This is a simplified version of my above referenced Under-way Vehicle Transfer patent application now with a carrier for transferring of cargo containers between standing railway cars, trucks, docks and conveyors. The wheels 24 (see
The main object of this invention is to disperse the concentration of container handling from hub centers to shippers' and consignees' locations, greatly reducing wasting fuel and highway congestion by shipments going by rail directly to destinations, eliminating much wasted intermodal transfer and hauls to and from intermodal yards remote from destinations.
It is an object to provide an underreaching lift carrier to roll under a standing railway car or highway truck to transfer cargo containers or pallets between the railway car, trucks, docks or conveyors.
It is therefore an object to provide a fork-type lift vehicle that extends rollers or wheels under a railway car sill and a fork or platform over the sill to lift from or set down a cargo container or platform on the railway car.
It is an object to provide the transfer carrier with rotary ring casters with an outer horizontal ring with diametrical axle on which wheels on both sides of center rotate separately, those on one side of center being driven so the casters can be easily pivoted to steer. It is an object to turn and hold the swivel casters to steer all wheels in parallel or selectively those at one or either end held parallel to the vehicle while those at the opposite end are steerable. It is an object to provide parallel all wheel caster steering and with wheel axle axis intercepting the vertical swivel axis to steer in one position of the vehicle. It is an object to provide a low cost loader for existing containers.
It is an object to provide a loader that can be hauled on the railway car underneath the container to enable customers without a loader to borrow the loader from the railroad when receiving a container or needing a loader to load the container onto a railway car and return the loader to the railroad locally, i.e. without shipping the loader long distances.
It is an object to provide stations locally to add a transfer carrier under the container on a railway car to carry it to a customer to use it for transferring one or more containers at the customer's location.
It is a further object to provide the carrier as a robot or to be remotely controlled.
It is also an object to provide the carrier as a toy radio operated.
These, other and further objects should become evident to those skilled in the art by study of this specification taken with reference to the drawings wherein:
Referring to the drawings and in particular to
Spline cars 18 each have an exposed center sill 26 connecting platforms 28 for supporting ends of containers 20 at a height above sill 26 for a platform or forks 30 of the transfer vehicle 24 to reach between sill 26 and the bottom of a container whose ends are supported on holding devices 32 on platforms 28 of the car. Outer sides 34 of forks 30 guide (slip fit) between the inner facing faces 36 of platforms 28 to align a container on its berth on the car.
The transfer carrier 24 has a lower frame 38 supported on rollers or wheels 40 to roll on drive area 16 over track 14 and under car sill 26. Two wide diamond jacks 42, one on each end of the carrier 24, are connected between the lower frame 38 and the top fork platform 30. The jacks are connected to operate in unison by the screw shaft 43 driven by gear motor 44 to lift and lower platform forks 30 relative to frame 38 to lift or lower a container on the car and to lift wheels 40 to clear above the track for transport on the car to use by customers to transfer the containers. End rollers 45 on platforms 30 help guide the loader between platforms 28.
The carrier's wheels 40 are mounted in rings, casters 46, one supporting each corner of frame 38 to keep the height of frame 38 where it extends under the railway car 18 to be within the height (diameter) of the wheel 40. One or more wheels 40 are mounted to turn separately on each side of center on axle 48 run diametrically across ring 46 of each caster. An electric gearmotor 50 is connected to drive a wheel or wheels 40 on one side of the axle 48 and is supported by the ring so the caster can be powered and easily steered by turning the ring on its center axis. Each ring 46 is supported to turn on its axis in frame 38 between thrust bearings 52 between two horizontal plates 54 and 56 in aligned circular holes in which the caster ring swivels. Rings 46 each have an integral ring gear 60 on its circumference connected by gearing and shafting 62 to steer the casters in parallel. The shafting is in three sections in the run between the rings 46 at opposite ends of the carrier. A clutch 66 connects each end of the middle run to each end shaft to connect the shaft ends together for all wheel parallel steering and is disconnected for either end front end steering with remote controls and locking the opposite end steering casters in position with wheels 40 parallel to the vehicle.
