CA2135879A1 - Wagon with lowest self-carrying revolving platform; hydraulic hoist bridge - Google Patents

Abstract

2135879 9318951 PCTABS00025 A new wagon is disclosed for carrying 4 meter high semi-trailers on all alpine railways. This is the first wagon of the world with fully automatic operation and the lowest existing self-carrying revolving platform. The revolving platform can be vertically moved upwards and downwards and in its highest position can be horizontally turned over 40 degrees by means of a hydraulic hoist bridge mounted under the wagon between the rails, and upon which rests an electric/hydraulic revolving plateau. Semi-trailers, motor vehicles with trailers, tank wagons and tank semi-trailers can thus be quickly unloaded and loaded over station platforms having the same height as the revolving platform located left and right of the running track.

Description

~ 1 3 5 8 7 g Wagon with lowest self-carrying revolving platform; hydraulic host bridge THE FIRST WAGON FOR FULLY AUTOMATED OPERA~ION IN THE WO~L~, HAVING THE
S LCWES$ SELF-SUPPORTING pIvoTAaL~ LOW-LOADER ~ , ;~
WHICH IS MOVA~LE VERTICAELY UP AND DOWN AND AT ITS HIGHEST
POSITION, ~Y MEANS OF A
HYDRAULIC LIFT, WHICH IS INSTALLED UNDER THE WAGONS IN THE PLATFORM AND ON WHICH AN
ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC TURNTABLE PLATFORM
IS SUPPORTED, SWINGS OUT HORIZONTALLY THROUGH 40 DEGREES FOR RAPID LOA-DING AND UNLOADING OF TRAILERS, ARTICULATED LORRIES AND HIGH-CAPACITY
LORRIES AND TANKERS, VIA PLATFORMS AT THE SAME HEIGHT, LEFT AND RIGHT OF
THE MAIN LINE TRACKS.
r- -The said operation is effected by means of a computer-controlled system from a control tower on the terminals/platforms.

The inv~ntor of this wagon can claim to be a very well-known inven-tor of combined road/rail ro-ro transport systems. Partly because of his experience covering all aspects of both road and rail freight traffic, he knows the practical, econo~ic, technical, financial and logistical sides of all transport systems.

Moreover, as he has held discussions with numerous constructors of combi-wagons over the years, he has, ver this period, acquired a great deal of technical know-how in respect of eombined road/rail freight traf f ic in Europe. He has come to the conclusion that not one of the earlier systems/wagons is any ~ood.
Even the curre~t systems/wagons are not optimum and are not (will never be~ able to stem the flow of freight on the roads, let alone shif~
it to the railways. Moreover, these systems/wagons are not able to load/unload en route and these trains/wagons are suitable and cost-effectivè only for distances of more than 700 km.

Loading and unloading of these trains takes far too long and is too laborious. It is not flexible and is outmoded. These trains always have to be moved away from the power lines and shunted to a loading and un-loading yard.

'~35879 The inventor knows what is and is not possible to get going with,or to develop, a good and cost-effective combined road/rail transport system in which firstly European transport concerns and also the Euro-pean railways, European shiPpin~ aqents and the European ~inistries of Transport and the En~ironoent are interested.

He works on the premise that the transit nations, such as Germany, Austria, Hungary and France, have a vested interest in a shift of freight traffic from road to rail. Switzerland, which for some time has imposed weight restrictions, should also be interested in this.

Now that all of the transit nations in Europe want to restrict transit traffic by means of combined traffic, these nations will applaud the wagon invented and the new wagons to be built will be rolling off the production lines in their hundreds within a few years and in their--thousands later on, in numerous wagon plants in Europe and beyond. The same is true Oe the new terminals to be built in Europe, which will be located about every 60 to 100 km along the main line tracks.

20This new transport system will result in a cleaner world and c~earer roads, as well as an at least 80 % reduction in fatal accidents on the !otorwavs. Furthermore, the hole in the ozone layer will slowly close and the dangerous car~inogenic soot Particles, now suspended in the air in large numbers, will disapPear.
The inventor works on the premise that this system is an invention and must be implemented as a matter of urgency in order to acHieve a cleaner world.

30The inventor is also of the opinion that this system, as described below, does not yet exist.

It is the ~ost liqhtwei~ht wagon for this tvpe of combined trans-. E~; the entire transport world is waiting for this wagon.
With the aid of this invention all of the problems within the com-bined road/rail freight transport sector are solved and there will be sufficient investors who will want to finance this system. This is so - because it eets the require~ents laid down bv European railways, as stated below.

~135879 The European railways specif~ the follo~inq main points 1. The wagon must be of as li~htweight as possible ~onstruc-tion, depending on the purpose for which it is used.

2. The wagon must be of the simplest PQssible co~ t UCtiG~ and extravagant technical details must be avoided, if possible, likewise depending on the purpose for which the wagon is used.
: .

3. Having re~ard to alpine tunnels~ the loading floor must not -~
be higher than 250 mm above rail leve~ with an empty trailer and/or another vehicle. In addition, in the liqht of the UIC limit, the loading floor must not be lower than 210 mm with a loaded trailer.

4. When a 4 000 mm empty ~railer is on the wagon, the corner height must not exceed 3 950 mm above rail level. This is possible only ~-~
with trailers and/or other vehicles which are fitted with air suspension (see options/dimensions below).

5. When the air is released from the air bellows, the trailer is lowered virtually onto the tyres of the trailer and/or other vehicles; these are between 900 and 1 0~30 mm.

6. The overall height is thus made up as follows:
a. clearance below section empty 250 mm.
b. height largest tyreJtyres 1 080 mm.
c. thickness pivotable low-loader well 8 mm.
d. thickness trailer floor sn mm .
e. height covered trailer and/or fixed body trailer or container 2 450 mm.
Overall height with an empty trailer 3 838 ~m.

7. Total height with a loaded trailer weight minus springs -38 mm wagon3 800 mm.

~ f it is assumed that the corner hei~ht is_3 800 mm and the top width is 2 450 ~m, this wagon, which is 16 000 mm long and 2 900 mm wide, can pass throu~h all alpine tunnels.

4 ~135879 8. miS will therefore be the first combined road/rail wa~on to be suitable for transp~inq the existinq trailers fitted with air suspension throuqh the alpine tunnels.

S 9. There are a few alpine tunnels which are suitable for 4 m high trailers with a corner height of 3 95~ mm. For loaded trailers this height is then made up as follows:

a. clearance below section loaded 210 mm.
10 b. height largest tyre/tyres 1 080 mm.
c. thickness pivotable low-loader well 8 mm.
d. thickness trailer floor 50 mm.
e. height covered or refrigerated trailer or container 2 600 mm.
15 Overall height with a loaded traile~ 3 g48 mm.

10. The height diuengions listed under points 6, 7 and 9 also apply in respect of articulated lorries, hiqh-caEacity__lo~ries and tan~ers.
The inventor will explain briefly below, with reference to drawings numbered 1 to 18, how this new combined road/rail transport system wlll in due course be implemented / operate for covered trailers, tankers, chilled and refrigerated trailers, closed trailers, container trailers on four-axled wagons, as well a~ articulated lorries, high-capacity lorries and skips on two-axled wagons.

FIGUR~ 1 This is a perspective drawing of a top and side view of the pivot-able lffw-lo~der well, which at its highest position is supported on an el~ctro-h~draulic turntable platfor~, which is driven electrically by the longest arm by means of a dog rin~. The same can also be effected by two hydraulic cylinders, which are mounted beneath the floor of the hydraulic lift.
The ~elf-supPortin~ pivotable low-loader well is suspended in retaining plates at 16 points. The said retaining plates are welded to the inside of the chassis girders. There are two options for this sus-pension (see Figure 1A).
When the self-supporting pivotable low-loader well has been swung out at its highest point, the trailers can be driven off the low-loader s ~135879 and the new loaded trailers can drive onto the low-loader within a few minutes.
As soon as the self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well has been swung back in line ~ith the axis of the wagon, it descends and the S uppermost points of the retaining plates engage in the slots which have been cut in the top edge of the self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well.
This then descends to its lowest point and locks rigidly in posi-tion at the lowest point, as a result of which - in the event of a jolt - the frame of the wagon can not deform.

As already indicated in Figure 1, the self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well can be suspended in two ways, i.e.:
1. ~y means of retaining plates, which are welded to the inside of the chassis girders of the wagon and fit, pointed top first, into the slots which are made in the edge oP the self-supportinq pivot-able low-loader well. When the self-suPportin~ pivotable _ow-loader well is supported/suspended at its lowest point in the frame of the wagon, said low-loader well locks rigidly in position at 16 points ~y means of a thick steel locking pin. We calculated that the yield point of this closure/retaining plates with locking pin has a tensile strength/bearing power of at least 200 tonne = 16 X 200 = 3 200 tonne reliability.
Consequently, the prescribed buffer pressure will be more than adequate and the wagon will not/never deform.
2. By means of 16 heavy V-shaped plates, which are likewise welded to the inside of the chassis of the wagon; 16 trailer RING PINS
fit into these plates. Said trailer RING PINS are mounted on the self supporting pivotable low-loader well and specifically are mounted 2 x 6 on the left- and ri~ht-hand sides and 2 K 2 on the front and back of the pivotable low-loader well. When the self-supportinq pivotable low-loader ~ell is supported/suspended at its lowest point in the frame of the wagon it locks rigidly in position at 16 points by means of self-closing trailer dish locking hooks.
The said KING PINS each have a yield point of 250 tonne; thus, the bearing power and tensile strength of this suspension is 16 x 250 tonne = 4 000 tonne reliability. Consequently, the prescribed buffer pressure will be more than adequate and the wagon will not/never deform.

,- ~ 6 2 1 3 5 8 7 9 This is a section of Figure 1 and Figure 1A. In this figure the inventor shows the fixing of the trailer KING PIN bolts, which are screwed to the self-~upportinq ~i~otable lo~-loader well (5) at 16 points. ~hese are original XING PIN bolts which have a yield point of 250 tonne and, therefore, the self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well could break away only under a weight of 16 X 250 tonne = 4 000 tonne.
This is of course absurd, since the maximu~. load on said self-sup-portin~ pi~otable low-loader ~ell is 6 to 8 tonne, i.e. an empty trailer weighing about 7 to 8 tonne. A loaded trailer sits with its back and its front, with a weight of 2 X 25 tonne, over the bogies. As a consequence of this weight distribution, there are only three axles/wheels and tyres representing about 3 to 4 tonne and 2 front struts represent~ng about 2 tonne on the self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well; i.e. the total weight thereon is about 5 to 6 tonne;

, This is an enlargement of a rear view cross-section of the pivot-able lo~-loader ~ell, on which a trailer is standing, and of the hydrau- -~.lic lift at its highest position, as well as of the electro-hYdraulic turntable platform of the hYdraulic lift and the longitudinal girders of the wagon on the rails.

This is a cross-section of a prefabricated platform section, above which or within which the ~votable low-loader_well turns.

FIGURæ 4 ~his is a longitudinal section of the wagon and of the hydraulic lift at its highest position, as well as of the electro-hydraulic turntable platform and of the complete prefabricated platform sections.

This is a cross-section of the wagon with the pivotable low-loader well, as well as of the hYdraulic lift at its lowest position, of the electro-h~draulic turntable platfor~ on the hydraulic lift, of the trailer immediately behind the KING PIN and of the prefabricated plat-form sections of the platform. `
.'. .

~-3 7 '~135879 :~

This is a cross-section of the hYdraulic lift at its highest posi-tion with the electro-h~dràulic turntable platform swung outwards, on which platform the pivotable low-loader well is standing or lying/-supported.
A trailer is standing on its front struts and part of the rear - wheels on said pivotable low-loader well.
- The pivotable low-loader well has been swung out 40 degrees by means of the electro-hydraulic turntable platform drive from the hydrau-10 lic lift.

This is a longitudinal section of the wagon on the rails and of thehydraulic lift in the platform.
The hydraulic lift is at its~.highest position with an electro-hydraulic turntable platform.
Said turntable platform is driven electrically or hydraulically from the hvdraulic lift and swings out 40 degrees over the platform~ on the left- and the right-hand sides, such that the trailers come to stand with their front end over the left-hand platform.
The drivers then reverse their trucks under the trailer and drive the trailer o~f the piYotable low-loader well.
The trucks waiting on th~ right-hand platform drive their trailers onto the pi~otable low-loader well and uncouple the trailers.
The pi~otable_ low-loader well then swings back in line with the axis of the wagon by means of the electro-h~draulic turntable platform and the hydraulic lift descends again into its lowest position, as a result of which the pivotable low-loader well is suspended on the KING
PINS/ SQ that the train can depart ~see Fisures nos 14 to 18).
FIGURE 8 .
This ~s a top view of the wagon with a pivotable low-loader well which is at its highest point and has been swung out over two platforms . of equal height left and right of the track.
Consequently, the drivers are able to drive their trucks under the :
trailers and can drive these off the pivotable low-loader well on the ~:~
left-hand side of the track. :
As soon as the first-mentioned trailers have been driven off the ~votable low-loader well, the new loaded trailers which are lined up on *
the right-hand side of the track can drive their trailer on again and ~ 8 2135879 uncouple.
Consequently, unloading and loading of trailers is complete within a few minutes.
This is the fastest method of unloading and loadin~ tra~lers, arti-culated lorries, high capa~ity lorries and other vehicles without cranesand other unloading equipment (see Figures nos. 14 - 18).

This is a top view of the pivotable low-loader well which is sus-pended at 2 x 5 = 10 points on the IPE girders of the wagon and on 2 x 3 = 6 points on a front and rear box girder. In total, therefore, at 16 .-points.
Below said pivotable low-loader well, a broken line shows how far the pivotable low-loader well is from the electro-hydraulic turntable platform on the hydraulic lift: this is 250 mm in total. (See enlarge-ment in Figure 2).
The drawing shows, above said pivotable low-loader well, the pro-truding part of the pivot~ble low-loader well, which in this position has been swung out through 40 degrees over the platforms left and right of the track.
.~
FIGUR~ 10 ~-Here only the position of the swung-out pivotable lo~-loader well is shown, which low-loader well has been swung out through 40 degrees over the left-hand platform and over the right-hand platform.
The electro-hydraulic turntable platform, which is indicated by broken lines, has reached its highest point and is still in line with the axis of the wagon.

