Abstract:
This invention is a guided transport vehicle with berth with open side and bottom for a roadway vehicle to be driven along side on a station driveway and obliquely steered into the berth and lifted for transport on the transport vehicle and lowered to another station driveway and obliquely steered out from the berth. The guided vehicle can be a railway car in a train on a track or guideway flush with station driveways for the transfer vehicle. The transfer vehicle can be a bus, truck, motor home, or platform for holding containers or vehicles. This transfer vehicle has all wheel parallel steering and can shift to front wheel steering and can have either end the front. End rollers guide the transfer vehicle parallelly in and out of the berth and end lifts raise the vehicle for travel on the train above the track. The vehicle is controlled to accelerate to train speed and aligned before all wheels are turned together at an oblique angle to enter the berth.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 60/721,300 filed Sep. 28, 2005 which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
       [0002]     This invention is for transfer of a moving vehicle to and from another moving vehicle and is a further development from my U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,130,208 and 6,652,214 for loading and unloading trains nonstop.  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     My present invention transfers roadway vehicles to and from moving trains by steering and propelling the roadway vehicle parallel to the train to align at speed and steering all wheels to any desired oblique angle to enter a space for the vehicle under a transport car in the train running along a straight track along side a driveway which extends flush over the track to drive into or out from an open side and bottomless berth in the car.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     While it was proposed by J. A. Gunn in his U.S. Pat. No. 1,139,411 to provide a railway passenger transfer car to be guided by rail into a space under a passenger car moving in a train, at best, his work would result in a slow speed transfer and a weak design of the receptor car in the train. I propose the transfer car be replaced by a highway vehicle driven by an operator or radio controlled or programed to meet the receptor car anywhere convenient along a driveway flush with the railroad track wherever alignment at speed occurs along my transfer run. This makes high speed transfer practical. Further I propose the sill of the receptor car be kept low near its present location on centerline below the container or body of the transfer car for least loss of strength to the receptor car. I further propose an aisle past the berth for the transfer car and the lifting of its wheels off the roadway and track while in the receptor car except during transfer to the from the train. My system requires no track rail modifications. My system provides a much lower and safe center of gravity for the receptor car even when empty.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is an object to provide running transfer of a bus, truck, or other motor vehicle to drive into and out of an open berth in a railway car moving along a track embeded in a roadway.  
         [0006]     It is an object to provide a transfer vehicle which has all wheel parallel steering to be steered to transfer to or from the moving train along the transfer driveway.  
         [0007]     It is an object to carry the transfer vehicle on a railway car in a berth therefore that is only slightly larger than the vehicle and that can transfer to and from the berth while running parallel to the railway car.  
         [0008]     It is an object to transfer a steerable container to or from a moving vehicle by steering the container along a driveway to transfer it into or out from the vehicle.  
         [0009]     It is an object that the transfer car surround the railway carts sill on top, bottom and on one side.  
         [0010]     Also it is an object to engage the transfer vehicle with a stopped train before the train is moved to complete the transfer.  
         [0011]     It is an object to provide a transfer vehicle for fast transfer to and from a moving train anywhere along a station driveway in either direction of train movement.  
         [0012]     It is an object to provide a bus for this transfer that has driver controls at each end so it need not be turned around at the end stations and so it can be left on the train at the city end station especially where cars are operated in reverse in a subway.  
         [0013]     It is an object to transfer highway, vehicles, especially busses to and from moving vehicles running on a track embeded along a driveway to eliminate station platforms, train dwell time, and wheelchair handling between bus and train.  
         [0014]     It is an object to enable transfers along a long driveway run, wherever alignment at speed is reached, so alignment at speed need not be reached at only one particular point along the track but has a long tolerance distance along which transfers can be made anywhere by the driver.  
         [0015]     It is an object to support the transfer vehicle on the driveway for substantially all of the transfer and lift and lower it in horizontal position in its berth on the train. It is an object to lift the transfer vehicle or its wheels to clear the track and driveway except when lowered for transfer.  
