Integrated road tire-rail wheel assembly

Abstract

This invention provides an integrated road tire-rail wheel assembly for road-rail adaptive vehicles as found in freight and mass transit systems, as well as other dual (civilian-military) use and other transport systems. The assembly includes two integrated road-rail wheels in a spaced apart relationship with each other and connected by an axle. Each integrated road-rail wheel has a road tire, a road wheel and a rail wheel. The road tire is mounted on the road wheel and the rail wheel has a disk portion and a tread portion. The road tire further includes a tread, an inner sidewall, an outer sidewall and an alignment flange. The inner sidewall is fully abutted against the disk portion of the rail wheel. The alignment flange of the road tire extends outwardly and beyond the rail tread portion of the rail wheel. In addition the assembly further includes a means for automatic inflation and deflation of the road tires that is enabled only while the vehicle is operating on rails. The invented wheel system is called the “Marchetti” wheel, in memory of Luigi Marchetti (˜1865-1950), an Italian immigrant, and a fireman on the Erie-Lackawanna Railway.

We claim:  
     
         1 . An integrated road tire-rail wheel assembly, said assembly comprising: 
 a pair of integrated road-rail wheels, each integrated wheel having a road tire, a road wheel, and a rail wheel, said road-rail wheels having a spaced apart relationship with each other, and    an axle connected between said integrated road-rail wheels.    
     
     
         2 . An integrated road tire-rail wheel assembly according to    claim 1    wherein the road tire is mounted on the road wheel, and wherein the rail wheel has a disk portion and a rail tread portion.  
     
     
         3 . An integrated road tire-rail wheel assembly according to    claim 2    wherein the road tire has a tread, an inner sidewall and an alignment flange, the inner sidewall being fully abutted against the disk portion and the alignment flange extends outwardly beyond the rail tread section of the rail wheel.  
     
     
         4 . An integrated road tire-rail wheel assembly according to    claim 2    wherein said assembly further includes a means for automatic inflation and deflation of the tires.