FIGUR~
This iS a side view of a loaded trailer in cross-section, which trailer has been brought into its lowest position by means of the hydraulic lif .
. This is a 49-foot covered trailer and/or a 49-foot container on a container ~hassis. The 49-foot trailers and containers are now already being mass-produced in America and will soon also appear on the roads in Europe.
The trailers are 49-foot x 30.3 cm = 1 484.7 cm long. That is to say 14.85 m = almost 15 m and 2 m longer than the current 13 m trailers in Europe.

9 213~879 The trailer which is in the pivotable low-loader well is loaded.
The vertically movable pivotable low-loader well is suspended underneath on two reinforced chassis girders of the wagon, which is rotatable at its highest point and at its lowest polnt descends hrough V-shaped plates and is locked by 16 KING PIN hooks and consequently is held rigid by means of 16 KING PINS (trailer bolts); see Figures 1A and 1E~. " '"''~
The yield point of said KING PIN (trailer coupling bolt) is reached only at 250 tonne which means that the KING PINS of the pivotable low-loader well can break off under a weight of 4 000 tonne.
This ie, of course, an absurd weight since only 12 or 6 tyres and 2front struts with a total weight of about 6 to 8 tonne are present on said pivotable low-loader well during the transport of a loaded trailer.
The ele~tro-hydraulic turntable platfor~ is at its lowest position 1~ and the clearance between the platfQr~ and the pivotable low-loader well is therefore 210 mm; i.e. in accordance with UIC regulations.
This trailer has been driven on to the pivotable low-loader; well when the latter is at its highest position, via two platforms of equal height (see Figure 12). The pi~otable low-loader well is then swung back ~-~
in line with the axis of the wagon by means of the electro-hvdraulic turntable Platfor of the hvdraulic lift. ~-The weight of the trailer~s) concerned is distributed over the entire wagon. The pivotable low-loader well is suspended in the centre of the wagon and only the tyres and axles with a weight of about 3 x 1 =
3 tonne and two front struts of about 2 x 1.5 = 3 tonne stand on said low-loader well; i.e. the total weight on the ~ivotable low-loader well - is 6 tonne.
Said trailer then sits with virtually its full weight on or over the bogies, that is to say 2 x 12 tonne ~ 1 x 3 tonne under the KING PIN
at the front and 2 x 13.5 tonne at the back. Thus, the total weight of the trailer is 2 x 12 tonne ~ 1 x 3 tonne + 2 x 13.5 tonne = 54 tonne plus the pressure / the weight of the tyres, the axles and the front struts of 6 tonne, giving a total of 60 tonne.
This loading method has been devised in order to place as little load as possible on the pivotable low-loader well, which is suspended in the frame of the wagon. The reason for this is to keep the weight of the pivotable low-loader well as low as possible.

This trailer is at the floor level of the terminals and can be - `! 10 _ 213 5 8 7 9 swung out. This can be carried out in two different ways:
The first is the simplest; this involves manual operation by the truck driver, by means of switchboxes at the terminals (see bottom right).
S In due course, when several tens of trailers per day have to be unloaded and loaded at the terminals, this will be effected from the control tower and the driver will no longer have to get out of his cab.
Raising the electro-hydraulic turntable Platfor~ until it comes in contact with the pivotable low-loader well takes about one minute from the platform.
The hea w work beqins when the platform has reached the underside of the ~_~otable low-loader well.
~ y means of an extra larqe double-action oil pumP, the 3 hiqh-pres-sure cvlinders push the p votable deep-loader well, together with the fully laden trailer, which has a total weiqht of 60 tonne (trailer plus load), on top of it, up to its highest position within a few minutes.
Subsequently theY also raise the wagon(s) about 40 ~m up on the sprin~s, so that the electro-hYdraulic turntable platform on the hYdrau-lic lift reaches the same height as the platform.
When this point has been reached, the Q_~otable low-loader wells swing out and the trailers can be coupled up and driven off the wagons, after which the new loaded trailers again drive onto the pi~otable low-loader well (see Figures 14 to 18~.
Unloading and loading of 2 x 20 = 40 trailers and/or 2 x 30 = 60 trailers takes at most 10-15 minutes after which the train then departs again for another station or another terminal.

FIGUR~ 13 This is a first hydraulic buffer th*ust brid~e, which is needed to push all of the wagons of a train of 20 or more wagons to precisely the right position above the hvdraulic lits, that is to say to eliminate the gap between the buffers and the couplings~
- ~efore a train stops, it drives through until the last wagon is about 5 to tO m beyond the buffer thrust bridqe.
Said brid e is then moved hydraulicallv from the vertical position to the horizontal position and becomes rigidly seated in a recess on the ~left-hand side of the platform.
As soon as said buffer thrust bridqe is fixed in position, the signal changes to green and the engine driver reverses the train about 5-10 m and places the entire train under a pressure of about 200 - 400 213~879 tonne.
When said pressure rises above 400 tonne, a red lamp starts to flash; every wagon is then in its correct position. This feature is also part of the invention.
The distance betwee~ the hydraulic lift and the fre~ space in the centre of the wagon is about 20 cm on either side, so that the hydraulic lift can be activated hydraulically without problems.

In order to save costs in the first instance, in a 20-wagon ter-minal, only 10 hydraulic lifts are first built for the even-numbered waqons and the train has to ~ove up one wagon in order to unload the odd-numbered wa~ons.
.
Of course, 2 buffer thrust bridges are then needed for this pur-pose.
Said second buffer thrust bridge is 16 metres (i.e. the length of a wagon) further on: to be calculated from buffer to buffer.
It is also possible to load the first 10 wagons in the ports before the termini (for example Munich, Vienna or Budapest or other destination terminals/termini) and to load the second ten wagons exclusively before the intermediate terminals en route.
Should it then ~e found that the rhythm~ or the flexibility, disap-pears from this system, hydraulic lifts will if necessary have to be built oYer the entire length of the tr_in, that is to say for 20 or 30 wagons.
In any case, a ter~inal of this type is still several tens of mil-lions of guilders less e~p~nsive than the current terminals for combined road/rail freight ~raffic.
Moreovsr, i~ the_terminals de~cribed above the turnover per da~ can be 82 % hi~her tha~ that _n the_ current terminals~__ithout any ~anpower being needed.
In respect o infrastructuse, the current terminals are much larger than the terminals which the inventor is going to use. The latter are compact and have no cranes, piggy packers, straddle carriers and fork-3S lift trucks.
"Stand-by trucks" are positioned on the left-hand and right-hand side of the terminal. These are intended for use in the event of a "col-lection truck" or, possibly, a "delivery trailer" being stuck in a traf-fic jam. There are always sufficient delivery trailers without trucks in the terminal, so that the train still departs fully loaded and is not ~, 12 ~135879 delayed.

.
These are top views of part of the Ro-Ro terminal, as described in S Figur~s 10, 11, 12, 13 and 13A, at Cologne on the Rotterdam-~udape~t route.
It is 10 minutes to 10 in Colo~n .
On the left-hand side of the platform / the terminal 4 tractor units/trucks are standing ready and waiting for the train to arrive. The drivers of these trucks have adjusted the air suspension of their trucks to the lowest position.
On the right-hand side, the new trucks with trailers which are to be loaded are waiting for the train, which is due to arrive at 10.00 hours.
The drivers of these loaded trailers have adjusted their air sus-pension to the highest position and let down the front strut of the trailers to about 10 cm above the floor of the platform / the terminal.
The reason for this is that they let the air out of the air bellows as soon as they drive onto the ~ivotable low-loader we l. The trailers are then in the correct position and are uncoupled electrically, so that the trucks are detached from the trailers and the drivers can drive their trucks out from beneath the trailers.
In the control/traffic tower, 4 green lamps then come on. The traf-fic controller then sets the electr -hydraulic turntable platfor~ in motion, so that the trailers swing into line with the axis of the wagon.
~he traffic controller then depresses 4 other buttons and the self-sup-portin~ pivotable lo~-loader wells, on which 4 loaded trailers are posi-tioned, descend to the lowest point (210 mm) above rail level, so that the train can depart.
~IGUR~S 16 AND 17 ~he train has arrived at 2 minutes past 10 and the pivotable low-l~ader wells of the 4 wagons with numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 are swung out (see Figure 16).
The drivers of trucks numbers 16, 17, 18 and 19 start their engines and reverse under the trailer with the air suspension at its lowest position.
As soon as the ~ING PINS engage in the trailer couplings, they reverse the position of the air tap and the air bellows are brought up to pressure, after which the trailers drive away from the pivotable low-~ 13 - 7 9 loader well.
The drivers of the loaded trucks with trailers numbers 20, 21, 22 and 23 start their engines and drive their trailers onto the pivotable low-loader wells.
:
s The drivers of trailers numbers 20, 21, 22 and 23 let the air out of the air bellows and, from their cabs, electrically uncouple their trucks from the first-mentioned trailer. They drive away to pick up a new laded trailer somewhere else or pick up an empty trailer and reload this.
In the control/traffic tower, green lamps come on in respect of these 4 bays, to indicate that these 4 wagons have been reloaded.
The traffic controller depresses 4 buttons once again, whereupon the pivotable low-loader wells swing back in line with the axis of the wagon. The ~_votable low-loader well descends again to its lowest posi-tion, i.e. 210 mm above rail level; Unloading and loading of the above-mentioned trailer has taken at most 6 to 7 minutes.

This is a top view of a loaded trair, with trailers and an empty terminal without trailers, containers, loading or unloading ~ear etc.
The time on the clock is 10 minutes past 10 and it can be seen from this that this train has unloaded, loaded and departed within 10 min-utes.

THUS, SPEED ABOVE ALL

Nowhere in the world is there a combined road/rail transport system which can beat this invention. As a result of the abovementioned speed, the flexibility and the simplicity of this system, freight costs will be 20 to 30 % lswer than those of the current road and rail sy~tems.

In order to indicate to the Dutch Patent Office, to the European Patent Office and to the World International Patent Organisation in Geneva just how important it is that the transport of commercial goods is switched back from road to rail, the inventor provides the following information.

This new transport system is both technically and economically viable, as explained below.

- ~135879 ~ ~

For example: a few trains depart from Rotterdam at 19.00 hours in the evening and the following afternoon at 15.00 hours are in Budapest, from where they depart again at 19.00 hours.

The first-mentioned trains have unloaded and loaded trailers en route at 10 intermediate terminals on the first route from Rotterdam via Arnhem, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Neurenburg, Passau and Vienna to Buda-pest.

On the second route from Rotterdam via Venls, Cologne, Koblenz, Mannheim, Rarlsruhe, Stuttgart, Munich, Salzburg and Vienna to Budapest, this train ~these trains) have unloaded and loaded trailers at 11 inter-mediate terminals en route.

One train of 20, 25 or 30 wagons travels backwards and forwards between Rotterdam and Budapest 3 x a week; approx. 3 000 km x 3 = 9 000 km per week x 52 = 468 000 km per year.

Gross yield = 468 000 km x Nfl 1.60 = Nfl 748 ~00.00 per wagon per 20 year. A business plan shows that the yield is 12 % per year over the -~
organisation as a whole.

All railways in Europe, and also the important industrialised nations outside Europe, have considerable interest in combined roadJrail transport and will give preference to this invention.

As transport firms do not look favourably on the systems currently in existence and the present invention is exactly what they require, the new wagon to be constructed will be mass-produced.
In order to protect the environment and to ensure a cleaner world, there must be an 80 % reduction in the 650 000 lorries weighing more than 20 tonne which are on the roads in Europe every day.

As a consequence of a single Europe, this number of 650 000 lorries will rise by about 3S % within a few years, that is to say by about 2005. A number of 1 000 000 can be expected befors long.

If this new transport system is accepted throughout Europe, a mini-mum of 2 000 wagons per year will have to be produced in each of 25 ~135879 wagon plants spread throughout Europe. This is a total of 50 000 wagons per year.

Thus, in 20 years time ther~e will be about 1 000 000 Walda Ro-Ro wagons travelling throu~hout Europe, Russia, Turkey, Poland, Czecho-slovakia, Hungasy, Romania and Bulgaria.

In order to guarantee this total production of 50 000 wagons, at least 25 small and large plants must be involved in the production.

The current Huckepack wagons run on average only 1,500 km per week and give only a marginal return over long distances of between 700 and 1,500 km.

This small profit per train is to be ascribed to the following facts:

The trains always have to be uncoupled from the electric locomo-tives and run into the immensely large terminals, which are usually full of containers, trailers, container chassis, skips, etc. etc., which are stored there for a few days or weeks. Cons~quently, it is impossible to see the wood for the trees.

There are only 2 to 3 gantry cranes, a few piggy packers, three straddle carriers and a few large and small fork-lift trucks in these transit terminals. Furthermore, container loads are often transferred to smaller lorries in these terminals, with the result that said terminals are unable to cope with the daily flow of freight and at present there are traffic jams in front of the terminals.

THI S ~:OSTS TI ME AND MONEY

Our system is different: we unload and load the trailers, articu-lated lorries, high-capacity lorries, tankers and container chassis with containers at small terminal~ along the main line tracks. A train of 20, 25 or 30 wagons is unloaded and loaded in 10 minutes. It can be seen from Figure 18 that the train has departed and that there is nothinq, but absolutely nothinq left at the terminal.

The drivers operate the switchboxes provided for this purpose them-selves. There is also a second possibility; this is that in busy ter-minals the drivers can swing out their trailers, that is to say the self-suPportinq ~ivotable low-loader well, from their ca~s with the aid of a remote control.

Furthermore, there is yet a third possibility at busy terminals;
here the traffic controllers work from the control towers. In this case they operate the liftin~ platfor~ and the self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well.
As a consequence of this fully automated control and high speed/frequency and flexibility, the trailers are unloaded from and loaded on the arriving train within 10 minutes, and the train departs for another station/terminal, without even a single crane, piggy packer, etc. ~eing involved.

In due course, one man can unload and load 30 trailers with a weight of 40 tonne + 8 tonne trailer = 48 tonne x 30 x 2 = 2 880 tonne within 10 minutes. THIS HAS NEV~R HAPPENED_ ~EFORE IN T~E HISTORY OF
TRANSPORT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
-As this new transport sy~tem will in due course be entirely com-puter-controlled, this yields at least a 30 % advantage; the advantage is eve~ expected to be 40 %.
2~
Thus; freight costs down to '7the minimum", clearer motorways (roads) and a cleaner world will be the result of this new tra~sport system, which is also three times faster than the current combined transport and far less expensive.
The inventor is convinced that, for the above reasons alone, this is an invention, and investment in motorways must be stopped. Moreover~
all income from current road_ax_ and duties ~ust be invested in the European railways.
The European states must make an annual investment matching this s~m in order to finance the terminals together with investors. Moreover, the ~uropean railwaYs nust lay four-lane trac~s and large crossin~
points/sections on the busiest routes to divert the traffic around towns, in view of the hazardous substances and the noise, as the trains ~135879 in due course will have to_run dav and night in order to shift the flow of qocds from the roads to th~ railways.

