Method and apparatus for transporting cars
AssigneeGlobal Transport Systems, Inc.
InventorWilliam R. Claps
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Cars are loaded individually onto pallets at assembly plants and remain on the pallets until they reach dealers. Most of the palleted cars are transported in specially equipped, closed rail cars from each assembly plant to a main distribution center where they are unloaded, allocated to either satellite distribution centers or to dealers, and reloaded for transport ultimately to the dealers, often via a satellite distribution center. The same pallets can be used to transport the cars in highway trailers and standard intermodal cargo containers. The cars remain on the pallets, are never driven, and are protected from weather and vandalism from the time they leave the plant until they reach the dealers' lots.
Claims17
A method of transporting cars from an assembly plant to dealers comprising the following steps:
- at the assembly plant loading each car individually onto a pallet on which the car is supported on its wheels and securing the car to the pallet to form a palleted car unit;
- at the assembly plant loading multiplicities of palleted car units into first closed housings to form first transportable units;
- moving a multiplicity of the first transportable units to a first distribution center remote from the assembly plant;
- at the first distribution center removing the palleted car units from the first closed housings of the first transportable units and allocating at least some of the palleted car units individually to selected dealers, the palleted car units being removed from the first closed housings and allocated without removing any of the cars from any of the pallets;
- at the first distribution center loading the allocated palleted car units into second closed housings to form second transportable units;
- and
- moving the second transportable units from the distribution center to the selected dealers.
Apparatus for transporting cars from an assembly plant to dealers comprising a plurality of pallets each adapted to support a car on its wheels in secured relation, and a railway car having a closed housing adapted to receive a plurality of pallets, spaced apart longitudinally extending tracks within the closed housing, rollers interposed between the pallets and the tracks along which the pallets roll when moved into and out of the railway car, and endless flexible traction drive means within the railway car for engaging each pallet seriatim and for moving the plurality of pallets into the closed housing one after the other in end to end relation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.