Abstract
A transfer arrangement (13) for transferring a semi-trailer (8) onto an intermodal pocket wagon (1) from a ground location beside the wagon, or vice versa, includes base roller beams (15) of first lifting means (15, 20) supported by the ground at the ground location and intended for lifting the semi-trailer (8) up from the ground, corresponding wagon roller beams (17) of second lifting means (16-18) to be supported by the rail or the ground under the wagon and intended for being elevated to substantially the same height as the base roller beams (15) or for being lowered towards the ground, and transfer means (19) for transferring the semi-trailer (8) sideways from the first to the second lifting means in the elevated condition thereof.
Claims
1. A method of transferring a semi-trailer onto a rail-borne, intermodal pocket wagon from a ground location beside the wagon, or vice versa the semi-trailer being placed in parallel with the rail, the method comprising: lifting the semi-trailer vertically up from the ground location by base roller beams of the first lifting means, supported by the ground at the ground location; elevating corresponding wagon roller beams of second lifting means, supported by the rail or the ground under the wagon, through openings between side beams of the wagon, to the same height as the base roller beams; transferring the semi-trailer sideways from the base roller beams to the wagon roller beams; and lowering the semi-trailer onto the wagon by the wagon roller beams.
2. A transfer arrangement for transferring a semi-trailer onto a rail-borne, intermodal pocket wagoner from a ground location beside the wagon, or vice versa, the semi-trader being placed in parallel with the rail, the transfer arrangement comprising: base roller beams of first lifting means, supported by the ground at the ground location and configured to lift the semi-trailer by the base roller beams vertically up from the ground; corresponding wagon roller beams of second lifting means configured to be supported by the rail or the ground under the wagon, the wagon roller beams being configured to be elevated through openings between side beams of the wagon to the same height as the base roller beams or being configured to be lowered towards the ground; and a drive mechanism configured to transfer the semi-trailer sideways from the base roller beams to the wagon roller beams in the elevated condition.
3. The transfer arrangement according to claim 2, comprising: two first lifting means with base roller beams; and two second lifting means with wagon roller beams; wherein the first and the second lifting means are arranged perpendicular to the rail.
4. The transfer arrangement according to claim 2, comprising: a pocket insert configured to accommodate the semi-trailer and to be accommodated in a pocket of the wagon.
5. The transfer arrangement according to claim 2, comprising: a base structure, which is configured to be placed at a ground location beside the wagon; wherein the base structure includes the first and the second lifting means.
6. The transfer arrangement according to claim 5, wherein each first lifting means includes stanchions on the base structure configured to guide the base roller beam, which is perpendicular to the rail and which can be moved between a lowered inactive position and an elevated active position.
7. The transfer arrangement according to claim 6, wherein each second lifting means is foldably attached to or can be pushed out from the base structure and includes a lift beam configured to be supported by the rail; wherein the wagon roller beam is configured to be elevated or lowered by hydraulic cylinders between the lift beam and the wagon roller beam; wherein the wagon roller beam and the base roller beam are in line with each other when elevated.
8. The transfer arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the base roller beams and the wagon roller beams are provided with bearing rollers at their upper surfaces.
9. The transfer arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the pocket insert is provided with transversal slide plates for cooperation with roller bearings provided at the upper surfaces of the base roller beams and the wagon roller beams.
10. The transfer arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the drive mechanism is configured to laterally transfer the pocket insert on the base roller beams and the wagon roller beams; and wherein the drive mechanism is arranged at the top of each stanchion remote from the wagon roller beams.
