Abstract: A cargo body with a rubber tired truck permanently connected to its rear end, is propelled along the highway by any conventional highway tractor. For rail service the highway truck is cradeled in a railroad wheeled truck and the front end of each cargo body is supported on the rear end of its preceding cargo body. Additionally, an array of second stage springs carry the doubled load in rail service, stabilizers are provided for the railroad axles; and a single axle railroad dolly is used to connect the cargo bodies to a locomotive or any of its cars.

Abstract: A highway trailer has an underframe of side walking beams, to which it is pivotally connected on a horizontal transverse axis. These walking beams can be mounted on, preferably with a nesting fit, the main longitudinal side frame members of a railroad truck so that the trailer can be lifted from and dropped onto the railroad truck by gravity. Such can be accomplished by arranging a highway track at a straddling higher elevation than a railroad track and providing the railroad track with up and down ramps. With the trailer overlaying and connected to move along with the railroad truck, the latter rises into mating relation therewith on ascending the up-ramp. When disconnected, the railroad truck drops from the trailer on descending the down ramp. In mating, the highway walking beams enter the space defined by the main longitudinal side frame members of the railroad truck, and the rubber tired highway wheels are arranged, freely suspended, exteriorly of the railroad truck.

Abstract: In a friction-free vehicle suspension having axle ends pivotally connected by side walking beams, which are journalled on the ends of a cross rod, the improvement resides in the mounting, arrangement and proportioning of both helical compression springs and rectilinear movement shear rubber springs to support the vehicle frame on the ends of the cross rod. This is done in such manner as to achieve the maximum advantages from the distinctive characteristics of each type. The helical springs, which provide, in a very small space, a very large amount of resilient support, but no lateral control, are located inboard along the cross rod. The shear rubber springs are so mounted outboard along the cross rod to be fully effective in providing adequate resilient control of axle movement both laterally and longitudinally of the line of vehicle movement, as well as vertically, and also to provide high and wide stable spring centers for sidesway control.