Portable road segment wedge and pin connection and method

An apparatus for making an adjacent connection between a first surface vehicle and a second surface vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

• a female wedge mount configured to be attached to the first surface vehicle, the female wedge mount having three or more female contact surface segments, the female wedge mount having at least two female wedge slots;
• a male wedge mount configured to be attached to the second surface vehicle, the male wedge mount having three or more male contact surface segments, the male wedge mount having at least two male wedge slots that are aligned with the at least two female wedge slots, respectively, when the three or more male contact surface segments of the male wedge mount and the three or more female contact surface segments of the female wedge mount are in aligned contact with one another, respectively, to form the adjacent connection;
• at least two of the three or more female contact surface segments corresponding to and matching in shape with, respectively, at least two of the three or more male contact surface segments and oriented to align the female wedge mount and the male wedge mount horizontally;
• at least two of the three or more female contact surface segments corresponding to and matching in shape with, respectively, at least two of the three or more male contact surface segments and oriented to align the female wedge mount and the male wedge mount vertically;
• and
• a mechanism configured to engage the female wedge mount and the male wedge mount and including at least two pins that are, when the three or more male contact surface segments of the male wedge mount and the three or more female contact surface segments of the female wedge mount are in aligned contact with one another, movable between a first position and a second position, the at least two pins in the first position extending through the at least two male wedge slots and the at least two female wedge slots, respectively, the at least two pins in the second position withdrawing from the at least two female wedge slots or the at least two male wedge slots, respectively.

A method for making an adjacent connection between a first surface vehicle and a second surface vehicle, the method comprising:

• attaching a first female wedge mount to the first surface vehicle, the first female wedge mount having three or more first female contact surface segments, the first female wedge mount having at least two first female wedge slots;
• attaching a first male wedge mount to the second surface vehicle, the first male wedge mount having three or more first male contact surface segments, the first male wedge mount having at least two first male wedge slots;
• bringing the three or more first male contact surface segments of the first male wedge mount and the three or more first female contact surface segments of the first female wedge mount in aligned contact with one another, respectively, to form the adjacent connection, in which the at least two first male wedge slots are aligned with the at least two first female wedge slots, respectively;
• at least two of the three or more first female contact surface segments corresponding to and matching in shape with, respectively, at least two of the three or more first male contact surface segments and oriented to align the first female wedge mount and the first male wedge mount horizontally;
• at least two of the three or more first female contact surface segments corresponding to and matching in shape with, respectively, at least two of the three or more first male contact surface segments and oriented to align the first female wedge mount and the first male wedge mount vertically;
• and
• engaging the first female wedge mount and the first male wedge mount by moving at least two first pins to a first position extending through the at least two first male wedge slots and the at least two first female wedge slots, respectively.