Universal coupling adapter for rail-highway vehicles

A universal coupling adapter for forming trains of rail-highway vehicles having a tongue and a slot at opposite ends thereof, the adapter comprising:

• a bolster;
• the bolster having a support member for engaging and supporting a rail-highway vehicle, and connection means;
• the connection means comprising a connecting slot selectively for receiving the tongue of a rail-highway vehicle and a connecting link;
• the connecting link comprising a first side selectively for insertion into the slot of a rail-highway vehicle for connection to said vehicle and a second side;
• means operatively associated with the connecting link for shifting said link between an extended and a retracted position;
• the second side being disposed substantially within the connecting slot then the connecting link is in the extended position for positioning the first side for insertion into the slot of a rail-highway vehicle, and being disposed substantially outside of the connecting slot in the retracted position for permitting insertion of a rail-highway vehicle tongue into the connecting slot;
• and means located on the bolster for connecting the bolster to one of a rail car, a locomotive, and other vehicles.

A universal coupling adapter for forming trains of rail-highway vehicles having a tongue and a slot, the adapter comprising:

• a bolster;
• the bolster having a support member for engaging and supporting the rail-highway vehicle and connection means for connection with the tongue and the slot on the rail-highway vehicle;
• the connection means comprising a slot and a tongue respectively complementary to the tongue and the slot on the rail-highway vehicle, and disposed relatively parallelly offset from each other on the bolster;
• and means disposed on the bolster for connecting the bolster to one of a rail car, a locomotive and other vehicles.

A transition vehicle for forming trains of bi-modal rail-highway vehicle having different complementary coupling elements adjacent opposite ends thereof, the transition vehicle comprising:

• a bogie;
• a bolster on the bogie;
• male and female coupling elements connected to and facing outwardly of one end of the bolster for respective selective coupling with the different complementary male and female coupling elements;
• means operatively associated with the coupling elements for releasably locking the first-mentioned male element with respect to the complementary female element;
• and means connected to and facing outwardly of the bolster on an end thereof opposite to the male and female coupling elements for connection to one of a rail car, a locomotive, and other vehicles.

A universal coupling adapter for forming trains of rail-highway vehicles having different complementary connecting means, the adapter comprising:

• a bolster;
• a plurality of different connecting elements located on the bolster for alternative selective engagement with the different complementary connecting means on the rail-highway vehicle for connecting one end of said vehicle to one end of the bolster;
• means operatively associated with the coupling elements for releasably locking a male element with respect to a female element;
• and additional connecting means located on the bolster for connecting said bolster to another vehicle at an end of the bolster opposite to the one end.