         [0016]     It is an object to be able to recharge battery operated transfer vehicles from the train enroute.  
         [0017]     It is also an object to provide an action toy electric motor vehicle that can be radio controlled to load on and off a moving toy train. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     These other and further objects and features should become evident to those skilled in the art by study of this specification with reference to the drawings wherein:  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a transfer run with train traveling left to right on a railway track flush in a driveway with transfer vehicles (busses) on the driveway entering and leaving the train.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of a railway car with a transfer bus entering its berth (docking) therein, to larger scale.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a side elevation of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a side elevation like  FIG. 3  after the transfer bus is lifted and secured in the dock car.  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is a side elevation of the empty dock car.  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of the sill frame of the dock car.  
         [0025]      FIG. 7  is a sectional elevation on line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 2  at the start of transfer.  
         [0026]      FIG. 8  is that section after transfer is completed.  
         [0027]      FIG. 9  is a plan of all-wheel and either-end-front wheel steering on the transfer bus set for all wheel steering.  
         [0028]      FIG. 10  is a left end plan of this steering set for front end steering for this end.  
         [0029]      FIG. 11  is a plan view of the tie rod length change assembly and steering rack.  
         [0030]      FIG. 12  is a section on line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 9  to show the pin and slug shift steering link to larger scale.  
         [0031]      FIGS. 13 and 14  are sectional views of the steering front to rear connection sleeve of  FIGS. 9 and 12  taken respectively on lines  13 - 13  and  14 - 14  of  FIG. 12  to larger scale.  
         [0032]      FIGS. 15 and 16  are respectively a plan and side view of a vehicle hoist on the dock car without and with the roadway transfer vehicle.  
         [0033]      FIGS. 17, 18  and  19  are respectively plan, side, and end views of an end of the hoist lift for lifting and holding an end of the transfer vehicle.  
         [0034]      FIG. 20  is a perspective of a variation of the vehicle lift.  
         [0035]      FIGS. 21 and 22  are respectively plan and sectional elevation on line  22 - 22  of  FIG. 21  of a portion of the bus in the car showing the doors and floor alignments between the car and bus.  
         [0036]      FIG. 23  is a plan view of a depot car with center sill about to be entered by a transfer vehicle bus running along side at train speed.  
         [0037]      FIG. 24  is a side elevation of the transfer vehicle of  FIG. 23  aligned with the car for transfer.  
         [0038]      FIG. 25  is a sectional elevation on line  25 - 25  of  FIG. 23 .  
         [0039]      FIG. 26  is  FIG. 25  after transfer.  
         [0040]      FIG. 27  is an end view of the bus lowered for highway operation.  
         [0041]      FIG. 28  is a plan view of the lift mechanism on this bus to larger scale.  
         [0042]      FIG. 29  is a plan view of a variation of a position of the railway car with a narrow bus in its berth.  
         [0043]      FIG. 30  is a section on line  30 - 30  of  FIG. 29  to larger scale.  
         [0044]      FIGS. 31 and 32  are side and sectional view of  FIG. 31  of a bi-level passenger car with transfer vehicle, a bus, in its berth on the  
         [0045]      FIG. 33  is a side view of a variation of the railway car with container for transfer with an underrunning road vehicle not shown.  
         [0046]      FIG. 34  is a sectional elevation on line  34 - 34  of  FIG. 33  except with the road vehicle aligned along side of the railway car.  
         [0047]      FIG. 35  is a perspective of this railway car and the aligned chassis for transfer of a container to and from this car.  
         [0048]      FIG. 36  is a section on line  34 - 34  of  FIG. 33  to larger scale after transfer of a container to the car.  
         [0049]      FIG. 37  is a plan view of this transfer chassis.  
