US3678864A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Articulated motorized truck train
Assignee: Pullman Standard Inc
•
Filing: 1970-12-16
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Granted: 1972-07-25
•
Expires: 1990-12-16
Abstract
Abstract A dispersed power train arrangement comprising a series of interconnected pairs of railroad cars, each pair being articulatedly connected with another pair by a power unit mounted on trucks between each pair of cars to define a freight unit, the free end of one car removably receiving a control cab unit or pod which is cushion mounted on one end of the car to absorb vibrational shocks, the pod having its structural collision member resiliently or spring suspending a cab containing the operator controls and seat, the controls being couplable with each of the power units of each of a series of pairs of cars defining the power train whereby an operator located in the cab may operate each power unit to drive the cars or may brake the cars. Alternately the dispersed power train arrangement comprises a pair of flat deck railway cars articulatedly connected with one another through the power unit or module mounted on trucks, the front end of the front car having a control pod mounted thereon with successive containers mounted on the flat deck by the control pod or the control pod may be replaced by a container and actually be located on top of the power unit or module. In all of the dispersed power train arrangements, one end of a car is supported by its own trucks and the other end is supported by the trucks of the power unit or module trucks.
Inventors
- 👤 Jack E Gutridge
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 15:15
CPC Classifications
B; B61; B61C; B61C17/00; B61C17/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A power train comprising: a pair of cars mounted on top of and carried upon the ground, a ground carried mobile power unit for supplying locomotion to each of the cars being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit releasably mounted on the free end of one of the cars and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars and operatively connected with each of the cars for controlling the speed of said cars when in motion, said control unit comprising a bumper mounted on the free end of one of the cars and an operator control cab part carried on the bumper.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
A power train comprising: a pair of cars mounted on top of and carried upon the ground, a ground carried mobile power unit for supplying locomotion to each of the cars being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit releasably mounted on the free end of one of the cars and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars and operatively connected with each of the cars for controlling the speed of said cars when in motion, said control unit comprising a bumper mounted on the free end of one of the cars and an operator control cab part carried on the bumper.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
196 words
A power train comprising: a pair of cars mounted on top of and carried upon the ground, a ground carried mobile power unit for supplying locomotion to each of the cars being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit releasably mounted on the free end of one of the cars and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars and operatively connected with each of the cars for controlling the speed of said cars when in motion, said control uniT comprising a bumper mounted on the free end of one of the cars and an operator control cab part carried on the bumper, a car demountable structural collision member, a removable operator control cab part, said cab part having means for locking the cab part to the collision member, said means including resilient means connecting said collision member with said cab part providing a sprung suspension of said cab part on said structural collision member, and coupling means on said free end of the car and on said structural collision member for coupling the collision member to the free end of the car.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
196 words
A power train comprising: a pair of cars mounted on top of and carried upon the ground, a ground carried mobile power unit for supplying locomotion to each of the cars being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit releasably mounted on the free end of one of the cars and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars and operatively connected with each of the cars for controlling the speed of said cars when in motion, said control uniT comprising a bumper mounted on the free end of one of the cars and an operator control cab part carried on the bumper, a car demountable structural collision member, a removable operator control cab part, said cab part having means for locking the cab part to the collision member, said means including resilient means connecting said collision member with said cab part providing a sprung suspension of said cab part on said structural collision member, and coupling means on said free end of the car and on said structural collision member for coupling the collision member to the free end of the car.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The invention according to claim 2, and said coupling means comprising: said collision member having rear upright portions, plug elements on the rear of the upright portions of the collision member, and said free end of the car having receptacle means for receiving said plug elements.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The invention according to claim 3, and said plug elements having catch means for locking the plug elements to the receptacle means and preventing vertical movement out of the receptacle means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The invention according to claim 3, and said plug elements being downwardly tapered cone bodies.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The invention according to claim 3, and said plug elements being at upper and lower parts of the upright portions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention according to claim 3, and said receptacle means being provided with resilient material for absorbing vibrational shock.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The invention according to claim 2, and said collision member being provided with a horizontally extending wrap around bumper portion and rearwardly upwardly extending side portions carrying the coupling means in the form of plug elements.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The invention according to claim 8, and said structural collision member having a wrap around skirt member depending from the wrap around bumper portion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
The invention according to claim 2, and said structural collision member comprising a generally U-shaped member having a central opening for receiving said cab part and having upwardly extending rearward walls and lower horizontally extending side and front walls defining bumper means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The invention according to claim 10, and said skirt means depending from said cab part for resiliently suspending said skirt means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The invention according to claim 2, and said coupling means being adapted to provide a cushioned coupling with the end of the car.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The invention according to claim 12, and said plug members being adapted to provide a cushioned coupling with the end of the car.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
143 words