In order to stem freight traffic by road in Europe a minimum of 20 000 trains per day will have to run. Divided by 24 hour~, this means 834 trains running in all directions throughout Europe.

Time is running out. Europe must not wait any longer; we must start now, as described above, to widen the railways, and, where necessary, to enlarge crossings, to build terminals along the main lines and~ on a European level, to install computer-controlled railways which operate on the same current throughout Europe, so that a given locomotive can run, for example, from Rotterdam to ~udapest, Ankara, the Polish/Russian border and the French/Spanish border in a single journey, without un-coupling.

All this is possible and also necessary, because only then will we move towards a super Europe which can compete with America and Japan.
This would also be to the ~enefit of our own XLM and other European airlines because of the distribution of their air freight over all of Europe.

If this traffic is not tackled vigorously, we will soon be (in 10 years time) looking at traffic jams from Hengelo to Amsterdam and from Rotterdam to Cologne. Our roads from and to Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Schiphol will become totally blocked.

As soon as the single Europe is a fact, there will be a 40 %
increase in road traffic within 10 years and our children and grandchildsen will suffocate in the ~ases which we are now producinq from the exhausts of large lorries.

Moreover, it has been established that over all of Europe and . ~merica ever increasing numbers of small soot particles, which cause cances, remain suspended in the atmosphere. The way we envisage it, local lorries can be fitted with catalytic converters.

As described above, this new invention is an improvement on previ-ous inventions.

213587g It has taken the inventor many hours of thought to invent the lightest wagon in the world, onto and from which the trailers can also drive within 10 minutes an~ for which a UIC accompanying permit will be granted.
The inventor of this wagon and of this new transport syctem has for many years been looking ~or th~ right solution for combined road!rail -freight traffic which European transport firms want.

Insiders say that this invention is THE RIGHT SYSTEM
LIGHTW~IGHT AN~ SIMPLE
.
POR RAIL
AND ~R ROAD

Over recent years it has been found that combined road/rail trans-port is demanding ever-increasing attention. Many interested parties are turning their attemtion to various systems/ which frequently come to nothing. The reaso~ for this is that these sYstems are conceived by people ~ho, _althou~h they have a good technical bac~ground, have no practical knowledqe of fre~ ht transPort by road and rail. Over the years ~illions of quilders have been lost as a cons~quence of these decisions.
The wagon described, which works in conjunctiQn with a hydraulic lift pla~form with a ~ivotable low-loader well is at present the best and the most lightweight desi~n and is suitable for all road vehicles, as described above and below.
The transit nations Au~tria, Switzerland, Germany and France will be extremely interested in this wagon and this new transport system.

. The European freight companies will now also gain interest in ship-ping their trailers, articmlated lorries and high-capacity lorries, as well as tan~ers and silo trailers, by means of these new private-sector wagons and terminals.

In order to allow this new transport system to function well, it will have to be controlled by a single computer system Europe-wide and ,9 2135879 be completely privatised.

As road freight traffic is one of the lar~est polluters of the environment, this will have to be stemmed quickly, as des~ribed above.
The motorways in Europe and beyond are also becoming ever busier.
According to the NOB (Confederation of Dutch Industry), freight traffic on the roads will increase by 40 % between 1992 and 2010 as a conse-quence of the single European market. The problem of traffic jams will spiral out of control as a result.
.
It is therefore necessary to start with this new transPort system now, which system, alonqside the existinq syste~s, can be assured a successful future.
The invention will be explained in more detail below with the aid of illustrative embodiments shown in the figures in the appended draw-ings.

- 20 ~IGURE 1 This is a perspective drawing of a tsp view, a side view and a cross-section of:

a) the lowest self-suppor~ing pivotable low-load OE well (5) in the world for a wagon for combined transport.
b) a hydraulic lift (6), which is movable vertically up and down and on which a turntable ring (8) is supported. Said turntable ring (8) is screw~d under the ~ (~a) by me2ns of 48 bolts.
c) the electro-hydraulic turntable _platforc (8A) and the equipment specified under a) and b) is installed, by means of prefabri-cated platform sections, flush alongside and between the rails. The rails (3) are set into the concrete of the prefabricated sections and . guaranteed for more than 100 years against all possible da~age and wear.
The inventor lists the components, 1 to 1~ below:

1. This is part of the chassis/frame of the wagon.

2. This is one of the 16 conical retaining plates.

2~135~7g `~ 20 3. This is a part of the rails which are set into the prefab-ricated platform sections.

4. ~hese are 8 rollers, which are mounted ~der the electro-~Ydraulic turntable platform.

S. This is the lowest ~elf-supportinq piYotable low-loader well, on which a trailer is standing (that is to say only the wheels/tyres and the front struts, making up about 6 tonne) at its highest position in the platform/terminal.

6. This is the hYdraulic ho~st (14), which is movable verti-cally up and down over a distance of about 1,150 ~m. A turntable ring (8) is mounted on said lift, on which ring an electro-hvdraulic turntable pla form (8a) is supported. Said ele~tro-hydraulic turntable platform (8a) presses against the self-suPporting pivotable_ low-loader well (14) and pushes this up a few millimetres above the wagon ~1), as a result o~ which said elf-supportingL_pivotable low-loader_ well (14) swings out without any resistance over the two platforms, of egual height, left and right of the track (3~.
Subsequently, the trailers, which are transported hereon, can drive off the low-loader well within one minute and the new loaded trailers can drive on again, within the same length of time. A further descrip-tion sf this system is given in detail below.
7. This is the dog-ring ring gear, which is driven electrical-ly or hydraulically by the longest arm.

B. This is the turntable ring which has a cross-section of 2 metres and a yield point of 180 tonne.

8a. ~his is the electro-hydraulic turntable platform which is screwed to the top of the turnta~le ring (8) by means of 48 bolts and nuts. Consequently, the electro-hYdraulic turntable_ platform can be swung out easily carrying a weight of 60 to 70 tonne.

9. These are 3 high-pressure cylinders having a lifting capac-ity of 30 tonne = 3 x 30 tonne, giving a total of 90 tonne, which are mounted under the h~draulic lift. These 3 cylinders are needed, specifi-cally; trailer - 8 tonne I load 52 tonne = 60 tonne ~ weight of the ' ~ 21 wagon (lifted up on the springs) ~ 10 tonne = 70 tonne. Total overcapacity is about 20 tonne.

10. These are the bogies of the wagon with large wheelfi (920/- ~
940 mm), permitted for speeds of up to 160 km per hour on fiome track ;
sections. i ,:.

11. These are the slotted plates into which the self-s pPortinq pivotable low-loader well descends and locks ri~idly. These plates can also be replaced by 16 V-shaped retaining plates for 16 XING PIN bolts (see Figures 1A and 1B), depending on whether the railways (UIC) specify or desire this; see also Figures 2, 11 and 12.

12. This is likewise a slotted plate, as mentioned under num-bers 2, 2A, 2B and 11 and also in,Figure 1A under 2c, but this plate serves to clamp the conventional trailers in a horizontal frame firmly in the ~ING PIN, as a result of which these are held rigid. ;

13. This is a switchbox on the platform for each wagon, which 20 ` initially will be used with an integrated switch for unloading and load-ing trailers, as described above.

14. This is the first lowest self-suPportina pivotable low-loader well (5) in the world, which ~s only 8 mm thick and with a loaded trailer is 210 mm above rail level and with an empty trailer 250 mm above rail level.

15. These are the prefabricated platform sections, which are guaranteed for 100 years.
~IGURE 1A
, Figure lA is largely identical to Figure 1.
The difference is that the self-supportinq pi~otable low-loader . well (5) has a different suspension, that is to say:
1. The self-supporting Pivotable low-loader well (5) in Figure 1 is suspended at 16 points on/in 16 retaining plates (2A) by means of 16 slotted holes (2a) in the top edge of the self-supporting pivotable low-loader well (5).

' 213~79 :

2. The self-suPportin~ Pivotable low-loader well (S) in Figure 1A is suspended on 16 V-shaped heavy plates (2B), which are welded in the chassis girders (1), by means of 16 trailer KING PINS (2c); see also Figure 1~.
~IGURF 1B
This is a section of Figure 1 and Figure 1A. ~
In this Figure 1~ the inventor shows a trailer xING PIN bolt, which is screwed to the ~elf-supporting pi~otable low-loader well (S) at 16 points; see number 2c in Figure 1A. These are oriqinal KING PIN bolts which have a yield point at 250 tonne, so that the self-supPortin~
pivotable low-loader well may break away only under a weight of 16 x 250 .
tonne = 4 000 tonne. -This will of course never arise, as the load on said self-support-in~ pivotable low-loader well (S) is at most 6 to 8 tonne; see Figures 1 and 1A.
It can be seen from ~igure 11 that the complete trailer (1) is -`
supported at 6 points (4, 6, 8, 9, 15, 21 and 23) and that the entire weight of the trailer (1) is thus distributed over the entire wagon 20 (1A). - ~-~ his is also part of the invention; i.e. a loaded trailer sits with its back and its front, with a weight of 2 x 25 tonne = 50 tonne, over the bogies. -As a consequence of this distribution oÇ the weight, only 3 axles with 6 tyres, i.e. 3 tonne (see Figure 11) bearing the numbers 9, 11 and 13 and the 2 front struts bearing the numbers 18, lik wise representing about 3 tonne, are located on the self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader ~ell (S) ~see Figures I and lA); that is to say the total weight on said low-loader well is only 6 to at most 8 tonne.
In order to ~ake the weight of the wagon (lA) with the self-sup-portinq pivotable low-loader well (5) on the rails (3) as low as poss-ible the construction of the self-suPporting pivotable low-loader well (5) has been restricted to the minimum weight and the total weight of . the wagon will be under 15 tonne. Consequently, this will be the 35 lightest 4-axle wagon with a turntable platform for combined road/rail ~-freight traffic in the world.
No further text and explanation is needed for this Figure 13, since the same numbering has already been mentioned in Figure 8B (see Figure 8B).

~ ~ 23 2135879 ~ :~

~his is an enlargement of a rear view cross-sectiOn of the lowest ~elf-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well (5), on which a trailer (4) is standing, and of the hYdraulic lift (3) at its highest position.
This is also a cross-section of the frame of the wagon (1) and of one of the 16 conical retaining plates (2a).
Furthermore, this is a cross-section of the electro-hvdraulic turntable platform t6) with a front view of the dog ring gear wheel (7), the integral ball-race ring (8), the integral special rail (9) and one 10 of the eight rollers (10). --FIGUR~ 3 This is a cross-section of a prefabricated platform section (1 and 2) o~er which, or in which, the pivotable low-loader well (5) turns.
Steel plates (3) with sunken socke~-head screws are fixed/mounted in these prefabricated platform sections to prevent the rollers (10) men-tioned in Figure 2 possibly wearing grooves.

FIGURE ~
This is a longitudinal section of the wagon (1) and of the hYdrau-lic lift (14) at its highest position as well as of the electro-hYdrau-lic turntable platforn (6).
This is also a side view of the 3 hydraulic cylinders (9), of the prefabricated platform section (15) and of the rails (3).

PIGURE S
This is a cross-section of a trailer (1) and of the lowest self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well (5), on which a trailer (1~ is standing.
The lowest ~elf-supportinq low-loader well (5) is in line with the axis of the wagon at its lowest position, i.e. the hydraulic lift (18) is lying flush with the IPE girders (20). The hydraulic cylinders (12) are likewise in their lowest position.
The wagon (9) is standing with its 8 wheels on the rails (17), which are let into the electro-hvdraulic turntable platforn (18), which is driven electrically by the motor (11) via the dog ring gear wheel t19).
The platform can also be driven by two hydraulic cylinders, which are mounted below the platform.
Said cylinders can not be seen and, therefore, are also not num-bered.
A loaded trailer (1) is standing on the wagon (9) and the waqon (9), or the entire train, is therefore a~le to depart.
The correct dimensions which are needed for the transp~rt of 4 S metre high trailers through alpine tunnels with respect to the clearance profile are specified on page 3 of this patent.

- The following numbers, or components, of ~he invention are men-tioned in the above text. ~
' .
1. Trailer.
5. Self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well.
9. Wagon.
12. Hydraulic cylinders.

17. Rails. r .

18. Electro-h~draulic turntable platform.
.~
18a. Hydraulic lift 19. Dog ring gear wheel.
~0. IPE girders.
That is to say numbers 1, 5, 9, 12, 17, 18, 18a, 19 and 20.

The following numbers have not yet been mentioned in this text and explanation, specifically 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16 and ~-21.

The inventor specifies the functions of the abovementioned n~mbers below:

2. These are the air bellows beneath the trailers (1) from which the air is let out, as soon as the trailers (1) are on the lowe~t~self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well (5).

. 3 This is the loading tailboard~ which is used in the new in-vention for unloading and loading pallets and small containers.

4. These are the steel retaining plates for the 16 load-bearing points of the self~supportinq pivotable low-loader well (5).

6. These are the 2 front struts of the trailers (1) which can be 25 ~ 1 3 ~ 8 7 9 ~
operated electrically from the cab of the trucks (see Figures 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18).

7. These are the rear tyres of the trail~r (1), which are 1 o~n S mm high. As soon as the trailer is on the self-supPortin~ pivotable low-loader well (5) the air is let out of the air beliows (2) and the trailer (1) descends onto the tyres (7), as described above.

8. This is a reinforced corner in the self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well (S), to prevent sagging.

10. This is a gear wheel on the electric motor (11~, which serves to swing out the self-supporti~g pivotable low-loader well (5) by means of the dog ring (19) 40 to 45 degrees over the platforms (16) left and right of the track/rails (17~; see Figure 6.
.

11. This is an electric motor, which brings the sear wheel (10) into motion, which, in turn, engages in the dog ring gear wheel (19 and brings the self-supporting pivotable low-loader well into motion, which swings out through 40/45 degrees over the platforms (16); see also page 22l23.

13. These are high-pressure oil lines which in winter are kept electrically heated by means of an integral coil, so that there can never be any malfunction.

14. Thi~ is a stop bloek, which ensures that, firstly, the above-mentioned pivotable low-loader well stops in t~e correct position ~y means of an electric switch and, secondly, the first-mentioned pivotable low-loader well r~aches the correct height.

15. This is a bleed valve and also a high pressure controI. This serves to lock the hYdraulic lift if the loaded trailer (1) is too heavy.
16. This is the lowermost prefabricated platfcrm section, which is made of reinforced con~rete. The manufacturer guarantees this prefab-ricated platform section for 100 to 150 years against fracture, on con-dition that the prefabricated platform sections are laid on a good foun-dation (i.e. on a layer of sand or gravel) and the iron used for con-, -. 26 ~135879 ~
crete reinforcement is at least 10 cm from the edge of the concrete;
this latter stipulation is in regard to concrete rot. Should a prefabri~
cated concrete section nevertheless break within the abovementioned period, this will be replaced by the supplier(s) free of charge.
S
21. This is the triangular box girder, which is hinged up verti- ~
cally now the train is departing. `
~IGUR~ 6 This is a side view of a trailer (2) which is standing on the self-supporting pivotable low-loader well (22) and has been swung out through 40 degrees with respect to the axis of the wagon (10) oYer the steel -plates (19a) of the platform (19). -~
~he electro-hydraulic turntable platform (16c) has been brought ~-into its highest position, from its lowest position (see Figure 5), by the 3 high-pressure cylinders (16), by means of a hydraulic lift (16a).
Said hvdraulic lift (16a) stops automatically at the correct height by means of a stop block (8a) on which, or against which, an integral-~ -switch (8) is mounted.
Said integral switch (8) has several operating functions, i.e.:
1. Stopping the electro-hYdraulic turntable liftin~__pla~forM
(16~
2. Operation of the electric motors of the triangular tu~ular -edge(s3 (21) for each wagon (10), which are fixed to the steel plates (19a) by means of hinges.
3. Operation of the electric motors (12) provided with gear wheels (12a), which engage in the dog-ring ring gears ~12b), as a result of which the electro-h~draulic turntable platfor~ swings out through 40 degrees over the platform and thereafter, by means of a press on the button of the switchbox (13) (see Figure 1) back into line with the axis of the wagon.
Said galvanised steel plates (19a) are fixed by socket-head screws;
t~at is to say the nuts thereof are cast-in, or anchored in the con-crete, during the manufacture of the prefabricated platform sections.
When said triangular tubular edges (21), which have 2 positions (the first position is vertical and the second position is horizontal) have been swung by the electric motor(s) into the horizontal position, the width of the platform is entirely filled.
That is to say, the gap on either side of the wagon (10) is com-pletely closed to within a few cm with respect to the clearance section ' ~' ': ;

__ 213587~

in accordance with UIC regulations.
As a result thereof, the rollers (6), (13) and (14), of which 4 are mounted at the front a~d 4 at the rear beneath the electro-hvdraulic turntable platform (16c), are a~le to roll without any problems over the S hvdraulic lift (16a), over the chasQis g~rders (10) of tho wagon (10) and over the first-mentioned steel plates (19a), which are fixed by socket-head screws to the prefabricated platform sections (19), Accordingly, the resistance of the self-suPportins pivotable low-loader ~ell (22) to swinging out is restricted to the minimum, so that, in due course, the new 49-foot trailers/containers having a gross weight of 60 tonne can be unloaded and loaded from said wagon (10) without problems within a few minutes.
As soon as the triangular tubular edges (21) are in the horizontal position and conseguently the gap/slit between the platform (19) and the wagon (10) is closed to within a ~ew millimetres, the integral switch switches over to the electric motor (12) and engages the gear wheel (12a) in the dog-ring ring gear (12b).
as a result of this the self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well (22) ~wings out through 40 degrees over the steel plates (19a) of the platform (1;9), as already stated.
The trailer(s) (2) then protrudes (protrude) 3.5 metres over the left-~and platform (19) and likewise 3.5 metres over the right-hand platform `(19).
The drivers of the tractor units/trucks (6, 7, 8 and 9) (see Fig-ures 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18) which are standing on the left-hand side of the track, drive their trucks (6, 7, 8 and 9) under the trailer(s), couple the latter by means of the automatic couplings and drive the loaded trailer off the self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader platforo (22).
The drivers who have lined up with the new loaded trucks and trailers~on the platform on the right-hand side of the track, drive said new loaded trailers (17a, 17b, 17c and 17d) (see Figures 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18) onto the self-supPortinq pivotable low-loader well (22) again . and the latter swings back, as described above, in line with the axis of the wagon (10), again by means of the integral switch.
The firsS-mentioned hvdraulic lift (16a) then starts to descend, by means of the integral switch, so that the self-supporting pivotable low-loader ~ell (22) is rigidly held by its 16 clamps (2) via 16 retaining .
plates (2a) (see Figure 1) in the chassis (1) of the wagon (10), or in other words is suspended rigidly between the chassis girders of the ~ ~ 28 ~13~879 :`
wagon (10).
The hydsaulic lift 116a) then descends with the electro-h~draulic turntable platform ~16c) to the lowest point, as a cons~quence of which the rail connection (5) is agai~ complete and the train is able to depart.
Unloading and loading of trailers from these trains, that is to say the driving on and driving off of trailers, as described above, costs one man (the driver of the truck concerned), or, in due course, one man from the control tower, 8 minutes working time per wagon.
In the case of trains of 30 wagons, 30 trailers drlve off and a further 30 trailers drive on again. Thus, 60 trailers.
In the initial stage this will be carried out by 60 drivers and in due course by one man from the control tower.
Each trailer has a gross weight of 60 tonne, i.e. unloading and loading of 3 600 tonne without gan,try cranes, piggy packers or other unloading and loading gear within 8 minut~s. This has not yet been dem-onstrated in the entire transport world, even in the case of bulk loads.

In the above text, the following numbers from Figure 6 have been mentioned, or are parts of this invention:
., 1. These are the front struts of the trailer.

2. This is the trailer.
3. This is the chassis of the trailer .
4. These are the wheels and tyres of the trailer.

5. These are the recessed track rails in the electro-hydraulic turntable platform on the hYdraul~c lift.

6. These are the two right-hand front rollers.

7~ These are the recessed track rails (see point 5).

8. This is an integral switch.
.: , 8a. This is a stop block.

~135879 9. This is the lowermost p~efabricated platform section.

10. This is the chassis/frame of the wagon.

11. Thi is one of the 16 retaining plates.

12. This is the drive motor for the electro-hy~raulic t~rntable platform on the hvdraulic lift.

12a. This is the gear wheel, which engages in the dog-ring ring gear of the electro-hYdraulic turntable platform.

12b. This is the dog-ring ring gear. ~`

13. This is on~ of the four ~ront rollers beneath the platform.

14. This is one of the four rear rollers beneath the platform.

15. This is a high-pressure line fitted with an electric coil, protected against a winter temperature of 40 degrees below zero.

16. This is one of the three high-pressure cylinders, each of which is able to lift 30 tonne.

16a. This is the hYdraulic lift, on which a turntable ring is mounted and on which the electro-hydraulic turntable platfon~ is sup-ported.

16b. This is the turntable ring.
16c. This is the electro-hYdraulic turntable ~latfor~.

17. This is a high-pressure main line from the oil pump to the high-pressure cylinders, which is insulated by an electric coil against -~
a temperature of 40 degrees below zero.

18. $his is a steel wall, between which ~he hydraulic lift is ,~
guided vertically upwards and downwards.

4C 19. This is the uppermost prefabricated platform section.

30 ~ 1 35879 ~
; ~
19a. These are the steel plates, which re fixed on the prefabri-cated platform section for two reasons:

1st) to restrict the resistance during swinging-in and swinging-out of the self-suPporting pivotable_low-loader well to the minimum;
2nd) to prevent the rollers wèaring grooves in the platform.

20. These are the IPE girders, which serve as reinforcement for the entire installation in the platform.

21. These ara the triangular box girders, which have 2 positions.
The first position is the vertical position in order to allow the train to run through a further platform and not to infringe the UIC limit. The second position is the horizontal position and is intended to allow the self-suppor~in~ pivotable low-loader well to swing out without problems, i.e. so that there is no gap/slit ~etween the platform and the wagon.
Said triangular tubular edges are needed in order not to infringe the UIC limit when running the trains in and out.
Said tubular edges are positioned vertically on the platform when the train arrives and departs and are located between the terminal and the wagon (see Figure 5~ during unloading and loading of the trailers on and of the wagon, in order to bridge the gap/slit.

22. This is the lowest, the lightest and the thinnest self-sup-~rting pivotable low-loader well, which as yet does not exist anywhere in the world and has also not yet been conceived for the purposes of combined road/rail/trailer transport and the transport of articulated lorries, high-capacity lorries, etc. For the reasons given above, this -`
new system is an invention.
~ -~IGURE _ This is a longitudinal section of the rails (1), of the prefabri-- cated platform section (2), of the bogies (3l, of the wagon (4) and of the electro-h~draulic turntable platform (5) as well as of the hydraulic 3~ l~ft (6). ` -Furthermore, the broken lines (7) on the bottom part of the wagon (4) indicate the position where the lowest self-supporting ~ivotable low-loader well (7A) is suspended; empty 250 mm above rail level and loaded 210 mm above rail level. -Said lowest self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well (7) is also ` ~31 ~ 1 3 ~ 8 7 9 shown in broken lines on the electro-hYdraulic turntahle platform (5) under 7A.
The location in which the 3 cylinders (9) are sited in the prefab-ricated p1atform (8) is additionally reinforced with iron in the con-crete, which reinforcement is provided to take the total weight of 90tonne.
A protected switchbox (10), which is used onlv until ~uch time 3 the platform, or this terminal is runnin~ at full capacity, is built on the platform (11). Later on these boxes will be redundant and all oper-ations, such as unloading and loading, will be conducted/controlled from a control tower (not yet numbered). ~: :

~IGURE 8 This is a top view of the wagon (1) with a swung-out self-support-inq pivotable low-loader well (6) w~ich is now at its highest position, i.e. in the middle of the wagon (1) and on the platform ~16) at the left-hand side and right-hand side of the track (8).
Said self-~upportinq pivotable low-loader well (6~ has been swung -~
through 40 degrees with respect to its axis, as a result of which the trailers and other ~ehicles can drive off on the left-hand side and the new loaded trailers can drive on again from the right-hand side of the platform. ~
There are 2 possible means of suspending the first-mentioned self- ~:
supporting pivotable low-loader well (6) in the chassis (1) of the wagon (1), i.e.:
1. ~his possibility is described in Figure 1 and this suspension is as follows: there are 16 retaining plates (2A~ on the chzssis-(1) of ~ :
the wagon (1~, cut into the uppermost edge of the self-supporting pivot-able low-loader well (6) (see enlargement FigNre 8A).
302. This possibility is described in Figure 1A and this suspen-sion is as follows: 16 V-plates (2B~ are welded onto the chassis (1) of the wagon (1) and 16 KING PIN bolts are screwed to the upright edge of the ~elf-supportinq ~ivotable low-loader well (6) by means of bolts, or, optionally, welded to the upright sides of the self-suPporti~ pivotable 3S low-loader well (see enlargement Figure 8B).
The first-mentioned V-plates (2B) are oriented the other way round to the retaining plates, mentioned in Figure 1 under number 2A.
Said V-plates (2B) ar~ positioned with the opening facing upwards, so that as soon as the self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well (6) descends between the chassis girders of the wa~on (1), the ~ING PIN

~13~879 kolts automaticallY clamp said low-loader well by means of a coUPling hook, which is mounted behind the V-plates (2~) (see enlargement Figure 8B).
A ball-race ring (3) is mounted on top of the hYdraulic lit, S which, in turn, is mounted on the electro-hydraulic turntable Plator-(5) by means of 48 bolts and nuts, so that these components form a single assembly.
This construction has been tested and has a yield point of 250 tonne. The maximum weight demanded for said turntable ring is 90 tonne.
Thus, there is an overcapacity of 160 tonne.
In order to ensure that the wagon (1) complies with the UIC regula-tions in respect of the buffer pressure/force, two reinforcing girders (4 and 11) have been welded directly adjacent to the bogies a1: the front and bac~ of the frame.
Moreover, a well-constructed ~ow-loader well will be absolutely essential in order to absorb all of the buffer pressure. This ~ e=
portinq pivotable low-loader well must have the same strength as the - ~
transverse girders in the wagon.
For operation of the hydrauli~ lift and the electro-hydraulic 20 turntable Platform, for the time being two switchboxes (7~ are installedon the platform on either side, which switchboxes initially will be operated by the driver and at a later date from a control tower.
Special buffers (9) have been installed for these wa~ons/trains which in due cours~ will run at 170 km per hour. Said buffers are to prevent lurching and vibration at high speeds. The way in which these wagons run and lie will first be thoroughly tested.
The bogies ~10) ~ust likewise be of very good quality and must not vibrate at high speeds. Special engines must be developed for these train~, in order to be able to achiève a speed of 170 km per hour within a short per~od of time with a weight of about 2 000 ~onne per train.
The electro-hydrauli~ turntable platfQr~ (5) must be of sound con-struction/manufacture, since this must be able to overcome extreme re-sistances. If the number of rollers in Figu~e 8, which have been the . nu~bers 12, 13, 14 and 15, is ade~late for the prototype, this is then satisfactory.
$f not, additional rollers will be needed beneath the ele~tro-hvdraulic turntable platform.
., , This is an enlargement of the self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well (2) in which slots are cut in the flanged top edge (1). The sixteen retaining plates (12) fit in these.
When the self-supportinq pi~otable low-loader well (2) has descended along the vertical ~ne, said low-loader well comes above the point-shaped retaininq plates (12); see also Figure 1/2A-The self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well (2) descends to its lowest point on the corner edge of the chassis girders (11), so that the self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well (2) is rigidly suspended in 2 x 5 slotted holes on the left and right upright edges and at the front and rear ends in 2 x 3 slotted holes which have ~een welded onto the 3 load-bearing girders (10) in the self-supPortinq pivotable low-loader well (2); see Figure 8. ~`~
. .
Said 3 load-bearing girders (10) ensure that the self-supportin~
pivotable low~loader well (2) has the prescribed strength and, accord-ingly, that the buffer pressure for,the entire wagon (1) is safeguarded.
The reinforcing plates (2A) are also shown in this Figure 8A.

