Patent Publication Number: US-8113121-B2

Title: Guideway system to roadway interchange system

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/978,952, entitled “GUIDEWAY SYSTEM TO ROADWAY INTERCHANGE SYSTEM,” which was filed on Oct. 10, 2007. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     This disclosure generally relates to freight transport guideway systems, and more particularly, to a transport guideway system to a roadway interchange system. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Transport of products from a producer to consumers of these products may be provided by various transport mechanisms, such as trucks that travel over a roadway or by guideway vehicles that travel over a guideway system. Transport by guideway system may be beneficial for large quantities of product shipped over relatively long distances. Transport by truck however, may be more beneficial for distribution of products over relatively shorter distances. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     According to one embodiment, a transport interchange system includes a roadway that intersects a guideway system such that the roadway is discontinuous across the guideway system. A guideway vehicle is provided that transports an intermodal container over the guideway system. The guideway vehicle is operable to rotate the intermodal container from a first position in which the intermodal container is parallel to the roadway to a second position in which the intermodal container is parallel to the guideway vehicle. 
     Embodiments of the disclosure may provide numerous technical advantages. Some, none, or all embodiments may benefit from the below described advantages. According to one embodiment, the transport interchange system provides a relatively more efficient mode of transferring intermodal containers than known transportation interchange systems. The transport interchange system of the present disclosure provides a rotatable cargo platform that allows intersection with a roadway such that intermodal containers may be positioned over the guideway vehicle using typical trucks. Thus, intermediary steps for transferring intermodal containers, such as lifting operations provided by cranes, may be eliminated or reduced for increasing the speed and efficiency in which these intermodal containers may be transferred between roadway and guideway system. Additionally, because the roadway is configured at an angle relative to the path of the guideway vehicle, it may be designed to be well suited for travel by trucks that haul intermodal containers. Thus, the roadway intersecting the guideway system may incorporate sufficient width and other elements, such as railings, to reduce human error caused by improper handling of intermodal containers during the transferal procedure. 
     Other technical advantages will be apparent to one of skill in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more complete understanding of embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent from the detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a transport interchange system according to the teachings of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  in which the intermodal container has been removed to reveal its rotatable cargo platform that is in the first position parallel to the roadway; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of the transport interchange system of  FIG. 1  in which rotatable cargo platform is in the second position parallel to the guideway system; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing a series of actions that may be performed by the transport interchange system of  FIG. 1  to interchange the intermodal container from transport over the roadway to transport over the guideway system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
     A guideway system is a particular form of transportation technique in which guideway vehicles are guided along a predetermined path using guideway. Transport by either guideway system or by truck may each provide distinct advantages. To utilize the advantages provided by these differing modes of transport, product may be interchanged between trucks that travel over a roadway and guideway vehicles that travel over the guideway system. Known approaches for interchanging product have included overhead cranes that are configured to transfer containers from one transport mechanism onto another. This approach, however, is generally inefficient in that the container must be structurally designed to handle lifting stresses placed on the container at its attachment points. That is, many trailers typically configured for transport along roadways do not have a chassis structure suitable for lifting by crane. Additionally, the sequence of operations used for interchanging containers between trucks and guideway vehicles using overhead cranes may be relatively time consuming. 
       FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of a transport interchange system  10  that may provide a solution to this problem as well as other problems. Transport interchange system  10  generally includes an intermodal container  12  that may be transported over a guideway system  14  by a guideway vehicle  16  and a truck  18  over a roadway  20 . As will be described in detail below, guideway vehicle  16  has a rotatable cargo platform  22  that is rotatingly coupled to a base  17  of guideway vehicle  16  for rotating intermodal container  12  from a first position that is generally parallel with the roadway  20  to a second position that is generally parallel with the guideway vehicle  16 . 
     Certain embodiments of guideway vehicle  16  having a rotatable cargo platform  22  may provide an advantage over other known approaches for interchanging product between trucks and guideway vehicles. Known product interchange approaches include overhead cranes that typically use a cabling structure to lift intermodal containers  12  during movement, an operation that allows these intermodal containers  12  to dangle during movement. This dangling characteristic of movement is typically unstable, thus requiring slow, deliberate movements in order to avoid damage to the container or product stored inside. The rotatable cargo platform  22  according to the present disclosure may avoid this generally inefficient approach by enabling relatively stable transferal of intermodal container  12  between roadway  20  and guideway vehicle  16  while still coupled to a chassis that is well suited for travel over a roadway. 
     Intermodal container  12  may be any suitable container for housing product during shipment. In one embodiment, intermodal container  12  may be configured for transport using a semi-trailer truck  18  and guideway vehicle  16  without additional housing mechanisms. That is, intermodal container  12  may be transported by semi-trailer truck  18  or guideway vehicle  16  without placement in another housing structure. In one embodiment, intermodal container  12  may include attachment points for interchanging between other trucks and guideway vehicles using an overhead crane when a transport interchange system  10  according to the teachings of the present disclosure is not available. 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  in which the intermodal container  12  has been removed to reveal rotatable cargo platform  22  that is in the first position. In the first position, rotatable cargo platform  22  is aligned with the roadway  20  such that intermodal container  12  may be rolled onto rotatable cargo platform  22  via the roadway  20 . 
