Patent ID: 8468950

Claim:
An improved intermodal rail vehicle to form a train of highway trailers including leading and trailing highway trailers which are interconnected to each other and supported by the intermodal vehicle for travel on railroad tracks, each of the highway trailers including a leading coupler socket assembly at one end and a trailing coupler socket assembly at the other end, each intermodal vehicle having two rail wheel assemblies, two lower frame assemblies into which each of the two rail wheel assemblies are mounted, an upper frame assembly supported on the lower frame assemblies by integral air springs, the upper frame including leading and trailing load carrying structures characterized by the provision of: an integral drawbar assembly mounted on the upper frame assembly and extending above the leading and trailing load carrying structures, each end of the drawbar assembly of an associated highway trailer supported on an associated load carrying structure to connect the associated trailer to the intermodal vehicle, the drawbar assembly having a high end, which is vertically elevated relative to a low end thereof such that, when the the high end is engaged within the leading trailer coupler socket and the low end is engaged within the trailing trailer coupler socket, the trailers are coupled and run level and horizontal on the track.