Container oblique-channel transfer and system

A container side transfer system comprising in combination, a vehicle way, at least one vehicle thereon for moving along said vehicle way, at least one container, a platform for supporting said container alongside of said vehicle way, said vehicle having at least one berth for securing, supporting, and guiding a said container to move transversely on and off of said vehicle at an elevation for substantial level transfer to said platform, a cam channel track having spaced apart parallel channels secured on said platform extending obliquely away from said vehicle way, cam rollers spaced and supported extended each on a vertical axis depending from said container to engage in said channels to pull a said container parallelly off of said vehicle onto said platform when the vehicle is moved along said vehicle way passing said platform in the direction of increasing distance of said channel track from said vehicle way, and means for moving said container along said channel track into said berth when said vehicle is moved in the reverse direction past said platform.

In combination, transport containers, railway track and cars thereon and highway vehicles for transporting said containers, a driveway for said highway vehicles, a dock for said containers having a side along said track and an opposite side along said driveway for transfer of said containers between said railway cars and said highway vehicles (such as trucks and buses), parallel transfer channels on said dock run oblique between said sides, said containers having cam wheels spaced and extended to engage and run in said channels to guide said containers parallel between said railway cars, said dock, and said highway vehicles, and means for moving said containers for transfer to and from said dock including the movement of said cars and said vehicles.

A container transfer system having in combination a load bearing device (i.e. a container), a trackway, a vehicle guided to move along on said trackway, a dock for receiving said container from said vehicle when moving by along said trackway in a first direction, a berth on said vehicle for holding, guiding, and supporting said container to move transversely onto and off from said vehicle, a cam track on said dock oblique to said trackway, horizontal cam rider means on said container for engaging with said cam track for (switching) pulling said container parallelly off of said vehicle and onto said dock as said container is pushed along by said vehicle until clear from said vehicle.

In combination, a vehicle way, a vehicle for running thereon, at least one container on said vehicle, a container transfer dock having a dock side &long said vehicle way to receive said container at substantially the same height as on said vehicle when thereat, a cam channel track on said dock extending obliquely substantially from said dock side away from said vehicle way, cam roller means on said container for engaging in said cam track along said dock to transfer the container to or from sail dock according to the direction of movement of said vehicle along said way, and roller means on said vehicle for pushing said container along said dock until clear of said vehicle, all said roller means guiding said container to roll straight parallel on and off of said vehicle, said cam track serving to pull out and push in said container on said vehicle and guide it parallelly on said dock, and conveying means on said dock for supporting, moving and stopping said container.

In combination, at least one transport container, a first and a second platform for holding said container for side transfer therebetween, at least one said platform being movable parallel alongside the other said platform, at least one oblique channel on said first platform extending on an oblique angle toward the second said platform, said second platform having means for guiding said container straight transversely onto and out from said second platform for this transfer, and aligning transfer means for engaging and connecting said container on (with) said channel at points spaced apart to travel parallel in line obliquely along said channel whereby the relative movement of said platforms alongside of each other transfers said container parallel between said platforms in a direction according to the direction of relative movement of said platforms alongside of each other.