An operator control cab arrangement for removably coupling on one end of a car, comprising: a structural collision member having a lower forwardly extending bumper having front and side wrap around portions, a pair of laterally spaced rearward side walls extending upwardly above said side portions of the bumper and attached to the rear end of each side portion and having coupling means for coupling with the end of the car, an operator and control cab in the form of a compartment mounted on and between said side portions, said rear portions and said front portions of the structural collision member, and resilient means on the side and front portions resiliently and spring suspending the cab with respect to the structural member, said cab having an operator seat and a control panel for operating a power unit to provide locomotion for said car.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
143 words
An operator control cab arrangement for removably coupling on one end of a car, comprising: a structural collision member having a lower forwardly extending bumper having front and side wrap around portions, a pair of laterally spaced rearward side walls extending upwardly above said side portions of the bumper and attached to the rear end of each side portion and having coupling means for coupling with the end of the car, an operator and control cab in the form of a compartment mounted on and between said side portions, said rear portions and said front portions of the structural collision member, and resilient means on the side and front portions resiliently and spring suspending the cab with respect to the structural member, said cab having an operator seat and a control panel for operating a power unit to provide locomotion for said car.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
The invention according to claim 14, and said structural reinforcing member having a wrap around skirt structure depending from the structural member and generally continuous with the front and side portions of said structural member and extending therebelow.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The invention according to claim 14, and said cab being receivable within the opening in said structural member which resiliently suspends it.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
The invention according to claim 14, and a skirt means dependIng from said cab and extending around the outer periphery of said cab.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The invention according to claim 14, and said compartment forming an enclosure for the operator and his controls.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
61 words
The invention according to claim 14, and the other end of said car being adapted to receive a power unit, said power unit being pivotally connected thereto and being operatively connected with said operator cab and controlled by said cab for providing locomotion for the cab and car, and said cab having control means for braking the speed of said car.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
The invention according to claim 14, and said rear walls and said side walls and front walls of the structural collision member being generally U-shaped and defining a cab receiving opening.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
33 words
The invention according to claim 14, and said collision member coupling means including upper and lower lateral spaced apart pairs of plug members receivable in associated receptacles on the end of the car.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
233 words
A powered train comprising: at least a pair of cars, a vehicular power unit including a power source for supplying locomotion to each of the cars and being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit separably mounted on the train and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars, each car having a free end part and a power unit coupling end part, each car having car trucks connecting with the free end part of the respective car and rollingly supporting the free end part of the car, said power unit supported on truck means for rollingly supporting the coupling end part said truck means having a first couple means coupling one end of said truck means with the power unit coupling end part of one car and rollingly supporting same and having a second couple means coupling the other end of said power unit with the power unit coupling end part of the other car and rollingly supporting same, and said operator control unit including a control pod being releasably mounted on the free end part of one of the cars wherein said free end part has hooking means and said pod has other hooking means to interconnect the pod and the free end part of the car to support the control pod entirely on the free end part.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
233 words
A powered train comprising: at least a pair of cars, a vehicular power unit including a power source for supplying locomotion to each of the cars and being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit separably mounted on the train and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars, each car having a free end part and a power unit coupling end part, each car having car trucks connecting with the free end part of the respective car and rollingly supporting the free end part of the car, said power unit supported on truck means for rollingly supporting the coupling end part said truck means having a first couple means coupling one end of said truck means with the power unit coupling end part of one car and rollingly supporting same and having a second couple means coupling the other end of said power unit with the power unit coupling end part of the other car and rollingly supporting same, and said operator control unit including a control pod being releasably mounted on the free end part of one of the cars wherein said free end part has hooking means and said pod has other hooking means to interconnect the pod and the free end part of the car to support the control pod entirely on the free end part.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
223 words
A powered train comprising: at least a pair of cars, a vehicular power unit including a power source for supplying locomotion to each of the cars and being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit separably mounted on the train and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars, each car having a free end part and a power unit coupling end part, each car having car trucks connecting with the free end part of the respective car and rollingly supporting the free end part of the car, said power unit supported on truck means for rollingly supporting the coupling end part, said truck means having a first couple means coupling one end of said truck means with the power unit coupling end part of one car and rollingly supporting same and having a second couple means coupling the other end of said power unit with the power unit coupling end part of the other car and rollingly supporting same, and one of said cars being at the front of the train, said one car having a platform and container means carried on said platform, said platform at the free end part of said one car having releasably mounted thereon the control unit in the form of a control pod.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
223 words
A powered train comprising: at least a pair of cars, a vehicular power unit including a power source for supplying locomotion to each of the cars and being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit separably mounted on the train and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars, each car having a free end part and a power unit coupling end part, each car having car trucks connecting with the free end part of the respective car and rollingly supporting the free end part of the car, said power unit supported on truck means for rollingly supporting the coupling end part, said truck means having a first couple means coupling one end of said truck means with the power unit coupling end part of one car and rollingly supporting same and having a second couple means coupling the other end of said power unit with the power unit coupling end part of the other car and rollingly supporting same, and one of said cars being at the front of the train, said one car having a platform and container means carried on said platform, said platform at the free end part of said one car having releasably mounted thereon the control unit in the form of a control pod.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
