Container carrying convertible rail-highway vehicle

• US 4,817,537 A
• Filed: 03/16/1987
• Issued: 04/04/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Janet K. Cripe Irrevocable Trust
• Original Assignee: Alan R. Cripe, Christopher A. Cripe
• Inventors: Cripe, Christopher A., Cripe, Alan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/026,463
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 410/53, 410/82, 410/52, 410/89, 410/90, 410/121, 410/129, 410/155, 410/54, 410/56, 410/3, 410/44, 410/57, 410/66, 410/77, 410/94, 105/215.1, 105/215.2, 105/416, 105/4.2, 105/4.3, 105/4.1, 105/404, 105/413, 105/414-418, 105/419-421, 280/80 B, 280/423 R, 280/DIG. 8, 296/182
• US Class Current: 105/404
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 1/046 Semi-trailer or trailer type vehicles without own propelling units
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 7/13 Securing freight containers or forwarding containers on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 3/12 comprising running gear interconnected by loads
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 3/184 the heavy vehicles being of the trailer or semi-trailer type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 280/08 Separable body or container-type semitrailers

Abstract

A container carrying rail-highway vehicle in the form of a semitrailer chassis including an elongated center sill box extending longitudinally of the vehicle, a front box-type transverse sill attached to a forward portion of the center sill and a rear box-type transverse sill attached to a rearward portion of the center sill member. Two side beams are further provided and are attached at each end thereof to the front sill and rear sill, respectively, on either side of the center sill. The side beams are disposed from a generally higher position in the front of the vehicle to a lower level at the rear of the vehicle and are further attached to the center sill by a plurality of transverse outrigger members which extend between the center sill and each of the side beams. The vehicle is further provided with at least a pair of retractable highway wheels on a rearward lower surface of the trailer, a coupling device for coupling the trailer to a next adjacent trailer and a coupling device for coupling the trailer to a separable rail bogie on a rear undersurface of the vehicle. The center sill of the semitrailer body has a gooseneck, fish belly configuration which in combination with the side beams provides high bending stability in the gooseneck area of the center sill so that high compression and tension loads can be taken through the center sill.

Claims

1. A convertible rail-highway vehicle having a gooseneck chassis for carrying containers comprising:

an elongated center sill member extending longitudinally the entire length of the vehicle and having a varying cross section along its length with a rearward portion, a transition portion and a forward portion with a gooseneck of reduced section at said forward portion which has a top surface and a lower face and said transition portion located between said gooseneck and the remainder of said center sill member;

a front coupler at one end o said chassis;

a rear coupler at the end of said chassis opposite from said front coupler;

a front transverse sill member attached to said forward portion of said center sill member;

a rear transverse sill member attached to said rearward portion of said center sill member;

first and second elongated side beam elements mounted at a forward end thereof to said front sill member and a rearward end thereof to said rear sill member with said forward end of said side beam elements being deep with a greater section modulus as compared to said rearward end and spaced on opposite sides of said center sill member at a distance to straddle and run outside of and to nest said container with the front of said side beam elements being disposed at a higher level than said center sill member at said forward end with said greater section modulus and deep side beam elements providing high bending stability in the gooseneck so as to take the high tension and compression forces through said couplers when said vehicle is used as part of a train;

transverse members extending between said center sill member and each of said side beam elements; and

said center sill member includes a longitudinal plate having a top surface which extends from said front transverse sill member to said rear transverse sill member with said plate being the lower face member of said center sill at the forward end and rearward of said gooseneck section becomes the top surface of said center sill and extends rearwardly to be coplanar with the top surface of said rear transverse sill.

2. The convertible rail-highway vehicle of claim 1 wherein said center sill member is subject to bending loads when said vehicle is used as part of a train and which includes a large section crossbearer, located at said transition portion of said center sill member connecting it to said side beam elements to carry the center sill member bending loads into said side beams.