The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 11, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 05, 1997
Richard C Hathaway, Greenville, OH (US);
Mearl K Bridges, New Madison, OH (US);
John M Barr, Euphemia, OH (US);
Donald R Klein, Greenville, OH (US);
Edmond S Miksch, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
KACI Terminals System, Ltd., Greenville, OH (US);
Abstract
The invention is a system for transporting highway vehicles on railway vehicles. It has rail cars positionable relative to one another at an angle of at least about 50 degrees. Each car has a deck for highway vehicles. The system has a railroad terminal with a first track with switch(es) connected to spur(s) so trucks supporting a first set of car ends may be kept on the first track, while a second set of trucks supporting a second set of car ends is placed on the spur(s). The rail cars are thereby placed in a zig-zag configuration. For each of the rail cars, a truck supporting one end remains on the first track while a truck supporting the other end is placed on a spur. A vector parallel to the direction of travel of a truck along the tracks supporting it has a vector component of at least about 0.25 in a direction parallel to the centerline of a railway vehicle supported on the truck, so forces for moving rail cars into and out of the zig-zag configuration may be communicated by tension or compression along the rail cars. The terminal has a dock or ramp having an elevation about equal to the elevation of the rail cars so that highway vehicles may be driven or pulled onto or off the rail cars. The terminal has a roadway or other driveable path to an external highway system.