Furthermore, the following ~omponents are also shown in this Figure 8A;
3. This is the electro-hYdraulic turntable_platform.

4. These are the 8 steel rollers, which are mounted under said electro-hvdraulic turntable Platform (3).
5. These are the 4 corner plates which can swing out to form a bridge for the 8 steel rollers (4) when the self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well (2~ is swung out over the platforms left and right of the track.
6~7. This is the hy aulic lift (see Figures 11 and 12).

8. These are the tyres of the trailer (see Figures 11 and 12).

9. This is likewise a bridging plate for the 8 steel load-bear-ing rollers (4).

10. These are 2 reinforcing girders for the self-supportinq ~votab}e low-loader well (2) which are needed to construct a low-loader well which is as light as possible from a steel plate 5 to 8 mm thick.

~ ~ 34 11. This is one o~ the longitudinal trusses of the wagon, which are pressed into this s~ction.
':' 12. These are the retai~ing pla~esl which are welded in the frame; in total 2 x 5 = 10. There are also 2 x 3 small retaining plates welded to the 2 ends of the reinforcing girders.
: ~
.
13. This is the self-suPportinq pi~otable low-loader w*ll, ~-pressed from a single 8 x 4 m sheet.
The inventor worked on the assumption that said lowes~ self-sup- ;~
portin~ pivotable low-loader well must be made as lightweight and as thin as possible in order not to fall outside the UIC profiles with -;~
regard to alpine tunnels.
We calculated that this wagon t~ee previous figures) is the on~y, -the li~htest and the lowest wagon to be capable of transeorting all vehicle~ which currentlY ~o bv road throuqh the al~ine tunnels.
A new era will dawn in combined road/rail transport. ~, me current, alrea~L existinq, wa~ns for combination transport will no longer be built and the enor~ously large terminals in the Neth-erlands~ GermanY, Austria, Italy and France w ll be used solely_for slow traffic ~that is to sa~ for loads for which there is ~o ur~encY).
Urgent freight by container which is despatched from overseas, will be loadéd on a trailer chassis a~ the ports (for example to Italy) and likewise transported with the abovementioned combi-wagons, as will urgent freight for other destinations in ~urope.
Mar~et research am~nqst freight ~o~panies has indicated that there is ~reat interest in ~his new transport system.

~IGUR~ SB
~ his is likewise an enlargement of the self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well (2), which is pressed from a single sheet ~ metres long, 4 metres wide and 5 mm thick. This method results in generous curves on . ~ither side, which are fixed to the upright edges by means of 2 x 5 ~ING
PINS (1).
The said low-loader well is 2,700 mm wide and 8,000 mm long.
The self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well (2) is supported on the electro-~ydraulic turntable platform (8) beneath which 8 heavy run- -ners (4) are mounted. ;~
A ball-race ring is located in the centre of the first-mentioned ~135879 electro-hvdraulic turntable platform (3) (see Figure 8, number 3). Said ~^
ball-race ring (6) is in turn fixed to a hYdraulic lift (7).
A trailer is standing on the self-suPportin~ pivotable low-loader well (2~; see tyres (8).
5Furthermore, a br~dging support (5) is fixed to the hydraulic lift, over which the first-mentioned steel rollers (4) roll.
Said rollers then roll over the upper flange (10) of the chassis girders and thereafter over the bridging supports (9 and 9A), which are ~;
fixed to the steel plates of the special platform (14).
10With the aid of said electro-hvdraulic turntable Platform~ the .. . ..
first-mentioned self-suPportin~ pivotable low-loader well (2) swings out through 40 degrees over the special platform. -The 16 retaining plates (12) have a V-shaped access. As soon as the ~-elf-supportinq pivotable low-loader well (2) descends, the 16 KING PINS
15 slide into said retaining plates a~d automatically lock rigidly at the ~ - lowest point.
In order to achieve a strong chassis, an additional plate (11) is fitted in the chassis girders on the outsi~e.
A support/reinforcing plate (13) is likewise fitted over the entire .
length in the curved low-loader well.
~.~
l~IGUR~ 9 ~ 9C
~his is likewise a top view of the wagon (1) with the self-support~
inq pivotable low-loader well (6), which is now in line with the axis of 25 the wagon. --Figure 8 shows that the self-sup~rtinq PiVo able low-loader well (6~ has been swung out over the 2 platforms of equal height left and ~right of the track which is now indicated by broken lines in Figure 9.
The numbering of the components concerned, and the function there-of, is entirely identical to that in Figure 8 and is described as fol-lows:

1. This an ordinary flat wagon. ~-2a~2c. These are the 16 slotted holes andj respectively, the 16 KING PIN bolts, as described in Figures 8A and 8B. ;~

3. This is the turntable ring.

.
4. This is the front reinforcing girder between the two longi-~ 36 ~13587~ -:
tudinal trusses/chassis girders of the wagon, on which the self-support-inq Divotable low-loader well (6) is also suspended at 3 points, as described in Figure 8.

5. This is the electro-hydraulic turntabl~ platform.

6. This is the self-supporting pivotable low~load r well.

7. These are the 2 switchboxes left and right of the track. ~
' 8. These are the rails of the track.

9. These are the special buffers, designed for speeds of 170 km per hour.

10. These are the special bogies, likewise designed for speeds of 170 km per hour.

11. This is the r~ar supporting girder between the 2 longitudinal trusses/chassis girders of the wagon, on which the self-su~Ep~rtinq pivotable low-loader well (63 is likewise suspended at 3 points, as described in Figure 8.

12. These are the 2 steel runners rear left.
13. These are the 2 steel runners rear right.
.

14. These are the 2 steel runners front right.

15. These are the 2 steel runners front leftO

16. These are the special platforms left and right of the track, manufactured from prefabricated platform sections (that is to say not poured in situ).

This is likewise a top view, but without wagon (1), that is to say only of the self-supPorting pivotable low-loader well (5) (broken line), the turntable ring (6) and the electro-hydraulic turntable platform (2).
The hYdraulic lift has number 14 in Figure 8. In this Figure 10, .

- - -;~ ~ 37 said hydraulic lift is mounted below the electro-hvdraulic turntable ~atform and not numbered, as it cannot be seen.
The switchboxes left and right of the track are numbered 1 and the rails of the track are numb~red 3.
S There is no wagon (1) above ~aid hydrauliG lift, on which a ball-race ring (6) is mounted. The electro-hydraulic turntable platform (2) is mounted on top of this by means of 48 bolts and nuts.
- The train with the wagons (1) has already left the platform (4) for the next terminal. The self-supportinq pivotable low-loader_ wells, on which only the wheels and axles, as well as the front struts of the trailer, the whole having a weight of 5 to 6 tonne, are supported, are now suspended at the bottom of the wagons.
The entire weight of the loaded trailer(s) lies at the front and rear on the wagon(s) immediately over the bogies, so that the entire weight of the trailer ~ load is distributed over the entire wagon and the self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well, which, as has already been stated, carries only the wheel assemblies and the front struts weighing about 5 to 6 tonne.
As said self-supportin~ low-loader well weighs no more than 2 tonne and the so-called flat wagon wei~hs only 13 tonne, this is the lightest wagon in the world for combined transport. In the opinion of the inven-tor(s) this wagon will therefore also ~e mass produced in large numbers.

This is a side view, or a cross~section, of the wagon (1A) with a trailer (1), the lowest self-supportin~ ~ivotable low-loader well (16), the hydraulic lift (15) and the el~ctro-hydraulic turntable__platform (12).
The 49-foot trailer/container (1) is completely dropped down in the ~elf-6upeor~i~gLEivotable low-loader well (16) and supported exclusively and only on 6 points on the wagon (1A).
As soon as this 49-foot trailer/container (1) descends into the ~elf-supportin~ pivotable l~w-loader well (16) by means of a vertically . movable hvdraulic lift l15), the mechanism of the rear bumper (2) i~
pushed upwards and the springs located therein come under tension and relax again as soo~ as the pressure from below is relieved. The rear bumper then comes back to its prescribed location, that is to say 50 cm above the road surface.
A cooling installation (26) is located on the front of this 49-foot trailer/container (1) and is electrically connected, per wagon, to the ~135879 ; ~ 3B

power supply of the entire train from the engine. `
As stated above, the 49-foot trailer/container (1) is supported at 6 points on the wagon (1A), that is to say at the rear on 3 hardwood beams (4, 6, 8) and at the front on 2 hardwood beams (19 and 23) and s firmly seated in the KING PIN coupling (21).
The wagon (1A) has 2 bogies, numbered 5, 7, 20 and 22. ~
~he rails (3) are interrupted and are incorporated in the electro- -hYdraulic turntable platfor (12), which is pushed vertically upwards by the hydraulic high-pressure cylinders ~10, 14 and 17) during unloading 1C and loading of the trailer(s) (1).
The clearance between the self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well (16) and the rails (3) laid down by the UIC is 250 mm above rail level (see 12A).
The prefabricated platform sections (24) are manufactured specifi-cally for this purpose and are guaranteed for a lifetime of at least 100years.
Switchboxes (23l are installed either side of the platform, which --switchboxes wili initially be operated by the drivers of the collection and delivery trailers (see Figures 14 to 18) and later, as soon as is 20 necessary, from the control tower. f As stated above, the 49-foot trailer/container (1) is support~d only on the front and rear of the wagon on 5 hardwood beams (4, 7, 8, 19 and 23) and is firmly clamped by means of the KING PIN; The axles togethér with tyres (9, 11 and 13) and the front struts (18) are there~
25 fore supported only on the self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well and ~according to the inventor's calculations) represent a constant weight of about 5 to 6 tonne. :~
This is also an important part of the invention. Because of the lightweight and thin floor of the self-sup~rting pivotable low-loader 30 well this wagon is suitable for all alpine tunnels and also for the tunnels in Norway, England and Sweden.

. This is a side view, or a cross-section, of the wagon (1A) with a 35 49-foot trailer/container (1) and the lowest self-supportinq pivotable low-loader w~ll (16), as well as the hvdraulic lift (15) and the electro-hYdraulic turntable platform (12).
Here the 49-foot trailer/container (1) is at its highest position on the self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well and can now swing out 40 through about 40 degrees over the platforms.

,"",~ 2135873 i'`"'`' Said lowest self-supportinq pivotable_ low-loader well (16) is pushed hydraulically upwards from the lowest position out of the chassis of the wagon(s) (lA) by the cylinders (10, 14 and 17). The cylinders concerned are connected to the hvdraulic lift (15) by means of rugged ball heads.
When the 49-foot trailer/container (1) is pushed upwards hydrauli- ~
cally from its lowest position into its highest position by means of the --hvdraulic lift (15) on the self-supportinq pivotable low-loader well (16), the entire weight of the 49-foot trailerlcontainer (1) ~ load (between 40 and 60 tonne) comes onto the lowest self-supportin~ pivot-able low-loader well (16). Said self-supPorting pivotable low-loader well (16) is supported on an additionally reinforced electro-hvdraulic turntable platform (12). Said platform has adequate over-capacity, so -that malfunction can never arise.
When the 49-foot trailer~s)/container (1) is in its highest posi~
tion, the rear bumper (2) is brought at the correct level and into the correct position, that is to say 50 cm above the road surface, by means of the integral spring construction.
As soon as the highest position of the 49-foot trailer/container (1) is reached and said trailer is ready to be moved, the hardwood beams (4, 6, 8, 19 and 23) on the wagon (1A) can be seen clearly. ~hese are screwed to the chassis of the wagon (1A). Furthermore, the dish (21) can ~
now be seen on which the 49-foot trailer/container (t) is likewise sup- -ported and clamped when at its lowest position.
This new combined transport system has been entirely designed for speed. A train with 20, 25 or 30 wagons must not take longer than 10 minutes at a terminal alongside the main line tracks for unloading and "
loading and must depart again within the said 10 minutes and mix with the passenger traffic. The most modern electric engines, which reach a 30 speed of more than 150 km per hour within a few kilometres, are coupled ~ -~to all Walda Ro-Ro trains. -Further text and explanation i5 not needed for this Flgure 12, since the same numbers have already been mentioned in Figure 11. -~
, Said numbers from 1 to 26 are as follows:

1. This is the 49-foot trailer/container.

lA. This is the wagon. ;

40 ~ 1 35 879 `:
2. This is the bumper which is slidable in and out.

3. These are the rails.

4. This is a hardwood supporting beam.

5. This is an axle and a wheel of the bogie.

- 6. This is a hardwood supporting beam.
1û
7. This an axle and a wheel of the bogie.

8. This a hardwood supporting beam.

9. This is an axle and a wheel of the trailer.
: .
10. This is a hydraulic cylinder.

11. This is an axle and a wheel of the trailer.

12. This is an electro-hydraulic turntable platform.

-- :
12A. This is the important UIC clearance of 250 mm.

13. This is an axle and a wheel of the trailer.

14. This is a hydraulic cylinder.

15. This is the hydraulic lift/ which moves vertically up and down.

16. This is the self-suPportinq pivotable low-loader well.

17. This is a hydraulic cylinder.

18. These are the front struts of the trailer.

19. This is a hardwood supporting beam.

20. This is an axle and a wheel of the bogie.

213~873 21. This is the XING PIN dish.

22. This is an axle and a wheel of the bogie. ~;

23. This is a hardwood supporting beam.

24. These are thP prefabricated platform sections.

25. ~his is the switchbox.
1 0 ,~

26. This is the cooling installation of the 49-foot ~
trailer/container with electrical connections. -, -These components etc. have already been mentioned in Figure 11 and 15 - have the same functions as in this Eigure 12.

