Freight transportation systems provided with side-transfer facilities

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A ROAD VEHICLE INCLUDING A CHASSIS CARRYING ON A TOP THEREOF AND ELONGATED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING AND GENERALLY RECTANGULAR AND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLATFORM, A FREIGHT CONTAINER CARRYING ON THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND ELONGATED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING AND GENERALLY RECTANGULAR BASE, SAID PLATFORM ACCOMMODATING SIDE LOADING AND SIDE UNLOADING OF SAID CONTAINER WITH RESPECT THERETO AND LATERALLY OVER EITHER LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDE EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM, THE TOP OF SAID PLATFORM DIRECTLY ENGAGINT THE BOTTOM OF SAID BASE AND ACCOMMODATING SLIDING MOVEMENTS IN EITHER LATERAL DIRECTION OF SAID BASE OVER EITHER SIDE EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM INCIDENT TO SIDE LOADING AND TO SIDE UNLOAIDNG OF SAID CONTAINER WITH RESPECT TO SAID PLATFORM, LOCKING MECHANISM CARRIED BY SAID CHASSIA AND SELECTIVELY OPERATIVE BETWEEN LOCK AND UNLOCK POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAID CONTAINER IN ITS LOADED POSITION ON SAID PLATFORM, A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED-APART MOTORS RESPECTIVELY MOUNTED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CHASSIS AND IMMEDIATELY BELOW SAID PLATFORM, EACH ONE OF SAID MOTORS BEING OF THE PISTON-CYLINDER TYPE AND INCLUDING ANELONGATED PISTON ROD MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATING MOVEMENTS RELATIVE TO AND LATERALLY OF SAID PLATFORM AND ALONG A LINE DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE CORRESPONDING ONE ADJACENT SIDE EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM, A PAIR OF PAWL ELEMENTS RESPECTIVELY CARRIED BY SAID PISTON RODS RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT TO THER OUTER ENDS THEREOF, EACH ONE OF SAID PISTON RODS HAVING A STROKE SUCH THAT UPON EXTENSION THEREOF THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID PAWL ELEMENTS IS POSITIONED WELL OUTWARDLY FROM THE CORRESPONDING ONE ADJACENT SIDE EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM AND SUCH THAT UPON CONTRACTION THEREOF SAID ONE PAWL ELEMENT IS POSITIONED CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE ONE ADJACENT SIDE EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CHASSIS FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING SAID MOTORS, EACH ONE OF SAID MOTORS BEING OPERATIVE TO EFFECT RECIPROCATION OF THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID PISTON RODS, AND AN ELONGATED LATERALLY EXTENDING RACK ELEMENT FIXED TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID BASE AND ADAPTED SELECTIVELY TO COOPERATE WITH SAID PAWL ELEMENTS, EACH ONE OF SAID PAWL ELEMENTS BEING SELECTIVELY ADJUSTABLE BETWEEN LOADING AND UNLOADING POSITIONS OF COOPERATION WITH SAID RACK ELEMENT, WHEREIN EACH ONE OF SAID APWL ELEMENTS IN ITS LOADING POSITION CLUTCHES SAID RACK ELEMNT IN RESPONSE TO CONTRACTION OF THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID POSITION RODS AND OVERRIDES SAID RACK ELEMENT IN RESPONSE TO EXPANSION OF SAID ONE PISTON FOR, WITH THE RESULT THAT RECIPROCATION OF SAID ONE PISTON ROD EFFECTS INWARD STEP-BY-STEP SLIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID BASE OVER THE CORRESPONDING ONE ADJACENT SIDE EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM AND THE CONSEQUENT SIDE LOADING OF SAID CONTAINER UPON SAID PLATFORM, AND WHEREIN EACH ONE OF SID PAWL ELEMENTS IN ITS UNLOADING POSITION CLUTCHES SAID RACK ELEMENT IN RESPONSE TO EXPANSION OF THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID PISTON RODS AND OVERRIDES SAID RACK ELEMENT IN RESPONSE TO CONTRACTION OF SAID ONE PISTON ROD, WITH THE RESULT THAT RECIPROCATION OF SAID ONE PISTON ROD EFFECTS OUTWARD STEP-BY-STEP SLIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID BASE OVER THE CORRESPONDING ONE ADJACENT SIDE EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM AND THE CONSEQJENT SIDE UNLOADING OF SAID CONTAINER FROM SAID PLATFORM, SAID PISTON RODS BEING ARRANGED IN LATERAL ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER, WHEREBY SAID CONTAINER MAY BE SLID IN EITHER LATERAL DIRECTION ACROSS SAID PLATFORM AND BETWEEN TWO EXTERNAL SUPPORTS RESPECTIVELY POSITIONED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PLATFORM BY SEQUENTIAL OPERATION OF SAID MOTORS.