20 words
The invention according to claim 23, and said power unit including a handbrake for braking the speed of the train.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
235 words
A powered train comprising: at least a pair of cars, a vehicular power unit including a power source for supplying locomotion to each of the cars and being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit separably mounted on the traIn and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars, each car having a free end part and a power unit coupling end part, each car having car trucks connecting with the free end part of the respective car and rollingly supporting the free end part of the car, said power unit supported on truck means for rollingly supporting the coupling end part said truck means having a first couple means coupling one end of said truck means with the power unit coupling end part of one car and rollingly supporting same and having a second couple means coupling the other end of said power unit with the power unit coupling end part of the other car and rollingly supporting same, and one of said cars being a forward car of the train and said control unit being a control pod mounted on the front part of the forward car and resilient means being disposed between said control pod and the front part of the forward car providing for a resilient suspension of the control pod on the front part of the car.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
235 words
A powered train comprising: at least a pair of cars, a vehicular power unit including a power source for supplying locomotion to each of the cars and being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit separably mounted on the traIn and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars, each car having a free end part and a power unit coupling end part, each car having car trucks connecting with the free end part of the respective car and rollingly supporting the free end part of the car, said power unit supported on truck means for rollingly supporting the coupling end part said truck means having a first couple means coupling one end of said truck means with the power unit coupling end part of one car and rollingly supporting same and having a second couple means coupling the other end of said power unit with the power unit coupling end part of the other car and rollingly supporting same, and one of said cars being a forward car of the train and said control unit being a control pod mounted on the front part of the forward car and resilient means being disposed between said control pod and the front part of the forward car providing for a resilient suspension of the control pod on the front part of the car.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
199 words
A powered train comprising: at least a pair of cars, a vehicular power unit including a power source for supplying locomotion to each of the cars and being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit separably mounted on the train and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars, each car having a free end part and a power unit coupling end part, each car having car trucks connecting with the free end part of the respective car and rollingly supporting the free end part of the car, said power unit supported on truck means for rollingly supporting the coupling end part, truck means having a first couple means coupling one end of said truck means with the power unit coupling end part of one car and rollingly supporting same and having a second couple means coupling the other end of said power unit with the power unit coupling end part of the other car and rollingly supporting same, and resilient means being provided between said control unit and the underframe of one of the cars to provide for a resilient suspension of the control unit.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
199 words
A powered train comprising: at least a pair of cars, a vehicular power unit including a power source for supplying locomotion to each of the cars and being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit separably mounted on the train and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars, each car having a free end part and a power unit coupling end part, each car having car trucks connecting with the free end part of the respective car and rollingly supporting the free end part of the car, said power unit supported on truck means for rollingly supporting the coupling end part, truck means having a first couple means coupling one end of said truck means with the power unit coupling end part of one car and rollingly supporting same and having a second couple means coupling the other end of said power unit with the power unit coupling end part of the other car and rollingly supporting same, and resilient means being provided between said control unit and the underframe of one of the cars to provide for a resilient suspension of the control unit.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
213 words
A powered train comprising: at least a pair of cars, a vehicular power unit including a power source for supplying locomotion to each of the cars and being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit separably mounted on the train and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars, each car having a free end part and a power unit coupling end part, each car having car trucks connecting with the free end part of the respective car and rollingly supporting the free end part of the car, said power unit supported on truck means for rollingly supporting the coupling end part said truck means having a first couple means coupling one end of said truck means with the power unit coupling end part of one car and rollingly supporting same and having a second couple means coupling the other end of said power unit with the power unit coupling end part of the other car and rollingly supporting same, one of the cars being a forward car having an underframe portion and said control unit being mounted on the forward portion of the underframe portion, said car underframe portion in back of the control unit supporting container means thereon.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
213 words
A powered train comprising: at least a pair of cars, a vehicular power unit including a power source for supplying locomotion to each of the cars and being between and pivotally connecting with each of the cars, an operator control unit separably mounted on the train and operatively connected with the power unit for supplying motive force to each of the cars, each car having a free end part and a power unit coupling end part, each car having car trucks connecting with the free end part of the respective car and rollingly supporting the free end part of the car, said power unit supported on truck means for rollingly supporting the coupling end part said truck means having a first couple means coupling one end of said truck means with the power unit coupling end part of one car and rollingly supporting same and having a second couple means coupling the other end of said power unit with the power unit coupling end part of the other car and rollingly supporting same, one of the cars being a forward car having an underframe portion and said control unit being mounted on the forward portion of the underframe portion, said car underframe portion in back of the control unit supporting container means thereon.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-07-25 | 1976-01-24 | 1976-07-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-07-25 | 1980-01-24 | 1980-07-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-07-25 | 1984-01-24 | 1984-07-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |