Road-rail transport apparatus

Claim 2

Transporting apparatus comprising a railway vehicle supported for movement on a rail track, having a frame extending longitudinally of the vehicle; a roadway vehicle having front wheels and rear wheels arranged in tandem, movable upwardly convergingly and downwardly divergingly wheelbasewise; and means for lifting said roadway vehicle from a road surface supported disposition with the front and rear wheels arranged downwardly divergingly and respectively on opposite sides of the rail track centerline to a disposition supported on said railway vehicle, including means for moving said railway vehicle on the rail track to a disposition positioning said frame between the front wheels and rear wheels of said roadway vehicle and means for moving the front and rear wheels of said roadway vehicle upwardly convergingly to a contracted wheelbase configuration embracing the frame of the railway vehicle.

Claim 3

Transporting apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said roadway vehicle includes self-propelling means and selectively operative means for automotive movement of the roadway vehicle in road travel.

Claim 4

Transporting apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said roadway vehicle includes reach means extending longitudinally of the wheels of the roadway vehicle and means for detachably connecting said reach means with a traction vehicle in road travel.

Claim 5

Transporting apparatus comprising a railway vehicle supported for movement on a rail track, having a frame extending longitudinally of the vehicle; roadway vehicle means including a truck-tractor, a semitrailer and means separably hitching the truck-tractor and semitrailer together, said semitrailer including a carrier having front wheels and rear wheels operative upwardly convergingly and downwardly divergingly wheelbasewise, and load-bearing means turnably supported on said carrier turnable in a horizontal arc relative thereto; and means for lifting said semitrailer from a road surface supported disposition with said front wheels and rear wheels arranged downwardly divergingly and respectively on opposite sides of the rail track, to a disposition supported on said railway vehicle, including means for moving said railway vehicle on the rail track to a disposition positioning said frame between the front wheels and rear wheels of the carrier, including means for moving the front and rear wheels of the carrier upwardly convergingly, embracing the frame of the railway vehicle, and means for horizontally turnably adjusting the load-bearing means of said semitrailer to a disposition corresponding with the longitudinal extension of said railway vehicle.

Claim 6

Transporting apparatus comprising a railway vehicle supported for movement on a rail track, having a frame extending longitudinally of the vehicle; roadway vehicle means including a truck-tractor, a semitrailer and means separably hitching the truck-tractor and semitrailer together, said semitrailer including a carrier having front wheels and rear wheels operative upwardly convergingly and downwardly divergingly wheelbasewise, and load-bearing means turnably supported on said carrier turnable in a horizontal arc relative thereto; and means for lifting said semitrailer from a road surface supported disposition with said front wheels and rear wheels arranged downwardly divergingly and respectively on opposite sides of the rail track, to a disposition supported on said railway vehicle, including means for moving said railway vehicle on the rail track to a disposition positioning said frame between the front wheels and rear wheels of the carrier, including means for moving the front and rear wheels of the carrier upwardly convergingly, embracing the frame of the railway vehicle, and means for horizontally turnably adjusting the load-bearing means of said semitrailer to a disposition corresponding with the longitudinal extension of said railway vehicle.

Claim 7

Transporting apparatus comprising railway vehicle means supported for movement on a rail track; a double tandem roadway vehicle including a forward and a rearward carrier each having front and rear road wheels, load-bearing means supported on and extending between the forward carrier and rearward carrier; and means for lifting said roadway vehicle from a road surface supported disposition to a disposition surmounting said railway vehicle means, including forward and rearward pivot means operative between said load-bearing means and the forward carrier and rearward carrier, means for horizontally turnably adjusting the load-bearing means relative to the forward carrier and rearward carrier for arranging the roadway vehicle with the load-bearing means correspondingly aligned with the rail track and with the forward carrier and rearward carrier each being arranged crosswise of the said rail track, including means for moving said railway vehicle means on the rail track to a disposition between the front and rear wheels of the forward carrier and rearward carrier, and means for retracting the front and rear wheels of the forward carrier and rearward carrier upward and toward the major axis of the railway vehicle means.

