Methods of loading and of unloading freight containers in freight transportation systems

Claim 1

THE LOADING METHODS INVOLVED IN A FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM COMPRISING A RAILWAY CAR INCLUDING AN ELONGATED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FRAME SUPPORTED AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF BY A PAIR OF TRUCKS, A PAIR OF ELONGATED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING AND LATERALLY SPACEDAPART RAILS CARRIED BY THE TOP OF SAID FRAME AND DEFINING AN ELONGATED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TRACK THEREON, A FREIGHT CONTAINER INCLUDING AN ELONGATED BASE PROVIDED WITH A FRONT END CARRYING A SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY DISPOSED KINGPIN, A BOGIE INCLUDING A BODY PROVIDED WITH ROAD WHEELS AND FACILITY FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING SAID BODY WITH RESPECT TO THE REAR END OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER SO AS TO PRODUCE THEREWITH A COMPOSITE ROAD SEMI-TRAILER, A PAIR OF DOLLIES SELECTIVELY CONNECTIBLE AND DISCONNECTIBLE WITH RESPECT TO LATERALLY SPACED-APART REAR END PORTIONS OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER REARWARDLY OF SAID CONNECTED BOGIE, THE CONNECTED BODY OF SAID DOLLIES BEING PROVIDED WITH ROLLERS THAT ARE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE RESPECTIVE RAILS OF SAID TRACK FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENTS THEREALONG, A LATERALLY EXTENDING CONTAINER BOLSTER MOUNTED UPON SAID TRACK FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENTS THEREALONG AND ARRANGED TO SUPPORT THE FRONT END OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER AND PROVIDED WITH FACILITY ADAPTED SELECTIVELY TO COUPLE AND TO UNCOUPLE SAID KINGPIN, AND A TRACTOR INCLUDING A CHASSIS CARRYING ROAD WHEELS AND ALSO A FIFTH-WHEEL MECHANISM AT THE REAR END THEREOF, SAID FIFTH-WHEEL MECHANISM BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE FRONT END OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER AND PROVIDED WITH FACILITY ADAPTED SELECTIVELY TO COUPLE AND TO UNCOUPLE SAID KINGPIN; SAID METHOD INVOLVING LOADING SAID CONTAINER UPON THE TOP OF SAID RAILWAY CAR WHEN THE FRONT END OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER IS SUPPORTED BY SAID FIFTH-WHEEL MECHANISM WITH THE SAME COUPLED TO SAID KINGPIN AND WHEN THE REAR END OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER IS SUPPORTED BY THE CONNECTED BODY OF SAID BOGIE; SAID METHOD COMPRISING BACKING SAID TRACTOR TO CAUSE SAID CONTAINER AND SAID CONNECTED BOGIE TO MOVE REARWARDLY ALONG A GIVEN CENTER LINE DISPOSED AT A PREDETERMINED ACUTE ANGLE TO THE CENTER LINE OF SAID FRAME AND INTO A POSITION WHEREIN THE REAR END OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER OVERHANGS THE RAILS OF SAID TRACK, ARRANGING SAID DOLLIES IN THEIR SUPPORTED POSITIONS UPON THE RESPECTIVE RAILS OF SAID TRACK SO THAT THEY ARE DISPOSED BELOW RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT REAR END PORTIONS OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER, CONNECTING SAID DOLLIES TO THE RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT REAR END PORTIONS OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER AND DISCONNECTING THE BODY OF SAID BOGIE FROM THE REAR END OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER SO AS TO TRANSFER THE SUPPORT OF THE REAR END OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER TO SAID DOLLIES ENGAGING THE RESPECTIVE RAILS OF SAID TRACK THEN BACKING SAID TRACTOR TO CAUSE THE FRONT END OF SAID CONTAINER TO SWING IN AN ARC ABOUT SAID CONNECTED DOLLIES TOWARD SAID FRAME SO AS TO REDUCE SAID GIVEN ACUTE ANGLE BETWEEN THE CENTER LINE OF SAID CONTAINER AND THE CENTER LINE OF SAID FRAME, ARRANGING SAID BOLSTER IN ITS SUPPORTED POSITION UPON SAID TRACK IN INTERSECTING RELATION WITH THE ARC OF MOVEMENT OF SAID KINGPIN, THEN BACKING SAID TRACTOR TO CAUSE THE ADJACENT FRONT CORNER OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER TO OVERHANG THE ADJACENT OUTER END OF SAID BOLSTER, UNCOUPLING SAID FIFTH-WHEEL MECHANISM FROM SAID KINGPIN AND TRANSFERRING THE SUPPORT OF THE FRONT END OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER TO SAID BOLSTER, AND THEN MOVING THE FRONT END OF THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER INTO A CENTERED POSITION ON SAID SUPPORTING BOLSTER MOUNTED UPON SAID TRACK SO AS TO CAUSE SAID BOLSTER TO COUPLE SAID KINGPIN AND WHEREIN THE CENTER LINE OF SAID CONTAINER IS SUBSTANTIALLY COINCIDENT WITH THE CENTER LINE OF SAID FRAME.