Articulated rail car string with railbed transport surface

Abstract

A rail car apparatus includes a bridge mechanism pivotally attached to a middle rail wheel assembly. A front deck has a rear end pivotally attached to a front of the bridge mechanism, and a rear deck has a front end thereof pivotally attached to a rear of the bridge mechanism. A set of front rails is fixed to a top surface of the front deck, and a set of rear rails is fixed to a top surface of the rear deck. A set of bridge rails is fixed to the bridge mechanism between the front and rear rails and aligned therewith when the front and rear rails are aligned. The bridge mechanism, front rails, rear rails, and bridge rails are configured such that a rail vehicle can move along the front, bridge, and rear rails when the front and rear rails are oriented at an angle.

1 . A rail car apparatus comprising: 
 a middle rail wheel assembly;    a bridge mechanism pivotally attached to the middle rail wheel assembly;    a front deck having a rear end thereof pivotally attached to a front portion of the bridge mechanism, and having a front end supported by a front rail wheel assembly;    a rear deck having a front end thereof pivotally attached to a rear portion of the bridge mechanism, and having a rear end supported by a rear rail wheel assembly;    a set of front rails fixed to a top surface of the front deck, and a set of rear rails fixed to a top surface of the rear deck such that when the front and rear decks are aligned, the front and rear rails are aligned;    a set of bridge rails fixed to the bridge mechanism between the front and rear rails and aligned therewith when the front and rear rails are aligned;    wherein the bridge mechanism, front rails, rear rails, and bridge rails are configured such that a rail vehicle can move along the front, bridge, and rear rails when the front and rear rails are aligned, and when the front and rear rails are laterally oriented with respect to each other at a rail angle greater than zero.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the rail angle is between zero and substantially ten degrees right and left of zero.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the bridge mechanism comprises a bridge plate oriented in a substantially horizontal plane above the middle rail wheel assembly and pivotally attached to the middle rail wheel assembly about a substantially vertical plate axis located substantially at a center of the middle rail wheel assembly.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the rear end of the front deck is pivotally attached to a front portion of the bridge plate about a substantially vertical front deck axis, and the front end of the rear deck is pivotally attached to a rear portion of the bridge plate about a substantially vertical rear deck axis.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein a distance between the plate axis and the front deck axis is substantially equal to a distance between the plate axis and the rear deck axis.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein rear end portions of the bridge rails and front rails, and front end portions of the bridge rails and rear rails are tapered along substantially vertical taper planes such that corresponding end portions of the bridge rails and front rails, and corresponding end portions of the bridge rails and rear rails overlap to allow top surfaces of the rails to substantially align.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the taper planes at rear end portions of the front rails and front end portions of the rear rails are oriented sloping outward from inner edges of the front and rear rails to corresponding ends thereof, and the taper planes at end portions of the bridge rails are oriented sloping inward from outer edges of the bridge rails to corresponding ends thereof and are located laterally inward of the taper planes of the corresponding front and rear rails.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein front and rear deck axes are laterally located substantially in a center of the bridge plate and at fore and aft locations in proximity to a line drawn between centers of the taper planes of the corresponding front and rear end portions of the bridge rails.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the bridge plate comprises right and left central portions extending outward from central portions of corresponding right and left bridge rails and substantially covering a gap between the rear end of the front deck and the front end of the rear deck.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the rear end of the front deck is oriented in a substantially horizontal plane under the bridge plate, and wherein the pivotal attachment thereof to the bridge plate is by a front deck pin.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the front end of the rear deck is oriented in a substantially horizontal plane under the bridge plate, and wherein the pivotal attachment thereof to the bridge plate is by a rear deck pin.  
   
   
       12 . A method of providing a rail bed surface over a gap between front and rear decks supported on rail wheel assemblies, the method comprising: 
 providing a middle rail wheel assembly and pivotally attaching a bridge mechanism to the middle rail wheel assembly;    pivotally attaching a rear end of the front deck to a front portion of the bridge mechanism, and supporting a front end of the front deck on a front rail wheel assembly;    pivotally attaching a front end of the rear deck to a rear portion of the bridge mechanism, and supporting a rear end of the rear deck on a rear rail wheel assembly;    fixing a set of front rails to a top surface of the front deck, and a set of rear rails to a top surface of the rear deck such that when the front and rear decks are aligned, the front and rear rails are aligned;    fixing a set of bridge rails to the bridge mechanism between the front and rear rails and aligned therewith when the front and rear rails are aligned;    configuring the bridge mechanism, front rails, rear rails, and bridge rails such that a rail vehicle can move along the front, bridge, and rear rails when the front and rear rails are aligned, and when the front and rear rails are laterally oriented with respect to each other at a rail angle greater than zero.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the rail angle is between zero and substantially ten degrees right and left of zero.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the bridge mechanism comprises a bridge plate oriented in a substantially horizontal plane above the middle rail wheel assembly and pivotally attached to the middle rail wheel assembly about a substantially vertical plate axis located substantially at a center of the middle rail wheel assembly.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the rear end of the front deck is pivotally attached to a front portion of the bridge plate about a substantially vertical front deck axis, and the front end of the rear deck is pivotally attached to a rear portion of the bridge plate about a substantially vertical rear deck axis.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein a distance between the plate axis and the front deck axis is substantially equal to a distance between the plate axis and the rear deck axis.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein rear end portions of the bridge rails and front rails, and front end portions of the bridge rails and rear rails are tapered along substantially vertical taper planes such that corresponding ends of the bridge rails and front rails, and corresponding end portions of the bridge rails and rear rails overlap to allow top surfaces of the rails to substantially align.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the taper planes at rear end portions of the front rails and front end portions of the rear rails are oriented sloping outward from inner edges of the front and rear rails to corresponding ends thereof, and the taper planes at end portions of the bridge rails are oriented sloping inward from outer edges of the bridge rails to corresponding ends thereof and are located laterally inward of the taper planes of the corresponding front and rear rails.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein front and rear deck axes are laterally located substantially in a center of the bridge plate and at fore and aft locations in proximity to a line drawn between centers of the taper planes of the corresponding front and rear end portions of the bridge rails.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 14  comprising covering a gap between the rear end of the front deck and the front end of the rear deck by providing the bridge plate with right and left central portions extending outward from central portions of corresponding right and left bridge rails.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the rear end of the front deck is oriented in a substantially horizontal plane under the bridge plate, and wherein the pivotal attachment thereof to the bridge plate is by a front deck pin.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the front end of the rear deck is oriented in a substantially horizontal plane under the bridge plate, and wherein the pivotal attachment thereof to the bridge plate is by a rear deck pin.