Vehicle formed by couplable container means with demountable couplable adapter frames

Abstract

Abstract A VEHICLE FOR USE IN AN INTERMODAL CONTAINERIZED CARGO SYSTEM COMPRISED OF A FREIGHT CARRYING SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR CONTAINER MEANS VERTICALLY COUPLED TO TWO ADAPTER OR CHASSIS FRAMES WHICH ARE THEMSELVES RELEASEABLY CONNECTED TOGETHER IN HORIZONTAL LONGITUDINAL END-TO-END RELATIONSHIP, A PAIR OF WHEELED BOGIES MOUNTED FOR SLIDING LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID ADAPTER FRAMES, AND A LANDING GEAR AND A KINGPIN MOUNTED ON EACH FRAME IN POSITIONS TO ALLOW MOVEMENT OF THE BOGIES. THE ADAPTER FRAMES MAY BE COUPLED TOGETHER FORMING A FIRST CONFIGURATION TANDEM AXLE SEMI-TRAILER CARRYING A CONTAINER MEANS COMPRISING TWO SEPARATE VAN SIZE CARGO CONTAINERS IN END-TO-END ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP, MAY BE COUPLED TOGETHER FORMING A SECOND CONFIGURATION TANDEM AXLE SEMI-TRAILER CARRYING A CONTAINER MEANS COMPRISING TWO VAN SIZE CARGO CONTAINERS WHICH ARE THEMSELVES COUPLED TOGETHER HORIZONTALLY IN END-TO-END RELATIONSHIP TO FORM A UNITARY DUAL CONTAINER WHICH SPANS BOTH ADAPTER FRAMES, OR MAY BE COUPLED TOGETHER FORMING A THIRD CONFIGURATION TANDEM AXLE SEMI-TRAILER CARRYING A CONTAINER MEANS COMPRISING A SINGLE VAN SIZE CARGO CONTAINER APPROXIMATELY EQUAL IN OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS TO THE CONTAINER MEANS OF THE SECND CONFIGURATION AND SPANNING BOTH ADAPTER FRAMES. WHEN THE ADAPTER FRAMES FROM THE FIRST AND SECOND CONFIGURATIONS, THE ADAPTER FRAMES MAY BE UNCOUPLED AND THEIR CONTAINERS SEPARATED TO FORM TWO SINGLE BODY, SINGLE AXLE SEMI-TRAILERS.

Inventors

• 👤 Ronald L Zubko

Bibliographic Details