         [0050]      FIGS. 38 and 39  are time successive plan views of a radio controlled road vehicle chassis transferring a container to the railway receptor car. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0051]     Referring to the drawings and in particular to  FIGS. 1-3 , train  12  is shown at two locations a short time interval apart traveling to the right on track  14  imbedded flush for a transfer run, driveway  16 . Train  12  has a depot car  18  with a dock or berth  19  for a transfer vehicle, bus  20 . One bus  20  is shown leaving the car  18  at the right,  FIG. 1 , and another accelerating to align to drive in to the berth at the right. Berth  19  is open along the side and bottom of the car and extends about ¾ into the car for the bus to be driven in and out on driveway  16  as the train moves at a convenient speed for the bus driver. The driveway is paved flush with the top of the rails of track  14  for a distance along a straight stretch of track and has at least one traffic lane along the open berth side but preferably two lanes for the bus that leaves the berth to pass a bus operated to enter the berth as indicated by arrows,  FIG. 1 .  
         [0052]     The train can travel in either direction on track  14  without turning car  18  around and the bus can be either turned around or preferably have driver controls and steering at each end so the bus need not be turned around especially at a city terminal.  
         [0053]     The bus leaving the train can stop first at platform  22  before making a run distributing and picking up passengers for another train. The bus with passengers for the train would stop at the platform  22  to pickup passengers waiting for the train.  
         [0054]     After the bus is driven into berth  19  its wheels  24  are lifted to clear the track and driveway and is further lifted as needed for passengers to enter and leave the bus in the train,  FIG. 4 .  
         [0055]     The bus has doors  26  on tapered ends  27 . Car  18  has a narrow aisle  28  separated from berth  19  by wall  30  and widened at the ends with doors  32  aligning doors  26  to provide wide entrance and exit to the car from the bus. Bus door pannels,  FIG. 21 , have floor and ceiling wings  33  to keep the bus enclosed when the door pannels are turned out in the car parallel to the car side.  
         [0056]     Referring to  FIGS. 5-8 , car  18  has a sill  34  displaced from the centerline of the car to the aisle side of the berth to clear the berth area for the bus to be driven in and out on the driveway.  
         [0057]     Referring to  FIGS. 9-14 , the four wheels  24  of the transfer vehicle  20  preferably are connected to turn in parallel together for all wheel steering for the vehicle to enter and leave its berth parallel to the car and be steerable at either end as front for normal Ackerman highway driving. Each wheel  24  is on an axle steering plate  40  pivotally mounted at  41  to the vehicle suspension and driven by an electric motor  42  secured to the steering plate. Plates  40  at each (front) end (both ends are front) are connected by a tie rod assembly  43 . Plates to each have a steering transfer link  44  pivotally connected between pivot  41  and an end of the tie rod assembly  43 .  
         [0058]     Tie rod assembly  43  is two tie rods  43 R and  43 L pivotally connected at  47  to opposite ends of a shift lever link  48  to shorten for Ackerman steering. Link  48  is pivotally secured central at  49  to a steering shift plate  50  mounted to slide transversely on a track or rods in sleeves  51  fixed on the vehicle. Plate  50  has a gear rack  52  engaged by steering gear  53  on steering column  54 . Lever link  48  has an arm  56  extending up to shift it between opposite sides of stop pins  58  on plate  50  to select parallel wheel steering  FIG. 9  or Ackerman steering  FIGS. 10 and 11 . The outer ends of rods  43 R and  43 L are each connected to the outer end of a link  44  across each end steering wheels  24  to shift between stops  60  on plate  40  ie. between the positions in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . Each link  44  is pined in position to its plate in these positions only. Plates  40  each support a hydraulic cylinder  62  whose rod pins link  44  to its plate  40  and lifts its rod pin so the link  44  can be shifted to select parallel or Ackerman steering.  
