US4076134A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Wheeled ramp loading and unloading apparatus
Assignee: LANDOW CONSULTING ASSOC Inc
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Filing: 1975-03-19
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Granted: 1978-02-28
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Expires: 1995-03-19
Abstract
Abstract Trailers are loaded on and unloaded from railroad flatcars by use of a system including tractors to pull the trailers, an end ramp at the end of the train, and a movable side ramp structure at the side of the train. The movable ramp structure has a ramp and a retractable bridge extending from the top of the ramp to the top of a flatcar in the train. In unloading, a tractor drives up the movable ramp and across the bridge to get onto the flatcar. Then the bridge is retracted, the tractor hitches onto one of the trailers, and pulls it along the joined beds of the flatcars and down the end ramp. The tractor then takes the trailer to a storage area, unhitches the trailer, and returns to the movable ramp structure to repeat the process. While the first tractor is pulling the trailer along the tops of the flatcars, the movable ramp structure moves to a position near the next trailer to be unloaded, and extends the bridge again. A second tractor then mounts the movable ramp and repeats the unloading process with the next trailer. Additional tractors can be used in the same way. This greatly speeds the unloading process, since the next tractor need not wait to go to work until the previous trailer has been unloaded. The loading operation is substantially the reverse of the unloading operation. The bridge of the ramp structure preferably includes power-operated telescoping arms and hinged plates forming a roadway. The arms can be positioned in four different arrangements to form roadways extending in four different directions, thus enabling the loading and unloading of tractors in any of the four directions.
Inventors
- 👤 Herbert T. Landow
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 07:40
CPC Classifications
B; B61; B61K; B61K13/00; B60; B60P; B60P1/00; B60P1/64; B60P1/6418; B61D; B61D47/00; B61D47/005
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
A ramp device for guiding vehicles to and from laterally adjacent cars of a railroad train, said ramp device comprising a body, ramp means for guiding said vehicles between the ground and the tops of said cars, said ramp means extending up from the ground in a first direction and further forming bridge means having a portion extending laterally over a side of said body and adapted to extend over a side of a railway car in a second direction transverse to said first direction, said laterally extending portion of said bridge means providing continuous means for enabling said vehicles to move onto said cars of said train in a direction longitudinal of said cars.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
115 words
A ramp device for guiding vehicles to and from laterally adjacent cars of a railroad train, said ramp device comprising a body, ramp means for guiding said vehicles between the ground and the tops of said cars, said ramp means extending up from the ground in a first direction and further forming bridge means having a portion extending laterally over a side of said body and adapted to extend over a side of a railway car in a second direction transverse to said first direction, said laterally extending portion of said bridge means providing continuous means for enabling said vehicles to move onto said cars of said train in a direction longitudinal of said cars.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said ramp means includes means for extending and retracting said bridge means, and means for movably supporting said ramp means on the ground so as to be movable in said first direction substantially parallel to said cars of said railroad train.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said bridge means includes means for forming a generally S-shaped roadway for enabling vehicles to move successively in said first, said second, and again in said first directions when traveling between said cars and said ramp means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said ramp means includes a pair of opposed ramps to receive and deliver vehicles from two opposite directions, and means for selectively connecting said bridge to said ramps.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device as in claim 1 including means for lowering and raising said bridge means relative to said cars.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said bridge means has an innermost end adjacent said body and an outermost and extending outwardly from said body and includes support means adjacent said outermost end extensible downwardly and retractable upwardly for supporting said outermost end of said bridge means on said cars.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
A device as in claim 6 including additional ramp means at said outermost end for guiding the descent from and ascent to said bridge means by said vehicles when said bridge means is above the tops of said cars.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
151 words
A ramp device for guiding vehicles to and from cars of a railroad train, said ramp device comprising a body, a ramp means for guiding vehicles between the ground and the tops of said cars, said ramp means extending up from the group and forming an extensible and retractable bridge section over one side of said body, said extensible and retractable bridge section forming a reverse curve section between the parallel path formed by the ramp means from the ground to the tops of the flat cars to effect delivery of the cars longitudinally of the cars of the train, said bridge section comprising at least one transversely extensible arm mounted on said body to extend and retract towards and away from a railroad car at the side of said body, at least one plate pivotably connected adjacent one end to said arm, and means for extending and retracting said arm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
151 words
A ramp device for guiding vehicles to and from cars of a railroad train, said ramp device comprising a body, a ramp means for guiding vehicles between the ground and the tops of said cars, said ramp means extending up from the group and forming an extensible and retractable bridge section over one side of said body, said extensible and retractable bridge section forming a reverse curve section between the parallel path formed by the ramp means from the ground to the tops of the flat cars to effect delivery of the cars longitudinally of the cars of the train, said bridge section comprising at least one transversely extensible arm mounted on said body to extend and retract towards and away from a railroad car at the side of said body, at least one plate pivotably connected adjacent one end to said arm, and means for extending and retracting said arm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
A device as in claim 8 in which said extensible arm has a plurality of telescopic sections, and drive means for extending and retracting said sections relative to one another in two opposite directions, and means for limiting the extension of said sections relative to one another to one half length of one of said sections.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
87 words
A device as in claim 8 including a plurality of said extensible arms and plates, each plate being pivotably connected between two adjacent ones of said arms, each plate having an elongated longitudinal slot at one end thereof, a pivot member on each of said arms, each plate overlapping a plate on the adjacent arm, and having a pivot member of one arm extending through said slot, and the pivot member of the other arm pivotably connected to the plate adjacent the other end of said plate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
A device as in claim 8 including means for mounting said arm to extend away from both sides of said body to form bridges to cars on both sides of said ramp device.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
121 words
A retractable and extensible bridge structure for guiding wheeled vehicles onto and off of the tops of railroad cars from a support structure at an elevation adjacent the tops of said railroad cars, said bridge structure comprising means forming a first roadway portion extending transversely of said support structure and said railroad cars and extending over a major portion of the width of said cars, and a second portion extending longitudinally of said cars to enable said wheeled vehicles to turn on said roadway and move onto said cars in a longitudinal direction, and means on said support structure for retracting said bridge structure away from said cars and extending said bridge structure outwardly to a position overlying said railroad cars.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
121 words
A retractable and extensible bridge structure for guiding wheeled vehicles onto and off of the tops of railroad cars from a support structure at an elevation adjacent the tops of said railroad cars, said bridge structure comprising means forming a first roadway portion extending transversely of said support structure and said railroad cars and extending over a major portion of the width of said cars, and a second portion extending longitudinally of said cars to enable said wheeled vehicles to turn on said roadway and move onto said cars in a longitudinal direction, and means on said support structure for retracting said bridge structure away from said cars and extending said bridge structure outwardly to a position overlying said railroad cars.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
A device as in claim 12 including a plurality of pivotably-interconnected plates joined end-to-end to form said roadway, a plurality of telescopic arms mounted on said support structure and pivotably connected to said plates to push and pull them transversely to form and retract said roadway.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
54 words
A device as in claim 12 including means for supporting said roadway structure above the upper surfaces of said cars, and transition means secured to said roadway structure and comprising a ramp for guiding said vehicles upwardly onto and downwardly off of said roadway structure when traveling between said roadway structure and said cars.
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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) | 1981-02-27 | 1981-08-29 | 1982-02-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-02-27 | 1985-08-29 | 1986-02-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-02-27 | 1989-08-29 | 1990-02-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |