Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED TRANSPORT OF AUTOMOBILE
PLATFORMS, PASSENGER CABINS AND OTHER LOADS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transportation
25 system and more particularly to a system usable for
transportation of people as well as automobiles and other
freight loads with very high safety, efficiency, speed and
convenience, with capital costs and fuel, labor and other
operating costs being minimized and with minimal adverse
30 environmental effects. The system is compatible with
existing systems and is readily integrated therewith.
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2. Background of the Prior Art
Conventional rail systems have become
increasingly costly to construct, maintain and operate
with the result that their use for transport of freight
and for interurban passenger travel has been supplanted to
a large degree by use of trucks and automobiles. For
public transportation in cities, rail-supported street
cars have been replaced by buses which have been used less
and less as a result of the increased use of automobiles
for personal travel. The resulting truck and automobile
traffic over streets and highways is a problem of
increasing magnitude.
Systems known as "Intelligent Vehicle Highway
Systems" are now being proposed for reducing certain
problems associated with automobiles and are receiving
considerable attention, but it appears that they may be
very expensive and the degree to which such systems will
be successful is open to question. Systems have been also
been used or proposed using automatically operated and
driver-less vehicles supported on elevated "monorail"
guideways, but such systems have generally been limited to
use on a small scale in special applications and have not
enjoyed widespread success.
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SUNIlKARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a transportation system, comprising: a plurality
of carrier vehicles, a guideway for guiding said carrier
vehicles for movement therealong and having stop positions
therealong, drive means for moving said carrier vehicles
along said guideway between said stop positions therealong,
characterized in that said guideway includes a pair of side
wall portions and a pair of upper wall portions extending
inwardly from upper ends of said side wall portions and to
ends in transversely spaced relation to define a slot, and
characterized in the provision of front and rear support
posts projecting upwardly from each of said carrier vehicles
and through said slot for supporting bodies of various types
above said guideway, transfer means for moving said bodies
between transfer positions in proximity to certain of said
stop positions and holding positions that are located
alongside said guideway at a substantial distance from said
transfer positions, connection means operable in connect
conditions thereof to securely interconnect any of said
bodies of various types and said front and rear support
posts of carrier vehicles positioned at said transfer
positions and operable in disconnect conditions thereof to
allow said transfer means to move said bodies between said
transfer positions and said holding positions, wireless
signal transmission means including stationary elements
supported at protected positions below said top wall
portions of said guideway and movable elements supported by
said carrier vehicles and inductively coupled to said
stationary elements during movement of said carrier vehicles
within said guideway, monitoring and control means along
said guideway for applying control signals to said
stationary elements, and control circuit means on said
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carrier vehicles coupled to said movable elements for
receiving said control signals and for controlling said
drive means to effect automated movement of each of said
carrier vehicles from one of said stop positions to another
of said stop positions.
This invention was evolved with the general object
of overcoming disadvantages of prior transportation systems
and of providing a practical system for general use in
transportation of people and freight in urban and interurban
use.
Another object of the invention is to provide a
transportation system which is compatible with existing
transportation systems.
A further object of the invention is to provide a
transportation system which makes practical use of existing
technology and which is so constructed as to
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allow for expansion and for the use of,improvements which
may reasonably be expected in the future from advancing
technology.
Important aspects of the invention relate to the
recognition and discovery of problems with systems and
proposed systems of the prior art and to an analysis of
what is necessary to overcome such problems and otherwise
provide an improved transportation system,. Major problems
with street-highway systems arise from roadways which are
difficult and expensive to maintain and from the deaths
and injuries and property losses from collisions of
automobiles.
Rail systems, with steel wheels rolling on steel
tracks, reduce the energy losses of automobiles and some
of the noise generation associated therewith, but they
have used very heavy locomotives pulling trains of heavy
cars, making bridges and elevated supports very expensive
and thereby requiring that tracks be supported from the
earth through most of their length. Derailments have not
been uncommon and there have been many fatalities from
collisions with automobiles and trucks at crossings.
High speed trains and so called "light rail"
systems which have been used or proposed for carrying
passengers have been patterned after conventional rail
systems and have had relatively heavy and expensive
constructions. For handling of freight, longer and longer
trains have been used to more efficiently utilize
operating personnel, but increased costs have resulted
from the need to load, move and assemble a large number of
cars of a long train before departure and to disassemble,
move and unload the cars upon arrival at a destination.
Personal transportation systems have also been
proposed, using small vehicles carrying a single person
= and automatically controlled to move from one stop to
another along an elevated guideway in an urban setting,
but such systems have not been as practical and
economically attractive as would be desirable and have not
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enjoyed substantial success.
A system constructed in accordance with the
invention has similarities to proposed personal
transportation systems in that it uses vehicles of small
load capacity moving on an elevated guideway under
automatic control, but differs from prior known systems
with respect to being directed to interurban as well as
urban transportation and with respect to handling of
freight as well as passengers and particularly with
respect to moving of single automobiles from one point to
another.
The system of this invention uses small carrier
vehicles that automatically carry loads of various types
from one station to another along an electrified guideway.
One type of load is a platform on which an automobile can
be securely held. Others include a cabin that may be a
six or eight passenger cabin, cabins in the form of small
mobile homes or offices and containers for various types
of freight.
Any one of such loads may be releasably locked
through standardized connections to upper ends of posts
that extend from front and rear portions of each carrier
vehicle and up through a narrow centrally located slot in
the guideway. The guideway provides a protected
environment for error-free data transmissions made through
closely spaced inductive couplings between monitoring and
control circuits along the guideway and control circuits
of the carrier vehicles. A highly reliable control of
vehicle speed and of starting, stopping and merge
operations is obtained.
The vehicles preferably have steel wheels guided
on steel tracks within the guideways to move quietly in
accurately defined and very smooth paths. Any sound that
is developed is absorbed by materials within the guideway. =
A turn control system allows a vehicle to go at a low
speed around a guideway turn of short radius, e.g. twenty feet, while it can
also go at a high speed when either
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continuing on one guideway or gradually branching off to
another guideway.
The load to be carried by the carrier vehicles
= and any platform carried thereby is preferably limited to
a value of on the order of 5000 pounds which not only
= minimizes costs associated with such vehicles but also
helps minimize right of way costs and costs of
construction of the guideways.
The guideways include straight and curved
sections that may span forty foot distances and that can
be accurately prefabricated after first making a survey to
determine an optimum path and the position of supporting
columns. After installing footings and erecting the
columns, ends of the sections are then connected and are
so supported on the columns as to permit easy adjustment
as may be necessary from time to time to compensate for
movements in the underlying earth and to maintain a very
smooth path for vehicle travel.
With the system, users will find it to be
easier, faster, safer, more pleasant and less costly for
them to go when they want to go and where they want to go.
They may go most of the way in their own automobile while
it is carried on a platform, or they have the option of
going in a passenger cabin, either by themselves or with
others. Freight, too, will be more efficiently handled
and move at less cost and faster. The system also
provides a quieter environment, much less waste of
valuable natural resources and much less air pollution.
With the system, electrified guideways rather
than polluting engines are used to move people through
major portions of their journeys, either in passenger
cabins or in their own automobiles. The system makes
electric automobiles very practical, even with batteries
= of limited capacity. Batteries will need to be discharged
only while getting to and from stations or= making other
= short trips. For long trips, electric automobiles can be
carried on the electrified guideways and batteries can be
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charged during transit.
The system is designed to be available for use
in travel by automobile at any time of the day or night.
A conventional street or highway is used to get to the
nearest station of the system and the user then drives
through an entrance driveway to come to a stop at a gate,
whereupon a previously issued signalling devices may be
used to identify a desired destination. Then the gate
will open and the user will see and hear requests to move
ahead until the front bumper of his or her automobile
touches a stop wall, followed by requests to place the
transmission in "park" and to apply the parking brake.
Apparatus then operates to securely fasten the automobile
on an underlying platform, using wheel chocks, end flaps
and a surrounding cage structure.
The automobile is then moved sideways a short
distance to be above a carrier vehicle in a branch line
guideway. The carrier vehicle is then securely locked to
the underside of the platform to thereafter gradually
accelerate on the branch line guideway and enter a main
line guideway at a high speed without colliding with other
vehicles moving on the main line guideway, using a merge
feature of an automatic control system. The ride will be
quiet, without the sounds from the normal roar of the
engine. However, the engine may be started and allowed to
quietly idle, to allow use of the heater or air
conditioner of the car. The idling engine will not
overheat, being cooled by air moving through its radiator.
If an electric automobile is carried,
electricity will be supplied from the electrified guideway
for various purposes including charging of batteries,
lighting, and operation of heat pumps for heating or
cooling.
An important specific feature of the invention
relates to connection means that may be standardized to be
operable to releasably connect automobile carrying =
platforms, passenger cabins, freight containers or other
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loads to any carrier vehicle of _the system, so that any
carrier vehicle may be used to carry a type of load that
is in demand when another type is not and so that the
carrier vehicles can be used efficiently. The connection
means are also usable in supplying electricity from the
= electrified guideways to passenger cabins or other loads
that are carried.
Many additional features relate to the
construction of guideways and carrier vehicles, to
provision of control systems which achieve a high degree
of safely and reliability while being economically
manufacturable.
Still further features relate to the
construction of automobile platforms and to associated
handling apparatus to permit rapid entrance and exit of
automobiles and to obtain efficient use of carrier
vehicles and platforms.
This invention contemplates many other objects,
features and advantages which will become more fully
apparent from the following detailed description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing an
automobile on a platform supported by a carrier vehicle in
a transfer section of a guideway, portions of the guideway
being shown broken away;
FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of a guideway
section constructed in accordance with the invention;
FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view
showing the construction of an upper track structure of
the guideway shown in Figure 2;
FIGURE 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing
the construction of a lower track structure;
FIGURE 5 is a sectional view looking downwardly
at a portion of the lower track structure of Figure 2;
FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 illustrate the connection of
adjacent ends of track sections;
FIGURES 9 and 10 are side elevational and
sectional views that illustrate an adjustable support
mechanism for guideway sections such as shown in Figure 2;
FIGURES 11, 12 and 13 illustrate the
construction and operation of a Y junction of guideways;
FIGURE 14 is a sectional view taken
substantially along line 14-14 of Figure 11;
FIGURE 15 is an enlargement of a portion of
Figure 14;
FIGURE 16 is a cross-sectional view through a
guideway of the invention, also providing a front
elevational view -of a carrier vehicle with a fairing
structure thereof removed;
FIGURE 17 is a sectional view looking downwardly
at a turn control assembly of the carrier vehicle shown in
Figure 16;
FIGURE 18 is a view similar to Figure 17 but
showing the assembly in a turn condition;
FIGURE 19 is a side elevational view of the
carrier vehicle shown in Figure 16;
FIGURE 20 is a view similar to Figure 19 but
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with certain parts removed or shown broken away;
FIGURE 21 is a sectional view of the carrier
vehicle taken along a central vertical plane;
FIGURE 22 is an elevational sectional view
looking inwardly from inside an outer wall of a housing of'
a left gear unit of the carrier vehicle;
FIGURE 23 is a cross-sectional view, the left
hand part being taken substantially along an inclined
plane line 23-23 of FIG. 23 and the right hand part being
taken along a vertical plane and showing parts of a
differential gearing assembly used in driving drive shafts
of both right and left gear units;
FIGURE 24 is a cross-sectional view of the
carrier vehicle taken along line 24-24 of Figure 21;
FIGURE 25 is a view illustrating transmission
line structures, inductive coupling devices and associated.
circuits;
FIGURE 26 is a block diagram of a signal
transmitting and receiving circuit of Figure 25;
FIGURE 27 is a diagrammatic plan view showing
the inductive coupling devices of Figure 25 coupled to a
circuit unit of the carrier vehicle and providing a block
diagram of connections of monitoring and control units to
transmission line structures and to section and regional
control units ;
FIGURE 28 is a schematic block diagram of a
carrier vehicle circuit unit;
FIGURE 29 is a schematic block diagram of the
section control unit shown in block form in Figure 27;
FIGURE 30 is a schematic block diagram of one of
the monitoring and control units shown in Figure 27;
FIGURE 31 is a flow diagram illustrating the
operation of circuitry of the carrier vehicle;
FIGURE 32 is a flow diagram illustrating the
operation of circuitry of a monitoring and control unit;
= FIGURE 33 is a flow diagram illustrating the
operation of a section unit;
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FIGURES 34-36 depict the positions of wheel
structures of a carrier vehicle during loading/unloading
operations in a region at which a body may be transferred
between a transfer vehicle and the pads of a carrier
vehicle positioned thereat or at which a passenger-
carrying body is in a passenger loading/unloading =
position;
FIGURE 37 diagrammatically illustrates a merge
control unit which monitors and controls operations
including merge operations along a main line guideway and
a branch line guideway;
FIGURE 38 is a graph provided to explain merging
operations at relatively high speeds and shows the
acceleration of a stopped vehicle on a branch line
guideway of FIG. 37 to enter the main line guideway;
FIGURE 39 is a flow diagram illustrating the
operation of the merge control unit of FIG. 37;
FIGURE 40 is a flow diagram illustrating the
operation of a monitoring and control unit for the main
line guideway of the merge section shown in FIG. 37;
FIGURE 41 is a flow diagram illustrating the
operation of a monitoring and control unit for a branch
line guideway of the merge section shown in FIG. 37;
FIGURE 42 is a front elevational view of a
connection arrangement;
FIGURE 43 is a sectional view taken along line
43-43 of Figure 42;
FIGURE 44 is a view similar to Figure 43,
illustrating parts in different positions;
FIGURE 45 is a sectional view taken along line
45-45 of Figure 42;
FIGURE 46 is a sectional view taken along line
46-46 of Figure 45;
FIGURE 47 is a top plan view of an automobile
platform and associated apparatus;
FIGURE 48 is a sectional view taken along line
48-48 of Figure 47;
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FIGURE 49 is a sectional view taken along line
49-49 of Figure 47;
FIGURE 50 is a sectional view taken along line
50-50 of Figure 47;
FIGURE 51 is a view like Figure 50 but shown
parts in a different condition;
FIGURE 52 is a sectional view on an enlarged
scale illustrating a braking mechanism;
FIGURES 53 and 54 are sectional views
illustrating the operation of cage structures;
FIGURE 55 is a sectional view taken along line
55-55 of Figure 47;
FIGURE 56 is a sectional view taken along line
56-56 of Figure 47;
FIGURE 57 is a view like Figure 56 illustrating
parts in a different condition;
FIGURE 58 is a top plan view of a portion of the
automobile platform of Figure 47 on a greatly enlarged
scale;
FIGURES 59, 60 and 61 are sectional view taken
along lines 59-59, 60-60 and 61-61 of Figiure 58;
FIGURE 62 is a view similar to Figure-61
illustrating parts in a different condition;
FIGURE 63 is a side elevational view of a
automobile loading and unloading facility;
FIGURE 64 is a sectional view taken along line
64-64 of Figure 63 and providing a plan view of equipment
in the facility;
FIGURES 65 and 66 are side elevational and plan
views showing the facility of Figure 63 and 64 located
along a roadway and showing guideways connected thereto.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Figure 1 provides a side elevational view of a
carrier vehicle 10 positioned in a transfer section of a
guideway. The carrier vehicle 10 is one of a number of
such vehicles used in the system of this invention to
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automatically carry loads of various types along
electrified guideways from one station to another.
