Method and equipment for expediting the transportation of containers on rail-borne and road vehicles

摘要

978,888. Transferring containers between road and rail vehicles. E. EWERS. April 12, 1961 [April. 22, 1960], No13195/61. Heading B8E. To eliminate the need for shunting operations freight containers are arranged on a loading platform in accordance with routes and destinations and then transferred to platform cars 9, Fig. 1, by a simple transverse movement. Subsequently the platform cars are moved alongside a train of container-carrying cars 8 to which the containers are transferred by a further transverse movement. The containers are transferred by a captive wheeled trolley 46, Fig. 17, moved to the position shown by a cable 71, Fig. 26, wrapped round a winch 68; this arrangement permits movement of the trolley to either side of the platform car. The trolley 46 is raised into engagement with the underside 55, Fig. 18, of a container by a downward swinging movement of arms 50 which support wheels 49. This movement raises the container clear of locating and guiding corner pieces 73, Fig. 29, for transfer by movement of a platform 47, Fig. 18, on rollers 54. When the platform 47 has moved as far to the right as possible the trolley 46 is withdrawn and lowered to deposit the container on the platform car. The trolley is guided and supported during transverse movements by wheels 64, Fig. 23, on the platform car which co-operate with guide-rails 63 on the trolley. The arms 50 may be swung mechanically, hydraulically or electromagnetically. Latches 81, Fig. 32, retain the containers within the corner pieces 73 during transit and are disengaged when abutments 76 on the transfer trolley pivot a T-shaped lever 77 against springs 83. The platform cars 28-32, Fig. 9, are aligned with the container-carrying cars 21-25 by braking the last platform car, stretching out the rest of the train, braking the penultimate car, stretching the train again and so on until all the cars are aligned. Magnetic brakes which engage the rails are brought into operation by positioning feelers on the cars and progressively spring - loaded couplings 34-38 ensure that the cars move in the correct sequence as the train is stretched.