Hi-rail vehicle

Abstract

The invention to a hi-rail vehicle for normal travel along a highway and selective travel along railway tracks provided with a first paid of railway track engageable wheels moveable between a normal position out of engagement with a railway track and a position of railway track contact immediately in front of the front steering wheels of the vehicle for guiding the vehicle; and second pair of railway track engageable wheels movable between a normal position between the forward and rear drive wheels with a railway tracks and a position of guiding contact therewith.

1 . A hi-rail vehicle including: 
 a vehicle chassis; and    ground engaging wheels attached to the underside of the chassis including at least a pair of ground engageable steerable front wheels and a bogie unit of front and rear driving wheels; at least a first paid of rail engaging wheels mounted for selective vertical movement in front of the pair of ground engaging steerable front wheels; and at least a second pair of rail engageable wheels mounted for selective vertical movement interdigitated between the front and rear driving wheels of the bogie unit.    
   
   
       2 . A hi-rail vehicle for normal travel along a highway and selective travel along railway tracks comprising: 
 a vehicle chassis;    a pair of highway engageable front steering wheels connected to said chassis;    at least a first pair of railway track engageable wheels mounted to said chassis in front of said pair of highway engageable steering front wheels;    means for selectively imparting vertical movement to said first paid of railway track engageable wheels to cause selective highway engagement of said pair of steering front wheels;    a tandem unit of spaced apart forward and rear highway engageable wheel sets connected to said chassis;    at least a second pair of railway track engageable wheels mounted for vertical movement between the forward and rear highway engageable wheel sets of said tandem unit; and    means for selectively imparting vertical movement to said second pair of rail engageable wheels to at least partially unload the wheel sets of said tandem unit to provide motive traction between the vehicle and associated railway tracks and simultaneously cause said second pair of railway track engageable wheels to assist in guiding the vehicle along the associated railway tracks.    
   
   
       3 . A hi-rail vehicle as defined in  claim 2  wherein said vehicle chassis includes a front end and spaced apart rear end.  
   
   
       4 . A hi-rail vehicle as defined in  claim 3  wherein said pair of ground engageable front steering wheels are connected to the front end of said vehicle chassis.  
   
   
       5 . A hi-rail vehicle as defined in  claim 4  wherein said tandem unit is connected to the rear end of said vehicle chassis.  
   
   
       6 . A hi-rail vehicle as defined in  claim 5  wherein said pair of ground engageable front steering wheels and said tandem unit are mounted to said chassis in spaced apart relation to one another.  
   
   
       7 . A hi-rail vehicle as defined in  claim 2  wherein said means for selectively imparting vertical movement to said second pair of railway track engageable wheels includes an axle for supporting the railway track engageable wheels.  
   
   
       8 . A hi-rail vehicle as defined in  claim 7  wherein said means for selectively imparting vertical movement to said second pair of rail engageable wheels further includes a pair of arms, each of said arms having a maximal end and a spaced apart distal end.  
   
   
       9 . A hi-rail vehicle as defined in  claim 8  wherein the proximal ends of said pair of arms are pivotally connected to said chassis.  
   
   
       10 . A hi-rail vehicle as defined in  claim 9  wherein the distal ends of said pair of arms are connected to the axle of said means for imparting vertical movement to said second pair of railway track engageable wheels.  
   
   
       11 . A hi-rail vehicle as defined in  claim 9  including a shaft pivotally mounted to said chassis wherein the proximal ends of said pair of arms are connected to said shaft.  
   
   
       12 . A hi-rail vehicle as defined in  claim 11  wherein said shaft is pivotally supported by a hollow mounting member connected to said chassis.  
   
   
       13 . A hi-rail vehicle as defined in  claim 2  wherein said means for imparting vertical movement to said second pair of railway track engageable wheels includes an air bag suspension spring.  
   
   
       14 . A hi-rail vehicle as defined in  claim 2  wherein said means for selectively imparting vertical movement to said first paid of railway track engageable wheels includes an air bag suspension spring.