Patent GB-1166109-A (GB)
Title: Container Routing, Storage and Transfer System
Inventor: BARRY LEONARD DODGE
IPC: B65G63/02
Filed: 1966-12-15
Abstract: 1,166,109. Transportation system for container transfer. L. D. BARRY. 14 March, 1968 [16 Dec., 1966], No. 56244/66, Heading B7L. [Also in Divisions B8 and F2] The Specification in general relates to transportation systems which include a first vehicleway upon which runs a train having at least one car for carrying a container, a second vehicle-way which extends for part of its length parallel to the first way along a transfer run, means for moving a container carrier along the second way at train speed, means for aligning and holding the container in alignment with the car or carrier along the transfer run, means for transferring said container between said car and said carrier, and means for controlling said transfer means to permit transfer only when the container is held in alignment. The specification describes a number of different embodiments of the invention which are individually abridged below. At a transfer depot passenger and freight containers 24p and 24f respectively are transferred between road vehicles 46, a train 16 and storage area SA by means of monorail carriers 20p and 20f. The rails 27 are of channel section having angle rails 28 secured thereto. At a switch a piston 43 is operated to pivot either rail section 34 or 35 into place, angles 36 locating the sections. In the area SA dollies are provided movable at right angle to the monorail track passing thereover. Rams 54 are used to transfer containers between the dollies and the monorail. The dollies comprise two sets of linked U-section platforms 60 each provided with two pairs of wheels. An electrically driven reversible cable connected between the dolly ends provides the drive. The piston 109 of a ram 108 mounted on a train car 26f locates the car with respect to a carrier 20f, Fig. 11, by being gripped between latches 112. Elevating means to move the containers 24f between the carriers and the cars each comprises four telescopic guides depending from the carriers, there being associated with each guide a pulley 120, Fig. 12, supporting a pair of ropes 132. The pulleys are driven by a motor 128 through gearing 129, 124, 123 and the ropes pass down outer guide members 114 to pulleys 134 at the lower end of inner guide members 115 before passing over pulleys 135 on the pistons of rams 136. A pin 140 between each pair of ropes engages hooks on the containers during lifting. Fig. 15 (not shown) illustrates electric circuitry associated with the elevating means. A container route on punched tape or card indicates the container journey with holes representing initial intermediate and final stations and the trains to be used between these stations. The tape or card may be inserted in a route reader, Figs. 18-20 (not shown) on the container for routing. At a way point zero on the track ahead of a station, Figs. 25, 26, (not shown), contact is made by shoes on the train to signal the train's approach, and at a first point to complete circuits to the containers waiting at the station, signal the number of the approaching train, and count the number of containers to be loaded. At the second point selection is made to determine which cars the carriers are to align with for transfer, and at points three to five reservation memory relays in these cars are set for signalling the loading requirements to these carriers. At point seven timing controls are started such that each carrier will be aligned with the particular car on the train for which it is reserved. At points 2 and 3 the number of car berths are counted and the number of reservations is limited to the number of carriers at the station. Circuits for carrying out the counting, loading and reserving procedures are illustrated in Figs. 26-37 (not shown). Carrier speed is controlled in dependence on the train speed by the circuitry illustrated in Fig. 38 (not shown). Alignment of the carrier with the car requires calculations to be made previously for various train speeds given a carrier acceleration of 2 miles per hour per sec. From graphs Figs. 39-43 (not shown), it can be calculated at what time the carriers should be made to move off from rest. Fine control of the alignment is made by having a light on a train car directed to a series of photo-cells on the carrier. As the light passes over the cells the carrier speed is varied to precisely that of the car. When cars and carriers are aligned physical coupling is established as shown in Fig. 11. In a modification of the transfer layout of Fig. 11, see Fig. 46, the carrier track ST dips where transfer is to take place and vertical coupling during transfer is by means of rod 109 gripped by latches 112. The transfer procedure varies for low and high speeds and the control circuit associated with such transfer is illustrated in Fig. 51 (not shown). Modified forms of latches and vertical coupling rams are illustrated in Figs. 53-59 (not shown). A passenger carrier 20p having a cab 920 runs on overhead rails ST and is used to transfer containers to and from 3-car articulated units 26p. Manually operated vertical couplings comprise pins depending from the carriers adapted to engage latches on the car roofs. The cars have a partition 924 separating an aisle 925 from a container area, and roof openings 928. The carriers are open at the top 935 to enable transfer therefrom by an elevator 938 in a station or building. Fig. 69 illustrates a car mounted elevator for transfer of containers between a car and a carrier. Vertical guides 1000 which extend below the car floor have slidable therein members 1002. V-shaped slots at the top of members 1002 engage pins 1010 on the containers and via a rotatable shaft 120 and ropes 1016 the containers are raisable or lowerable to or from the carriers. Hook 56<SP>11</SP> retains the containers on the carriers. A control circuit for container transfer is illustrated in Fig. 72 (not shown). In a modified transfer arrangement, Fig. 81 (not shown), vehicle cages travel on the cars and are lifted by elevators to the carriers on a track above the cars. A further embodiment of the invention, Fig. 84, shows the main line train in the form of a monorail, each car 20<SP>11</SP> thereof having two container berths separated from a passenger area 925 by a partition 924. An elevator 10<SP>41</SP> is provided for each berth to pick up containers 24 from a flat car 26d. The elevators each consist of a set of telescoping cylinders, the outer one being secured to the car frame and the inner one to a hook 56d by means of pivoting arms. Cables 1260 secured between a rotatable drum 1262 and the hooks serve to operate the elevator and the hooks. Alignment of the flat cars 26d with the cars 20<SP>11</SP> is by means of lights 152, 153, 158 which operate the speed control circuit of Fig. 87 (not shown). Operation of the elevators to transfer the containers is also by this circuit. In a modification the flat cars may be self-propelled on a track-way, or else the containers carried by tyred trucks. Alternatively the main line train and the flat cars or trucks may run side-by-side with hooked arms extending laterally from the main line care for container transfer, Figs. 94, 99 (not shown). All containers on a train can be transferred from and replaced with other containers using carriers in tandem on a single transfer run. This method is illustrated with its control circuit in Fig. 100 (not shown). If large containers or semi-trailers are to be transferred they are supported underneath by a carrier illustrated in Fig. 106. The hooks are supported by a double parallelogram linkage 1624 actuatable by an hydraulic cylinder or by a threaded rod 1628 and nut 1626.