Patents Assigned to Trailer Train Company
  • Patent number: 5005489
    Abstract: A stand alone, double stack railroad well car for carrying stacked containers includes a platform suspended at each end upon swing hangers from a multiple axle truck or suspension system, utilizing leaf springs. Adjacent axles are connected by bridge beams which are pivotally connected to the leaf springs. Shear pads connected between the bridge beams and axles permit limited angular displacement of the axles relative to each other. An axle guard is provided for limiting lateral movement of the car relative to the trucks. An axle guard frame assembly is rotatably connected to the under side of the car body or platform at each end. It includes vertical axle guards which engage the axle bearing adapter housings to limit lateral movement. The rotatable connection of the axle guard frame assembly underside of the carbody to the platform permits limited rotational or pivotal movement of the axle guard frame as the suspension system negotiates a curve in the track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1991
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventor: Boris S. Terlecky
  • Patent number: 4947760
    Abstract: An articulated railroad flat car for single-level loading of containers has five units or platforms. End trucks are disposed at the ends of the two end units and four shared trucks are disposed intermediate the five units at articulated connections between the units. Each unit has a center sill with bolsters at either end mounting outer container retention devices. Alternate units further include intermediate cross-bearers, with intermediate container retention devices mounted on the cross-bearer. This arrangement allows loading of full length containers (40, 45 or 48 feet in length) on each unit and either full length or 20 foot containers on alternative units. A container floor safety system includes a plurality of cross-ties connected to the center sill with longitudinal stringers fastened to the outer ends of the cross-ties. The container floor safety system prevents container lading from falling to the track in the event of a container floor failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventors: Richard W. Dawson, Ronald P. Sellberg
  • Patent number: 4929132
    Abstract: An articulated railroad flat car for transporting four short or three long semi-trailers comprises two units connected by a drawbar. A plurality of semi-trailer hitches are mounted on the units. The hitches are suitably spaced for securing either three long trailers or four standard trailers, using overhead loading or circus loading. When three long trailers are loaded, the middle trailer is attached to a hitch on one of the units and has its tandem resting on the other unit. The unit on which the tandem rests has a widened floor section at its end adjacent the drawbar to accommodate turning or skewing of the tandem when the car negotiates a curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1990
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventors: Richard P. Yeates, Bruce E. Keating, William R. Halliar
  • Patent number: 4905608
    Abstract: A railroad car for carrying containers has a car body mounted on trucks. The car body includes two side sills connected to two end frames. The side sills and end frames define an open well which is adapted for receiving a container. The floor of the well is defined by a container support frame assembly which is hung from the side sills by four hanger straps. The container support frame assembly includes two transverse support beams. The hanger straps are pivotally connected by transverse pins to the side sills and the transverse support beams such that the hanger straps are stressed primarily in tension only and they transfer tensile loads but not bending loads to the side sills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventors: Boris S. Terlecky, Ronald P. Sellberg, Frank F. Stec
  • Patent number: 4848611
    Abstract: A railroad car coupler arrangement which limits the lateral movement of square butt couplers to prevent excess longitudinal misalignment, particularly on railroad cars having single axle trucks. The coupler includes a head and shank which fit into a coupler pocket. An end wall of the shank engages a follower plate which is in contact with a draft gear cushioning device. The shank end wall has a vertically-extending recess and the follower plate has a cooperating, vertically-extending projection which interfits with the recess to limit lateral movement of the coupler shank relative to the coupler pocket transversely of the longitudinal centerline of the car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignees: Trailer Train Company, Amsted Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Boris S. Terlecky, Ronald P. Sellberg
  • Patent number: 4805875
    Abstract: The disclosed jack assembly has an elongated structural beam of sufficient length to extend between and beyond the two rails of a railroad track to be supported on top of the rails. A compact power lift cylinder, in the form of a multiple-sleeve power cylinder, is connected to the beam; and a car engaging plate is coupled to the power lift cylinder, to be moved in a direction transverse to the beam. The silhouette of the beam, power lift cylinder and plate is low, when the power lift cylinder is contracted, to allow them to be fitted with clearance to a lifting position, under a railroad car with the beam extended across the track rails and the car engaging plate vertically aligned under the railroad car frame. The power lift cylinder has a power stroke sufficient to lift the overlying railroad car enough above the rails to remove the railroad car completely from one wheeled truck assembly, for replacement or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Jackson, Jagdish Shah, Robert E. Graham, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4681040