         [0059]     Axle plates  40  at opposite ends of the vehicle are connected at pivots  59  by overlapping links bars  60  pivoted at  62  to compensate for swing of the pivots  41  and slip on each other and in sleeve  64  fixed to the vehicle frame. A segmented plunger  66  connects through a hole in sleeve  64  and in bars  60  from each end when wheels  24  are aligned parallel to the length of the vehicle. The plunger has a slug or plug  68  on each side of a pin keeper  70  to line up slip fit in the holes. Pin  70  is as long as two bars  60  are thick. Each slug is as long as one bar  60  is thick. The segmented plunger can shift its keeper pin  70  in the hole when aligned (wheels are parallel to the vehicle) to tie the two bars  60  (one from each end of the vehicle) together to slide as one in the sleeve to connect the rear and front wheels to turn parallel together for wheel steering. The plunger can be shifted when the keeper pin aligns holes in the sleeve and both bars  60  from opposite ends. Then keeper pin  70  can be shifted to connect the sleeve to the bar  60  connected to either end to lock those wheels parallel to the vehicle and insert a slug in the other bar  60  to free that bar to slide in the sleeve for front wheel steering. The ends of plunger  66  are connected by yoke  72  outside of sleeve  51  to be shifted by linkage or controls by the driver to select front steering at either end or all-wheel steering.  
         [0060]     Referring to  FIGS. 15-19 , dock car  18  has a hoisting mechanism  80  to lift the transfer vehicle, bus  20 , off driveway  16  to height for passengers to move between the car and bus. The bus has lift bumpers  82  secured to ends of its frame chassis  84 . Bumpers  82  engage between guide curb rollers secured to a lift bar  88  transverse at each end of the berth and spaced to guide ends of the bus parallel in and out of the berth and extend under and below bumpers  82  to clear for the bus to enter and leave the berth.  
         [0061]     Two jack screws  90  are secured to rotate each on a vertical axis spaced apart transversely at each end of the berth. Each screw  90  has a lift nut  98  pivotally connected two to a lift bar  88 . The lift screws  90  at both ends of the berth are connected by gearing and shafting  100  and driven by gear motor  102  to lift and lower the bus substantially level in the berth.  
         [0062]     Referring to  FIG. 20  for an alternative type of lift whereby end load spuuorts  88 B are connected by wire rope or chain  104  run for each end of each support  88 B up over pulleys or sprockets  106  and down to the rod end of cylinders  108  fastened to the vehicle. Cylinders  108  lift the load supports  88 B equally at each end of the berth. Safety stops  109  extend under supports  88 B to hold the load up until lifted for transfer. Tracks  110  guide upward extensions of supports  88 B.  
         [0063]     The bus  18  preferably can retract its wheels  24  up (kneel), as many busses do to kneel, but now to reduce or eliminate the lift requirement of hoist  80 .  
         [0064]     Referring to  FIGS. 21-22 , bus  18  has its end side doors  26  mounted in frame  27  hinged to the side of the bus to swing in to the angle of taper of the bus and and out to be flush with the side of the bus and train when thereon to streamline the train. Door frames  27  are limited in travel between stops and latch in end positions by latches controlled by the driver.  
       Operation  
       [0065]     To transfer the bus to the train from the right,  FIG. 1 , the bus is stopped at platform  22  facing to right parallel track  14 . The driver sets pins  58  endward and yoke central for all-wheel steering with wheels  24  parallel to track  14 . The driver drives forward turning all wheels  24  at a convenient angle to the lane next to track  14  and turns wheels  24  parallel to track  14  to wait for the train. When the train approaches the bus driver accelerates to align empty berth  19  at train speed. When aligned at train speed the driver turns wheels  24  toward the berth to enter, reducing the steering angle to parallel as the bus fully enters the berth. The driver retracts the bus wheels  24  and a train attendent operates hoist  80  secure and lift the bus up until the bus floor engages the bottom of the aisle floor. The lift bars interfit with the buses bumpers and frame to secure the bus from sliding out the open side of the car. The driver extends the outside and door frames  27  to the sides of the car where they latch and locks the controls. The driver and passengers can leave the bus for the train.  