The truck 22 is a tractor trailer with an open center sill 26 and end platforms 28 and locators 32 for the ends of containers 20 similar as on the railway car 18 and at the same height for transfer of the container.
The dock 23 has one or more recesses 70 sized for the carrier to enter to set a container across the facing sides of the recess. The dock end platforms have infloor conveyor runs 72 to carry the container to and from over the recesses and into a warehouse or factory.
The carrier can be run under a container on car 18 the jacks 42 being positioned to clear platform 28 over sill 26 and below the container. When the carrier is fully inserted jacks 42 are lowered (retracted) to lift wheels 40 up off driveway 16 to clear track 14 and clamp the loader on the car by lowering the jacks as far as possible. This can be done at a local railway yard before delivering the container to a customer on rail so when the car is spotted at the customer's location the carrier can be used by the customer to unload and reload the car.
After the customer receives the car over a driveway 16 they extend the carrier's jacks 42 (which were tightly retracted) to unlock the carrier from the car and lower its wheels 40 to driveway 16 and further extends the jacks to lift the container from the car's platform 28 up onto carrier's platform 30 and high enough to clear holding devices 32. The carrier with container thereon is driven or pulled straight out from the car and steered if necessary. It is moved into a recess 70 in the customer's dock 23 carrying the container over ends of the dock to set it down on the dock 23 or conveyor runs 72,
To load the container on the truck the carrier with container is moved straight out from car 18 (no steering needed) to leave room for truck 22 to drive parallel between the car and carrier and align with the carrier,
To load empty or reloaded containers on waiting cars 18 or trucks 22 the loader with a container 20 is moved all the way in to the sill 26 between platforms 20 on the vehicle. Next jacks 42 are retracted to set the container on the vehicle's locators 32. As the jacks are retracted further, wheels 40 are lifted clear from driveway 16. As the jacks are retracted more and tighten, the loader is clamped between the top and bottom of sill 26 and rests on end shelves 74 on the facing sides 36 of platforms 28 and keyed or pocketed thereon to hold alignment and provide secure support for the full width of the loader at both ends for travel on the car or truck. The container can be removed from the car or truck or added from above by other means without disturbing the carrier below. The loader preferably is removed from the car locally if owned by the railroad so as to avoid shipping it a long distance along with the container.
Similar parts are given the same reference number or a suffix added if modified.
Referring to
The loader need not be motorized (motor 50 omitted) but can be moved about, pushed and pulled by a tractor T,
The loader can be built for 20 ft or 40-53 ft existing containers or for larger containers which can go all the way by rail not limited by highway restrictions.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The transfer shuttle 100 with the transfer loader 24C is stopped when aligned with a car 18 with container for transfer. The transfer loader is sent off to straddle the car sill 26 and align with the container above. The air bags are inflated, lifting the container to clear the car, and the transfer loader is returned to the shuttle with the container which it sets on the shuttle when the air bags 90 are deflated, or left inflated for a short ride on the shuttle. The shuttle takes the loader and container to align a dock 23 where the loader with air bags 90 lifted is run off of the shuttle to carry the container over end platforms of dock 23 or across runs of a plate conveyor at the dock. The air bags are deflated to set the container down on the dock and the loader returned to the shuttle for its next job.
Having thus described a few embodiments of my invention, these are not intended as a limitation on the scope of my invention which is intended to be covered by the claims to be submitted for this invention to include variations, applications, and parts which would be apparent to those skilled in the art and those within the spirit and scope of this invention.
This invention is a continuation in part of my pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/536,298 filed Sep. 28, 2006, which claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/721,300 filed Sep. 28, 2005.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60721300 | Sep 2005 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11536298 | Sep 2006 | US |
Child | 11733789 | Apr 2007 | US |