    Abstract: A railroad car having universal coupling capability through provision of a coupling arrangement which permits connection to a standard coupler or a drawbar is disclosed. The coupling arrangement includes facing sill side frames which define key slots and spaced stops to accommodate force transfer of traction and buff loads from either a coupler or a drawbar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1987
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventors: Rene H. Brodeur, Boris S. Terlecky
  • Patent number: 4636119
    Abstract: An all purpose railroad car for transporting trailers and containers, having an elongated frame adapted to be supported by wheel trucks, combined hitch and container bolster means adjacent one end of the car frame for selectively receiving and releasably retaining a trailer king pin and one end of a container, and means spaced from the combined hitch and container bolster means for selectively receiving and supporting the wheels of a trailer and the other end of a container. The car may be a light-weight skeletal frame including an elongated center sill, wheel trucks at opposite ends of the center sill supporting said center sill, each wheel truck including a single axle. Cushioning means may be provided between the combined hitch and container bolster means and the frame operable to oppose longitudinal movement of the lading relative to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventor: Boris S. Terlecky
  • Patent number: 4596311
    Abstract: A railroad car brake system operable by an air bag which includes double acting brakes operable on the wheels. Links suspend the brakes and the live and dead levers connected by an adjustable connecting link mechanism are operable by the air bag. Slack as a result of wear in the brakes is automatically taken up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1986
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventors: Rene H. Brodeur, Boris S. Terlecky, Gerald R. Misner
  • Patent number: 4589558
    Abstract: A railroad car having universal coupling capability through provision of a coupling arrangement which permits connection to a standard coupler or a drawbar. The coupling arrangement includes facing sill side frames which define key slots and spaced stops to accommodate force transfer of traction and buff loads from either a coupler or a drawbar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1986
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventors: Rene H. Brodeur, Boris S. Terlecky
  • Patent number: 4190390
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for permitting automatic and manual machining of critical wear surfaces of railroad truck side frames. A fixture is rotatably mounted on a base. The railroad truck side frame is mounted on the fixture with the fixture and side frame in a first or vertical position. The side frame is first leveled vertically on the fixture with respect to leveling plates and then aligned horizontally before it is rigidly clamped to the fixture. Pivotably mounted gauges are then used to determine the exact location of the pedestal roof areas of the side frame with respect to the fixture, and this positional information from the gauges is manually transferred to adjustable stop dogs that engage limit switches that control the movement of a machining head. The fixture is then rotated 90.degree. and locked in that position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1980
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventors: Richard P. Yeates, Boris S. Terlecky, Jagdish K. Shah
  • Patent number: 4187600
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for machining the bolster bowl surface, the bolster pocket surfaces, the fulcrum pin hole surface and the bolster gib surfaces of railroad truck bolsters. The apparatus includes a base, a fixture mounted for rotation on the base and clamps on the fixture for clamping the bolster rigidly to the fixture. A locating template is utilized to properly position the bolster on the fixture, and once properly positioned and clamped, the fixture can be rotated and locked in a plurality of different positions to permit machining of the various surfaces. To machine the bolster pocket surfaces, the fulcrum pin hole surface, and the bolster gibs, a first machining (milling) head is provided that is movable along three perpendicular axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1980
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventors: Richard P. Yeates, Boris S. Terlecky, Jagdish K. Shah
  • Patent number: 4145079
    Abstract: A railroad car wheel having an annular hub for connection to an axle and defining an inner radial surface adapted for disposition in facing relating to the inner surface of a wheel on the opposite end of the axle and an outboard radial surface facing outwardly of the wheel, an annular tread defining rim portion disposed generally concentrically of the hub and defining an inner radial surface adapted for disposition in facing relation to the inner surface of a wheel on the opposite end of the axle and an outboard radial surface facing outwardly of the wheel, the rim portion being displaced axially outwardly with respect to the hub and including an outer, generally cylindrical rail engaging surface provided with radially extending flange adjacent the inner radial surface, and an integral annular plate portion connecting the rim and hub, the plate having a relatively thin cross section and being generally frusto-conical defining inboard and outboard conical surfaces, the plate joining the hub adjacent the inner
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1979
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventors: Lawrence P. Greenfield, George E. Novak, Daniel H. Stone
  • Patent number: RE33207
    Abstract: A railroad car brake system operable by an air bag which includes double acting brakes operable on the wheels. Links suspend the brakes and the live and dead levers connected by an adjustable connecting link mechanism are operable by the air bag. Slack as a result of wear in the brakes is automatically taken up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventors: Rene H. Brodeur, Boris S. Terlecky, Gerald R. Misner