)

The transportation unit 2:

46 first downwardly facing open channel in 2

46^' second downwardly facing open channel in 2

48 first end of the first transportation unit 2

48^' second end of the first transportation unit 2

50 longitudinal axis of the first transportation unit 2

52 first downwardly extending flange

54 second downwardly extending flange

56 third downwardly extending flange

58 fourth downwardly extending flange

60 downwardly facing sliding surface in the first downwardly facing channel 46 in 2

60^' downwardly facing sliding surface in the second downwardly facing channel 46^' in 2 62 mutually spaced plate shaped bars of 60 and 60^'

64 downwardly facing side of 46, 46^'

66 horizontal flange on the lower edge of second and the fourth downwardly extending flange 54, 58

68 straight edge portion of the bottom long side edge of the

transportation unit 2

70 third transverse channel in 2

72 fourth transverse channel in 2

74 protrusions on the adjacent sides of 70 and 72

76 bottom of 46 and 48^'

78 protrusion of 68 on 52 and 56

80 hole in locking pin 12 on the first transportation unit 2

82 Locking mechanism

84 endwise opening in 10

86 sidewise opening in 10

88 upwardly or downwardly facing opening in 10

90 pin

92 first end of 90, to be introduced in the hole 80 in 12

94 second end of 90

96 orthogonally extending plate shaped arm from 94

98 cam in the end of 94, extending on the avert

100 longitudinal extending flanges on 2

102 short tapered portion on 100

104 first recess in 100 located in alignment with the holes 80 in the pins 12

106 second recess (seat for 98) nearest to the ends 48, 48^'

Frame 1 10 on first transportation vehicle:

1 10 frame

1 12 first end of 1 10

1 14 second end of 1 10 1 15 Longitudinal axis of 1 10

1 16, 1 16^' first sideways facing surfaces of 30, 30^'

1 18, 1 18^' second sideways facing surfaces of 30, 30^'

120 guiding and sliding surfaces at the ends of 1 16, 1 16^'

The vertical locking mechanism:

130, 130^' horizontally displaceable spring loaded locking plate of 42

132 upper guide plate for 130, 130^'

134 lower guide plate for 130, 130^'

136, 136^' protruding portion outside the slits 122, 123 of 130, 130^'

138, 138^' first ends of 130

140, 140^' second ends of 130

142, 142^' springs anchored to the first sideways and the second sideways facing sides 1 16, 1 16^', 1 18, 1 18^' of the rails 30, 30^'

The transverse locking mechanism:

150 portion on the outside 152 of the frame 1 10

152 portion along outside of the frame 1 10

154 pivotal locking member

156 shaft for 154

158 first end of 154

160 second end of 154

162 top surface of the frame 1 10

164 portion (lower) of the second end 160

166 upper wall of the portion 150

168 surface on the first end 158 facing 1 15

170 outwardly facing wall of the portion 150

172 narrow opening in 170

174 larger opening in 170

76 narrow portion of 54

178 downwards facing straight edge of 176 180 upwards facing straight edge of 176

182 upwardly extending portion of 164

184 slit in the bottom of the rails 30, 30^'

183 bottom of the rail 30, 30^'

186 small downwards extending rectangular portion

The alignment device:

200 horizontally displaceable bar

202 free truncated end of 200

204 opening bounded by 1 16, 1 18, 183, 206

206 bottom side of sliding surface of the rail 30

207 bottom side of the bar 200

208 opening in the bottom of the bar, cooperating with the slit 184, and the upwardly extending portion 182 of 180

210 second displaceable rod

212 downwards facing edge on 210

214 tapered end on 210

216 recessed portion on top surface of bar 200 The drag/push device 36, 36^':

230 displaceable drag/push pole

232 actuator for 230

234 free end of the drag/push pole 230

236 gripper head on 230

238 gripper mechanism in 203

240 gripper arm in 203

Claims

1 . A transportation unit suitable for transporting cargo, said transportation unit being enclosed within a virtual rectangular box defined by a length, a width and a height where the length is greater than the width and height and the length is greater than 2.5 m, said transportation unit comprising a first and a second downwardly facing open channel, each channel having a downwards facing U shaped cross section with a downwardly facing surface and first and second inwardly facing side surfaces arranged on either side of the downwardly facing surface, said channels being arranged in the bottom of the transportation unit, being arranged mutually parallel, being located near the first end and the second end respectively of the transportation unit, and being arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit, said first and second channels comprising a first downwardly extending beam arranged on one side of the channel and defining the first inwardly facing surface of the channel and a second downwardly extending beam arranged on the other side of the channel and defining the second inwardly facing surface of the channel, said first inwardly facing surface of said first channel being located along the side of the first channel closest to the second channel, the first inwardly facing surface of the second channel being located along the side of the second channel side closest to the first channel, the second inwardly facing surface of the first channel and the second inwardly facing surface of the second channel being located on the side of the first and second channel respectively which is opposite the first inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels, and where said downwardly facing surfaces of said first and second channels are each arranged as a sliding surface. 2. A transportation unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that at least the first inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels and/or the second inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels are arranged as guiding and sliding surfaces.

A transportation unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the maximum distance measured along a vector parallel to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit between the first inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels is less than L1 , in that the minimum distance measured along a vector parallel to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit between the second inwardly facing surfaces is greater than L2 and in that L1 and L2 are chosen from the following four length pairs L1 =1 1 .861 m and L2=12.109 m or L1 =8.794 m and

L2=9.042 m or L1 =5.729 m and L2=5.97 m or L1 =2.663 m and L2=2.91 1 m.

A transportation unit, according to any of the claims 1 -3, characterized in that the inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels are formed such that a cross section taken through the channels

perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the channels comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being arranged above the second portion and the distance between opposing inwardly facing surfaces of the channel in the first portion being greater than the distance between opposing inwardly facing surfaces of the channel in the second portion.

A transportation unit according to any of the claims 1 -4, characterized in that the channels along their length direction are wider in the centre than at the ends.

A transportation unit according to any of the claims 1 - 5, characterized in that said transportation unit comprises two bottom side edges arranged along the bottom long sides of the transportation unit and that each of said two bottom side edges comprises two straight portions which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit and are arranged lower than the other parts of the bottom side edges of the transportation unit, said two straight portions being located near each end of the unit nearest to the first inwardly facing surfaces of the first and second channels, each of said straight portions being at least 50 cm long.

7. A transportation unit according to any of the claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the transportation unit comprises a standard ISO shipping container and a frame element, said frame element being fastened to the bottom of the standard ISO shipping container and said frame element comprising said first and second channels.

8. A transportation vehicle comprising an upwards facing transportation surface, characterized in that said transportation surface comprises a first rail and a second rail, said first and second rails being arranged mutually parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transportation vehicle and arranged near either end of the transportation surface, each rail being in the form of an upwardly extending elongated ridge comprising a top surface arranged as an upwards facing sliding surface, a first sideways facing surface and a second sideways facing surface, said rails being arranged to cooperate with the channels and the sliding surfaces of the transportation unit according to any one of claims 1 -7.

9. A transportation vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that at least one of said sideways facing surfaces of the rails is arranged as a guiding and sliding surface.

10. A transportation vehicle according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the rails are greater than 124 mm wide.

1 1 .A transportation vehicle according to any of the claims 8-10

characterized in that the rails along their longitudinal direction are thickest at the ends, and thinner at the middle.

12. A transportation vehicle according to any of the claims 8 - 1 1

characterized in that the rails are arranged such that in a cross section taken perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail there is a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being arranged above the second portion and the distance between the sideways facing surfaces of the rail in the first portion is greater than the distance between the sideways facing surfaces of the rail in the second portion and in that the transportation vehicle is arranged to cooperate with the channels of a transportation unit according to claim 4 where the first portion of the cross section of the rail is wider than the second portion of the cross section of the channels.

13. A transportation vehicle, according to any of the claims 8-12,

characterized in, that said transportation vehicle comprises a frame fastened to a standard transportation vehicle, e.g. a railroad wagon, a truck, a deck on a ship, a wheeled stand or platform, or a cargo platform in an airplane, said frame comprising said first and second rails and means for attachment to said standard vehicle.