11. The transfer arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the base structure is mobile and can be lifted, towed or self-propelled to an appropriate position in relation to the wagon.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] The invention will be described in further detail below under reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
[0034] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a railway wagon a conventional intermodal pocket wagon with a fixed pocket to be used in a first embodiment of the invention,
[0035] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a semi-trailer of standard type,
[0036] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a pocket insert intended to carry or support the semi-trailer,
[0037] FIG. 4 is a side view of the pocket insert shown in FIG. 3,
[0038] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a transfer arrangement according to the invention,
[0039] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the transfer arrangement with lift beams folded in and angled,
[0040] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the transfer arrangement according to FIG. 6 but with the lift beams folded out and angled,
[0041] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the transfer arrangement placed next to the rail, the lift beams being folded out and raised in a straight position and hydraulic cylinders being centered over the rail,
[0042] FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the transfer arrangement with roller beams in their upper or elevated position, the rail being deleted for better view of the components,
[0043] FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the transfer arrangement with the roller beams in their upper position and the pocket insert over the wagon position,
[0044] FIG. 11 corresponds to FIG. 10, but the pocket insert is transferred laterally or sideways to be positioned over a base structure of the transfer arrangement,
[0045] FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the transfer arrangement, where the roller beams and the pocket insert are lowered to the lowest position,
[0046] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of the transfer arrangement positioned next to a railway wagon and a terminal truck pulling the semi-trailer,
[0047] FIG. 14 corresponds to FIG. 13 but shows when the terminal truck has pulled the semi-trailer up onto the transfer arrangement,
[0048] FIG. 15 corresponds to FIG. 14 but shows the semi-trailer parked on the transfer arrangement,
[0049] FIG. 16 corresponds to FIG. 15 but in a later handling stage, the semi-trailer being removed for better view of the components,
[0050] FIG. 17 corresponds to FIG. 16 but in a later handling stage, the roller beams being raised in-between side beams of the railway wagon,
[0051] FIG. 18 corresponds to FIG. 17 but in a later handling stage, the base roller beams being raised together with the pocket insert,
[0052] FIG. 19 corresponds to FIG. 18 but in a later handling stage, the pocket insert having been laterally transferred to a position over the railway wagon,
[0053] FIG. 20 corresponds to FIG. 19 but in a later handling stage, the pocket insert having been lowered and placed in the fixed pocket of the railway wagon,
[0054] FIG. 21 corresponds to FIG. 20, but the semi-trailer is now shown loaded in the fixed pocket of the railway wagon together with the pocket insert,
[0055] FIG. 22 is an isometric view of a railway wagon according to a second embodiment of the invention, and
[0056] FIG. 23 is an isometric view of a transfer arrangement according to a third embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0057] An articulated railway wagon 1 for loading a semi-trailer thereon is shown in FIG. 1. The wagon may be a standard intermodal pocket wagon. The shown wagon has three bogies (or wheel sets): two outward bogies 2 and one center bogie 3. The bogies 2 and 3 support a chassis 4, including fixed side beams 5 and a fixed pocket 6 intended to accommodate the tires of a semi-trailer, shown in FIG. 2. In each outer end of each chassis there is mounted a king-pin hitch 7 or fifth wheel. The king-pin hitch 7 is designed to accommodate and fasten a king-pin 12 of a semi-trailer 8 and hereby couple the semi-trailer to the railway wagon when loaded thereon.
[0058] A standard semi-trailer 8 is shown in FIG. 2. The semi-trailer 8 is equipped with three wheel axles with tires 9, 10 and a king-pin 12, which is used to couple the semi-trailer to a truck. Two support legs 11 can be lowered to the ground when the semi-trailer 8 is parked without any truck.
[0059] A pocket insert 21 which can carry a semi-trailer 8 and also fit into a wagon pocket 6 is shown in FIG. 3. The pocket insert 21 has structural wheel supports 22 for the tires 9, 10 of the semitrailer 8 and also a leg support 23, where the support legs 11 of the semi-trailer 8 can be placed. The pocket insert 21 is also equipped with a rear slide plate 24 and a forward slide plate 25, intended to be used as the running surface of the pocket insert when transported laterally in a transfer arrangement 13 to be described. FIG. 4 shows the pocket insert 21 from the side together with rollers of roller beams 17 in contact with the slide plates 24, 25 of the pocket insert 21.
[0060] A transfer arrangement 13 for transferring a semi-trailer from a ground position onto a railway wagon is shown in FIG. 5. The transfer arrangement has a base structure 13 with longitudinal base plates 20 with slots in order to accommodate a pocket 21 insert used to carry the semi-trailer 8 from the ground into the railway wagon 1, or vice versa. Attached to the end of each base plate 20 is a ramp 14 to provide a running surface for a towing truck to pull the semi-trailer 8 up onto the transfer arrangement 20.
[0061] Pivotally attached to one of the base plates 20 of the transfer arrangement 13 are two lift beams 16. The lift beams 16 have support areas for contact with the rail head of a rail 26 (FIG. 8) and two hydraulic cylinders 18 attached to a wagon roller beam 17. Each wagon roller beam 17 is shorter than the distance between two side beams 5 of the wagon 1, so that the wagon roller beams 17 may be elevated through openings there etween. At their upper surfaces the wagon roller beams 17 are provided with attached bearing rollers along their full length to provide for lateral transport of the pocket insert 21. The lift beams 16 can be folded out underneath the side beams 5 of the railway wagon 1.
