Side-load and unload structure for railway-carried highway trailers

Claim 1

FOR USE IN SIDE LOADING ROAD-VEHICLE TRAILERS ONTO, AND SIDE UNLOADING THEM FROM, RAILWAY FLATCARS LOCATED ON A RAILWAY TRACK, WHEREIN THE TRAILERS ARE EQUIPPED WITH LANDING WHEELS AT THE FRONT AND WITH ROAD-TRANSIT WHEELS AT THE REAR AND ARE DETACHABLY SUPPORTED AT THE FRONT ON A ROAD-VEHICLE TRACTOR DURING ROAD TRANSIT, THE COMBINATION OF: A STEERABLE DOLLY TRACTOR; MOBILE ADAPTING STRUCTURE ON WHICH THE DOLLY TRACTOR IS CARRIED, THE LAST SAID STRUCTURE COMPRISING A LOAD-UNLOAD VEHICLE MOVABLE ALONG BETWEEN A STRING OF RAILWAY CARS POSITIONED ALONG A RAILWAY SECTION BETWEEN IT AND AN ADJOINING ROADWAY SECTION, THE LOAD-UNLOAD VEHICLE INCLUDING MEANS FOR PROVIDING A DIAGONAL CONTINUATION OF THE SURFACE OF THE ADJOINING ROADWAY ONTO THE SURFACE OF ANY SAID FLATCAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH WHICH IT IS POSITIONED, PERMITTING A SAID TRAILER TO BE BACKED BY A SAID ROAD VEHICLE TRACTOR DIAGONALLY FROM THE ROADWAY AND DIAGONALLY OVER THE SAID CONTINUATION THEREOF AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE LONGITUDINAL DISPOSITION OF THE LAST SAID FLATCAR AND LEFT IN A LOAD-UNLOAD POSITION WHEREIN THE ROAD TRANSIT WHEELS OF THE TRAILER REST ON THE SURFACE OF THE FLATCAR AND THE LANDING WHEELS REST ON THE SURFACE OF THE LOAD-UNLOAD VEHICLE, AND ALSO PERMITTING A SAID TRAILER TO BE PICKED UP AND PULLED BY A SAID ROAD VEHICLE TRACTOR FROM THE LOAD-UNLOAD POSITION OVER THE SAID ROADWAY CONTINUATION ONTO THE ROADWAY; MEANS POWERING THE DOLLY TRACTOR TO MOVE FORWARD AND BACK; A LIFTER CARRIED BY THE DOLL TRACTOR LOWERABLE TO BE CARRIED UNDER THE FRONT END OF A TRAILER RESTING ON ITS LANDING WHEELS EITHER IN THE LOAD-UNLOAD POSITION OR IN AN IN-LINE TRANSIT POSITION ON THE FLATCAR; AND POWER MEANS FOR RAISING THE LIFTER TO LIFT THE FRONT END OF A TRAILER AND SUPPORT IT FOR A SWINGING MOVEMENT BY THE DOLLY TRACTOR BETWEEN THE SAID LOAD-UNLOAD AND TRANSIT POSITIONS, THE LAST SAID POWER MEANS BEING EFFECTIVE TO LOWER THE LIFTER TO LET DOWN THE FRONT END OF A TRAILER SUPPORTED THEREBY.