Claim 8

Transporting apparatus comprising railway vehicle means supported for movement on a rail track; a double tandem roadway vehicle including a forward and a rearward carrier each having front and rear road wheels, load-bearing means supported on and extending between the forward carrier and rearward carrier; and means for lifting said roadway vehicle from a road surface supported disposition to a disposition surmounting said railway vehicle means, including forward and rearward pivot means operative between said load-bearing means and the forward carrier and rearward carrier, means for horizontally turnably adjusting the load-bearing means relative to the forward carrier and rearward carrier for arranging the roadway vehicle with the load-bearing means correspondingly aligned with the rail track and with the forward carrier and rearward carrier each being arranged crosswise of the said rail track, including means for moving said railway vehicle means on the rail track to a disposition between the front and rear wheels of the forward carrier and rearward carrier, and means for retracting the front and rear wheels of the forward carrier and rearward carrier upward and toward the major axis of the railway vehicle means.

Claim 9

Transporting apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said roadway vehicle is adapted for trailing attachment to a towing vehicle in road travel and includes reach means extending forwardly of the wheels of said forward carrier and between said rearward carrier and forward carrier, and hitch half means supported on the reach means of said forward carrier adapted for connecting with a coating hitch half on the towing vehicle.

Claim 10

Transporting apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein at least one carrier of said roadway vehicle is of traction truck form and includes self-propelling means and selectively operative control means for automotive movement of the roadway vehicle in road travel.

Claim 11

Transporting apparatus comprising railway vehicle means supported for movement on a rail track; roadway vehicle means including a carrier having front and rear road wheels, and loAd-bearing means supported on said carrier; and means for lifting said roadway vehicle means from a road surface supported disposition with said carrier arranged crosswise of the rail track to a disposition supported on said railway vehicle means with said carrier crosswise surmounting said railway vehicle means, including means for moving said railway vehicle means on the rail track to a disposition between the front and rear wheels of the carrier, means for retracting the front and rear wheels of the carrier upward and toward the major axis of the railway vehicle means, and means for horizontally turnably adjusting the load-bearing means of said roadway vehicle means to a disposition corresponding with the longitudinal extension of said railway vehicle means including vertical thrust pivot means operative between said carrier and load-bearing means of said roadway vehicle means.

Claim 12

Transporting apparatus comprising railway vehicle means supported for movement on a rail track; roadway vehicle means including a carrier having front and rear road wheels, and loAd-bearing means supported on said carrier; and means for lifting said roadway vehicle means from a road surface supported disposition with said carrier arranged crosswise of the rail track to a disposition supported on said railway vehicle means with said carrier crosswise surmounting said railway vehicle means, including means for moving said railway vehicle means on the rail track to a disposition between the front and rear wheels of the carrier, means for retracting the front and rear wheels of the carrier upward and toward the major axis of the railway vehicle means, and means for horizontally turnably adjusting the load-bearing means of said roadway vehicle means to a disposition corresponding with the longitudinal extension of said railway vehicle means including vertical thrust pivot means operative between said carrier and load-bearing means of said roadway vehicle means.

Claim 13

Transporting apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein the roadway vehicle means is adapted for trailing attachment to a towing vehicle in road travel and includes reach means extending forwardly of said carrier for trailingly guiding said carrier in road travel, including a tongue, means adjustably supporting said tongue on the carrier, and hitch half means arranged on the outboard end of said tongue adapted for connecting with a coacting hitch half on the towing vehicle.

Claim 14

Transporting apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said roadway vehicle means is of semitrailer form, adapted for trailing attachment to a towing vehicle in road travel, including reach means extending forwardly of said carrier for guiding said carrier in road travel, hitch half means arranged on the forward extension of said reach means for connecting with a coating hitch half on the towing vehicle, and means substantially integrally connecting said reach means and load-bearing means.