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US 12,036,833 B2Granted
Multi-modal freight systems, devices, and methods
AssigneeAvbj, LLC
InventorsAndrew Van Noy, Braden Jones, Kevin Anjel Damoa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A freight vehicle is provided including a set of road wheels configured for road traversal; a set of rail wheels configured for rail traversal, the set of rail wheels being separate from the set of road wheels; and an actuation system configured to modify a relative positioning of the set of road wheels and the set of rail wheels to facilitate operation of the freight vehicle according to a plurality of operational modes. The plurality of operational modes include a road traversal mode wherein the actuation system causes the set of road wheels to contact a road and a rail traversal mode wherein the actuation system causes the set of rail wheels to contact a rail.
Claims25
A freight vehicle, comprising:
- a set of road wheels configured for road traversal;
- a set of rail wheels configured for rail traversal, the set of rail wheels being separate from the set of road wheels;
- an actuation system configured to modify a relative positioning of the set of road wheels and the set of rail wheels to facilitate operation of the freight vehicle according to a plurality of operational modes, the plurality of operational modes comprising:
- a road traversal mode wherein the actuation system causes the set of road wheels to contact a road and causes the set of rail wheels to refrain from contacting the road, and wherein a motor system drives the set of road wheels to facilitate traversal of the road;
- and
- a rail traversal mode wherein the actuation system causes the set of rail wheels to contact a rail and causes the set of road wheels to refrain from contacting the rail, and wherein the motor system drives the set of rail wheels to facilitate traversal of the rail, and
- a trailer lift system configured to lift at least a portion of a tail end of a trailer or a portion of the trailer that is opposite from an end of the trailer that has a kingpin of the trailer, wherein the freight vehicle is configured to operate in the road traversal mode and the rail traversal mode while lifting the trailer via the trailer lift system,
- wherein the trailer lift system comprises one or more engagement arms configured to lift into engagement with one or more support bars on an underside of the trailer, and
- wherein the one or more engagement arms of the trailer lift system comprise one or more locking pins configured to extend into engagement with one or more locking pin holes of the one or more guide bars on the underside of the trailer.
6 more elements
A freight vehicle, comprising:
- a set of road wheels configured for road traversal;
- a set of rail wheels configured for rail traversal, the set of rail wheels being separate from the set of road wheels;
- an actuation system configured to modify a relative positioning of the set of road wheels and the set of rail wheels to facilitate operation of the freight vehicle according to a plurality of operational modes, the plurality of operational modes comprising:
- a road traversal mode wherein the actuation system causes the set of road wheels to contact a road and causes the set of rail wheels to refrain from contacting the road, and wherein a motor system drives the set of road wheels to facilitate traversal of the road, and
- a rail traversal mode wherein the actuation system causes the set of rail wheels to contact a rail and causes the set of road wheels to refrain from contacting the rail, and wherein the motor system drives the set of rail wheels to facilitate traversal of the rail;
- and
- a trailer lift system configured to lift at least a portion of a tail end of a trailer or a portion of the trailer that is opposite from an end of the trailer that has a kingpin of the trailer, wherein the freight vehicle is configured to operate in the road traversal mode and the rail traversal mode while lifting the trailer via the trailer lift system,
- wherein the trailer lift system comprises an axle securing system configured to secure one or more rear axles of the trailer when lifting the trailer, and
- wherein the axle securing system comprises one or more axle securing arms configured to apply upward force to the one or more rear axles of the trailer or to one or more rear wheels of the trailer to facilitate securement of the one or more rear axles of the trailer when lifting the trailer.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.