METHOD AND TRANSFER TERMINAL FOR TRANSFERRING SEMI-TRAILERS FROM RAILWAY TO ROADWAY, AND VICE VERSA AND FOR TRANSPORTING SEMI-TRAILERS BY RAIL, AS WELL AS TRACTION VEHICLE FOR SEMI-TRAILERS AND TRACTOR TRAILER UNIT

• US 20110107938A1
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CargoBeamer AG
• Original Assignee: CargoBeamer AG
• Inventors: Baier, Michael, Merk, Fritz, Weidemann, Hans-Jürgen
• Application Number:
  US12/915,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20110107938A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 104/29
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 3/18 for vehicles vehicles adapted to carry other vehicles, in general, B60P3/06
• CPC Class Codes: B61J 3/12 Self-propelled tractors or pushing vehicles, e.g. mules with cable traction B61J3/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

The invention relates to a traction vehicle (21) for semi-trailers (3), preferably for loading and unloading the semi-trailers (3) onto and off of a freight train (18), in particular, as part of the rolling highway, wherein the freight train (18) comprises several freight cars coupled to one another, in particular low-floor railcars (10), and a continuous driving lane in the longitudinal direction (20) of the train for moving the semi-trailers (3) on the freight train (18), wherein the traction vehicle (21) is unmanned and self-propelled, as well as a tractor-trailer unit (30) formed from the traction vehicle (21) and a semi-trailer (3), a method for transferring semi-trailers (3) from the railway (12) to the roadway and vice versa, as well as a freight transfer terminal thereto, and a method for transferring semi-trailers (3) from the railway (12) to the roadway and vice versa and for transporting the semi-trailers (3) on the railway (12).

Claims

1. A traction vehicle (21) for transporting semi-trailers (3), wherein the traction vehicle (21) is unmanned and self-propelled.

2. The traction vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the traction vehicle (21) has a fifth wheel coupling (24) for coupling a semi-trailer (3).

3. The traction vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the traction vehicle (21) comprises a vehicle frame (22), drive means for driving the traction vehicle (21), steering means for steering the traction vehicle (21), as well as a control unit for controlling the motion of the traction vehicle (21) and expediently a sensor unit with several sensors.

4. The traction vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the traction vehicle (21) comprises a steering gear and a steering servomotor that is expediently operated electrically or hydraulically or pneumatically, wherein the traction vehicle (21) comprises a battery or a different energy storage means, or a combination of an internal combustion engine with a generator, or a hybrid combination of energy storage devices for supplying the steering servomotor.

5. The traction vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the steering servomotor can be controlled with the control unit.

6. The traction vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the drive means comprises a drive motor as well as a gearbox for transmitting the driving torque from the drive motor to propulsion means, in particular wheels (23), wherein the drive motor is preferably configured electrically, hydraulically, pneumatically or as an internal combustion engine and is powered, for example, by means of a battery or a different energy storage device of the traction vehicle (21).

7. The traction vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the drive motor can be controlled by means of the control unit.

8. The traction vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the traction vehicle (21) comprises means with which the traction vehicle (21) can be moved under remote-control and, in particular, can be moved under radio remote control or under infrared remote control.

9. The traction vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the traction vehicle (21) comprises means with which the traction vehicle (21) can be moved under control based on GPS data.

10. The traction vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the traction vehicle (21) is structured for loading and unloading the semi-trailers (3) onto and off of a freight train (18) forming a rolling highway, wherein the freight train (18) comprises several freight cars coupled to one another to define a continuous driving lane in the longitudinal direction (20) of the train for moving the semi-trailers (3) on the freight train (18).

11. The traction vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the freight cars are low-floor railcars (10).

12. The traction vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the traction vehicle (21) comprises means for locking the traction vehicle (21) in place on a freight car, the locking means providing at least one of a force-fit and a friction-fit, the locking means operating in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.

13. The traction vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the traction vehicle (21) is sized such that it does not project laterally or frontwards from the semi-trailer (3).

14. A tractor-trailer unit (30) comprising the traction vehicle of claim 1, and further comprising a semi-trailer (3), wherein the traction vehicle is coupled to the semi-trailer (3).

15. The tractor-trailer unit (30) according to claim 14, wherein the traction vehicle (21) is positioned to be aligned in the vertical direction underneath the semi-trailer (3).

27. A freight transfer terminal for loading and unloading semi-trailers (3) comprising:

a freight train (18), wherein the freight train (18) comprises several freight cars coupled to one another, and a continuous driving lane in the longitudinal direction (20) of the train for moving the semi-trailers (3) on the freight train (18);

at least one traction vehicle constructed according to claim 1; and

wherein the at least one traction vehicle is configured to be coupled to the semi-trailers (3) and drive the semi-trailers onto the freight train (18) and off of the freight train (18) one after another in the longitudinal direction (20) of the train.

28. The freight transfer terminal of claim 27, wherein the freight cars including low-floor railcars (10).

16. A method for at least one of loading and unloading semi-trailers (3) onto and off of a freight train (18), wherein the freight train (18) comprises several freight cars coupled to one another, and a continuous driving lane in the longitudinal direction (20) of the train for moving the semi-trailers (3) on the freight train (18), and wherein the semi-trailers (3) drive onto the freight train (18) and/or off of the freight train (18) one after another in the longitudinal direction (20) of the train, and wherein the semi-trailers (3) are each driven onto the freight train (18) or driven down from the freight train (18) by means of an unmanned and self-propelled traction vehicle (21) coupled to the respective semi-trailer (3).

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the freight cars include low floor railcars (10).

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

a) parking manned tractor-trailer units (1), each with a tractor (2) and a semi-trailer (3), at respective predetermined positions in a freight transfer terminal;

b) uncoupling the semi-trailers (3) from the tractors (2);

c) moving each of the traction vehicles (21) to a respective uncoupled semi-trailer (3);

d) coupling the traction vehicles (21) to the semi-trailers (3) forming a respective unmanned self-propelled tractor-trailer unit (30);

e) driving the tractor-trailer units (30) individually and one after another onto a waiting freight train (18) in the longitudinal direction (20) of the train.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of locking the tractor-trailer units (30) in place on the freight railcars of the freight train (18).

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

a) driving the tractor-trailer units (30) individually and one after another off of the waiting freight train (18) in the longitudinal direction (20) of the train;

b) parking the tractor-trailer units (30) at respective predetermined positions in a destination freight transfer terminal;

c) uncoupling the semi-trailers (3) from the traction vehicles (21) and driving the traction vehicles (21) away from the semi-trailers (3);

d) moving manned tractors (2) to a respective uncoupled semi-trailer (3);

e) coupling the tractors (2) to the semi-trailers (3) forming a respective manned semi-trailer truck (1).

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the traction vehicles (21) are moved under remote control, the remote control including at least one of radio remote control and infrared remote control.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the traction vehicles (21) are moved by means of an automated controller based on at least one of predetermined data and data acquired by sensors and by using a data processing program.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein the traction vehicles (21) are moved under control based on GPS data.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein the motion of the traction vehicles (21) is controlled by means of orientation relative to paint markings that are present on a floor of a freight transfer terminal and on the freight railcars.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein the motion of the traction vehicles (21) is controlled by means of orientation to induction loops that are present on a floor of a freight transfer terminal and on the freight railcars.

26. A method for transporting semi-trailers (3) by railway (12) and transferring the semi-trailers (3) from the railway (12) to a highway and from the highway to the railway, comprising the steps of:

transferring the semi-trailers (3) in accordance with the method of claim 16, wherein the traction vehicles (21) are transported along with the semi-trailers (3) on the freight train (18).