Abstract: An apparatus specifically tailored to transporting pipes in a tunnel is disclosed. A pair of low slung bogies are used to support and transport a pipe to pipe junction location. The bogies move over a pair of rails on rollers. The pipe rests on a set of inflatable devices which may be selectively inflated in a controlled manner to move the pipe in two axes during transport to the junction site. At the junction site, the inflatable devices are used to "jockey" the pipe on the transport device to provide limited roll, pitch and yaw movement of the pipe to facilitate mating the transported pipe with the end of a previously set pipe string.

Abstract: A truck-train system that provides for the mounting and dismounting of a truck-trailer on/from a railway dolly at any stretch of train rails which is paved or gravelled level to the height of the rail head, and employing a moment arm reaction locking mechanism that automatically centers and engages the truck-trailer thereby locking it into place. The dolly includes a steering rod assembly that permits it to steer into curves in either direction of operation. Also included on the dolly, is a truck assembly that utilizes a floating pedestal. The moment arm reaction locking mechanism coupled with the steering rod assembly and the floating pedestal affords greater lateral stability and greatly increased operating speeds of the truck-train system.

Abstract: A multiple track rail transportation system provides cars having a greater than standard width to span adjacent parallel tracks, and apparatus providing for such cars to ride on standard wheel trucks on each of the parallel tracks. Laterally spaced apart and coupled conventional engines may be used to pull such cars, and interconnection between the laterally spaced apart locomotives is provided to enable the train to be operated by a single crew in the cab of one locomotive. Alternatively, a single locomotive spanning the two adjacent parallel tracks may be used. Couplings are provided to enable conventional cars to be coupled to the wider cars and/or engine as needed. The system provides gains in efficiency over relatively narrow trains limited by a single track, allowing shorter trains to still carry the same amount of cargo and/or passengers, and moreover allows wider loads to be carried without disassembly or transfer to smaller cars.

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.

Abstract: A railway flatcar (10) is provided for hauling a variety of lading. The car (10) includes a frame (11) having a first section (12), middle section (14) and second section (13). The car (10) has a lower middle section (14) and wrap around bulkheads (22) and (24). The bulkheads (22) and (24) and the floor members (18), (19) and (20) are constructed of an open mesh configuration so as to prevent debris build-up and for reduced wind resistance. The car is adapted to carry a variety of lading including containers and forest products.

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.

Abstract: A span bolster, for carrying a heavy load of a railroad car body and distributing the load to two four wheel two axle railroad bogies or trucks, is fabricated from steel plate and has top and bottom cover plates, top and bottom reinforcement doubler plates, longitudinal spaced apart webs separating the cover plates, body bolsters at each end and a central truck bolster, all formed of metal plate joined together by welding with all critical welds being full penetration welds, and with the span bolster being stress relieved after fabrication.

Abstract: A pair of truck vehicles are manually moveable along the top and side edge running surfaces of parallel joist members of a factory roof a-building. Each truck runs on a separate joist and each has wheels running on the top surface of the joist with horizontal axles journaled to the truck chassis and has pairs of guide wheels with verticle axles journaled to the chassis and running on top side edge of the joist. The trucks carry between them bundles of corrugated sheet steel roof decking for manually and sequentially fitting to the roof of the factory from the trucks.

Abstract: A convertible vehicle provided with a truck assembly adjacent the rear end and a plurality of liftable axle assemblies intermediate its ends. The truck assembly has railway wheels lowered for railway use and highway wheels lowered for highway use. The liftable axle assemblies have highway wheels lowered during highway use. A lift mechanism raises the liftable axle assemblies during railway use and a locking mechanism releasably locks the liftable axle assemblies in the raised position. The front of the vehicle can be alternatively connected to a highway truck tractor or a railway truck.

