Patent EA-000591-B1 (EA)
Title: Improved intermodal vehicle for forming train of highway trailers
Inventor: WICKS HARRY
IPC: B61D3/12
Filed: 1998-02-04
Abstract: 1. An intermodal vehicle (10) for forming a train of highway trailers including leading and trailing highway trailers (12, 14) which are interconnected to each other and supported by the intermodal vehicle for travel upon railroad tracks (35), each of the highway trailers including a leading coupler socket assembly (22) at one end and a trailing coupler socket assembly (24) at the other end, each intermodal vehicle having two rail wheel assemblies (26, 28), lower frame means (30, 32) in which each of the two rail wheel assemblies are mounted, upper frame means (42) supported on the lower frame means, the upper frame means including leading and trailing load carrying structures (100); characterized by the provision of a continuous coupler tongue (150, 176) mounted on the upper frame means and extending above the leading and trailing load carrying structures, each end of the continuous coupler tongue capable of being received within coupler socket assemblies (22, 24) of associated highway trailers supported on associated load carrying structures to connect the associated trailer to the intermodal vehicle. 2. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in Claim 1 wherein the leading and trailing load carrying structures are mounted on the upper frame means for lateral movement, and further characterized by the provision of air operated actuator units (128) for laterally moving the load carrying structures from side to side. 3. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in Claim 1 wherein each of the coupler socket assemblies (22, 24) has vertically aligned spaced apart apertures, wherein each end of the continuous coupler tongue is provided with a vertically extending aperture (152.1), wherein leading and trailing vertically oriented coupler pins (192) are carried by the upper frame means, and wherein coupler pin lifting and lowering means (194) are provided to effect a coupling between one end of the coupler tongue and an associated trailer. 4. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in Claim 3 further characterized by the provision of a latch (222) for each coupler pin, wherein a mechanical latch operating assembly (230, 232) is provided for moving the latch either to a stop position under the coupler pin when the coupler pin is in its raised position to prevent the coupler pin from being accidentally lowered, or away from the coupler pin to a non-stopping position, and wherein an enabling mechanism (236) is provided, the enabling mechanism being engaged by the mechanical latch operating assembly when the latch is in its non-stopping position to enable the coupler pin lifting and lowering means to lower the coupler pin. 5. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in Claim 4 wherein the coupler pin letting and lowering means is a double acting air cylinder (194), and wherein the enabling means is a valve (236). 6. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in either Claim 1 or Claim 3 further characterized by the provision of a primary latch assembly (200) associated with each of the load carrying structures to initially hold the associated trailer in place while the coupler pin is being raised. 7. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in Claim 6 wherein the primary latch will "click" into place to supply an audible signal that the trailer is positioned properly. 8. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in any of Claims 1, 3, 4, 6, or 7 wherein the lower frame means includes a pair of steerable lower frame means, each being supported on a rail wheel assembly (26, 28), and wherein the upper frame means is supported on the pair of lower frame means for vertical movement; characterized by the provision of spring assemblies (52, 54), one pair of spring assemblies for each rail wheel of each rail wheel assembly, one spring assembly (52, 54) being positioned before each wheel and one being positioned after each wheel. 9. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in Claim 8 wherein each of the spring assemblies includes an air spring assembly. 10. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in either Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein the leading and trailing load carrying structures are mounted on the upper frame means for lateral movement, further characterized by the provision of air operated actuator units for laterally moving the load carrying structures from side to side, and further characterized by the provision of a gravity-operated center lock (136) for locking the load carrying structures in their centered position when the upper frame means is in its raised position. 11. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in either Claim 9 or Claim 10 wherein a plurality of struts (58, 60) are provided external to the air spring assemblies to guide the movement of the upper frame means relative to the lower frame means. 12. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in Claim 11 wherein steering dampers (62) are provided adjacent one end of the struts to act to restrain horizontal movement of the upper frame means relative to the lower frame means. 13. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in any one of the preceding Claims further characterized by the provision of a loading ramp (196) associated with each of the load carrying structures to facilitate the loading of a trailer onto the load carrying structure as the intermodal vehicle and the trailer are moved towards each other. 14. The intermodal vehicle for forming a train of highway trailers as set forth in any of the preceding Claims further characterized by the provision of a pair of spaced apart outboard supports (240) mounted to the sides of each of the leading and trailing load carrying structures, which supports can be manually adjusted to contact the underside of a trailer mounted on the associated load carrying structure.