Patent ID: 6598538
Filing Date: 2003-07-29
Classification: B60F,B61F

Abstract:
For use with a road/rail vehicle, the vehicle convertible from a road mode for traveling on a road, to a rail mode for traveling on a set of rails, an apparatus for mounting a rail wheel to the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:an air bag; a source of pressurized fluid operatively connected to the air bag to supply pressurized fluid to the air bag such that the air bag bears against the rail wheel and against a vehicle frame such that the vehicle frame is supported on the rail wheel by the air bag and such that the vehicle frame can move up and down with respect to the rail wheel in response to motion of the vehicle along the set of rails; a control operative to release pressurized fluid from the air bag; an actuator operatively connected to the vehicle frame and to the rail wheel, the actuator operative to selectively move the rail wheel from a raised road mode position to a lowered rail mode position; a stop mechanism attached to the vehicle frame and to the rail wheel, the stop mechanism operative to allow the vehicle frame to move down with respect to the rail wheel only to a stopped position, wherein adjacent road wheels of the vehicle are above the rails in the stopped position; and wherein the stop mechanism is selectively operative to lock the rail wheel in the raised road mode position.