Improvements in or relating to means for facilitating the loading of a wheeled vehicle such as a semi-trailer onto a transporting medium such as a railway wagon

摘要

684,451. Wheel arrangements. SOC. POUR L'UNION DES TRANSPORTS FERROVIAIRES ET ROUTIERS. Jan. 22,1951 [Feb. 17, 1950; Oct. 27, 1950], No. 1667/51. Class 108 (ii). [Also in Group XXX] Wheeled vehicles, e.g. semi-trailers, having two axles which are transported on railway wagons and are centred thereon by engagement with guides while being wheeled into position, have one of the axles so mounted that it slides axially from its normal position against spring resistance to prevent jamming when one of the wheels carried by it engages the guide. The axle 10, which is preferably of square section, is mounted in bearings 12 supported by the suspension springs 11. Tie-rods 17 mounted on the chassis 18 support members 16 which are spaced from the axle by bushes 14. These bushes are fixed on the axle at equal distances from its centre. The ends of a compression spring 13 engage washers 15 of greater diameter than the bushes 14 and force them against the members 16. When an auxiliary rim 8 bears against the guide 6, the pressure on the wheel causes the axle to slide through the bearings 12 and the bush 14 nearest to the guide to slide through the member 16 and compress the spring 13. In a modification the tie-rods 17 are dispensed with, the members 16 are replaced by distance-pieces inserted between the washers and the bearings, and the washers 15 are urged towards thrust members fixed to the axle.