~IGURE 13 This is a top view of a terminal/platform (1) with a complete wagon `~
(2) and the rearmost section of a second wagon ~2) as well as two -~
20 hydraulic buffer thrust bridges (3 1 3A) and the rails ~9). -The lowest self-supPorti~yLe __ able low-loader_~ell (4), which is suspended on 16 points (8) in the frame, i8 located between the chassis -~-~
girders (2A~ of the wagon. There are 2 alternatives for this (see Fig- -~
ures 7 to 12). "
Said self-supFortin~ pivo able low-loader well (4) is movable ver tically up and down by means of three hydraulic cylinders (see Fi~ure -~
13B). ~t its lowest point, with an empty trailer said low-loader well i5 `~ ~
suspended 250 ~m above rail level and with a loaded trailer it is sus- ---pended 210 mm above rail level (9). -`
Both the construction of the wagon (2) and the bottom clearance comply with the UIC specifications.
A hYdraulic lift (5), on which a ball-race ring (6) is supported, is indicated by broken lines beneath the abovementioned self-supportin~
. Rivotable lcw-loader_well (4). An electro-hYdraulic turntable platform (7), which is also shown in this Figure 13, is mounted on said ball-race ring (6).
Furthermore, at every terminal/platform there are 2 hydraùlic buf-fer thrust bridges (3 ~ 3A) and one or two switchboxes (10~ for each wagon.
In order to save costs during the initial start-up phase of this ,, ' S~13~879 : 42 new system, initially only 10 hYdraulic lifts (5) with 10 electro-hydraulic turntable platforms (6) will ke built for the first 9 ter-minals for 20 wagons (2).
This is a total of 90 installation- x Nfl 60 000 = Nfl 5 400 000.
The cost for 20 hvdraulic lifts (5) with an electro-hydraulic turntable platfor~ (6) will be twice this, i.e. Nfl 10 800 000. However, this is far less expensive than 10 gantry cranes for vertical transport per track, which cost ~ Nfl 4 000 000 per crane, which amounts to 10 x - Nfl 4 000 000 = Nfl 40 000 000. Thus, Nfl 40 000 000 minus Nfl 10 800 000 = Nfl 29 200 000 saving on a single route with this system.

This figure is largely identical to Figure 13. The terminals / the platform (1) with the complete wagon, o~ which only the rearmost section can be seen in this figure, is identical to Figure 13 as far as the text and explanation a.e concerned, except that in this figure details of the 2 hvdraulic buffer t~rust br d~es (3/3A) are given.
Said 2 hydraulic buffer thrust brid~es have the same function, that is to say the buffer thrust bridges (3/3A) are in the vertical position as soon as the train runs into/alongside the terminal / the platform ( 1 ) .
The train then runs 5 to 10 metres beyond the first hydraulic buf-fer thrust bridge (3) and stops. Said first buffer thrust bridge (3) is then hydraulically slowly brou~ht from its vertical position into its 2S horizontal position and becomes riqidly seated in a rectanqular recess (11) on the other side of the platfor~ / the ter~inal i1).
Two official buffers with powerful springs, which can take 500 tonne pressure are ~ounted on said buffer thrust bridge.
It is generally known by railway shunters that the couplinys must not be tightened too much and that clearance must be left in the spring-ing of the buffers for taking bends and points.
This is with a view to the bends in tunnels and tracks as well as the points at crossings and station yards.
Specifically, when a complete train is at the platform it can be assumed that the electro-hydraulic turntable platfor~ (6) is not com-pletely directly beneath the self-supporting pivotable low-loader well (4~ and the springs of the buffers of the wagons (2) will have to be compressed (see Figure 13).
As described a~ove in the fourth paragraph, the entire train is run 5 to 10 metres beyond the first hydraulic buffer thrust bridge. Further-~i~ 43 2l35879 more, it is explained in said paragraph that the hydraulic buffer thrustbridqe is in the horizontal position and rigidly seated between the two platforms left and right of the track.
AS soon as said buffer thrust bridge is seated, the signal goes to green. This is a signal to the engine driver that he can run the entire train slowly against the hydraulic buffer thrust bridge (3 1 3A) which operation must be carried out very accuratelY-The engine driver looks in his mirror and when the red light at thehydraulic buffer thrust bridge (3 ~ 3A) comes on there is about 400 tonne pressure on the abovementioned bridge.
All wagons have then come to a standstill precisely above the electro-hvdraulic turntable platforms with a play of a few centimetres.
Said wagons, depending on the number, are then selected, using the switchbox (10), for the even numbers, for example 20 (as indicated in Figure 13) and also 18, 16, 14, 12, ,10, 8, 6, 4 and 2.
When said even-numbered wagons have been unloaded, the train again moves 5 to 10 metres beyond the second hydraulic buffer thrust bridge (3A).
Said buffer thrust bridge is then, like the first, seated hydrauli~
cally between the 2 platforms.
As soon as said buffer thrust bridge (3A) is also seated, the sig-nal turns to green again and the engine driver brings the entire train into contact with the buffer thrust beam and takes up all the give in the buffers until the red signal comes on.
The train is then under a pressure of about 400 tonne.
The entire train is then again in its correct position and unload-ing and loading of trailers can start. The self-supPortin~ otable low-loader well (4) is pu~hed hydraulically upwards from its lowest point (210 above rail level) to the highest edge of the chassis girders of the waqon (2A) by the ~hree hydraulic cylinders (10,14 and 17), which are restrained between relnforcing girders (5~ (see Figures 11, 13~ and 13C).
~ll self-supportinn pivotable low-loader wells t4) are now posi-tioned 40 degrees out of line with the axis of the wagons (2) on the terminal / the platform. The trailers can be coupled to the trucks again and driven off the self-suPportinq pivotable low-loader well (9). The new loaded trailers then drive in the same minute onto self-su W ortinq pivotable low-loader wells (4), which swing back into line with the axis of the wagon, descend to the lowest point of the wagon (1A) and lock rigidly (see Figure 11).

i 44 '~i35879 -;
The way in which the trail~rs are driven on and off is described in Figures 14, 15! 16, 17 and 18. ..
The other numbering in this Figure 13A is completely identical to Figure 13.

FI GW~ 1 3B
This Figure t3 B is a cross-section of the platform (1),.which is ~uilt of prefabricated platform sections.
Two buffer thrust bridges (3 and 3A) are mounted/built on said platform. The buffer thrust bridges (3 and 3A) are always in the verti-cal position except when a Walda Ro-Ro train has run alongside the plat-form.
Said train stops about 25 metres beyond the first buffer thrust bridge (3), which then automatically hydraulically comes into the hori-zontal position and becomes rigidly.seated in a rectangular recess (11)installed in the platform for this purpose.
Green lamps then come on on the platform (1) either side of the track left and right.

As soon as these green lamps come on, the engine driver reverses the train against the first buffer thrust bridge (3) and forces the train hard against said bridge with a pressure of about 400 to~ne, as a result of which the clearance in and between the buffers is restricted to the minimum and each wagon (2) of the entire train comes into the correct position above the hydraulic lift~sL (12A), to which the electro-hydraulic turntable platform is fixed.
~y this means th~ lifts come into the correct position in the centre of the wagons.
The hydraulic lift~, which, as has been stated above are in the correct position under the wagons (2), are now automatically switched on via the first-mentioned integral switch and lift the electro-hydraulic turntable platforus under the wagons (2) which have to be unloaded and loaded.
The lectro-hydraulic turntable ~latforms (12) force the lowest and lightest self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well (16) in the world, which is suspended on 16 KING PIN bolts (1A) in the chassis of the wagon(s) (2) (see Figures 1A, 2C, 11 and 12), upwards to a few millimetres above the chassis girders (10) of the wagon~s) (2); see Figure 8B.

~ 45 213587g The first-mentioned electro-hydraulic turntable platform (12) swings the lowe~t and lightest 8elf-8upp0rtinq low-loader_well (16) in the world 40 degrees out of line with the axis of the wagon(s) t2) over the two platforms (1), of equal height, left and right of the track-S As soon as these are firmly in place on the platforms (1) left and right of the track ~15), the loaded trailers (16a, 16b, 16c and 16d) are driven off said pivotable low-loader well from the left and the new loaded trailers (17a, 17b, 17c and 17d), which are lined up on the right-hand side, are driven onto the low-loader well again (see Figures 14, 15, 16, 17 and 1~
The inventor will describe this in detail below in the Figures 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18.

Figure 14 shows a terminal (1Q) at 09.50 hours, which terminal has the bays 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 to the left of a track (15) and the prefabri-cated platform sections (1a, 2a, 3a and 4a) on the left-hand side of the track (1').
Furthermore, the same bays (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) and the prefabricated platform sections (1b, 2b, 3b and 4b) can also be seen on the right-hand side of the track (15) in this terminal.
In the first-mentioned bays on the platform (10) on the left of the track (15), four trucks (6, 7, 8 and 9) are lined up in the bays (1, 2, 3 and 4.). The four trucks concerned, which are standing in said bays, are waiting for the train (15) (~ee Figure 15), which is due to arrive at the terminal / the platform (10) at 10.00 hours.
On the right-hand side of the terminal / the platform (10) there are likewise four trucks (11, 12, 13 and 14) with four loaded trailers (17a, 1~b, 17c and 17d) lined up waiting for the train ~15) (see Figure 15), which is due to arrive at the terminal / the platform at 10.00 hours.

FI~URE 15 The Walda Ro-Ro train (15) arrives at the terminal/platform (10) at precisely 10.00 hours and stops in the correct indicated location; that is to say about 20 to 25 metres beyond the first hydraulic buffer thrust bridge (3); see Figures 13 and 1 3A .
As soon as the train (15) is at a standstill, the hydraulic buffer thrust bridge ( 3 ) automatically moves from its vertical position into its horizontal position and automatically becomes rigidly seated in the ~135879 ,~ ij 46 platform (10) on the left-hand side, which operation is described in Figures 13, 13A, 138 and 13C.
As soon as the hydraulic buffer thrust ~ridge ~3~ is seated firmly against the left-hand side of the platform in a housing ~pecially manu-S factured for this purpose, the engine driver reverses the train (15)about 25 metres and pushes the entire train (15) under a pressure of about 400 tonne against the buffer thrust bridge (3) (see Figure 13) and the buffers of the entire train (15) are compressed, as a consequence of which every wagon (18) (see Figure 16) comes to stand in precisely the right position over the hydraulic_lift, as described in Figures 13, 13A, 13B, 13C and 13D.
The numbers of the trucks and the trailers, as well as of the plat-form, the wagons, the track, the terminals and the bays are the same for Figures 16, 17 and 18 as for the abovementioned Figures 14 and 15.

When all of the wago~s (18) of the entire train (15) are in the correct position, the drivers of the collection trailers ~16a, 16b, 16c and 16d) or the operators at the terminal (10) press the "SWING OUT"
buttons in the switchboxes t25) which are in front of every wagon on the terminals/platforms (other figures).
The following operations then take place via an integrated switch:

1. The 3 hydraulic cylinders t10, 14 and 17) (see Figures 11 and 12) for the hydraulic lift push the lift, on which a turntable ring is mounted (see Figures 1, 1A, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13) vertically upwards.
2. The first-mentioned turntable ring is mounted beneath an electro-hydraulic turntable platform ~see Figures 1, 1A, 1~, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13). The rails are recessed into said electro-hvdraulic turntable platfor~ (see Figures 1, 1A, 4, 5, 6, 8A, 8B, 13 and 13C) and these join up with the track as soon as the abovementioned platform has returned to its lowest point on the platform. The length of said recessed rails is about 8 metres.
3~ When the first-mentioned platforms have returned to the lowest point in the platform there is at most 1 or 2 millimetres clearance between said rails on the platform and the rails of the track.
3. When the three hydraulic cylinders tlO, 14 and 17 in Figure 11 and 12) push the h~draulic lift with the electro-h~draulic turntable platfor~ mounted thereon upwards against the self-supportin~ pivotable :47 2135879 ~:

low-loader well, which is sUspendad in the wagon, the latter is brought to its highest position/point withi~ three minutes; that i5 to say the latter is about 2 to 3 millimetres above the chassis girders (10) of the wagon(s); see Figure 8A.
~ y means of the stop block (8A) with th~ switch (a), mentioned in Figure 6, the lift platform always stops in the correct position, as a result of which the electro-hydraulic turntable E~atform always reaches ~he same height as the height of the platforms/terminals and said plat-form can swing over the steel plates (19a) of the platform (19) withoutproblems ~see Figure 6).
As soon as the switch (8) of Figure 6 has been switched off, the self-supportin~ pivotable low-loader well ~22) (see Figure 6) immediate-ly swings through 40 degrees over the two platforms of equal height left and right of the track (15), afte~ which the abovementioned trailers --(16a, 16b, 16c and 16d) are able to drive off the self-supportinq pivot-able low-loader well (22) (see Figure 6) and the new loaded trailers (17a, 17b, 17c and 17d) can again be driven by the trucks (11, 12, 13 and 14) onto the train (15), as described above. ~-~
20Driving the trailers off and on takes 10 minutes.
~ :' It can be seen from Figure 17 that all of the drivers on the left-hand side of the track (15) at the terminal / the platform are busily `~
engaged in coupling their trucks (6, 7, 8, and 9) to the arriving trailers (16a, 16b, 16r and 16d) and driving them off the pivotable low-loader well (22) in order to unload said trailers (16a, 16b, 16c and -16d) at the premises of the consignees.
The drivers of the trucks (11, 12, 13 and 14) are then engaged in 30driving the delivery trailers (17a, 17b, 17c and 17d) onto the p_votable low-loader well (22) once again and uncoupling.
Said low-loader wells then automatically swing back into line with the axis of the wagon and the train (15~ can depart again for another . intermediate platformJterminal or the terminus.
~IGURE 18 It can be seen from Figure 18 that unloading and loading of the trailers from/on the entire train ~15) is complete and that the new loaded trailers have been driven on again or are back on the train 4~ again.
" ~

~" ~ 48 The train then again departs for another/next terminal/station to unload and load and finally arrives in Budapest at the terminus within 20 hours from leaving Rotterdam The train (15) has by then unloaded and loaded at 15 intermediate terminals/stations.

One train makes 3 trips per week between Rotterdam and ~udapest and vice versa, that is a total of 6 x 1,500 km = 9 000 km.
8ecause of this frequency, these Walda Ro-Ro wagons travel about 9 000 km per week whilst the current Taschen wagons travel at most 2 000 km per week; the difference is thus 7 000 km.
As a result of this frequency and flexibility (i.e. the ability to unload and load about every 100 km), transport by rail becomes inexpen-sive and interesting to freight companies.
Considerable interest is alre~ady being shown in these first 2 routes from Rotterdam to Budapest.
We will then start with 6 trains via 3 rcutes to Italy. There is great interest in this, as these wagons are the lowest wagons and are able to travel through all alpine tunnels when loaded with 4 metre high trailers with air suspension.
In collaboration with railway experts, the inventor has calculated that three trains leave at 19.00 hours in the evening from Rotterdam to arrive, via Neurenberg, Passau and Vienna in 8udapest at 15.00 hours the next day.
The same calculation holds good for a second route: Rotterdam -Mannheim - Munich - Salzburg - Vienna - ~udapest: departing from Rotterdam at 19.00 hours, arriving at Budapest at 15.00 hours.
On both routes the trains stop about every 100 km and unload and load their trailers in the terminals along the main line track at 15 terminals per route.
The trains run 3 x per week from Rotterdam to Budapest and vice versa and unload and load in 15 locations.
The intention is that - as soon as it is found that there is great interest for the Rotterdam - ~udapest route (as described above) - we will expand our lines to Italy, Germany, Poland and Russia, as well as Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, the Scandinavian countries and the former Block states.
As a result of this invention, freight traffic by road will be a thing of the past, or have reduced by 80 %, within lS to 20 years.
Furthermore, the inventor calculated that unloading and loading of .