Abstract: The present invention comprises an elongated container which may be carried either by rail or on a highway by a conventional truck tractor. The container includes a pair of dolly engaging pins fixed to its floor at the opposite ends thereof. The pins are adapted to engage a fifth wheel mechanism mounted on a dolly having wheels thereon adapted to engage conventional railroad rails. The dolly includes two fifth wheel mechanisms, one for receiving the pin from one container and the other for receiving the pin from another container. Also mounted on the undersurface of the container is a fifth wheel carriage which is adapted to slide longitudinally with respect to the container and which is adapted to engage the fifth wheel mechanism of a conventional truck tractor. A pair of truck wheels are mounted on a carriage which can be mounted to the rear end of the container for use on a highway when being pulled by a truck tractor.

Abstract: A railroad car as a chassis of two parts and which are connected together by a coupling device. By lifting one end of the chassis by jacks it is possible to remove a railroad type truck and replace it with truck fitted with wheels and tires. The coupling is then opened and each half of the railroad car can be converted into a semi-trailer connected by means of a pivot to a tractor truck.

Abstract: The present invention teaches an intermodal rail-highway transport system for trailer-containers, in which unequalled economy measured in tons per mile per hour per dollar is achieved. Damage-free shipments with reduced loads per axle and unrestricted main line clearances through tunnels are facilitated with a system that utilizes an integral universal system interchange where trailer-containers, whose adjacent ends are supported torsion-free for linehaul via upstanding kingpins integral with centerplates suspended in tandem axle rail support trucks, are assembled into or broken from train-formation configurations by means of elevating shuttle means described in detail below.

Abstract: An air control system is provided for a vehicle convertible between highway and railway modes of travel. Air springs suspend a rail-wheel set axle unit and highway wheel-set axle units from the vehicle body so that the one wheel-set axle unit is stored in a raised inoperative position while the other is in the lowered operative position. During a transfer from the highway mode of travel to the railroad mode of travel, or vice-versa, a valved air control system selectively allows the wheel-set axle units to be positioned in either the raised or lowered positions. The air control system also includes, in addition to the mode selection function, the highway braking function, the rail braking function, the parking brake and the emergency brake functions.

Abstract: A convertible rail-highway vehicle having a semi-trailer with a truck provided adjacent the rear of the trailer with connecting structure for pivotally connecting the truck to a central beam for movement about a vertical axis. The truck has at least a pair of spaced and parallel axles for carrying at opposite ends thereof a pair of flanged wheels and a pair of highway wheels. The axes of rotation of the highway wheels are radially offset from the axes of rotation of flanged wheels. The axles are each rotatably supported in a pair of elongated and parallel bars which are, in turn, pivotally supported from a laterally extending support member on the truck. A releasable connection is provided adjacent the front end of the trailer for facilitating a selective connection to a highway tractor and to a further truck.

Abstract: A load distribution system for railway cars, in which the load is applied to the supporting structure by fixed bearing arrangements, at one pair of longitudinally spaced points, at one side of the center line of the structure and is applied to the supporting structure at another pair of correspondingly longitudinally spaced points at the other side of the center line of the structure, and aligned with the first pair of points by a pair of hydraulic cylinders which are connected to each other in a closed hydraulic system. In effect my arrangement converts a statistically indeterminate four point suspension to a statistically determinant three point suspension.

Abstract: A reduced-pivot assembly for supporting one end of a load for movement along a track in which a load support member for receiving that end is supported on a truck for lateral movement relative to the way. A limit switch mounted along the longitudinal center line of the truck at a location corresponding to a desired pivot center spaced from the load support center senses the lateral deviation of an adjacent portion of the load support member and actuates lateral shifting apparatus to shift the load support member in such a direction as to achieve the desired pivot center. A plurality of such sensors are disposed at longitudinally spaced locations on the truck to permit variation of the desired pivot center while moving along a track. Other sensors responsive to the lateral movement of the load support member inhibit the operation of the lateral shifting apparatus whenever the lateral displacement of the load support member exceeds a predetermined safe limit.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to a self-propelled industrial car for use in transporting hot or cold rolled steel coils having two pair of non-flanged wheels engageable with a track or flat surface, the guiding thereof being affected by a pair of guide rollers for each pair of wheels received in a guiding slot.