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US 4,130,208 AGranted
Side rails container transfer system
OwnerLeonard D. Barryinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerLeonard D. Barryinventor
Estimating the term…
A container or a carrier for one or more containers is supported on a transfer cam track along side a railway or roadway for transfer of the containers to a rail or road vehicle which is side coupled to the container or carrier to move it for transfer of the container or containers to the transport vehicle. The transfer track on which the container or carrier travels has horizontal and vertical displacement curves to vertically align the container with a container berth on the transport vehicle and set it down on supports thereon. The transfer track continues at the lower level and curves back away from the transport vehicle to remove the carrier away from the container. The cam track can be a single rail or multiple rails spaced horizontally or vertically with the container or carrier designed accordingly. The carrier can have forks, loadspreader, or side hooks to lift containers. The containers can have wheels to run on the station track to eliminate the carrier. The container wheels are retractable for selective transfer. Retractable hooking eyes or hooks can be on the carrier or container for selective transfer of multiple containers per carrier. In a preferred arrangement a carrier with fixed forks extending from a side thereof receives a container from a transport vehicle which supports the container with space for the forks to reach under the container from either side. Side latching couplings on the transport vehicle engage the forks on the carrier to move it along the low portion of the cam track to carry the forks under the container before the cam track lifts the container off and carries it on the forks out away from the transport vehicle moving the carrier. Another variation of the carrier and transport vehicle can support two containers at different levels so one container can be set in and one withdrawn along the same transfer run. The system can be applied to subways where the carrier can run between stations for transfer of containers to and from trains at speed and transfer containers to elevators to take passengers to street level. Subway cars are convertible to receive containers along opposite sides for runs in opposite directions.
A moving-vehicle bottom-support-way side transfer system comprising a first vehicle way, a first vehicle thereon, a second vehicle way, a second vehicle for transfer between said first vehicle and said second way, (said second vehicle way having means to bear) wheel means for supporting said second vehicle to run on said second way, said wheel means bearing the full weight of the second vehicle below that vehicle, a berth or spot on said first vehicle for said second vehicle to be carried on, first (side-extensible latching) side coupling means on said first vehicle (to engage and couple) for moving said second vehicle in lengthwise alignment with said berth for transfer, said second way including a transfer run along said first vehicle way which includes a coupling run wherealong the ways are spaced a distance apart so said coupling means can reach (when extended) for (to move) moving said second vehicle for transfer and an alignment run wherealong said second way is closer said first way enough to positioning said second vehicle aligned for transfer over said first vehicle, at least one lateral displacement S-curve in said second way connecting said coupling and alignment runs, and a dip in said second way along said alignment run at the opposite end thereof to lower said second vehicle to said berth on said first vehicle while aligned therewith or for lifting said second vehicle up from the first vehicle according to the direction of movement of said first vehicle along its way to load or unload said first vehicle of said second vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.