~ ~ 49 ~1~5879 :

a trailer from/on the Walda Ro-Ro trains takes only 10 minUtes-one gantry crane takes 16 minutes to unload and load a trailer/S~ip and/or container for a single wagon. For 2~ wagons this is 20 x 16 = 320 minutes plus break and moving to and ~rom = 360 minutes : 60 ~ 6 hours.
S Furthermore, coupling to and uncoupling from the international engines takes 2 hours. Thus, the total comes to 8 hours.
The Walda Ro-Ro trains are by that time already unloading and load-ing in Munich or somewhere else (900 km further on).
The Walda Ro-Ro trains run, for example, 3 x per week from Rotterdam to 8udapest and vice versa; i.e. 3 x 3 000 = 9 000 km.
The current Huckepack trains take about 8 to 9 days to cover a distance of 3 000 km (including loading and unloading and uncoupling and coupling). This takes far too long and accordingly is too expensive and not of any interest to the freight companies, as well as for the propri-etor of Trailstar Combiverkehr and.other Huckepack systems. These areand remain marginal companies, which are not attractive to the freight companies, which therefore continue to move their freight by road. ~hese Huckepack systems are also not profitable for the railways.
The inventor has found a solution to this by implementing this new transport ~ystem throughout Europe.
I~ is not only less expensive but al50 flexible, direct and suit-able for all traffic. The trains depart in the evening and arrive the following morning or the next day, everywhere in Europe.
The former slogan of the railways in 1936 was:
FAST, SAFX AND INEXPENSIVE

As early as 1938-1940 they were no longer able to live up to this claim. If they now collaborate on a European level with the Walda Ro-Ro systems they can use this slogan again.
From today the railways, in collaboration, can stem road transport to 90/95 % within 20/25 years, which as a result will lead to the fol-lowing advantages:
,.
Advantages for Frei~ht Com~anies ~y means of this new international road/rail roll-on/roll-off trailer transport system, the following problems and costs can be com- -~
pletely eliminated for the freight companies, i.e:

.

~ 50 ~135879 a) No more waiting at the borders for hours. There are no bor-ders for the Walda Ro-Ro trains.

b) No getting stuck in traffic jam~. ~here are no traffic jams for the Walda Ro-Ro trains.

c) No hold-ups because of fog, snow and ice. Snow, ice and fog have little effect on the Walda Ro-Ro trains.

d) No hold-ups because of the regulations regarding driving hours. There is no regulations regarding drivinq hours for the Walda Ro-Ro trains.

e) No ban on weekend driving. There is no ban on travelling at 15 the weekend for the Walda Ro-Ro trains. -f) No ban on driving on Sundays. There is no ban on travelling on Sundays for the Walda Ro-~o trains.

g) No infringements of the collective labour agreements or strikes. The Walda Ro-Ro trains have no problems with collective labour agreements.

h) No problems with return loads. If there are no return loads, -the Walda Ro-Ro trains take the empty trailers back free of charge, or at low cost.
' i) No additional subsistence costs for the drivers at the week-ends, as a re~ult of strikes or work-to-rule or ~ecause of foreign pub-lic hclidays e~c. ~he Walda Ro-Ro trains carry only the trailers and not the drivers and run over the borders non-stop; including on Sundays and public holidays.

j) No tolls for the motorways. The Walda Ro-Ro trains run on 35 rails, which are public property. `~

k) No diesel surcharge (extra tax) at the borders. The Walda Ro-Ro trains have nothing to do with all these costs.

l) No longer any additional CMR insurance. Freight traffic on ~ 51 ~135879 the railways is insured. The Walda Ro-Ro trains all run fully insured-m) No longer any addit~onal "all risks" insurance. The trailers which are transported by the Walda Ro-~o trains are also lnsured by the S railways and the transport group.

n) No or only little wear on the ~railers. In future these will ~-cover only about 1 000 km per month; that is to say from and to the Walda Ro-Ro trains.
~O : ,~
o) No over-tired_ drivers behind the wheell who are a hazard to traffic and as a result of tiredness sometimes run off the motorway.
Freight companies must hand over international freight to the Walda Ro-Ro ~rains; i.e. the unprofitable part of their freight.
p) No more fines for speeding or other traffic offences. The Walda Ro-Ro trains are allowed to travel at 120 to 160 km per hour and consequently are even faster than transport by road. Driving the trailers from and on to the Ro-Ro trains takes only 10 minutes.
q) No more fines in connection with the regulations regarding driving hours. Walda Ro-Ro train drivers are relieved every 4 hours.

r) No more permits for travelling thsough Germany and AustriaO
These will al~ be a thing of the past when the Walda Ro-Ro trains trans-port your trailers.

s) French, Spanish, Austrian and Swiss authorization is no longer needed. In due course this will also be a thing of the past, w~.en the international freight concerns use the Walda Ro-Ro trains to trans-port their trailers to destinations throughout Europe.

t) No longer any extra telex and telephone costs with regard to obtaininq return loads. The agents in every location where a Walda Ro-Ro terminal is sited look after this.

u) No longer any extra costs for telephone calls to/from the drivers en route about problems which have arisen. The drivers concerned are sitting at home in the evenings with their wives in front of the television and their trailers are quietly travelling on the Ro-Ro . ' 52 wagons.

v) No additional, or 80 % les , wear and tear on the trucks.
These cover at most 3 000 to 4 000 km per month. The unprofitable part (motorway kilometres) is taken over by the Walda Ro-Ro wagons.

: -, w) No longer any questionable debtGrs in respect of the return load. The return load is paid for immediately by the transport group when your trailer arrives.

x) No more accidents, which usually have fatal consequences, with the expensive trucks and trailers. ~1 % of motorway traffic acci-dents with fatal consequences are caused by lorries. Burning out of private cars and buses is also usually caused by lorry drivers driving too fast, with all of the associated,consequences.
-:, y) ~o more loss-making items, since ice, snow and trafic jams ~ost companies billions of guilders per year.

z) WORRIES. If the freight companies collaborate with the Walda Ro-Ro road/rail transport system the abovementioned problems wili be a thing of the past. They must use the Walda Ro-Ro trains to transport the unprofitable part. It is true that they will then have a lower tusnover, but they will no longer have any WORRIES. Moreover, they will make more profit.

The above points a) to z) are merely the advantages which freight companies will obtain if our new transport system is set up on a large scale ~nd developed at European level.
In-addition to the abovementioned 26 points of advantages, there are a large number of additional points which will be to the common ~ood.

Merely to think about the contribution which freight transport by road makes to atmospheric pollution gives cause for thought; specifi-cally, according to experts heavy lorries account for 25 to 30 % of air pollution.

If it is assumed that 610 000 cars with exhausts 10 to 12 cm in ~ 53 ~135879 diameter are driving around every day throughout Europe this gives a total of 610 000 x 12 cm = one pipe with a diameter of 97 metres.
''. ' This stinky pipe blasts 1 000 20~ 000 m3 of toxic gases into the atmosphere / the air around us per day.

The Walda Ro-Ro ~ransport system is a solution for putting a stop to these gases from international lorries.

The local trucks are all equipped with a filter installation, pub-lications on which will be written or issued as soon as patent applica-tions have been filed for this installation.
, NE.W WAGON
FOR ALL ALPINE ROUTES
FOR 4 METRE HIGH l~ILE}'<S -THE LOWEST SEI.F-SUPPORl~ING PIVOTA}3LE LOW-LOADER WELI~

This self-supportinq pi~c~able low-loader well is suspended between the two chassis girders of a flat wagon at a heiqht of 210 mm above rail level; this is the minimum height according to UIC regulations. ;;
ThiS low-loader well has to supPort only~_the axles with ~heels and tvres, as well as the front struts of the trailers~
At present there is a major proble~ with the recently invented systems, that is to say the Coda-E system, the Trailer-Zug system, the Road-~ail-Train and the LASA system: for co~bined road/rail transport ~;
the tyres and wheels hang fre~ beneath the trailers on securing chains and hooks.
~t is generally known that at present use is made of securing chains, securing steel cables and axle clamps, whlch is a stop-gap measure and presents problems from the standpoint of railway engineer-i~g.
It is even unsafe, which has already been proved in America. In that country the securing chains broke because, at an elevated level crossing, the wheels came into contact with this level crossing, as a result of which the axles, tyres and wheels were stripped from beneath the trailer and the train derailed. This is kept quiet.
Experts and freight companies also question the double air bellows system in the Coda-E system. Moreover, this is too expensive and gives 54 ~135879 rise to many problems on the road, for example when taking sharp bends, such as slip roads on to and off major roads. .
The self-suPportin~ pivotable low-loader well offers many advan-tages: the wagon weighs only 15 tonne and is not vulnerable and the mechanism is located in the platform instead of on the wagon.
As a result of this, this system will provide millions in advan-tages over a few years.
In order to present a clear picture with respect to the claims below, the inventor considers it important to differentiate the three components which make up this invention into three parts below, in order to explain the functioning thereof.
; ~:
1. THE LOWI~ST SELF-SUPPORTING PIVOTABLlS LOW-WADER WELL
This invention is the first invention of the lightest wagon with the lowest self-supportin~ pivota~le low-loader well for trailers 4 metres high which are now able to travel through all alpine tunnels without problems.
This low-loader well (16) (see Figures 11 and 12) is suspended ;~
between the chassis girders of the wagon (1A) (see Figures 8A and 8B).
With a loaded trailer, the bottom of this low-loader well (16) is 210 mm above rail level and with an empty trailer is 250 mm above rail level` `
(in accordance with the provisions of the Paris UIC Act).
In Figures 11 and 12 the inventor shows that this lowest self-sup-portin~.pivotable low-loader well (16) has three positions. The first is the lowest position, that is to say 210 mm above rail level when loaded and 2S0 mm above rail level when empty. The second is the highest posi-tion, that is to say 1 150 mm above rail level for swinging out the low-loader well (16) (see Figure 6). In the third position the low-loader well ~16) swings out through 40 degrees over the two platforms (19) of equal height left and right of the track (17) (see Figures 11 and 12).
These fully automated operations will in due course all be con trolled fro~ a control tower at the terminal.

. THE HYDRAULIC LIFT
.
This hydraulic lift (18A) has two positions. The first position is the lowest position ~see Figure 5). In this position the train or the wagon (9) travels over the rails (17) which are incorporated in the electro-hvdraulic turntable platform (18).
The second position is the highest position (see Figure 6). In the `
third position the electro-hvdraulic turntable platform (16C) is swung ` ~.' .`~

out through 40 degrees over the two plat~orms (19) of equal height and the trailers (2) and other vehicles can drive off the lowest self sup porting pivotable low-loader well (16) and the new loaded trailers drive on again within a period of a few minutes.
3. TH~ ELECTRO-NYDRAULIC TURNTABLE PL~TYORM
A ball-race ring (16B), by means of which the electro-hvdrauliC
turntable platfor- (16C) can be turned, is msunted on the hvdraulic-lift (16A) first mentioned above (see Figure 6). Said ball-race ring is driven by the electric motor (12) with the gear wheel (12A) via the dog ring (12B).
When the hvdraulic lift (16A) has been brought into the highest position by the three cylinders (10, 14 and 17) (see Figure 12) the lowest self-su~ortinq Pivotable low-loader well (16) can swing out . :
through 40 degrees over the two platforms (19) of equal height left and right of the track (17) (see Figure 5) and the loaded trailers can drive off the wagon (1A) (see Figure 11) on the left and the new loaded trailers can drive on again from the right of the track. This is com-pleted within 8 minutes for an entire train of 20, 25 or 30 wagons, something which has never been demonstrated before in the entire trans-port world.

A SHORT ~XPLANATION OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THE SYST~M BEFOR~ THE CLAIMS
ARE GIVEN.
This first waqon in the world to have the lowest self-supporting pi~otable low-loader well_ and fully auto~ated control for combined road/rail transport of trailers and other vehicles is the lightest, fastest, simplest, most flexible, most inexpensive and most commercial wagon which exists for combination traffic, which can be operated by one ~an froo a control tower at the terminals.
The first wagon for fully automated operation in the world, having the lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well, which is movable vertically up and down and at its highest position, by means of a hydraulic lift, which is installed under the wagons in the platform and on which an electro-hvdraulic turntable platform is supported, swings out horizontally through 40 degrees for rapid loading and unloading of trailers, articulated lorries and high-capacity lorries and tankers, via platforms at the same height, left and right of the main line tracks.
This novel combined transport system is entirely designed for .

~ ~56 ~135879 speed. A train of 20, 25 or 30 wagons may not be unloading or loading for more than 10 minutes at a terminal alongside the main line tracks and must be ready to depart and join the passenger traffic within the said ten minutes. All Walda Ro-Ro trains are drawn by the most up-to-S date electric locomotives, which reach a speed of more than 150 km perhour within a few kilometres.
In order to save costs during the initial start-up phase for this new system, only 10 hvdraulic lifts with 10 electro-hYdraulic turntable platforms will be built for the first 9 20-wagon terminals. This amounts 10to a total of 90 units x NFl 60 000 = Nfl 5 400 000. The costs for 20 hvdraulic lifts with an electro-hvdraulic turntable platform will be double this: Nfl 10 800 OOQ. However, this i5 much less expensive than 10 gantry cranes for vertical ~ovement per track, which cost per crane Nfl 4 000 000, so making a total of 10 X Nfl 4 000 000 = Nfl 40 000 000.
15Consequently the saving with .this system is Nfl 40 000 000 minus Nfl 10 800 000 = Nfl 29 200 000 on a single route.

Claims (19)

1. The lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well (1A) in the world, characterised in that said self-supporting pivotable low-loader well (1A) is suspended on 16 trailer KING PIN bolts (1) between the two chassis girders (10) of the wagon (4) (see Figures 7, 8B, 11 and 12).
Said wagon (4) is specially constructed for combined road/rail freight transport and has no equal anywhere in the world (see Figures 7, 11 and 12).