[0062] Also part of the transfer arrangement are two base roller beams 15, made up in the same way as the wagon roller beams 17. These substantially horizontal base roller beams 15 are guided for substantially vertical movements by stanchions 20 on the base structure 13. By for example hydraulic means these base roller beams 15 can be manoeuvred up or down to lift the pocket insert 21. At the upper end of each stanchion 20 opposite the lift beams 16 there may be provided a lateral drive mechanism 19 that can either push or pull the pocket insert 21 in the lateral direction on the base roller beams 15 and the wagon roller beams 17. The drive mechanisms 19 may be hydraulically driven and be of the type fixed chain or push-pull-chain. Alternatively, the drive mechanisms may consist of driven rollers at the upper surfaces of the beams 16 and 17.
[0063] FIG. 6 shows the transfer arrangement 13 with the lift beams 16 pivotally folded in along the side of one of the base plates 20. When the lift beams 16 are folded in, the rail beside the transfer arrangement is clear from parts of the transfer arrangement, which means that a railway wagon 1 can move along the rail freely in any direction without any interference with the transfer arrangement 13. In the shown position the hydraulic cylinders 18 and the wagon roller beams 17 are angled somewhat in respect to the lift beams 16 in order to require less space when the lift beams 16 shall be folded out underneath the fixed side beams 5 of the railway wagon 1. This is one possible solution to require less space, whereas another solution could be to make the lifting mechanism, i.e. the hydraulic cylinders 18, lower in its lowest position.
[0064] In FIG. 7 the lifting beams 16 of the transfer arrangement 13 are folded out. The hydraulic cylinders 18 and the wagon roller beams 17 are still angled somewhat in respect to the lift beams 16.
[0065] In FIG. 8 the hydraulic cylinders 18 and the wagon roller beams 17 are raised to a vertical position. The support surfaces below the hydraulic cylinders 18 are in contact with the rail head. The base roller beams 15 are in their final elevated position.
[0066] In FIG. 9 the hydraulic cylinders 18 are raised, so that the wagon roller beams 17 are in level with the base roller beams 15 forming a long rolling combination that can carry the pocket insert 21, when it is laterally transferred.
[0067] FIG. 10 shows the transfer arrangement with the parts in same position as in FIG. 9, but the pocket insert 21 is added. The forward slide plate 25 and the rear slide plate 24 are resting on the wagon roller beams 17 over the lift beams 16. The lateral drive mechanisms 19 are extended in the lateral direction and connected to the pocket insert 21.
[0068] FIG. 11 shows the transfer arrangement with the parts in same position as in FIG. 10, but the pocket insert 21 is transferred laterally to be positioned centrally over the base structure 13. The lateral drive mechanisms 19 are retracted in the lateral direction and have pulled the pocket insert 21 to its shown position.
[0069] In FIG. 12 the base roller beams 15 have been lowered to their lowest position. The pocket insert 21 is then also all the way down and its longitudinal structure fits in the slots of the base plates 20. In this version the wheel supports 22 for the tires of the semi-trailer and the leg support 23 are lifted from their normal position in the pocket insert 21. This means that the rest of the structure of the pocket insert 21 is lowered compared to the wheel support 22 and the leg support 23 and is then out of the way, when the semi-trailer is to be driven on or off the base structure 13 of the transfer arrangement 13.
[0070] The procedure for loading a semi-trailer onto a railway wagon is shown in FIG. 13 to FIG. 20. First, the transfer arrangement 13 is positioned correctly in all directions in relation to the railway wagon 1 as shown in FIG. 13, either by moving the complete transfer arrangement by a towing truck, fork lift truck, crane or the like; alternatively the transfer arrangement could be equipped with wheels and driving mechanisms, as shown in FIG. 23 as a third embodiment of the invention, so it could be self-propelled into the correct position. The semi-trailer 8 is pulled by a terminal truck 26 towards the ramps 14 of the transfer arrangement 13. The pocket insert 21 is positioned in the slots of the base plates 20 of the transfer arrangement 13.