     Guideway system  14  intersects roadway  20  such that roadway  20  is discontinuous across guideway system  14  forming two roadway edges  38 . These two roadway edges  38  may be disposed in a manner to allow free movement of guideway vehicle  16  along guideway system  14  without interference. Roadway edges  38  are configured such that when rotatable cargo platform  22  is rotated to the second position, its two ends  30  may be relatively close to roadway edges  38 . In this manner, intermodal container  12  may be pulled onto the rotatable cargo platform  22  using truck  18 . 
     Roadway  20  intersects guideway system  14  at any suitable angle. In the particular embodiment shown, roadway  20  intersects guideway system  14  at approximately thirty degrees; however, the roadway  20  may intersect the guideway system  14  at any suitable angle that allows relatively free movement of truck  18  and intermodal container  12  across guideway system  14 . Certain embodiments having a relatively small intersecting angle between the guideway system  14  and roadway  20  may provide an advantage in that intermodal containers  12  may be transferred from the roadway  20  to guideway system  14  in a relatively quick and efficient manner. 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of transport interchange system  10  of  FIG. 1  in which rotatable cargo platform  22  is in the second position. In the second position, rotatable cargo platform  22  is aligned with guideway vehicle  16  such that intermodal container  12  may be transported over guideway system  14 . 
     Rotatable coupling of rotatable cargo platform  22  may be provided by a pivoting assembly  32  disposed between rotatable cargo platform  22  and guideway vehicle  16 . In one embodiment, pivoting assembly  32  includes a center-bowl mechanism that allows pivoting of rotatable cargo platform  22  relative to guideway vehicle  16 . According to another embodiment, wheeled roller devices  34  may be provided proximate both ends  30  ( FIG. 2 ) of rotatable cargo platform  22 . Each wheeled roller device  34  includes a wheel for support of the ends  30  of rotatable cargo platform  22 . 
     In one embodiment, transport interchange system  10  includes a height adjustment mechanism  36  for adjusting the height of guideway vehicle  16  relative to roadway  20 . In many cases, variations in the weight of intermodal container  12  may cause its overall height to vary such that rotatable cargo platform  20  does not vertically align well with roadway edges  38 . Height adjustment mechanism  36  adjusts the height of guideway vehicle  16  such that rotatable cargo platform  20  is essentially at the same elevation as roadway edges  38  when rotatable cargo platform  20  is in the first position. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing one embodiment of a series of actions that may be performed to interchange intermodal container  12  from transport over roadway  20  to transport over guideway system  14 . In act  100 , the process is initiated. 
     In act  102 , guideway vehicle  16  receives an intermodal container  12  that has been transported over roadway  20 . Intermodal container  12  may be transported over roadway  20  using any suitable roadway transportation system, such as a semi-trailer truck that is releasably coupled to intermodal container  12 . 
     In act  104 , the height of guideway vehicle  16  may be adjusted so that rotatable cargo platform  20  is at essentially the same elevation as roadway ends  38 . In a particular embodiment, a height adjustment mechanism, such as one or more hydraulic pistons disposed underneath guideway vehicle  16 . These hydraulic pistons operate under manual or automated control to push upwards on guideway vehicle  16  to thus proportionally adjust its height relative to roadway  20 . 
     In act  106 , intermodal container  12  is rotated such that it becomes parallel to guideway vehicle  16  for travel along guideway system  14 . In one embodiment, guideway vehicle  16  includes a rotatable cargo platform  20  that is rotates over a pivot assembly, such as a center bowl mechanism. Rotatable cargo platform  20  may also have roller devices  34  on both ends for support of rotatable cargo platform  20  during rotation the position parallel to the guideway system  14 . 
     In act  108 , intermodal container  12  is transported over guideway system  14  using guideway vehicle  16 . In this manner, guideway system  14  transports intermodal container  12  to any desired distant location. When transport intermodal container  12  by guideway system  14  is complete, acts  102  through  106  may be performed in reverse to transfer intermodal container  12  from guideway vehicle  16  to transport over roadway  20 . In act  110 , the process ends. 
     Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the previously described method without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The method may include more, fewer, or other acts. For example, rotation of rotatable cargo platform  20  may be accomplished by a transmission that couples rotational power from the drive motor of guideway vehicle using a direct mechanical linkage or by a hydraulic power transmission device. As another example, rotation of rotatable cargo platform  20  may be accomplished using a rotational drive mechanism disposed external to guideway vehicle  16 . In this manner, complexity and thus costs associated with construction and maintenance of guideway vehicle  16  may be mitigated in some embodiments. 
     Although the present disclosure has been described with several embodiments, a myriad of changes, variations, alterations, transformations, and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art, and it is intended that the present disclosure encompass such changes, variations, alterations, transformation, and modifications as they fall within the scope of the appended claims.