2. For said lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well (1A), characterised in that said low-loader well is also movable verti-cally upwards and downwards, an open space 8 metres long and 2.60 metres wide has been created in the centre of the wagon between the chassis girders so that the lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well fits in said space and descends from above to its lowest point; i.e.
210 mm above rail level with a loaded trailer and 250 mm above rail level with an empty trailer (see Figures 11 and 12).

3. The lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well (1A) according to Claim 2, characterised in that said self-supporting pivot-able low-loader well (1A) descends vertically downwards by about 85 cm from above and at its lowest position automatically seats firmly at the prescribed UIC height above rail level, which is a unique feature in the world and does not yet exist.
The 16 trailer KING PIN bolts as mentioned in Claim 1, slide from above downwards into a V-shaped steel plate (2B) (see Figure 1A) and automatically lock in position at the lowest point.
Said 16 trailer KING PIN bolts (1) (see Figure 8B) are distributed as follows: 2 x 5 on the sides of the pivotable low-loader well and 2 x 3 on the ends of the three steel girders (10 + 10A) (see Figures 8A and 8B), which are welded to the floor of the pivotable low-loader well (1A) over the entire length and as a consequence of which the pivotable low-loader well is rigid.

4. The lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well according to Claims 1, 2 and 3, characterised in that said self-supporting pivot-able low-loader well (1A) is constructed to be as strong d as light-weight as possible in order primarily by this means to give the frame of the wagon the same power and strength as that of the wagons already in existence having diagonal girders in the middle, so that the same buffer pressure of 200 tonne remains or can be guaranteed, in accordance with UIC regulations. All the more so because the diagonal girders in the middle of the wagon are dispensed with and replaced by the pivotable low-loader well (1A). Three 150 x 150 x 8 mm H-girders are welded in the middle of the floor of said pivotable low-loader well, which girders lock rigidly in position at both ends by means of 2 x 3 KING PIN bolts and are suspended in 2 x 3 V-shaped plates, which are welded to two 400 x 200 x 6 mm box girders. Said box girders are welded in the frame between the two chassis girders immediately adjacent to the bogies.
Furthermore, two 100 x 60 x 6 or 8 mm box girders are welded, like-wise on either side, to the top edge of the pivotable low-loader well, to which box girders 2 x 5 KING PIN bolts are also screwed or welded.
As a result of these reinforcements in and on the pivotable low-loader well, the buffer pressure and the traction power have remained the same as those of the existing wagons.
The construction on which said low-loader well is suspended has been accurately calculated and therefore the inventors have chosen to use said suspension of the pivotable low-loader well by means of the 16 KING PIN bolts. The more so because the latter have been tested by many engineering bureaus all over the world and "are universal" The con-clusion is reached that the Yield point is in excess of 250 tonne.

5. The lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well (1A) according to Claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, characterised in that there is also a second alternative for the suspension; this suspension for the pivotable low-loader well is less expensive but 2 000 tonne weaker than the first suspension. Moreover, this suspension has not yet been tested.
Figure 8A shows that 11 designates the special shaped/pressed chas-sis girders and that 13 designates a special shaped/pressed pivotable low-loader well (2), in the top edge (1) of which 2 x 5 slots are cut on either side, which drop into 2 x 5 pointed steel plates (2a) (see Figure 1) and (12) (see Figure 8A), which plates are welded to the inside of the chassis/frame, as soon as said pivotable low-loader well descends (see broken line in Figure 8A with the numbers 1, 2, 2A and 13).
The pivotable low-loader well is also supported at the ends on 3 steel H-girders (10) by means of the same construction, as described above. As soon as the pivotable low-loader well descends to its lowest point, said pivotable low-loader well is supported rigidly in the frame of the wagon.

6. The lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well, according to Claims 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, characterised in that this construction is not as strong as the construction having the 16 KING PIN bolts; these have a yield point of about 250 tonne x 16 = 4 000 tonne. The yield point of the above construction is, per support point, only about 125 tonne; that is to say 125 tonne x 16 = 2 000 tonne. Moreover, this is not automati-cally locked in place. Since this construction has not yet been tested by T.N.O. or other agencies, She inventors keep to the KING PIN trailer bolts system construction. Partly in view of the fact that the European Railways will issue a UIC accompanying permit without question for said first construction but not for the last-mentioned construction. The approval for the latter will take about 3 to 6 months and is therefore not of interest for this new system.

7. The lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well, accord-ing to Claims 3 and 4, characterised in that said self-supporting pivot-able low-loader well (22) is pushed vertically upwards hydraulically from its lowest point to its highest point by means of 3 cylinders (see Figure 12, numbers 10, 14 and 17) and is brought to the same height as the platform (19) within 2 to 3 minutes (see Figure 6).

8. The lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well (22) according to Claims 4, 5, 6 and 7, characterised in that when said low-loader well is at the highest point it automatically swings through 40 degrees over the platform / the terminal on either side of the track by means of the integral switch (8) (see Figure 6). As soon as said pivot-able low-loader well is firmly positioned on the platform / the ter-minal, the trailers (16a, 16b, 16c and 16d) can be coupled by the trucks (6, 7, 8 and 9), which then drive off the pivotable low-loader well (22) (see Figures 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18). It can clearly be seen from these figures how this roll-on/roll-off system works/functions. According to experts this system will have a great future, with, as a consequence, a cleaner world and clearer motorways. The experts concerned estimate that - assuming that all railways and Ministries in Europe and beyond give priority to this new system - within 10 to 20 years 90 % of road trans-port of commercial goods will go by rail via the Walda Ro-Ro system in Europe and beyond.
The speed of this system arises because these trucks and trailers have air suspension and electrically operated front struts, as well as electrically operated coupling hooks for the KING PIN bolts, which can be operated by the drivers from inside the cab by means of a number of buttons on the dashboard.

9. The lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well (22) having the characteristic as described above and also in the previous figures, has been conceived to make combined road/rail trailer transport through the alpine tunnels possible with 4 metre high trailers. The combined road/rail wagons which already exist can not offer this advan-taqe to the Austrian and Swiss railways; these wagons are too high, specifically the Taschen wagon at 333 mm above rail level and the roll-ing Landstrasse at 410 mm above rail level.
Furthermore, the Walda Ro-Ro transport system is more than 40 %
less expensive and 70 % faster than the current combined road/rail transport system. It is flexible, direct and inexpensive.
Moreover, the trailers can be driven off the wagons and driven on the wagons again about every 100 km; we refer to this as trailers "get-ting on and off".
Partly because of these advantages, freight companies are inter-ested in participation in this new transport system, which system will give rise to great advantages for the environment and the over-full motorways.
90 % of freight companies state that the current combined transport system is a sort of "underground train" which has only one "back door"
and an "open roof" (for the Taschen wagons and skips), as a result of which rapid getting on and off presents great problems. Thus, this sys-tem does not have the advantages of the public underground, there are sufficient doors in every carriage for getting on and off and it is precisely this which the investor has also thought of.

10. The hydraulic lift, characterised in that said lift is con-structed in the platform under the wagons and on which lift an electro-hydraulic turntable platform is supported, which can swing out horizon-tally through 40 degrees for rapid unloading and loading of trailers, articulated lorries and also high-capacity lorries and tankers, via platforms of equal height left and right of the main line tracks (15);
see Figure 17.
Operation of the hydraulic lift (18A) is effected by means of a computer-controlled system from a control tower at the ter-minals/platforms (see Figure 5).

11. The hydraulic lift (18A), according to Claim 7, characterised in that said lift is, in accordance with Figure 11 at its lowest posi-tion in the platform / the terminal (24) and supported on the 3 hydrau-lic cylinders (10, 14 and 17) (as described above); see also Figure 5.
A ball-race turntable ring (3) is mounted in the centre of said hydraulic lift (18A) (Figure 8), on which ring an electro-hydraulic turntable platform (19) is fixed, in which platform the track rails (17) are mounted (see Figure 5). A dog ring gear wheel (19) is mounted at both ends, which gear wheel is driven by the motor (11) having the gear wheel (10), which engages in the dog ring gear wheel (19) (see Figure 5).

12. The hydraulic lift (18A) (see Figure 5), according to Claims 10 and 11, characterised in that said lift is manufactured from 2 steel boxes of 5 mm sheet steel which fit into one another and, by means of guides, shift vertically up and down with the aid of 3 high-pressure cylinders (10, 14 and 17) (see Figures 11 and 12).
The high-pressure oil lines are insulated from the oil pump to the first-mentioned cylinders. Low voltage leads are fitted in the insula-tion installed, which leads act like, for example, an electric blanket in winter and keep frost away, so that the high-pressure lines are never able to freeze.
In the event of a malfunction, oil heaters are automatically switched on in the steel boxes so that there can never be any malfunc-tions (see Figures 5 and 6).
As already mentioned above, a turntable ring (18) is supported on said hydraulic lift (18A), on which turntable ring an electro-hydraulic turntable platform (19) is supported or is screwed by means of 48 bolts.
This is one of the most important parts of the invention (see Figure 5).

13. The electro-hydraulic turntable platform (12B) (see Figure 6), according to Claims 6 and 7, characterised in that said turntable plat-form is pushed against the underside of the self-supporting pivotable low-loader well and raises the latter vertically from its lowest posi-tion to its highest position; i.e. a few millimetres above the chassis girders of the wagon (10) (see Figures 6 and 8B).
As soon as the self-supporting pivotable low-loader well (22) has been brought to the right height by the first-mentioned cylinders said low-loader well swings fully automatically through 40 degrees over the steel plate (19A) which is fixed in the platform by means of concrete wedge bolts (see Figure 6). 8 steel rollers are mounted below the first-mentioned electro-hydraulic turntable platform (see Figures 6, 7, 13 and 14).
The trailers (2 and 3), the tyres (4) and the front struts (1) which are shown in Figure 6 are/will now be coupled by the trucks (6, 7, 8 and 9) (see Figures 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18) and driven off the lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well (22) (see Figure 6), after which the new loaded trucks (11, 12, 13 and 14) with the trailers (17a, 17b, 17c and 17d) are again able to drive on once more (see Figures 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18).

14. The electro-hydraulic turntable platform (12B) according to Claims 6, 7 and 8, characterised in that said turntable platform comes into contact with the bottom of the self-supporting pivotable low-loader well and brings the latter hydraulically into the highest pivotable position, as a result of which unloading and loading of the trailers via platforms of equal height is possible.
Thereafter, when the new loaded trailers have been uncoupled again on the self-supporting pivotable low-loader well, the latter is swung back in line with the axis of the wagon(s) (10) within 1 minute.
The self-supporting pivotable low-loader wells (22) are then returned to their lowest position by releasing the pressure in the three first-mentioned cylinders (12) (see Figure 5) and said low-loader wells are then again suspended at the correct UIC prescribed height in the frame/chassis of the wagon (10); i.e. 250 mm above rail level with an empty trailer and 210 mm above rail level with a loaded trailer.

15. The electro-hydraulic turntable platform (12B), characterised in that said platform is set in operation only when the train (15) has pulled alongside the platform (10) at 10.00 hours.

The tractor units (6, 7, 8 and 9) are standing waiting on the left-hand side in front of the platforms (1A, 2A, 3A and 4) in order to couple the trailers which will arrive with the train (15) and to drive said trailers off the self-supporting pivotable low-loader wells (22) (see Claims 17 and 18).
The trucks (11, 12, 13 and 14) are standing on the right-hand side of the platform with their loaded trailers (17a, 17b, 17c and 17d) in front of the platforms (1B, 2B, 3B and 4B)) until the train (15) arrives and the self-supporting pivotable low-loader wells (22) have been swung out over the platforms, as described above.

16. The electro-hydraulic turntable platform (12B) characterised in that the train (15) has arrived at the platform (10) and the lorry drivers have pressed the "SWING OUT" buttons on the panels (25). The three hydraulic cylinders (10, 14 and 17) now start to operate immedi-ately, in accordance with Figures 11 and 12. The hydraulic lifts raise the electro-hydraulic turntable platforms and press said platforms against the lowest self-supporting low-loader wells, as a result of which the 16 KING PIN bolts uncouple and the lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well reaches a position about 3 to 4 mm above the chassis (10) of the wagon (4) and automatically swings out through 40 degrees over the platforms left and right of the track (15A).

17. The electro-hydraulic turntable platform (12B), characterised in that the pivotable low-loader wells (22) with the loaded trailers (16a, 16b, 16c and 16d) thereon swing out fully automatically over the platform on either side to the left and right of the track (15A), so that the trucks (6, 7, 8 and 9) can couple up the abovementioned trailers (16a, 16b, 16c and 16d).
As soon as said trailers drive off the pivotable low-loader wells (22), the waiting trucks (11, 12, 13 and 14) with the loaded trailers (17a, 17b, 17c and 17d) immediately drive on the pivotable low-loader wells again, uncouple the trailers and drive with their trucks back to another customer again to collect new trailers for the terminal.

18. The electro-hydraulic turntable platform (12B) according to Claim 17, characterised in that the said trailers (16a, 16b, 16c and 16d + 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d) have been coupled up and uncoupled by the trucks (6, 7, 8 and 9 + 11, 12, 13 and 14) and driven off and on the (self-supporting pivotable low-loader wells. This Claim 18 shows abun-dantly clearly how this system works. The lorry drivers are fully engaged in uncoupling and coupling the trailers and driving off the pivotable low-loader well. Unloading and loading of an entire train of 20, 25 or 30 wagons takes no longer than 10 minutes and is millions of guilders less expensive than current systems, where a single gantry crane costs 4 000 000 guilders. Our terminals with the abovementioned hydraulic lifts cost only 2 million guilders and are 70 to 80 % faster.

19. The electro-hydraulic turntable platform (12B) according to Claim 18, characterised in that the lowest self-supporting pivotable low-loader well has swung back in line with the axis of the wagon and the train (15) with the loaded trailers is already departing for a fol-lowing platform/terminal. These can, depending on the loading and the unloading location, within a very short time once more unload and load new loaded trailers again. Because of the many possibilities which the Walda Ro-Ro system offers, there is great interest on the part of freight companies, European Railways, European Ministries of Transport, European Ministries of the Environment and freight handlers for this new system.
The abovementioned bodies, the freight companies and environmental groups anticipate that this system will be given priority by the EC in Brussels.