         [0066]     To transfer the bus from the train, the bus with driver is loaded and doors  26  and  32  locked closed ahead of the transfer run. The bus is lowered on its hoist and its wheels started to turn at train speed and lowered to support the bus on driveway  16  at train speed. The driver turns all wheels  24  out together from the train at a convenient angle to steer the bus parallel out from the train. After the bus has cleared the train and reached the lane away from the track the driver turns all wheels parallel to the driveway, stops and shifts to front wheel steering by shifting pin  58  at the front back to connect rod  46  to sleeve  47  disconnecting rod  50  from sleeve  51 .  
       Variations  
       [0067]     Similar parts are given the same reference number with suffix added where modified.  
         [0068]     Referring to  FIGS. 23-28 , railway car  18 B has a center sill  34 C through the area for booth  19  to provide a lighter weight car relative to its compression strength than car  18 . Vehicle  20 BC, a bus or truck, has its body  20 B supported on a lift or hoist  80 C on its chassis  20 C. A jack screw  110  at each end of the chassis is connected by shafting  112  driven by reversable gear motor  102 C,  FIG. 24 , so the bus body can be lifted above its chassis to clear over the car sill to enter the bus body into the berth over end supports  88 B and enter the chassis below the sill while running on the driveway. When the bus body is aligned over its berth, chassis  20 C is retracted by the driver lowering hoist  80 C. This sets and secures the bus body on end supports  88 C in its berth, then lifts the busses road wheels  24  off of the driveway to support the bus in its berth on the train.  
         [0069]     Referring to  FIGS. 29 and 30 , narrow bus body  20 D is on one side of a low chassis to provide room for the sill  34 D of car  18 D to be above the bus chassis and along side of the bus body near the centerline along the car to strengthen the car for a given weight. This approximately ½ bus provides more aisle space on the car past berth  19  and room for seats along the aisle  28 .  
         [0070]     Referring to  FIGS. 31 and 32 , car  18 E has a second floor above bus  20  but needs the bus to be in berth  19 E to help stabilize the car when operated at high train speeds. A berth through the car is possible with end bus doors but is not preferred or necessary with good system planning.  
         [0071]     Referring to  FIGS. 33-39 , the body or load container  20 F of the bus or truck can be detached from the chassis so the chassis can be driven out from the berth after the container is set in and can be driven into a berth to set in a container. The container can be retrieved from the berth along a transfer driveway when another chassis  20 FC enters below it and lifts it to clear to drive out with it.  
         [0072]     This chassis is preferably radio controlled or programmed to follow the procedure shown in  FIGS. 38 and 39  by starting the chassis after a time inversely proportional to train speed when the train car&#39;s berth reaches point SP to accelerate at a controlled rate to align with the berth substantially at train speed. A light beam is extended from source  120  on the car to receiver  122  on the chassis to turn wheels  24  in parallel to steer the chassis parallel in under the berth and to control the speed of the chassis to that of the train and turn wheels  24  straight with the car when aligned in the berth by bumping a limit switch  124 . Next the hoist is retracted enough to set the container or bus body on end ledges  88 F in berth  19 . Then the chassis can be programmed to be removed from the car by turning wheels  24  still on the driveway out in parallel.  
         [0073]     Optionally the chassis can be lowered further after setting the container of the car to rest the chassis on sill  34 F, lifting wheels  24  off of the driveway to be hauled along under the car with the container thereabove to a similar driveway where the container is to be put off by lowering wheels  24  (raising the hoist) parallel to the car onto that driveway, lifting the container up to clear the sill and then turning wheels  24  out parallelly to steer the chassis with the container out from the car.  
         [0074]     Having thus described my invention with preferred embodiments I intend to cover by the claims all embodiments, variations, variations, applications, and parts which are with the true spirit end scope of this invention.