[0071] In FIG. 14 the terminal truck 26 has pulled the semi-trailer 8 up onto the base plates 20 of the transfer arrangement 13. The tires of the semi-trailer have been driven up and are positioned in the wheel supports 22 of the pocket insert 21. The support legs 11 of the semi-trailer are positioned over the leg support 23 of the pocket arrangement 21. In FIG. 15 the terminal truck has been de-coupled from the king-pin 12 of the semi-trailer 8 and parked the semi-trailer in the correct position on the transfer arrangement 13. In the following FIG. 16 to FIG. 20 the semi-trailer 8 is not shown in the figures to make the remaining components of the procedure more visible, but it shall be envisaged to be placed on the pocket insert 21, where the wheel supports 22 and the leg support 23 are supporting the semi-trailer.
[0072] The first step after the semi-trailer 8 is loaded onto the transfer arrangement 13 is that the lift beams 16, pivotally attached to one of the base plates 20, are turned out under the longitudinal side beams 5 of the railway wagon 1, as shown in FIG. 16. Next, as shown in FIG. 17, the wagon roller beams 17 are raised to a position above the side beams 5 of the railway wagon 1.
[0073] In the third step of the loading process, shown in FIG. 18, the base roller beams 15 are raised, the rollers of the base rolling beams 15 come in contact with the rear slide plate 24 and the forward slide plate 25, as shown in FIG. 4, and the pocket insert 21 is then lifted vertically together with the vertical movement of the base roller beams 15. Now the pocket insert 21, together with the semi-trailer 8, has been lifted to the height where the base roller beams 15 are in level with the wagon roller beams 17. The lateral drive mechanisms 19 are connected to the pocket insert 21 and then push the pocket insert 21 laterally. The rear slide plate 24 and the forward slide plate 25 are sliding, together with the rest of the pocket insert 21 and the semi-trailer 8, laterally on the rollers of the base rolling beams 15 and then, when it has moved further laterally, on the rollers of the wagon roller beams 17, as shown in FIG. 19. The lateral drive mechanisms 19 disconnect from the pocket insert 21, and the hydraulic cylinders 18 of the lift beams 16 are lowered all the way down. Now the pocket insert 21 is placed in the fixed pocket 6 of the railway wagon 1, as shown in FIG. 20.
[0074] FIG. 21 shows the semi-trailer 8 loaded into the railway wagon 1, and both lift beams 16 are folded away from the wagon 1. Thus, the transfer arrangement 13 is then not in any way connected to or obstructing further movement of the railway wagon 1.
[0075] A second embodiment is shown in FIG. 22, where a special railway wagon 27 is designed with a chassis 28, including fixed side beams 29 and a loose pocket insert 30 intended to accommodate the tires of a semi-trailer, shown in FIG. 2. The loose pocket 30 insert can be lowered in-between the fixed side beams 29, so that spigots 32 on the loose pocket insert are fitted in slots 31 inside the fixed side beams 29 intended to attach the loose pocket 30 to the chassis 28.
[0076] In this second embodiment the railway wagon is of a special design intended to be loaded generally with the same transfer arrangement as described in the first embodiment. The wagon is designed with a loose pocket insert that is part of the railway wagon and replaces the fixed pocket in a standard railway wagon, and by doing this the cost and the tare weight of the extra pocket insert, as used in the first embodiment, can be saved. One other advantage with a specially designed railway wagon and accompanying pocket insert is that the interfaces with the transfer arrangement can be further optimized, when the space is not taken up by a fixed pocket as in a standard railway wagon. The procedure of loading and unloading the railway wagon is the same as described in the first embodiment, but the pocket insert is here replaced by the loose pocket of the wagon, and in the last loading sequence, as shown in FIG. 20, the loose pocket is lowered in-between the fixed side beams of the wagon and fitted in the slots inside of the fixed side beams, which couples the loose pocket of the wagon to the fixed side beams.
[0077] A third embodiment is shown in FIG. 23 where a transfer arrangement 13 is provided with four wheel assemblies 34, which can be lowered and lift the transfer arrangement from the ground in order to transport it into the correct position in relation to the railway wagon 1 to be loaded. The self-propelled transfer arrangement in FIG. 23 could also be equipped with a cabin 33, where an operator can drive the transfer arrangement as well as control the loading sequences.
[0078] Above, the two lift beams 16 are said to be pivotally or foldably attached to the base plates 20 of the transfer arrangement 13, as is also illustrated in the drawings. As a modification the lift beams 16 may be arranged inside the transfer arrangement 13 in their rest position and be pushed out for their intended action, as described a
[0079] Ordinary containers and similar objects may of course be loaded on a railway wagon in the same manner and by means of an arrangement according to the invention.
[0080] Modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.
