Rail car trailer hitch and container mount

Claim 2

A combination trailer hitch and container mount, carried on a railway flatcar comprising: a collapsible stanchion means having a hitch means arranged to secure and support the kingpin of a vehicular highway trailer carried on the flatcar when said collapsible stanchion is in an upright, non-collapsed position and having a container mount means arranged to retain and support a cargo container carried on the flatcar when said collapsible stanchion is in a lowered, collapsed position, said collapsible stanchion means being mounted on said railway flatcar and having a cushioning means for limited yieldable movement along a longitudinal plane and being substantially restricted in a lateral plane, said hitch means comprised of a laterally extending hitch frame having a retainer plate secured to each of opposite ends thereof and arranged to laterally retain said highway trailer, and said container mount means comprises a laterally extending base plate having a support leg connected at each end thereof, arranged to laterally retain said cargo container.

Claim 3

A combination trailer hitch and container mount according to claim 1, wherein said hitch means is pivotally connected to said support legs and said support legs are pivotally connected to said base plate, and wherein lock means are provided to secure the collapsible stanchion in an upright, non-collapsed position.

Claim 4

A combination trailer hitch and container mount according to claim 1, wherein said hitch frame cooperates with said base plate to support said cargo container when said hitch frame is in a collapsEd position.

Claim 5

A combination trailer hitch and container mount according to claim 3, wherein an adjustable backstop member secured to said flatcar is arranged to longitudinally retain the cargo container.

Claim 6

A combination trailer hitch and container mount according to claim 4, wherein a pair of collapsible stanchion means are carried adjacent the center of said flatcar to support and retain thereon either a pair of cargo containers or a pair of highway trailers.

Claim 7

A railway flatcar adapted to selectively transport a vehicular trailer or a cargo container comprising: A frame having a generally flat deck and mounted on wheels for movement along railway tracks: A collapsible stanchion means including a laterally extending base plate mounted to said flatcar frame and adapted to support a cargo container, said base plate having a pivot plate secured to each of opposite ends thereof; A support leg pivotally connected at one end to each of the pivot plates and fixedly located in either an upright supporting position or in a lowered collapsed position; A laterally extending hitch frame having a retainer plate secured to each of opposite ends thereof, each of said retainer plates being pviotally connected to a second end of said support legs, said hitch frame being fixedly located in either an upright supporting position or a lowered collapsed position. said hitch frame also having a hitch member for receiving and holding the kingpin of a vehicular trailer carried on the flatcar when said hitch frame is located in the upright position.

Claim 8

A railway flatcar adapted to selectively transport a vehicular trailer or a cargo container comprising: A frame having a generally flat deck and mounted on wheels for movement along railway tracks: A collapsible stanchion means including a laterally extending base plate mounted to said flatcar frame and adapted to support a cargo container, said base plate having a pivot plate secured to each of opposite ends thereof; A support leg pivotally connected at one end to each of the pivot plates and fixedly located in either an upright supporting position or in a lowered collapsed position; A laterally extending hitch frame having a retainer plate secured to each of opposite ends thereof, each of said retainer plates being pviotally connected to a second end of said support legs, said hitch frame being fixedly located in either an upright supporting position or a lowered collapsed position. said hitch frame also having a hitch member for receiving and holding the kingpin of a vehicular trailer carried on the flatcar when said hitch frame is located in the upright position.

Claim 9

A railway flatcar according to claim 6, wherein the pair of support legs, when in the collapsed position, cooperate with said base plate to provide a cargo container retaining and support means, and wherein the retainer plates of the hitch frame, when in the upright non-collapsed position, cooperate with the hitch member to provide a trailer retaining and support means.

Claim 10

A railway flatcar according to claim 7, wherein the said base plate is mounted on the flatcar frame with a cushioning means for limited yieldable longitudinal movement whereby draft and buff impact forces experienced by the hitch member may be relieved.

Claim 11

A railway flatcar according to claim 8, wherein the said cushioning means comprises a guide block secured to said base plate and extends downward into a longitudinally extending recess formed in the flatcar frame, arranged to restrict lateral movement of the guide block and spring biasing means to center said guide block relative to said longitudinally extending recess, whereby impact forces are cushioned by said spring biasing means.

Claim 12

A railway flatcar according to claim 9, wherein each support leg is provided with an extension to cooperate with said leg when in the collapsed position to retain the cargo container to the flatcar.

Claim 13

A railway flatcar according to claim 10, wherein a backstop member, adjustably fixed to said flatcar frame, is arranged to longitudinally retain the cargo container to the flatcar.

Claim 14

A railway flatcar according to claim 11, wherein a pair of collapsible stanchion means are mounted on the flatcar at a location intermediate its ends to support and laterally retain a pair of abutting cargo containers and a backstop member is adjustably positioned against each cargo container adjacent each end of said flatcar.