The vehicle 10 is shown in Figure 1 supporting
one type of load which is a platform 11 on which an
automobile 12 is securely held. Other types of loads
include cabins that may carry six or eight passengers, =
cabins in the form of small mobile homes or offices and
containers adapted to carry freight. Any one of such
loads may be releasably locked through standardized
connections 13 and 14 to the upper ends of posts 15 and 16
that extend upwardly from front and rear portions of the
carrier vehicle 10.
As shown, the carrier vehicle 10 is movable in a
guideway 18 that includes a pair of top walls extending
inwardly from the upper ends of side walls and to ends
that are spaced apart to provide an upwardly open slot
through which the posts 15 and 16 extend. In Figure 1,
portions of one side wall 19 are shown broken away to
provide a side elevational view of the carrier vehicle 10
and to show portions of an opposite side wall 20.
Portions of one top wall 21 are shown broken
away to show portions 22A and 22B of an opposite top wall
22 which are spaced longitudinally to provide space for a
transfer vehicle 24 in the illustrated transfer section of
the guideway 18. The transfer vehicle 24 is movable
transversely on beam structures 25 and 26 between a
position at one side of the guideway and a position as
shown in which it is over an intermediate portion of the
transfer vehicle 10 and under the platform 11. In moving
to the position as shown, the transfer vehicle 24 moves
across gaps that are provided in the beam structures 25
and 25 and that are aligned with the slot provided between
the top walls 21 and 22, so as to permit movement of the
carrier vehicle into and through the transfer section when
the transfer vehicle 24 is out of the way.
To transfer the platform 11 from the carrier =
vehicle 10, the transfer vehicle 24 is moved transversely
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from a position to one side of the guideway and to the
position shown, after the carrier vehicle 10 has first
been moved to the position shown. Forward and rearward
prong structures 27 and 28 of the transfer vehicle 24 are
then moved forwardly and rearwardly to engage support
portions of the platform 11 and to simultaneously effect a
release of the connections 13 and 14 between the platform
11 and the posts 15 and 16 of the carrier vehicle 10. The
vehicle 24 then lifts the platform 11 and moves it
transversely to a position at which the automobile 12 may
be driven off the platform 11.
To connect the platform 11 or any other type of
load to the carrier vehicle, the load is carried by the
prong structures 27 and 28 of the transfer vehicle 24 to
be positioned over the carrier vehicle 10, the prong
structures 27 and 28 being then lowered and withdrawn to
leave the connections 13 and 14 in locked positions in a
manner as shown and described in detail hereinafter.
The posts 15 and 16 of the carrier vehicle 10
are supported on the forward and rearward ends of a frame
structure generally designated by reference numeral 30
which is resiliently supported on a base frame that as
hereinafter described is so supported from the forward and
rearward bogies 31 and 32 as to permit movement of the
bogies about vertical steering axes in approximate
alignment with the posts 15 and 16. The illustrated
bogies 31 and 32 are of substantially identical
construction, and except as may be noted hereinafter,
showings and descriptions of the construction of either
bogie apply as well to the other.
On the left side thereof that is visible in
Figure 1, the forward bogie 31 includes lower and upper
traction wheels 33 and 34, a grooved turn control wheel 35
and a position control wheel 36, similar wheels being
provided on the opposite right side of the bogie. A lower
left track 38 of the guideway supports the lower traction
wheel 33 and has an upstanding flange or rib on its outer
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side that is engaged in the groove of the turn control
wheel 35 and that is positioned between the lower traction
wheel 33 and the position control wheel 36.
The upper traction wheel 34 engages an upper
left track that is supported from the side wall 19 shown
broken away in Figure 1 so that the upper left track is
not visible in Figure 1. A similar upper right track 40
is engaged by an upper wheel on the opposite right side of
the bogie 31, parts of the upper right track 40 being
visible in Figure 1.
To control the direction of movement of the
carrier vehicle through Y-junctions, the turn and position
control wheels 35 and 36 on the left side of the vehicle
10 are both lowered to active positions while similar
wheels on the opposite right side of the bogie 31 are
elevated to inactive positions, or vice versa. As shown,
the wheels 35 and 36 on the left side of the vehicle are
in lowered active positions to cause the vehicle to follow
the path on the left in going through a Y-junction. When
wheels 35 and 36 are elevated to inactive positions and
the corresponding wheels on the opposite right side of the
vehicle 10 are lowered to active positions, the vehicle 10
is caused to follow the path on the right in going through
a Y-junction.
The turn control wheel 35 and the corresponding
wheel on the opposite side are so connected to the bogie
31 as to provide a steering system which produces accurate
tracking such that the axes of the traction wheels 33 and
34 and the traction wheels on the opposite side are in
approximate alignment with the axis of any turn being
executed by the vehicle 10. The steering system allows a
vehicle to go at a low speed around a guideway turn of
short radius, e.g. twenty feet, while it can also go at a
high speed around a guideway turn of a very large radius
when either continuing on one guideway or gradually
branching off to another guideway.
The position control wheel 36 and the
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corresponding wheel on the opposite side of the bogie 31
perform functions that are especially important when
moving through Y-junctions, each being operative to
cooperate with the associated traction wheel to insure
against outward sidewise movement of the bogie 31 relative
= to the track structure. When the vehicle is not
travelling through Y-junctions, sidewise movements are
limited by engagement of traction wheels with ribs on the
sides of the tracks.
As hereinafter described, solenoids are provided
through which the positions of the turn and position
control wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle may be
controlled. The arrangement is passive in the sense that
no switches need be operated along the guideway, the
direction being controlled from the vehicle. However,
signals may be sent to the vehicle to control the
direction of travel and certain cams may be operated along
the guideway to effect a mechanical control in a manner as
hereinafter described.
Another important feature relates to traction
control. The bogie 31 is supported through left and right
bearing units that journal the lower and upper traction
wheels 33 and 34 on the left side of the vehicle 10 and
corresponding wheels on the right side of the vehicle.
Such bearing units are pivotal relative to the bogie about
a horizontal axis midway between the axes of the lower and
upper traction wheels. A compression spring 41 on the
left side of the vehicle 10 and a similar spring on the
right side of the vehicle exert torques on. the left and
right bearing units in a clockwise direction as viewed in
Figure 1. As a result forces are applied to urge the
upper traction wheels into engagement with the upper
tracks while applying forces aiding gravitational forces
in urging the lower traction wheels into engagement with
the lower tracks. The force applied to spring 41 is
controlled by an electric traction control motor 42, a
similar motor being provided on the opposite right side of
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the bogie 31. Such traction control motors are controlled
in accordance with the weight of a load being carried and
may also be controlled to increase traction when required,
or to decrease traction and the loading of bearings under
appropriate conditions.
An eclectic drive motor 44 and an associated brake unit 46 are provided for
driving and braking the
traction wheels 33 and 34 and the corresponding wheels on
the opposite side of the bogie 31. A gearing assembly is
provided which couples the drive motor 44 and brake unit
46 to both upper and lower traction wheels while allowing
pivotal movement of the bearing units for the traction
wheels. The gearing assembly includes a differential
gearing that allows the wheels on opposite sides to rotate
at different speed when moving through guideway turns.
For supply of electrical power, electrical
supply rails 48 are supported on the inner side of side
wall 20 for engagement with shoes of two contact shoe
assemblies the right side of the carrier vehicle that is
not visible in Figure 1 and similar supply rails on the
inner side of side wall 19 are engaged by contact shoes of
a contact shoe assembly 49 of the front bogie and by shoes
of a similar contact shoe assembly 50 of the rear bogie
32.
In the illustrated construction each contact shoe assembly
carries five contact shoes in vertically spaced relation
for engagement with corresponding supply rails. Two of
the five supply rails may be connected to one terminal of
a DC power source, another two may be connected to the
opposite terminal of the DC power source and the remaining
one of the five conductors may be used for communication
or control purposes. For a three wire single phase AC
source having a neutral terminal and two main terminals,
two of the supply rails may be connected one main
terminal, another two connected to the other main terminal
and the remaining rail may be connected to the neutral terminal. For a three
phase Y-connected source, three
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main terminals and a neutral terminal may be connected to
four of the five rails and the remaining rail may be used
for communication or control purposes.
During movement through Y-junctions of the
guideway, supply rails on both sides of the guideway
cannot be simultaneously engaged by contact shoes, so that
current is then supplied only through contact shoes on one
side or the other of the carrier vehicle. However, the
supply rails on both sides are otherwise engaged by
contact shoes on both sides the carrier vehicle 10 so as
to normally provide two paths for current flow to each
bogie from supply rails of the guideway.
Electrical power may be supplied from the
carrier vehicle 10 to loads supported on the posts 15 and
16 through junction boxes 51 and 52 located adjacent the
lower ends of the posts 15 and 16 and through components
included in the connections 13 and 14. For control of
operation of the carrier vehicle 10, devices which may be
supported by such junction boxes are inductively coupled
to lengths of transmission lines in assemblies that are or,i
the underside of the top walls 21 and 22 and that extend
along the guideway, parts of one of such assemblies 54
being shown in Figure 1. Such assemblies 54 are connected
to a series of monitoring and control units along the
guideway.
As the carrier vehicle 10 moves along the
guideway, it transmits identification and speed data to
the monitoring and control units that are connected to the
transmission line assemblies 54 and it receives data that
include instructions as to speed, acceleration or
deceleration and the path to be followed along Y-junctions.
being approached by the vehicle. To a substantial extent,
the vehicles operate autonomously in response to data that.
are received from the monitoring and control units along
the guideway. However, communication links are provided
between the monitoring and control units and a central
unit, either directly or through sectional and/or regional
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control units, usable for various purposes including
control of any vehicle from a sectional, regional or
central control unit, as may be appropriate. The
movements of all carrier vehicles and all loads carried
thereby may be continually tracked at all times.
As also shown in Figure 1, the platform 11
includes adjustable cage structures 55 and 56 that include
side and top portions extending alongside and overlying
the automobile 12. Platform 11 also includes wheel
chocks, not visible in Figure 1, and end flaps 57 and 58
which are pivoted upwardly to positions as shown, after
the automobile 12 has been driven onto the platform 11.
Flaps 57 and 58 cooperate with the wheel chocks to provide
protection against longitudinal movement of the automobile
and also function to minimize aerodynamic losses.
For control of the cage structures, wheel chocks
and end flaps, rotatable control elements project from the
side of the platform for engagement by elements of
actuating mechanisms when the platform 11 is positioned at
loading and unloading positions. Such control elements
include elements 61 and 62 for operating the cage
structures 55 and 56, elements 63 and 64 for operating the
end flaps 57 and 58, a pair of elements 65 and 66 for
operating a forward pair of wheel chocks and a pair of
elements 67 and 68 for operating a rearward pair of wheel
chocks.
Aerodynamic drag losses from the platform and
automobiles carried thereby are also minimized as a result
of the fact that the relatively narrow underlying guideway
provides minimal interference with movements of air when
compared with the interference presented by the broad
planar horizontal surface of a roadway underlying a
conventional automobile moving therealong. Substantial
aerodynamic losses do result from movement of the carrier
vehicle in the guideway. However, such losses are
minimized by the provision of aerodynamic fairings 69 and
70 that are carried by the forward and rearward bogies 31
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and 32 and by the construction of the guideway 18 in a
manner such that in major portions thereof, a space of
substantial cross-sectional area is provided in underlying
relation to the path of travel of the vehicle 10.
Energy losses are further minimized by use of
= solid materials, preferably steel, for the wheels 33-36
and the tracks engaged thereby so as to minimize friction'
losses.
A maximum load limit, preferably on the order of
5000 pounds, is set for the carrier vehicles to allow most
automobiles and other loads to be carried while minimizing
the cost of construction and the weight thereof, and while
also minimizing the cost of construction of guideways.
Important features relate to the construction of the
guideways which include straight and curved sections that
may typically span forty foot distances and that can be
accurately prefabricated after first making a survey to
determine an optimum path and the position of supporting
columns. After installing footings and erecting the
columns, ends of the sections are then connected and are
so supported on the columns as to permit easy adjustment
as may be necessary from time to time to compensate for
movements in the underlying earth and to maintain a very
smooth path for vehicle travel.
With guideways constructed in accordance with
the invention, the carrier vehicle moves quietly in an
accurately defined and very smooth path. Any sound that
is developed is absorbed by materials within the guideway.
The guideways are also advantageous in other respects.
They provide a substantial degree of protection for the
track structures from the elements since precipitation can
enter the guideway only through a relatively narrow slot.
In addition, the guideway provides a protected environment
for error-free data transmissions made through the closely
spaced inductive couplings between monitoring and control
circuits along the guideway and control circuits of the
vehicles.
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The system achieves a highly reliable control of
vehicle speed and of starting, stopping and merge
operations and permits safe movement of vehicles at
relatively high speeds and with short following distances
between each vehicle and the vehicle ahead. As a result,
the guideways can handle a large volume of traffic. For
example, a single guideway has the potential carrying a
substantially greater number of automobiles per hour than
a single lane of a conventional freeway or tollway. It is
found that to take advantage of this potential, it is
important that loading and unloading facilities be
provided with which automobiles can be quickly and easily
loaded onto and unloaded from platform and important
features of the invention relate to automobile loading and
unloading facilities.
Construction of Guideway Sections (Figure 2)
The guideway 18 is constructed in sections which
are connected in end-to-end relation, the section shown in
Figure 1 being a transfer section as has been described.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through a typical
straight guideway section 72, looking forwardly with
respect to the direction of travel of a carrier vehicle.
An adjustable support mechanism 73 is shown that
supports one end of the section 72 and one end of an
adjacent section from the upper end of a support column
74. The mechanism 73 allows such adjustment of the
vertical position of each side and such sideways
adjustments as may be required during installation or in
response to shifts of movement of the support column 74
after installation.
The guideway section 72 includes left and right
lower track structures 75 and 76 and left and right upper
track structures 77 and 78 for engagement by left and
right lower traction wheels and left and right upper
traction wheels of the carrier vehicle 10. It also
includes left and right electrical supply rail structures
79 and 80 and left and right transmission line assemblies
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81 and 82.
A series of vertical support members are
provided in spaced relation along the length of the
guideway section 72, including left and right vertical
support members 83 and 84 that have lower end portions
riveted to ends of a cross member 85 to form an integral
assembly. A flange 86 of cross member 85 is secured to
left and right lower longitudinally extending frame
members 87 and 88. Upper flanges 89 and 90 of the
vertical support members 83 and 84 are secured to the
undersides of left and right upper longitudinally
extending members 91 and 92. Outer flanges 93 and 94 of
the vertical support members 83 and 84 are secured to
plates 95 and 96 that extend along the length of the
section 72 and that form outer side walls thereof.
The left lower track structure 75 is supported
by a horizontal portion 98 of the left support member 83
that has down-turned outer and inner flange portions 99
and 100 and that extends rearwardly from an upper end of
an inwardly extending lower portion 101 of the left
support member 83. The left upper track structure 77 is
similarly supported by a horizontal portion 102 of the
left support member 83 that extends rearwardly from a
lower end of an inwardly extending upper portion 103 of
the left support member 83.
The supply rail structure 79 is supported by a
vertical flange 104 that extends rearwardly from the inner
edge of an intermediate portion 105 of the vertical
support member 83. The left transmission line assembly 81
includes a bracket 106 that is bolted or otherwise secured
to a vertical flange 107 extending rearwardly from the
inner end of the upper portion 103 of the left support
member 83.
Left and right top structures 1:L1 and 112 are
provided. The left top structure 111 includes an inclined
top wall 114, an outer apron 115 extending down from a
lower end of the inclined top wall 113 on the outside of
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the upper end of the side wall 95 and an inner apron 116
extending down from an upper end of the inclined top wall
and defining one side of a slot through which the posts 15
and 16 of the carrier vehicle 10 may move. The left top
structure 111 also includes a series of longitudinally
spaced brackets 117 secured to the underside of the top
wall and to the inner apron, brackets 117 being secured to
brackets 118 that are secured to the upper side of the
upper frame member 91.
The support of the track structures 76 and 78,
the supply rail structure 80 and the transmission line
unit 82, as well as the construction of the top wall
structure and other guideway components on the right side
of the guideway section 72 are not described in detail
being substantially the same as on the left side.
Sheets of an acoustic energy absorbing material
are provided on the inside of the guideway section 72 to
minimize the transmission of noise to regions outside the
guideway section 72. A pair of sheets 119 and 120 are
shown provided on the insides of the side walls 95 and 96
between the illustrated members 83 and 84 and the members
spaced rearwardly therefrom, similar sheets being provided
in spaces behind other similar members of the guideway
section. Similarly, a pair of sheets 121 and 122 are
provided on the undersides of the top frame members 91 and
92, a pair of sheets 123 and 124 are provided under the
top wall structures 111 and 112 and a pair of sheets 125
and 126 are provided above the flange 86 of the cross
member 85. Sheets 115 and 126 are inclined downwardly and
inwardly to edges that are spaced apart a short distance,
for drainage of any precipitation that may enter the
guideway section through the upwardly open slot between
the top wall structures 111 and 112.
Track Support & Construction (Figs. 3 & 4)
The support of the upper and lower track
structures 77 and 75 is shown on an enlarged scale in
Figures 3 and 4 which also show the construction and
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mounting of the track structures. As illustrated in
Figure 4, the lower track structure 75 includes a track
130 that is of laminated form and that includes a series
of relatively thin elongated metal strips each of which
has a width in a vertical direction that is substantially
greater than its thickness in a transverse horizontal
direction. Such strips include two strips 131 and 132
that form a upstanding rib portion of the track 130,
sixteen strips 133 on the inside of strip 131 for
engagement by lower traction wheels such as wheel 33
(Figure 1) and four strips 134 on the outside of the strip
132 for engagement by position control wheels such as the
wheel 36.
Mounting brackets 136 are provided along the
length of the track structure 75. The illustrated bracket
136 includes a lower portion 137 disposed against the
portion 98 of the member 83 and having a tab portion 138
secured to the member 83 by a bolt 140. Bracket 136
further includes portions 141 and 142 that extend upwardly
to portions 143 and 144 that underlie the strips and that
include flanges 145 and 146 extending upwardly to embrace
the strips 131-134. Connectors 148 are provided that have
shank portions extended through openings in the flanges
145 and 146 and in the strips to hold the strips 131-134
in assembly with the bracket 136. The il7-ustrated
connector 148 is in the form of a bolt but: it will be
understood that it may be in the form of a rivet. In
either case, it is desirable that the openings in the
strips be slightly elongated to allow relative
longitudinal movement of the strips and to allow the track
to be easily assembled and to extend in a curve without
stressing individual strips.
As is also shown, a block 150 of a resilient
energy absorbing material is disposed within the bracket
136, over the portion 137 and below the portions 143 and
144 to provide resilient support for the track 130. As
hereinafter discussed, the resilient support provided by
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the blocks 50 is preferably varied along the length of
guideway section as by varying the characteristics of the
blocks or their spacing. To provide more resilient
blocks, longitudinally extending holes in the block 150
may be provided as shown to increase the amount of
deflection per unit of applied force, but solid blocks may
be used in regions in which a stiffer support is
indicated. The upwardly extending portions 141 and 142 of
the bracket 136 have generally C-shaped configurations to
allow vertical flexure thereof while minimizing horizontal
flexure and thereby minimizing sidewise displacement of
the track 130.
The left upper track structure 77 as shown in
Figure 3 has a construction similar to that of the lower
track structure 75 shown in Figure 4 and includes a track
152, a pair of bolts 153, a bracket 154 and a block 156,
respectively corresponding to the track 130, bolt 140,
bracket 136 and block 150 of the track structure 75.
Vertical dimensions of the upper track structure 77 are
less than corresponding dimensions of the lower track
structure 75 because the applied loading is less. Another
difference is that the track 152 of the upper track
structure 77 has two ribs, an inner rib formed by one pair
of strips 157 and 158 and an outer rib formed by another
pair of strips 159 and 160. Strips 157-160 have vertical
dimensions substantially greater than the vertical
dimension of a plurality of strips 162 that are between
strips 158 and 159 and that are engaged by upper traction
wheels of a carrier vehicle.
Guideway Assembly (Fig. 5)
In prefabricating a guideway section, track
support assemblies such as formed by members 83, 84 and 85
are secured at predetermined points of connection along
the lower support members 87 and 88, the upper support
members 91 and 92 and the side wall members 95 and 96.
Such predetermined points of connection are such as to
obtain predetermined axes and radii of curvature of the
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tracks in vertical and horizontal directions. For
example, to obtain a straight section, the radii of
curvatures are infinite and the longitudinal spacings of
the points of connection of assemblies may preferably havE:
a uniform value such as twelve inches. For a section in
which the spacing of the side walls is eighty inches and
in which there is a uniform turn to the right about a
vertical axis spaced twenty feet from a point midway
between the side walls 95 and 96, the longitudinal
spacings of the points of connection to the left side wall.
95 may be increased from a nominal value of twelve inches
to a uniform value of fourteen inches and the longitudinal.
spacings of the points of connection to the right side
wall 96 may be decreased from the nominal value of twelve
inches to a uniform value of ten inches.
The radius of curvature need not be constant
throughout the length of a section. For example, the
positions of the aforementioned points of connection may
be such as to obtain a radius of curvature that is
graduated to gradually effect changes in centrifugal
forces acting on carrier vehicles and loads carried
thereby. In addition, exact positions of the
aforementioned predetermined points of connection,
especially those along the side wall members 95 and 96,
should take into account static stresses of inembers of the
guideway caused by gravitational forces acting thereon.
In the absence of a vehicle on a guideway
section, the support of the track structures is such that
in a static condition of the track and guideway
structures, the track surfaces define a certain first path
for vehicle movement, i.e. a path along which a weight-
less vehicle would move. The aforementioned connection
points should preferably be such that the first path so
defined is either a straight path or curved path of a
certain character. If it is a curved path, the first path
should be is such as to obtain a value which is zero or
otherwise a constant as to any acceleration of a vehicle
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moving along the section that is attributable to a
deviation of the curved path from a straight line.
When a vehicle moves along the guideway, the
track structures will define a second path that is 5 displaced from the first
path as a function of the weight
of the vehicle, its position along the guideway section
and its velocity. In a guideway section constructed in
accordance with the invention, the support provided by the
resilient members is not uniform along the length of the
section but is varied to produce a displacement of the
second path from the first path that is as uniform as
possible. In general, the deformation per unit force that
is provided from by the resilient blocks and associated
elements of the track structures should be greatest at the
supported ends of a guideway section and should be least
at a mid-point of a guideway section or at a point which
may be offset forwardly from the mid-point in order to
take into account any effect of the inertia of the
guideway on deflections caused by a moving vehicle.
Preferably, each assembly of vertical support
members and a cross member is of a standard construction
with holes being provided at standard locations in the
flange 86 of the cross member 85, in the flanges 93 and 89
of the support member 83 and in the flanges 94 and 90 of
the support member 84, and holes are provided at specified
locations in the lower support members 87 and 88, upper
support members 91 and 92 and side wall members 93 and 94.
The members are then riveted or otherwise secured together
using such holes and, in addition, welding operations are
performed for increased strength and rigidity. Painting
or other finishing operations may then be performed.
In assembly, rearward end portions of the down-
turned outer and inner flanges 99 and 100 of the portion
98 of member 83 are extended into slots in a portion of
member behind member 83 that corresponds to portion 101 of
member 83. The portion 98 is thereby supported from the member behind member
83 and the member 83 provides support
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for portion of a member ahead that corresponds to portion
101. This feature is illustrated in Figure 5 which is a
sectional view looking downwardly at a portion of the
lower track structure 75, showing part of the portion 98
of the member 83. A rearward end portion of the outer
flange 99 is shown extended through a slot in a portion
101A of the rearward member 83A and a rearward end portion
of the inner flange 100, not shown in Figure 5 is
similarly extended through a slot in the portion 101A of
the rearward member 83A. Figure 5 also shows part of a
portion 98A of a member 83A behind the meinber 83 and part
of a portion 98B of a member ahead of the member 83.
Figure 5 also shows other features of the
assembly of a guideway section, particularly with regard
to assembly of a turn section, the structure shown being
that of a turn section of a guideway having a turn radius
of twenty feet, measured from a point midway between left
and right track structures to a vertical axis of a turn.
Figure 5 shows in section part of the member 83 and the
flange 94 thereof and part of the member 83A behind member
83 and a flange 94A thereof. Also shown are parts of the
cross member 85 and its flange 86 and parts of a cross
member 85A behind member 85 and its flange 86A.
Prior to transport of a guideway section to an
erection side, the rail structures 75-78 are preferably be
assembled on and secured to the vertical support members
83 and 84 of the section, and an inspection is then made
to determine that the rail structures are accurately
positioned and to make such adjustments as may be
indicated, as by adding shims, for example. However, the
transmission line assemblies 81 and 82 and the top wall
structures ill and 112 may preferably be installed at the
erection site.
Track Interconnect (Figures 6-8)
Figure 6 is a plan view showing portions of a
rearward end portion of a left lower track structure 75 of
one guideway section 72 and the forward end portion of a
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left lower track structure 75A of a guideway section 72A
behind the section 72 as they appear during an initial
point during assembly of such guideway sections. Figure 7
shows a track connect structure 164 that includes tines
165 secured together by a bolt 166 and held in spaced
relation by spacers 167 on the shank of the bolt 166.
Figure 8 shows a completed connection after installation
of the track connect structure using bolts 169 and 170.
In the condition shown in Figure 6, the portion
98 of the most rearward left vertical member 83 of the
forward guideway section 72 is disposed under the forward
end portion of the track structure 75 and rearward end
portions of the flanges 99 and 100 are extended into slots
in a most forward left vertical member 83A of the rearward
guideway section 72A. Then bolts 140 and 140A are
installed to secure brackets 136 and 136A to the portion
98 of the member 83.
As shown, the rearward ends of alternate strips
of the track 130 are spaced forwardly from the remaining
strips thereof and the forward ends of corresponding
alternate strips of a track 130A of the structure 75A are
spaced rearwardly spaced from the forward ends of the
remaining strips thereof. The result is that spaces are
provided between such remaining strips into which the
forward and rearward ends of the strips 165 of the
connecting structure 164 can be inserted.
After doing so, the bolts 169 and 170 are
installed to extend through openings in strips of the
tracks 130 and 130A and openings in the strips 165 of the
track connect structure 164. All of such openings are
elongated in horizontal directions to allow relative
longitudinal movement of the tracks 130 and 130A as may
occur as a result of temperature variations or otherwise.
However, the vertical dimensions of such openings are '
substantially equal to the diameters of the shank portions
of the connecting bolts 169 and 170 to maintain the upper
surfaces of the strips of the tracks 130 and 130A and of
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the strips 165 of the track connect structure at the same
level for smooth support of traction wheels moving over
the connect structure 164.
The illustrated connect structure 164, which is
relatively short, may be made of substantially greater
length than is illustrated and more than ithe two bolts 169
and the two bolts 170 may be used in providing a
transition region of greater length.
To interconnect eclectic supply rails,
interconnect structures similar to the track interconnect
structure 164 may be used.
Adjustable Guideway Support (Figures 2, 9 and 10)
Figure 2 includes a rear elevational view of the
adjustable support mechanism 73 which has left and right
side portions 173 and 174 including members 175 and 176
that are secured to forward ends of the left and right
lower frame members 87 and 88 of the guideway section 72
and also to rearward ends of lower frame inembers of the
guideway section ahead of section 72. Members 175 and 176
are adjustably supported through wedge members 177 and 178
from members 179 and 180 which are supported from the
column 74 through spacer plates 181 and 182.
The mechanism 73 is so constructed as to be
accessible from either the left side or the right side of
the guideway. The mechanism 73 may also be accessed from
within the guideway. The dimensions of the guideway are
such that a servicing person may travel within the
guideway on a servicing vehicle that is preferably driven
by a battery operated electric motor or by an IC engine,
so as to permit servicing under conditions in which no
power is supplied to electrical supply rails of the
guideway.
An adjustment member 184 of the left portion 173
of the mechanism 73 has head portions 185 and 186 at its
outer and inner ends; another adjustment member 188 of the
left portion 173 has head portions 189 and 190 at its
outer and inner ends; and an adjustment member 192 of the
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right portion 174 of the mechanism 73 has head portions
193 and 194 at its outer and inner ends. Each of such
head portions is formed with a hexagonal socket for
actuation by an actuating tool.
When adjustment member 184 is rotated, a lead
screw portion 195 thereof moves the wedge member 177 in a
transverse direction to raise or lower the left support
member 175, the wedge member 177 having an inclined upper
surface engaged with an inclined lower surface portion 196
of the support member 175. Similarly, when adjustment
member 192 is rotated, a lead screw portion 197 thereof
moves the wedge member 178 in a transverse direction to
raise or lower the right support member 176, the wedge
member 178 having an inclined upper surface engaged with
an inclined lower surface portion 198 of the support
member 176.
When adjustment member 188 is rotated, a lead
screw portion 199 thereof coacts with the member 179 to
move the left support member 175 along with the left wedge
member 177 in a transverse direction. Through lower
guideway frame members and cross plates, including members
87 and 88 and cross plate 85, the right support member 176
along with the right wedge member 178 are also moved in a
transverse direction in response to rotation of member
188.
When a servicing vehicle is stopped in the
vicinity of the support column, members such as the
acoustic insulating member 125 and 126 may be temporarily
displaced to permit a servicing person to have access from
the inside to the hexagonal sockets of the inner head
portions 186, 190 and 194. An elongated tool may be used
to access the inner head portion 194 of member 192 when
servicing from the outside on the left or to access the
inner head portions 186 and 190 when servicing from the
outside on the right.
Figure 9 is a side elevational view showing the
left portion 173 of the adjustable support mechanism 73
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and Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10
of Figure 9. Figure 9 shows a forward part of the lower
left frame member 87 of guideway section 72 and a rearward
part of a lower left frame member 87A of a guideway
section 72A ahead of the section 72, also lower portions
of sidewalls 95 and 95A of sections 72 and 72A and of a
plate 202 that is on the outside of a junction between the:
forward end of sidewall 95 and the rearward end of
sidewall 95A.
Figure 9 also shows two stud bolts 203 and 204
that extend upwardly from the column 74 and through
openings in the spacer plate 181 and the member 179, nuts
205 and 206 being threaded on the bolts 203 and 204.
Similar bolts including a bolt 206 are used for the right
i5 portion 174 of the mechanism 73. The openings in the
members 179 and 180 and the spacer plates 181 and 182 are
relatively large and, as shown in Figure 2 and 10, the
lower surfaces of the members 179 and 180 which are
engaged with the spacer plates 181 and 182 have
cylindrically convex contours to allow for limited rocking
movements about horizontal longitudinally extending axes
as may be required when there are different vertical
levels of the support members 179 and 180.
Spacer plates 181 and 182 may have different
thicknesses, particularly for guiding a vehicle in turns
where a large superelevation of one track is required
relative to the other. Either or both of the spacer
plates may also be removed and replaced by plates of
different thicknesses in cases where a necessary vertical
adjustment cannot be accomplished by rotation of either of
the lead screws 195 or 197.
Collars 207 and 208 are provided on the
adjustment members 184 and 188 on the inside of a
depending portion 210 of the support member 175 to prevent
outward movement of the adjustment members 184 relative to
the support member 175. As shown in Figure 9, the opening
in the depending portion 210 through which the transverse
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adjustment member 188 extends is elongated in a vertical
direction to allow the required vertical movement of
support member during vertical adjustments. As shown in
Figure 10, a bolt 211 extends down through a slot 212 in a
portion of the left support member 175 and into the left
wedge member 177 and a bolt 213 extends upwardly through a
slot 214 in a portion of the member 179 and into the wedge
member. Such bolts hold the parts in assembly while
permitting the required sliding movements between upper
and lower surfaces of the left wedge member 177 and the
members 175 and 179. A similar construction is used in
the right portion 174 of the mechanism 73. A suitable
grease is applied to the surfaces of the wedge members 177
and 178 during construction and at periodic maintenance
times to prevent rust from forming and locking up the
adjustable assemblies.
Y Junction Construction (Figs. 11-15)
Figure 11 is a top plan view of a Y guideway
junction 220 which will be described with the assumption
that a vehicle may be entering a single end 222 on the
right and exiting from either of two ends 223 and 224 on
the left. However, the junction 220 would operate as well
with vehicles entering either of the left ends 223 or 224
and exiting from the single right end 222. A cross over
junction 226 of two lower tracks 227 and 228 is shown,
track 227 forming the left lower track at the right end
222 and at the left end 223 and track 228 forming the
right lower track at the right end 222 and at the left end
224.
Figure 11 also shows top walls 229 and 230 that
extend from sides of the separated left ends 223 and 224
to a top wall section 232 positioned to the left of the
cross over junction 226 of the lower tracks 227 and 228.
Additional top walls 233 and 234 extend from sides of the 35 separated left
ends and converge to form a narrow slot at
the right end 222 of the Y junction 220.
The lower tracks 227 and 228 and the cross over
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junction thereof are supported on a series of plates 236
that extend between vertical support members and that are
in approximate alignment with cross plates, one of such
plates being shown in the sectional view of Figure 14 as
is described hereinafter.
Figure 12 shows the layout of lower tracks of
the Y junction 220. These include the lower tracks 227
and 228 that cross at the cross over junction 226, a track
237 that forms the left lower track at the left end 223
and that extends to the right to merge in a region 239
with a right end portion of track 227 to form the left
lower track at the right end 222 and a track 238 that
forms the right lower track at the left end 224 and that
extends to the right to merge in a region 240 with a right
end portion of track 228 to form the right lower track at
the right end 222.
Guide ribs 237A and 228A of the lower traclcs 237
and 238 extend continuously along the length thereof. A
pair of guide ribs 227A and 228A of the lower tracks 227
and 228 extend from the merge regions 239 and 240 to the
crossover junction 226 and an additional pair of guide
ribs 227B and 228B of the lower tracks 227 and 228 extend
to the left from a point to the left of the crossover
junction 226.
If turn and position control wheels that
correspond to wheels 35 and 36 of Figure 7- and that are
positioned on the right side of a carrier vehicle are
active while the vehicle is moving to the left and
entering the right end 222, the vehicle will be controlled
by the guide rib 238A to move on the tracks 227 and 238 to
the end 224. If the turn and position control wheels on
the opposite left side are active, the vehicle will be
controlled by the guide rib 237A to move on the tracks 237
and 228 to the end 223.
The position control wheels corresponding to
wheel 36 perform a very important function in insuring a
positive limit on transverse movement of a vehicle at all
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times, particularly during times when lower wheels of a
bogie are moving through the regions 239 and 240 and when
such wheels moving through the track crossover junction
226. During such times, only one of the lower traction
wheels of a bogie is adjacent a guide rib to positively
limit transverse movement of a vehicle in one direction but the then active
position control wheel is then on the
opposite side of the controlling guide rib to limit
transverse movement in the opposite direction.
At other times when passing through a Y
junction, guide ribs are engageable by traction wheels to
limit transverse movement. For example, when moving
between the junctions 239 and 240 and the track crossover
junction 226, the traction wheels are engageable with the
ribs 237A and 228A or with the ribs 227A and 238A to limit
transverse movement.
The guide ribs thus provide a safe limit on
transverse movement but so long as centrifugal or other
transverse forces do not exceed transverse frictional
forces between traction wheels and tracks, engagement
between guide ribs and traction or position control wheels
is limited. To reduce centrifugal forces or the their
effects, a reduced speed or a superelevation of the
outside track may be used, neither being desirable in a Y
junction especially in that the track should be flat in
regions 239 and 240 and in the crossover junction 226 for
proper contact with traction wheels. The effect of
centrifugal forces is preferably reduced by using large
turn radii for tracks in the Y junction, thereby
increasing the length of the junction but without serious
problems. Since there are no active switch elements,
vehicles may safely move at reasonably high speed speeds
through Y junctions.
Figure 13 provides a diagrammatic showing of the
positions of upper tracks and transmission line elements
in the Y junction 220. A pair of left and right upper
tracks 241 and 242 and second pair of left and right upper
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tracks 243 and 244 extend to the left from junction
regions 243 and 244 at the left end of the Y junction.
Tracks 241 and 242 extend to the ends 233 and 234 of the Y
junction while tracks 243 and 244 extend to the left from
the junction regions 245 and 246 and to positions well
short of the lower track crossover junction 226.
Another pair of upper tracks 247 and 248 extend to the
left and to the ends 233 and 234 of the Y junction from
positions well beyond the lower track crossover junction
226.
When a vehicle moves to the left from the right
end 222 to the left end 223 of the junction 220, the left
upper wheels thereof engage the track 241 while the right
upper wheels initially engage track 244, then move out of
contact with any track and then engage track 247.
Similarly, when a vehicle moves to the left from the right
end 222 to the left end 224 of the junction 220, the right
upper wheels thereof engage the track 242 while the left
upper wheels initially engage track 243, then move out of
contact with any track and then engage track 248. The
tracks 243 and 244 are sloped upwardly from right ends at
the junction regions 245 and 246 to elevated left ends,
the result being that the upper wheels engaged thereby are
gradually allowed to be moved upwardly by traction control
springs of bogies until reaching an upper limit position.
Similarly, the tracks 247 and 248 are graciually sloped
downwardly from elevated right ends to left ends that are
at the proper level for normal forces of engagement by
upper traction wheels of vehicles.
Figure 13 also illustrates the positions of
transmission line elements that are provided for
transmission of signals to and from vehicles, including
elements 249 and 250 that extend for the full length of
the Y junction from the right end 222 to the left ends 223
and 224, elements 251 and 252 that extend short distances
from the right end 222 and elements 253 and 254 that
extend to the left ends 223 and 224 of the Y junction from
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points to the left of the upper tracks 243 and 244.
Continuous signal transmissions are obtained at all times
through the elements 249 and 250, additional redundant
transmissions being obtained through elements 251 and 252
or through elements 253 and 254, except during travel
through relatively short distances. Multiple paths of signal transmission are
provided in the system to obtain a
high degree of redundancy and reliability.
Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view taken
substantially along line 14-14 of Figure 11 and Figure 15
corresponds to a portion of Figure 14 but on enlarged
scale. One of the plates 236 is shown in elevation in
supporting relation to the lower track crossover junction
226, opposite ends of the illustrated plate 236 being
secured to vertical support members 257 and 258 that
support the lower tracks 237 and 238 and the upper tracks
241 and 242 and that are like the vertical support members
83 and 84 (Figure 2). Additional plates similar to plate
236 support portions 227B and 228B of tracks 227 and 228,
shown in Figure 14, as well as portions 227A and 228A, not
visible in Figure 14.
Figure 14 also shows edge portions of two series
of vertical support members 259 and 260 that support upper
tracks 247 and 248 and that are similar to vertical
support members 84 and 83 (Figure 2) but have modified
configurations such that tracks 247 and 248 are gradually
sloped downwardly and outwardly, to the left and right as
viewed in Figure 14, from ends that are elevated ends that
are at the proper level for normal forces of engagement by
upper traction wheels of vehicles exiting the Y junction.
Figure 14 additionally shows two groups of
electrical supply rails 261 and 262. Rails 261 are
engageable by shoes on the right side of vehicles moving
to the left on tracks 237 and 228B after passing the track 35 crossover
junction 226 while rails 262 are engageable by
shoes on the left side of vehicles moving to the right on
tracks 238 and 227B after passing the track crossover
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junction 226. The supply rails '261 anrl 242 are so
positioned that initial contact by the shoes occurs only
after the shoes move forwardly beyond the rearward ends of
= the rails with pressure between shoes and rails gradually
increases with further forward movement of the shoes.
The Y junction 220 is formed in sections, the
forward end of each section and the rearward end of an
adjacent section being supported by adjustable support
mechanisms similar to mechanism 73. Figure 14 shows left
and right portions 265 and 266 of one mecl:ianism supporting
the ends of sections that are close to the lower track
cross over junction 226, left and right portions 267 and
268 of another mechanism that supports the ends of
sections at the end 223 of the Y junction 220 and left and
right portions 269 and 270 of a third mechanism that
supports the ends of sections at the end 224 of the Y
junction 220.
Carrier Vehicle Turn Control (Figs. 16-18)
Figure 16 is a front elevationa:L view of the
carrier vehicle 10, shown positioned in the guideway
section 72 of Figure 2 but with the forwaird aerodynamic
fairing 69 of the vehicle 10 removed. The forward and
rearward bogies 31 and 32 so support a base frame 272 as
to permit the bogies to pivot about vertical steering axes
and the base frame 272 provides resilient support for the
frame structure 30 that carries the forward and rearward
posts 15 and 16.
The forward bogie 31 is supported through left
and right bearing units 273 and 274 thereof which journal
the lower and upper traction wheels 33 and 34 on the left
side of the vehicle 10 and corresponding wheels 33A and
34A on the right side of the vehicle. The bearing units
273 and 274 are pivotal relative to the bogie 31 about a
horizontal axis midway between the axes of the lower and
upper traction wheels and, through springs acting thereon,
forces are applied to urge the upper traction wheels into
engagement with the upper tracks while applying forces
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aiding gravitational forces in urging the lower traction
wheels into engagement with the lower tracks.
A transversely extending turn control member 276
is secured at a point intermediate its ends to a shaft 277
which is supported from the forward bogie 31 for movement
about a horizontal axis that is midway between left and
right sides of the guideway. Turn control member 276
supports the turn and position control wheels 35 and 36
from the left end thereof and corresponding turn and
position control wheels 35A and 36A from the right end
thereof. When turn control member 276 is positioned as
shown in Figure 16, the turn and position control wheels
35 and 36 are in lowered active positions to cooperate
with a guide rib of the left track structure 75 that is
indicated by reference numeral 279 and that may preferably
be formed by the strips 131 and 132 of the laminated track
130 in the manner as illustrated in Figure 4. When turn
control member 276 is rotated in a counter-clockwise
direction as viewed in Figure 16, the left turn and
position control wheels 35 and 36 are elevated to inactive
positions while the right turn and position control wheels
35A and 36A are lowered from inactive elevated positions
to active lowered positions to cooperate with a guide rib
280 of the right track structure 76.
The support shaft 277 for the turn control
member 276 is journaled by a central portion of a
transversely extending support member 278 which has
upwardly extending portions 279 and 280 at its opposite
ends that are bolted or otherwise secured to a
transversely extending bar 282 of a frame structure of the
bogie 31. Solenoids 283 and 284 are secured to the
portions 279 and 280 of member 278 and have armatures
linked through connections 285 and 286 to the turn control
member 276. An internal permanent holding magnet of the
solenoid 284 functions to exert a force on its armature
that holds the turn control member 276 in the position
shown, until the solenoid 283 is energized to overcome the
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force exerted by the permanent holding magnet of solenoid
284 and to move the turn control member 276 to a position
opposite that shown. A permanent holding magnet of the
- solenoid 283 then operates to hold the turn control member
in the position to which moved, until the solenoid 284 is
energized to move the member 276 back to the position
shown.
The grooved turn control wheels 35 and 35A are
supported from control wheel support members 289 and 290
which are supported from opposite ends of the turn control
member 276 for movement about vertical turn axes and which
carry inwardly extending arms 291 and 292 that support cam
follower elements in the form of pins 293 and 294
extending downwardly and through slots in a cam plate 296.
Cam plate 296 is secured to brackets 297 and 298 that are
bolted or otherwise secured to a front upwardly extending
part 300 of the base frame 272.
Figures 17 and 18 are plan views illustrating
features of support and control of the turn and position
control wheels and their operation in controlling the
direction of travel of a vehicle. Figure 17 shows the
positions of parts when the vehicle is moving straight
ahead while Figure 18 shows the positions of parts when
the vehicle is moving around a turn of short radius such
as a radius of twenty feet, for example.
The grooved turn control wheel 35 rotates on a
shaft 302 carried between spaced arm portions 303 and 304
of a member 306 which is pivotal on a shaft 307 carried by
the control wheel support member 289. Leaf springs 309
and 310 are secured to the member 289 and engage the arm
portions 303 and 304 to urge the wheel 35 downwardly,
downward movement thereof being limited by interengagement
of surfaces of the arm portions with stop surfaces of the
- support member 289. A shaft 312 supports the control
wheel support member 289 for movement about a vertical
. axis relative to a support part 313 at a left end of the
turn control member 276. An arm 314 is supported from the
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part 313 through a shaft 315 and carries a support shaft
316 for the position control wheel. A leaf spring 318 is
secured to the part 313 and engages the arm 314 to urge
the wheel 36 downwardly, downward movement thereof being 5 limited by
interengagement of a surface of the arm 314
with a stop surface of the part 313.
The support of the turn and position control
wheels on the right side is substantially the same as on
the left side and is not described in detail.
Figures 17 and 18 show cam slots 319 and 320
through which the cam follower pins 293 and 294 extend.
The configuration of the cam slots 319 and 320, the
locations of the vertical turn axes of the control wheel
support members 289 and 290, the dimensions and
dimensional relationships of parts are such as that the
axes of all the wheels 35, 36, 35A and 36A always
intersect at a common vertical turn axis regardless of the
magnitude of any angle of turn of the bogie 31 relative to
frame elements of the vehicle 10, so long as the angle is
less than a certain limiting value. In the illustrated
construction, the distances from vertical axes of turn of
the control wheel support members 289 and 290 to the
points of contact of the respective turn and position
control wheels 35 and 36 or 35A and 36A are equal and the
cam surfaces 319 and 320 were so generated as to
The conditions shown in Figure 18 are such that
the angle of turn of the front bogie 31 relative to the
main frame of the carrier vehicle 10 is 15 degrees and are
such that the diameter of the wheels is 20 inches with the
distance between the turn axes of the front and rear
bogies being 120 inches, all other dimensions being
proportional to what is shown in the drawings. Under such
conditions, the turn radius of the carrier vehicle 10,
measured from its center, is slightly less than 20 feet,
the angle of turn of the control wheel support member 289
from the straight ahead condition is approximately 7.5
9.25 degrees and the corresponding angle of turn of the
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control when support member 290 is approximately 9.25
degrees. The angle of turn of the right member 290 in the
illustrated case of a turn to the right is greater than
that of the left member since member 290 is closer to the
turn axis of the carrier vehicle 490.
In the construction shown, the axis of the lower
traction wheels 33 and 33A is displaced re:arwardly from
the axis of upper traction wheels 34 and 34A of the front
bogie 31. In the illustrated arrangement, such axes are
displaced rearwardly and forwardly from the axis of the
position control wheels 36 and 36A. As a result, the
arrangement does not produce precise tracking of either
the lower traction wheels 33 and 33A or the upper traction
wheels 34 and 34A. However, the displacements are quite
small in relation to the turn radius and produce no
substantial adverse effects, even in a minimum radius of
turn condition.
It is also noted that the primary function of
the grooved turn control wheels is to steer the bogie by
applying sufficient torque to rotate the bogie to a
position in which the axes of the traction wheels and the
position control wheels are transverse to the direction of
travel. When resisting of centrifugal or wind or other
transverse forces is necessary, they are resisted
primarily by frictional engagement of traction wheels and
tracks, being limited by engagement of traction wheels
with guide ribs of upper and lower tracks or, at certain
times during travel through a Y junction, by interaction
of position control wheels and guide ribs.
Figures 17 and 18 also illustrate a forward part
of a shaft 322 that is journaled by a bearing 323 carried
by the base frame of the vehicle. A universal joint
connection 324 is located in a vertical plane in
approximate alignment with the axis of the turn control
wheels 34 and 34A and is provided between a splined
forward end portion of the shaft 322 and the rearward end
of the shaft 277 that carries the turn control member 276.
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The shaft 322 extends back to the rear bogie 32 and is
similarly connected to a turn control member of the rear
bogie that corresponds to the turn control member 276.
The control system of the vehicle is operative to 5 simultaneously energize
the solenoids of both the front
and rear bogies. However, the energization of a single
solenoid is sufficient to operate the turn control members
of both so that switching will occur even when one
solenoid or its energizing circuit fails.
It is noted that switching may be remotely
controlled from a central control center by sending
signals to a carrier vehicle to selectively control
energization of the solenoids 283 and 284. Switching may
also be controlled through cam members that are not shown
but that are positioned ahead of a Y junction at which
switching is to occur and that may under remote control be
selectively elevated to positions in the paths of lower
end portions of the cam follower pins 293 and 29. For
this reason, such end portions preferably enlarged as is
shown.
Bogie Construction (Figs. 19-24)
Additional features of construction of the front
bogie of carrier vehicle 10 and associated portions of the
frame structure of the vehicle 10 are shown in Figures 19-
24. Figure 19 is a side elevational view of a front
portion of the vehicle 10; Figure 20 is a view like Figure
19 but with the traction wheels 33 and 34, the contact
shoe assembly 49 and other components removed or broken
away; Figure 21 is a elevational sectional view of the
portion of the vehicle shown in Figures 19 and 20, taken
along a central longitudinal axis; Figure 22 is an
elevational sectional view looking inwardly from inside an
outer wall of a housing of the right bearing unit 274;
Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view, the left hand part
being taken substantially along an inclined plane line 23-
23 of Figure 22 and the right hand part being taken along
a vertical plane and showing parts of a differential
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gearing assembly used in driving drive shafts of both
bearing units 273 and 274; and Figure 24 is an elevational
sectional view taken substantially along line 24-24 of
Figure 21, looking forwardly from a position behind the
bearing units 273 and 274.
Figure 19 more clearly shows the support of the
turn and position control wheels 35 and 36 from the
support part 313 at the left end of the tuirn control
member 276. As shown, the support part 313 has portions
313A and 313B of the positioned above and below a portion
of the control wheel support member 289, the shaft 312
being extended through such portions of pairt 313 and
member 289.
A frame of the front bogie 31 includes the
aforementioned transverse bar 282 which is secured by
bolts to the forward ends of four transversely spaced
frame members 325, 326, 327 and 328. The left gear unit
273 is supported between frame members 325 and 326 while
the right gear unit 274 is supported between frame members
325 and 326. Another transverse bar 330 is disposed
behind the gear units and is secured by bolts to each of
the frame members 325-328. Portions of inembers 325-328
and bar 330 appear in the view of Figure 16 looking
rearwardly toward the front of the bogie. Members 325-328
are also shown in the view of Figure 24, looking forwardly
from a position behind the gear units 273 and 274. Bar
330 is also shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure
21.
Figure 19 shows the heads of four bolts 331 that
secure the forward end of frame member 325 to the left end
of bar 282, two of such bolts being also operative to
secure a forward portion of a mounting bracket 332 of the
contact shoe assembly 49 to the member 325,. Figure 19
also shows the heads of bolts 333 that secure a rearward
portion of the mounting bracket 332 to the frame member
325 and the heads of three bolts 334 that secure the frame
member 325 to the left end of the transverse bar 330. The
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frame member 328 is similarly secured to the opposite
right end of the bar 330 and frame members 326 and 327 are
also secured to the bar 330.
The traction control motor 42 is mounted on a
lead screw drive unit 336 which is mounted on the
underside of the bar 330. The motor 42 drives a worm of
the unit 336 to rotate a worm gear and thereby a nut on a
lead screw 337 to control vertical movement of member 339
engaged with one end of the spring 41, the opposite end of
the spring 41 being engaged with a member 340 which
projects rearwardly from the left gear unit 273. Bar 330
has opening through which the upper end of lead screw 337
extends. The traction control motor 42 thereby controls a
torque applied about an axis midway between the axes of
the upper and lower traction wheels 33 and 34 to control
the traction forces between the wheels and the lower and
upper tracks. A similar traction control arrangement is
provided on the opposite right side of the front bogie 31.
An electrical control unit 342 is mounted on the
outside of a rearwardly extending portion of the frame
member 326 and is connected through conductors of a cable
343 to the five illustrated contact shoes of the contact
shoe assembly 49, for supply of electrical power to the
vehicle. Unit 342 is also connected through a cable 344
to the traction control motor 42, through a cable 345 to
the traction motor 44, through a cable 346 to the brake
unit 46, and through a cable 347 to the junction box 51
which contains inductive coupling devices for cooperation
with the transmission line assemblies 81 along the
guideway. Junction box 51 is connected through conductors
in a conduit 348 to a similar junction box associated with
the rear bogie 32 and it also has terminals connected to a
cable in a passage of the forward post 15 for supply of
electrical power through the connection 13 to passenger
carrying cabins, automobile platforms or other loads
supported on the forward post 15 and the rearward post 16.
Control unit 342 is also connected through a cable 350 to
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a unit similar to unit 342 and located on the opposite
right side of the bogie, mounted on the outside of the
frame member 348.
Figure 19 also shows the front aerodynamic
fairing 69 that is secured to the base frame of the
vehicle 10 through a pair of brackets 351 and 352 each
secured by three bolts to the front upwardly extending
part 300 of the base frame 272. Bracket 351 appears in
Figures 19 and 200, bracket 352 in Figure 21, and bolt
holes in part 300 for the brackets are shown in Figure 16.
A central portion 69A of the fairing extends angularly
upwardly and forwardly to an upper end portion 69B that is
forwardly curved as shown in Figure 21 and it has side
portions 69C and 69D that are curved forwardly from left
and right sides of the central portion. The outside of
left side portion 69C appears in Figures 19 and 20 while
the inside of right side portion 69D appears in Figure 21.
The fairing 69 acts as a scoop to channel air downwardly
into the region between and below the lower tracks.
The fairing 69 has slots through which the cam plate
mounting brackets 297 and 298 extend. The cam plate 296.
which is in the path of the downwardly moved air is
preferably formed with a shape such as shown in Figure 21
to minimize interference with down flow of air.
As shown in Figure 20, the left bearing unit 273
includes bearings 353 and 354 which are mounted in
outwardly projecting tubular portions 355 and 356 of an
outer housing member 358 of the unit 273 and which journal
shafts 359 and 360 for the lower and upper traction wheels
33 and 34 on the left side of the front bogie 31. Another
outwardly projecting tubular portion 361 of the housing
member 358 is journaled by a sleeve bearing 362 in a
central portion of the left frame member 325 of the front
bogie 31. Member 358 also supports a bearing 363
therewithin which journals a drive shaft 364. Drive shaft
. 364 is geared to the traction wheel shafts 359 and 360
through gears in the bearing unit 273. The drive motor 44
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operates through a differential gearing assembly to drive
shaft 364 and a similar shaft of the right gear unit 326.
The sleeve bearing 362 and a similar bearing for
an inside housing member of the bearing unit 273 to allow
the bearing unit to pivot about the axis of the shaft 364.
Preferably, the torque applied from the action
of the spring 41 is large enough in relation to the weight
of the vehicle 10 and any load it carries as to normally
maintain the lower and upper wheels 33 and 34 in
engagement with the lower and upper tracks. The bearing
unit 273 then pivots only as may be necessary to
accommodate any small variations that may normally occur
in levels of either of the lower and upper tracks, but
larger pivoting movements may occur in response to the
application of abnormal vertical forces to the carrier
vehicle 10 or when the vehicle moves through Y junctions.
To place limits on pivoting of the bearing unit
273, pins 365 and 366 project from the housing member 358
for engagement by the frame member 325 of the bogie. Pin
365 limits upward movement of the upper traction wheel 34
in Y junctions, where the upper tracks cannot cross under
guideway slots and, where as has been noted, tracks such
as tracks 243 and 244 of the Y junction 220 shown in
Figures 11-13 are sloped upwardly to allow upper wheels to
be gradually moved upwardly by traction control springs
until reaching a limit position.
The frame structure of the carrier vehicle 10 is
shown in part in Figure 20 but are more clearly shown in
Figure 21 which also shows further features of
construction of the front bogie. The base frame 272
includes a lower longitudinally extending part 367, the
front part 300 that extends upwardly from the forward end
of the lower part 367 and an upper part 368 that extends
longitudinally and rearwardly from the upper end of the
part 300. The upper part 368 supports forward and
rearward blocks of resilient material that underlie
forward and rearward portions of the frame 30, a forward
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block 370 being shown in Figure 21. The frame 30 supports
the forward and rearward posts 15 and 16 and it includes a
longitudinally extending part 371 and forward and rearward
downwardly extending parts that are resiliently secured to
the front part 300 and a corresponding rear part of the
base frame 272. As shown in Figure 21, a forward
downwardly extending part 372 of the frame 30 is secured
to the forward base frame part through a bolt 373 that
extends through an annular member 374 of resiliently
deformable material, positioned in a cylindrical opening
through the part 371. The upper end of the part 300 of
the base frame 272 is secured to the forward end of the
upper part 368 of the base frame 272 by six bolts
including a center pair of bolts 375 that are shown in
Figure 21 and that are behind the part 317 of the base
frame 30 and including two outer pairs of bolts that are
shown in the front view of Figure 16.
The parts 371 and 372 of the frame 30 and the
post 15 are shown in Figure 21 as being integral with*each
other, but it will be understood that they may be separate
members that are secured together. As shown, the post 15
has a vertically extending passage 377 terminating at its
lower end at transversely extending passage 378. A cable
380 extends from the junction box 51 and into the
transversely extending passage 378 as shown in Figure 20
and then, as is shown in Figure 21, extends up through the
vertical passage 377 for supplying power to and for
communication with loads carried by the vehicle 10.
Figure 21 also shows details of the universal
joint 324 which includes a member 381 connected through a
pin 382 to a rearward end portion 383 of the shaft 277
that is secured to the turn control member 278, the
connection being such as to permit the member 381 to pivot
relative to the shaft 277 about the axis of the pin 382.
A spline connection is provided between the rearward end
of member 381 and the forward end of the shaft 322 which
connects to a similar universal joint of the rear bogie
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32. The support bearing 323 for the shaft 322 is secured
to the part 367 of the base frame 272.
The drive motor 44 is bolted to a plate 386 that
extends between lower rearwardly extending portions of the
frame members 326 and 327. Plate 386 carries a bearing
387 for a support roller 388 that rides on a lower flange
389 of a strut member 390 having an upper flange 391.
Flanges 389 and 391 are secured to the lower and upper
parts 367 and 368 of the base frame 272.
A central portion of the forward transverse
frame bar 282 is bolted to a member 394 which forms part
of an assembly that is secured between the frame members
326 and 327 by bolts 395 so as to form part of the frame
of the bogie. The assembly of which member 394 is a part
also forms a housing for differential gearing 396
operative to drive the drive shaft of the left bearing
unit 273 and a drive shaft 397 of the right bearing unit
274. Such gearing includes a pinion 398 that is
connected through a coupling 400 to a shaft of the motor
44 and that meshes with a drive gear that is not visible
in Figure 21 but which is connected to a case member 402.
Case member 402 carries a pin 404 that journals two
pinions 405 and 406 which mesh with a side gear 407 on the
drive shaft 396 of the right bearing unit 274 and also
with a side gear for the left bearing unit 273, not shown
in Figure 21.
To permit rotation of the bogie 31 about a
vertical turn axis, a top pin 409 is provided that has an
upper end extending into a hole in the lower surface of
the upper part 368 of the base frame 272 and a lower end
extending into a hole in the upper surface of the member
394. A bottom pin 410 has an upper end extending into a
hole in the member 394 and a lower end extending into a
hole in the upper surface of the lower part 367 of the
base frame 272. A thrust washer 412 is disposed on the
top pin 409 between the lower surface of frame part 369
and the upper surface of the member 394.
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Figure 22 is an elevational sectional view
looking inwardly from inside an outer wall of the housing
of the right gear unit. Figure 23 is a sectional view,
the left hand part being taken along an inclined plane of
Figure 22 along line 23-23, and the right hand part being
, taken along a vertical plane and showing parts of the
differential gearing 396 used in driving =the drive shaft
397 of the right gear unit 274 and the drive shaft 364 of
the left gear unit 273. Drive shaft 364 carries gears 413
and 414, gear 413 being meshed with a gea:r 415 on the
shaft 359 for the lower traction wheel 33 and gear 414
being meshed with a reversing gear 417 on a shaft 418,
reversing gear 417 being meshed with a gear 420 on the
shaft 690 for the upper wheel 34. The shaft 359 for the
lower traction wheel 33 is thereby rotated in a direction
opposite that of the drive shaft 364 while the shaft 360
for the upper traction wheel 34 is rotated in the same
direction as the drive shaft 364 and the upper end of the
upper wheel 34 moves in the same direction as the lower
end of the lower wheel 33.
The left bearing unit 272 includes an inner
housing member 422 that has a flange portion 422A which
fits within an inwardly extending peripheral flange
portion 358A of the outer housing member :358. The inner
housing member 422 supports bearings 423 and 424 for the
inner ends of the lower and upper wheel support shafts 359
and 360. An inwardly projecting portion 426 of the inner
housing member 422 is journaled by a sleeve bearing 427 in
an opening in a central portion of the frame member 326 of
the front bogie 31. Portion 426 supports sleeve bearing
428 for an intermediate portion of the drive shaft 364.
The bearings 353, 423 and 354, 424 for the lower and upper
support wheel shafts 359 and 360 may preferably be roller
bearings and spacer members as shown are provided within
the housing of the unit 273, on the drive shaft 364 and on
the lower and upper traction wheel shafts 359 and 360.
As shown in Figure 23, the differential gearing __
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396 includes the side gear 407 on the drive shaft of the
right bearing unit 274 and a side gear 430 on the drive
shaft 364 of the left bearing unit 273, such side gears
being in mesh with the pinions 405 and 406 that are on the 5 pin 404 carried
by the differential case member 402. A
drive gear 432 drives the case member 402 and may be an
integral part thereof as shown. Drive gear 432 is in mesh
with the pinion 398 that is driven through the coupling
400 from the shaft of the drive motor 44.
A housing member 434 is secured against one side
of the housing member 394 to form the housing for the
differential gearing 396 and to form part of the frame
structure of the bogie, the members 394 being secured
between frame members 326 and 327 of the bogie by the
bolts 395 (Figure 21). Drive gear 432 and the case member
402 integral therewith have portions journaled by bearings
435 and 436 in the members 434 and 394.
The right bearing unit 274 has a construction
which mirrors that of the left bearing unit and only a
portion 437 of an inner housing member of the right
bearing unit 274 is shown in Figure 23. Portion 437
supports a sleeve bearing 438 for the shaft 397 and is
journaled by a sleeve bearing 439 within a central portion
of the inner frame member 327 on the right side of the
bogie 31.
Figure 24 is an elevational sectional view taken
substantially along line 24-24 of Figure 21, looking
forwardly from a position behind the bearing units 273 and
274. Figure 24 shows the position of the member 340
which is engaged by the lower end the traction control
spring 41 for the left bearing unit 273. Member 340
projects rearwardly from the outer housing member 358 of
the bearing unit 274. A similar member 440 as shown
projects rearwardly from an outer housing member of the
right bearing unit 274, for engagement by a spring of a
traction control assembly for the right side which is
similar to the assembly which has been described for the
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left side.
As shown in Figure 24, the left side
transmission line assembly 81 includes outer and inner
portions 441 and 442 and the right side transmission line
assembly 82 includes outer and inner longitudinally
extending portions 443 and 444 in spaced relation, the
spacing of the outer portions 441 and 443 from the center
of the vehicle being greater than that of the inner
portions 442 and 444.
Carrier Vehicle-Guideway
Signal Interchange System (Figs. 25-27)
Figure 25 shows the construction of the
transmission line portions 441-444 and also
diagrammatically shows the arrangement of the inductive
coupling devices within the junction boxes 51 and 52 that
cooperate with the portions 441-444 in wireless
transmission of data between the carrier vehicle 10 and
monitoring and control units along the guideway.
The portion 441 includes a member 446 of
conductive material having on its underside a layer 447 of
insulating material with conductors on the underside of
the layer 447, three conductors 448, 449 and 450 being
shown. The lengths of the conductors 448-450 may be and
typically are different but each extends a substantial
distance along the guideway and each cooperates with the
member 445 and layer 446 and to provide a transmission
line having a characteristic impedance determined by the
diameter of the conductor and the thickness and dielectric
constant of the layer 447.
Each conductor may be connected to a signal
source and/or to a receiving circuit along the guideway.
When the carrier vehicle 10 is within the guideway, each
conductor may be inductively coupled to device 451 within
the junction box 51 of the carrier vehicle in proximity to
a portion of the conductor along its length. The
illustrated device 451 includes a core 452 which is
preferably of a low loss high permeability magnet material
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and which has ends in spaced facing relation to the
transmission line portion 441 and on opposite sides of a
vertical plane through the conductors 448-450. A coil 453
on the core 452 is connected to signal transmitting and
receiving circuits 454.
The construction of each of the other
transmission line portions 442-444 is like that of the
portion 441. A second inductive coupling device 456 is
provided within the junction box 51 in a position opposite
the transmission line portion and is connected to the
circuits 454. Similarly, devices 457 and 458 are disposed
within the right side junction box 52 and are connected to
signal transmitting and receiving circuits 460
therewithin. The portions of the junction boxes 51 and 52
that are opposite the devices 452, 456, 457 and 458 are
either open or of a non-magnetic and low conductivity
material but remaining portions are preferably of a high
conductivity metal for shielding purposes.
The circuits 454 and 460 are connected through
buses 461 and 462 to a carrier vehicle circuit unit 464,
for application of signals to the circuit 464 to control
vehicle speed and movements and for application of signals
from vehicles to circuits along the guideway for control
and monitoring of operations. Details of such signals are
discussed hereinafter in connection with Figures 28 and
29. Because of the close spacing between the
transmission line conductors and the inductive devices,
energy transmission is obtained primarily through
inductive coupling or transformer action rather than
through radiation and is highly efficient. When a signal
is applied to any one of the conductors, a corresponding
signal is developed by the device in proximity thereto and
applied to the circuits 454 or the circuits 460 to be
amplified if necessary and otherwise processed by the
circuits 454 or 460. When a signal is applied from one of
the circuits 454 or 460 to an inductive device connected
thereto, a corresponding signal is developed in each the
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conductors 448-450 and may be processed by circuits
connected to the conductor.
Figure 26 is a block diagram of the signal
transmitting and receiving circuits 454, the circuits 460
having the same configuration. Circuits 9:54 include
signal processing circuits 466 connected to eight
transceivers in two groups 467 and 468, four being
connected to the device 451 and four being connected to
the device 456. The transceivers 467 and 468 operate
transmit and receive at a number of frequencies to provide
a number of channels for transmission of data in each
direction, it being possible to use each transmission line
conductor to send a signal at one frequency while
receiving at a different frequency and to use a frequency
or frequencies for each conductor that may be different
from that or those used by each other conductor to provide
a number of non-interfering signal channels. Time and
code multiplexing, spread spectrum and other techniques
may also be used to obtain multiple channels and to
minimize interference.
In Figure 27, the carrier vehicle 10 and the
junction boxes 51 and 52 and inductive devices 451, 456,
457 and 458 are shown diagrammatically in broken lines in
relation to transmission line conductors that include the
conductors 448-450 and that extend along a portion of a
guideway. The guideway may be divided into sections for
monitoring and control purposes and the vehicle 10 may be
assumed to be moving to the right and approaching the end
of one section and the beginning of another section.
Four monitoring and control units 471, 472, 473
and 474, a section control unit 476 and a region control
unit 478 are shown. Monitoring and control units 473 and
474 are connected through busses 479 and 480 to the
section control unit 476 while monitoring and control
units 471 and 472 are connected through busses 481 and 482
to a preceding section control unit that is not shown.
The section control unit 476 is additionally
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coupled to the region control unit 478 through a bus 484
which is coupled a number of other section control units
like the unit 476 including a section control unit to
which the monitoring and control units 471 and 472 are =
connected through the busses 481 and 482. The region
control unit 478, in turn, is coupled to a central control
unit, not shown, through a bus 486 which is coupled to
other region control units in the system.
Reports of activity in the region assigned to
each region control unit are transmitted to the central
control unit, which maintains current data as to the
location of each carrier vehicle and each body being
transmitted, as well as a history of movements thereof, to
facilitate efficient performance of traffic control,
billing, maintenance and other functions.
The monitoring and control units 471-474 are
assigned to portions of the guideway 492 which may be of
various lengths. For example, along a straight length of
guideway in open country, a portion to which one unit is
assigned may have a length of 15 feet or more while in
parts of the guideway where loading and unloading
operations take place, a portion to which one unit is
assigned may have a length of one foot or less.
The section control unit 476 is typically
connected to a considerable number of monitoring and
control units and is operative with respect to a long
length of a guideway in open country or with respect to a
relatively short length where switching and/or loading and
unloading operations take place. In general, one section
control unit is assigned to each portion of a guideway in
which either a switching operation or a loading/unloading
operation takes place. For each direction of travel
through the portion of the system illustrated in Figures 1
and 2, one region control unit such as unit 478 is
provided, each region control unit being coupled to
approximately 12 section control units.
The conductor 448 of the transmission line
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portion 441 operates as a monitoring and control conductor
and is connected to an input/output line 487 of the
monitoring and control unit 471. Three other input/output
lines 488, 489 and 490 of the unit 471 are connected to
ends of three other monitoring and control. conductors 491,
492 and 493 of the transmission line portions 442, 444 and
443. The other ends of the monitoring andl control
conductors 448, 491, 492 and 493 are connected to circuit
ground through resistors 495, 496, 497 and: 498 that may
preferably have values equal to the characteristic
impedances of the transmission lines formed by such
conductors.
During the time that the devices 451, 456, 457
and 458 are moving along the length of the: monitoring and
control conductors 448, 491, 492 and 493, which may be
fifteen feet for example, signals containing speed data
may be transmitted from the input/output lines 487-490 and
through such conductors to be received through the
inductive devices 451, 456, 457 and 458 and applied to the
carrier vehicle circuit unit 464. During the same time,
but on a different carrier frequency, signals containing
data as to the speed of the vehicle 10 may be transmitted
in the opposite direction from the carrier= vehicle circuit
unit 464 and to the monitoring and control unit 471. Data
that identifies the vehicle 10, data as to its route
and/or other data may also be transmitted to the
monitoring and control unit 471.
The monitoring and control unit 472 has four
input/output lines 501-504 that are connected to another
group of monitoring and control conductors 505-508 of the
transmission line portions 441, 442, 444 and 443, such
conductors being terminated by resistors 509-512. As the
vehicle 10 moves to the right from the position shown in
Figure 27, the inductive coupling devices 451, 456, 457
and 458 move into proximity with portions of the
monitoring and control conductors 505-508 but continue for
a time to be in proximity to the conductors 448 and 491-
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493, an overlap being preferably provided as is shown
diagrammatically. An overlap of one foot may be provided
by using a conductors having a length of sixteen feet
when, for example, the spacing distance of monitoring and
control units is fifteen feet. This insures uninterrupted
transmission of signals in both directions.
In a similar fashion and as is shown in part in
Figure 27, input/output lines of monitoring and control
units 473 and 474 and other units along the guideway are
connected to monitoring and control conductors that are
like the group of conductors 448 and 491-493 and the group
of conductors 505-508, all being terminated by resistors
like resistors 495-498 and 509-512.
The conductor 449 of the transmission line
portion 441 and similar conductors 513-515 of the
transmission line portions 442, 444 and 443 are terminated
by resistors 517-520. Such conductors operate as section
conductors and are connected to input/output lines of a
section control unit which is like the unit 476 but
assigned to a preceding section of the guideway.
The section control unit 476 has input/output lines 521-
524 connected to additional section conductors at points
close to the terminal ends of the section control
conductors 449 and 513-515. An overlap may be provided,
if desired. Section conductors 525-528 are terminated by
resistors that are not shown but that are at the end of a
section to which unit 476 is assigned. Such section
conductors 449, 513-515 and 525-528 may be used for
various purposes. As vehicles move through a section,
they may continually send data to the corresponding
section control unit which identifies the carrier vehicle,
any body carried by the vehicle and the route to be
followed by the vehicle through the system. The section
conductors may also be used for transmitting control and
other data to a carrier vehicle. When leaves one section
to enter a new section, the control unit of the new
section after receiving complete data from the vehicle,
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may assign abbreviated ID data to the vehicle and send it
to the vehicle for use while moving through the section.
Conductor 450 of the transmission line portion
441 and similar conductors 529, 530 and 5:31 of the
transmission line portions 442, 444 and 443 are central
conductors connected to a central control unit, not shown,
and may extend for a long distance, with repeated stations
therealong if necessary. They may be used for various
purposes including the transmission of signals containing
control and warning data to a vehicle in an emergency and
the transmission of signals containing calls for help or
information from an occupant of cabin or automobile
carried by a vehicle.
Carrier Vehicle Circuit (Fig.. 28)
Figure 28 is a block diagram of the carrier
vehicle circuit unit 464 and of a circuit 534 of a body
carried by the carrier vehicle 10. A main processor 536
is connected to a motor control circuit 537 and a brake
control circuit 538 for control of the drive motor 44 and
brake 46 of the front bogie 31 and a corresponding drive
motor and brake of the rear bogie 32. An auxiliary
processor 542 is connected to a solenoid control circuit
543 and a traction control circuit 544 for control of the
switching control solenoids 283 and 284 aiid traction
control motor 42 and 42A of the front bogie 31 and
corresponding switching control solenoids and traction
control motors of the rear bogie 32. The main and
auxiliary processors 536 and 542 are interconnected for
interchange of signals and are connected to a common
memory circuit 546 that may be accessed by either
processor for storage and retrieval of data.
The main processor 536 receives speed data from
a tachometer 545 and has input ports conneacted to lines
547-550 of the bus 461 for receiving data developed by the
left and right side signal transmitting and receiving
circuits 454 and 460. Such data include messages that are
developed by monitoring and control units and that include
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speed command data to be used by the vehicles in
controlling the speeds of movement thereof. Such messages
are transmitted serially in the form of signals modulated
by digital data, being transmitted through monitoring and 5 control conductors
of the guideway from monitoring and
control units such as units 471-474 shown in Figure 27.
In response to such signals, the circuits 454 and 460
develop corresponding data that are sent through lines
547-550 to the main processor 536 which then processes
such data by comparing speed command data with carrier
vehicle speed data developed by the tachometer 545 to send
appropriate control data to the motor and brake control
circuits 537 and 538.
The main processor 536 also repetitively
i5 develops a message for transmission to monitoring and
control units such as units 471-474 as the carrier vehicle
10 moves therealong. Each message includes digital data
that correspond to the speed of movement of the carrier
vehicle and digital "ID" data that identify the carrier
vehicle. To transmit such data, the main processor 536
has output ports connected to lines 561 and 562 of bus 461
and to lines 563 and 564 of the bus 562 for sending data
to the left and right side signal transmitting and
receiving circuits 454 and 460 which develop and transmit
signals to repetitively and serially transmit digital data
through monitoring and control conductors to monitoring
and control units such as the units 471-474 shown in
Figure 27. Each monitoring and control unit processes
such data in a manner as hereinafter discussed to develop
data including the aforementioned control data for
transmission to passing vehicles.
For maximum reliability, it is desirable that
monitoring and control units receive at least several
complete messages during the time interval in which a
carrier vehicle traveling at maximum speed passes through
the length of the guideway which is assigned to one of the monitoring and
control units. It is thus desirable to use
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a bit rate of serial transmission of the digital data
which is as high as possible without sacrificing
reliability and it is also desirable to minimize the
length of the message. As hereinafter described, each
section unit assigns identification data to each carrier
vehicle entering the guideway section monitored by the
unit for temporary use while the carrier vehicle moves
through the section, and such temporary ID data are
abbreviated in relation to complete identification data
which distinguishes the carrier vehicle from all other
carrier vehicles in the transportation system.
In sending messages to carrier vehicles,
different communication channels, operative at different
carrier frequencies, for example, are used: by adjacent
monitoring and control units. A channel designated as a
#1 channel may be used in transmitting signals from
monitoring and control units 471 and 473 while a #2
channel may be used in transmitting signals from
monitoring and control units 472 and 474. Each of the
signal transmitting and receiving circuits 454 and 460
develops output data from both channels and applies such
data through lines 547 and 548 or lines 549 and 550 that
are connected to separate input ports of the main
processor 536. With an overlap of conductors as
aforementioned, data are received from one channel before
data are no longer received by the other and information
is provided to the carrier vehicle as to the location of
the overlapping conductor portions. The data applied to
the motor control circuit 537 are such that there is no
attempt to abruptly accelerate or decelerate the vehicle
in response a difference, which may sometimes be quite
large, between new speed command data received from one
channel and old speed command data received from the
other. Instead, speed is changed at a rate which is a
function of both the magnitude of the difference and the
speed of travel of the vehicle.
The circuit 534 that is on a body carried by the
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vehicle 10 may include audio and video circuits 567 and a
data entry and storage circuit 568 which are coupled
through transceivers 569 and 570 to coils 571 and 572 that
are inductively coupled to coils 573 and 574 when the body
which carries the circuit 534 is secured to the carrier
vehicle. Other interfaces may be used including direct
connections and optical couplings.
The auxiliary processor 542 is connected through
a control line 575 to a switch circuit 576 which couples
the coil 573 to either a pair of lines 577 and 578 of the
bus 461 for the left side of the vehicle or a pair of
lines 579 and 580 of the bus 462 for the right side of the
vehicle. The coil 574 is connected through a transceiver
582 to the auxiliary processor 542. The auxiliary
processor has output and input ports connected to lines
583 and 584 of the left side bus 461 and output and input
ports connected to lines 585 and 586 of the right side bus
462.
The audio and video circuits 567 are usable for
receiving radio and television communications on the body
that includes the circuit 534 which may be a passenger
carrying body, for example. Telephone communications and
fax communications may also be accommodated.
Through the data entry and storage circuit 568,
data are transmitted to the auxiliary processor which
include body ID data distinguishing the body that carries
the circuit 534 from other bodies of the transportation
system and route data identifying the route to be followed
by the vehicle 10 in moving through the system. A
passenger on a passenger carrying body may enter data to
change the route data to stop at a previously unscheduled
stop, for example. Communications may also be transmitted
from the auxiliary processor 542 to the data entry and
storage circuitry, which may operate a digital display or
an audible signalling device.
The auxiliary processor 542 stores data obtained
from the data entry and storage circuit 568 in the memory
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546 which can be accessed by the processor 542 and sent to
section control units such as unit 476 through section the
signal transmitting and receiving circuits 454 and 460 and
through section conductors such as the conductors 449 and
513-515 or 525-528.
output ports of the auxiliary processor 542 are
coupled to solenoid control circuit 543 for control of the
solenoids 283 and 284 of the front bogie 31 of the carrier
vehicle 10 and similar solenoids of the rear bogie 32 to
control steering of the carrier vehicle 32. When the
direction of steering is changed, the switch 576 is also
operated to a corresponding position to appropriately
couple either the lines 577 and 578 or the lines 579 and
580 to the transceiver 569 on the body that carries the
circuit 534.
The auxiliary processor 542 also has output
ports connected to the traction control circuit 544 for
control of the traction control motors 42 and 42A of the
front bogie 31 and corresponding traction control motors
of the rear bogie 32.
Section Control Circuit (Fig. 29)
Figure 29 is a block diagram of circuitry of the
section control unit 476 which includes a processor 588
connected to a memory 589 and coupled through a
communication link 590 and the bus 484 to the region
control unit 478. Processor 588 is also connected through
communication links 591 and 594 and the buses 479 and 480
to the monitoring and control units of the section being
controlled, including the units 473 and 474. In addition,
the processor 588 is coupled through transceivers 593-596
to the lines 521-524 that are connected to the section
conductors 525-528.
The circuit of the section control unit 476 as
shown in Figure 29 may be used in control of a special
weighing section in which a vehicle may be weighed and as
indicated by dashed lines 598, the processor 588 may
optionally be connected to strain gauges as hereinafter
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described that are part of a weighing circuit of the
weighing section. Another dashed line 599 may also be
used in connection with the weighing operation.
Monitoring & Control Unit Circuit (Fig. 30)
Figure 30 is a block diagram of a circuit of the
monitoring and control unit 471 which is the same as other
monitor and control units. The unit 471 includes a
processor 600 connected to a memory 601 and coupled
through communication links 603 and 604 and the busses 479
and 480 to the section control unit 476. The processor
600 has input ports connected through lines 605 and 606 to
a monitoring and control unit which precedes or is behind
the monitoring and control unit 471 and has output ports
connected to transmitters 607 and 608 to transmit data
through lines 609 and 610 to the preceding monitoring and
control circuit. Output ports of the processor are
connected through lines 611 and 612 to the subsequent
monitoring and control unit 472 that is ahead of the unit
471 in the illustrated arrangement, and input ports are
connected to outputs of receivers 613 and 614 that have
inputs connected through lines 615 and 616 to the
subsequent monitoring and control unit 472. Additional
input and output ports of the processor 600 are connected
through transceivers 617-620 and through the input/output
lines 487-488 to the monitoring and control conductors 448
and 491-493.
The transmitters 607 and 608 and receivers 613
and 614 operate in transmitting and receiving serial data
and each may be equivalent to one-half of a conventional
UART, for example. More direct couplings may be used
instead of serial transmitters and receivers, particularly
when the distance between monitoring and control units is
small as is the case in sections used for loading and
unloading of vehicles.
Operation of Carrier Vehicle Unit (Fig. 31)
Figure 31 is a flow chart illustrating the
operation of the main processor 536 of the circuit unit
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464 of the carrier vehicle 10. At start, the processor
checks for a signal from the auxiliary processor 542 which
is applied when new data are available such as new
temporary ID data to be used by the carrier vehicle 10 in
continually sending data to monitoring and control units
along the guideway.
After getting any new data which is available,
data corresponding to the speed of the vehicle is obtained
from the tachometer 545 and then speed and ID data are
transmitted through lines 561 and 562 and/or lines 563 and
564. Usually, all lines are used in transmitting
redundant data which are compared by the monitoring and
control units to detect possible errors and malfunctioning
of equipment.
Next, speed command data are obtained from the
nearest of the monitoring and control units along the
guideway. Such data are compared with data obtained from
the tachometer 545. If there is a difference or also if
the command speed is zero, the command speed data are sent
to the motor control circuit 537 to correct the speed of
the vehicle and if the command speed is zero, a signal is
sent to the brake control circuit 538 to operate the brake
46 of the front bogie and the corresponding brake of the
rear bogie.
operation of Monitoring & Control Unit (Fig. 32)
Figure 32 is a flow diagram illustrating the
operation of the processor 600 of the monitoring and
control unit 471. First, the processor obtains and stores
any new control data which may be available from a section
control unit such as unit 476 for the section in which the
vehicle is located. Such data may include new maximum
speed data which may dictate a lower speed. of operation
along a guideway when, for example, weather conditions are
such that operation at high speeds is unsafe.
Next a check is made for new data from a passing
carrier vehicle. If new data are obtained., a report
thereof is sent to the section unit and then messages are
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formatted and sent to the unit behind using the
transmitters 607 and 608 and lines 609 and 610. Each
transmitted message includes speed data which may be in
the form a single 8-bit byte of data, but is preferably in
the form of two 8-bit bytes of data for greater accuracy.
Each message also includes data which will be referred to
as the distance byte and which is initially set at zero,
or some other certain value, in the originating monitoring
and control unit. The message is passed along serially in
a rearward direction along the guideway and the distance
byte is incremented each time the message is passed so
that the distance byte identifies the originating unit.
If, for example, the effective spacing between units is 15
feet and the byte which originally had a zero value has
been incremented in one unit increments to five, the
receiving unit is supplied with data indicating that the
distance to the originating unit is the product of five
plus one and fifteen or 90 feet. Preferably, any delays
in passing the message along are insubstantial, but any
substantial delays can be taken into account by a
receiving unit.
As shown in the flow diagram, when a message is
received, it is substituted for any old message that may
exist and a timer which is placed in a reset condition.
Then a determination is made as to whether, for the
purpose of determining whether to pass on the message,
there is a safe distance ahead to the carrier vehicle
which was just detected to originate the message. The
distance to the originating unit is determined as
discussed above. Whether or not it is safe to avoid
passing on the message depends upon the value of the speed
data in the message. If the speed data shows that the
detected carrier vehicle is travelling at a high speed,
there may be no need to pass the message on even though
the distance is relatively short. On the other hand, if
the detected carrier vehicle is travelling at a low speed
or is stopped, the distance must be quite large before it
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is safe to not pass the message. Accordingly, the safe
value of the distance byte increases in inverse relation
to the speed indicated by the speed data.
If it is determined that the message should be
passed on, it is sent to the unit behind after
incrementing the distance byte.
Finally, the processor 600 of the monitoring and
control unit 471 determines command speed data and sends
it to any carrier vehicle that may be passing by the unit
471. The command speed data are determined either from
maximum speed data or from data in a message from a unit
ahead including data corresponding to the distance to and
speed of a carrier vehicle ahead. When determined from
data in a message, the command speed data will require a
decreased speed when the vehicle is too close to the
vehicle ahead and will require an increase in speed when
the speed when the vehicle is too far behind the vehicle
ahead, unless the speed is already at a speed set by the
maximum speed data which may either have a default value
or a value determined from data received from a section
control unit.
The distance to a unit which has detected a
carrier vehicle ahead is determined from the distance byte
of a pending message in the manner as discussed above but
does not indicate the distance to the vehicle which may
have moved since the message was originated and received.
To more accurately determine the distance to the vehicle a
distance is added equal to the product of the speed of the
vehicle and the elapsed time indicated by the
aforementioned timer which was reset at the time when the
pending message was originally received.
The command speed data are increased as a
function of the maximum speed data, as a f'unction of the
speed of the vehicle ahead and as a function of the
distance to the vehicle ahead, to obtain a certain
following distance for each speed of the vehicle ahead.
It is also dependent upon the capabilities of the carrier
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vehicle, including the responsiveness and reliability of
its drive components and control circuitry and braking
distances which can be safely and reliably obtained with
all vehicles of the system. As examples of the
considerations that are involved, if the maximum speed is
150 feet per second and the speed of the vehicle ahead is
also 150 feet per second and the distance to the vehicle
is 150 feet, a command speed of 150 feet per second might
be quite safe. However, if the distance to the vehicle
ahead is only 75 feet, it may be desirable that the
command speed be reduced to less than 150 feet per second
to slow down any passing carrier vehicle and increase its
distance to the vehicle ahead. If the speed of the
vehicle ahead is very low or if the vehicle ahead is
stopped, it may not be safe to send a command speed equal
to the maximum speed until the distance to the vehicle
ahead is quite large and substantially greater than a
braking distance which can be safely obtained with the
vehicle.
operation of Section Control Unit (Fig. 33)
Figure 33 is a flow diagram illustrating the
operation of the processor 588 of the section control unit
476. The flow diagram as shown is for a general purpose
processor for section units capable of four different
modes of operation, including a standard mode in which no
switching or loading/unloading operations may take place
and a switch mode of operation in which the monitored and
controlled section of the guideway controlled has a switch
region in which the direction of travel of the vehicle may
be selectively changed. It is also capable of two
additional modes of operation for a section of a guideway
constructed for loading/unloading operations. One of such
additional modes is a load/unload mode for performance of
such loading/unloading operations and the other being a
"pass through" mode a vehicle passes through such a
section but in which no loading/unloading operations take .
place therein.
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The operation of the processor 588 of the
section control unit 476 starts with a determination of
whether a carrier vehicle (CV) is entering a section,
performed by monitoring data transmitted from the first
monitoring and control unit of the section, for example by
data transmitted through the bus 479 or 480 and from the
unit 473 in Figure 27. When such data are detected,
control data are transmitted to the auxiliary processor
542 of the carrier vehicle through the transceivers 593-
596, lines 521-524, section conductors 525-528 of the
guideway, devices 451 and 456-458, circuits 454 and 460
and bus lines 583 and 585. The auxiliary processor 995
responds by using lines 584 and 586, circuits 454 and 460,
devices 451 and 456-458, conductors 525-528, lines 521-524
and transceivers 593-596 to send complete identification
data for the carrier vehicle and for any body which may be
carried by the vehicle, also route data defining the route
which the vehicle is programmed to follow through the
system.
Then certain flags are cleared and the same
channels are used to send abbreviated ID data, usually not
more than a single 8-bit byte of data, to the carrier
vehicle to temporarily identify the vehicle while it is
passing through the section to which the unit 476 is
assigned. The auxiliary processor 542 then sends a signal
to the main processor 536 to signal the existence of new
temporary ID data in the memory 546. It is noted that the
use of temporary ID data is desirable in guideway sections
in which a number of vehicles may be present at the same
time. However, the use of such data may n.ot be required
as to many sections such as loading/unloading sections and
some switching section which have a short length such that
no more than one vehicle will normally be in the section
at the same time.
After sending the temporary ID to the carrier
vehicle, data are sent to the region control unit 478
through the communication link 590 and bus 484 and control
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data may be received back through the same channel to be
sent to the monitoring and control units through
communication links 591 and 592 and buses 479 and 480
which may then be used in transmitting data to the section
control unit 476 to be stored in the memory 589.
As shown in the flow diagram, a series of test
may then be made to determine modes of operation and the
condition of certain flags and if the results of all such
tests are negative, the operation of the processor 588
returns to the start point. This is what may be described
as the "normal" operation for sections of the guideway in
which no switching or loading/unload operations are to
take place. For such sections, the mode and flag tests
and related operations are unnecessary and may be
eliminated. Similarly, the switch mode test and related
operations may be eliminated for a section designed for
only loading/unloading operations and the
loading/unloading, pass through and flag tests may be
eliminated for a section designed for switching
operations.
With respect to switching operations, a switch
mode test may be made to determine whether any switching
operation is necessary, determined from the route data
obtained from the carrier vehicle and data obtained from
the vehicle as to the condition of the guide wheel
assemblies. If a switching operation is necessary,
solenoid and switch control data are sent to the carrier
vehicle, after first obtaining a positive response to a
test to determine whether the carrier vehicle is
approaching a switch region at which the vehicle is to be
switched to from one path to another. Such a test is made
from monitoring the data received from the monitoring and
control units along the section and which show the
positions of vehicles moving along the section. It is 35 noted that in a
section containing only a single switch,
no test is necessary and the solenoid and switch control
data may simply be sent to the carrier vehicle to effect
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energization of the proper solenoids and switching of the
switch 576 to the proper condition.
Weighing Operations (Pigs. 34-36)
The loading/unloading and pass through modes of
operation of Figure 33 may be best understood by first
considering Figures 34, 35 and 36 which depict the
positions of wheel structures of a carrier vehicle during
loading/unloading operations in a region in which a body
may be transferred between a transfer vehicle and the pads
of a carrier vehicle positioned thereat or such as a
region where passenger-carrying body is located for pick-
up and discharge of passengers.
In Figure 34, the left side wheels 33 and 34 of
the front bogie and corresponding left side wheels 33R and
34R of the rear bogie are shown in normal positions
relative to lower and upper tracks 623 and 624 of the
illustrated section as the vehicle approaches a
loading/unloading position. In Figure 35, the wheels are
shown in positions reached in the loading/unloading
position of the vehicle. In Figure 36, the wheels are
shown in positions in which they are when the vehicle is
ready to move out of the loading/unloading position, such
positions being the same as they are when the vehicle
moves through the loading/unloading position during a pass
through mode of operation.
As shown the lower track 623 is level while the
upper track 624 has a pair of downwardly extending
portions along its length to provide a downwardly sloped
surface portion 624A, followed by an upwardly sloped
surface portion 624B, followed by another downwardly
sloped surface portion 624C and finally by another
upwardly sloped surface portion 624D. The spring 41 of
the front bogie 31 functions to exert a force urging the
support for the wheels 33 and 34 in a clockwise direction
about a horizontal axis midway between the axes of the
wheels, normally overcoming the gravitational forces
acting on the vehicle and urging the upper wheel 34 into
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engagement with the lower surface of the upper track 624.
A similar spring performs similar functions with respect
to the wheels 33R and 34R of the rear bogie. When the
wheels 33 and 34 of the front bogie approach the position
of Figure 35 and the upper wheel 34 engages the surface
portion 624A to be camned downwardly, the wheel support is
rotated in a clockwise direction to compress the spring 41
and to develop a certain braking force on the vehicle.
However, when the upper wheel 34 reaches the surface
portion 624B, an opposite action takes place to develop a
forward thrust moving the wheels to the position of Figure
35. The vehicle is then accurately positioned for
loading/unloading operations.
Figure 36 shows the wheels in a position to
permit weighing of the vehicle. After reaching the
position of Figure 35, the traction control motors 42 and
42A of the front bogie and corresponding motors of the
rear bogie are energized in a direction to reduce the
forces of the springs acting on the wheel supports,
allowing rotation of the wheel supports in directions such
as to allow the upper wheels to move downwardly out of
engagement with the upper tracks. With reference to
Figure 20, the pin 366 limits rotation in a counter-
clockwise direction of the bearing unit 273 which supports
the wheels 33 and 34.
When the wheels 33, 34, 33A and 34A and those on
the left side of the vehicle are in positions as shown in
Figure 36, the forces acting on the lower tracks are
determined solely by the weight of the vehicle. To
measure such forces, strain gauges 625 and 626 are
attached to the undersides of the lower track 623 under
the wheels 33 and 33R and similar strain gauges are
attached to the undersides of the lower track on the other
side of the guideway. All of such strain gauges are
connected to a weighing circuit 628 arranged to develop
digital data on lines 630 to be applied to the processor =
of a section control unit for the loading/unloading
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section. The lines 598 indicated in dashed form in Figure
29 and in full lines in Figures 34-36 may be used for this
purpose. After proper calibration, the weight and weight
distribution of the vehicle are determined, and are'used
in making certain that the weight of the vehicle is not
excessive and that the weight distribution is safe. The
weight data are also used in controlling acceleration of
the vehicle to enter a main line guideway portion.
In addition, the weight data are: used in
adjusting the forces applied by the springs during travel
in accordance with the weight and weight distribution of
the vehicle. When the vehicle is heavily loaded,
maintaining the upper wheels in pressure engagement with
the upper track requires that the springs exert high
forces which are excessive in the case of an unloaded or
lightly loaded vehicle, imposing unnecessary stresses and
unnecessarily high loads on bearings. The weight data are
therefore used in setting the forces applied by the
respective springs during travel of the vehicle, in
accordance with the weight and weight distribution data
developed by the weighing circuit 628.
In moving forwardly out of the loading/unloading
position, the wheels are maintained in the positions as
shown in Figure 36 until the wheels of the rear bogie are
clear of the surfaces 624A-624D. Then the traction
control motors are energized in a direction to increase
the forces of the springs acting on the wheel supports to
values determined by the weight data and to obtain a
condition for continued travel.
It is noted that when the upper tracks have
configurations as shown, moving a vehicle at substantial
speeds through the loading/unloading region will produce
shocks and stresses of the upper tracks and of the wheel
supports. To avoid this problem, the wheels are lowered
to positions as shown in Figure 78 during an initial
portion of a pass through mode of operation and are raised
to the travel position through operation of the traction
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motors only after the wheels of the rear bogie are ahead
of the downwardly projecting portions of the upper tracks.
Referring again to the flow diagram of Figure
33, if the route data requires a stop at the load/unload
position, the section control unit for the
loading/unloading section after receiving data from region control will
initially send data the monitoring and
control units such that the vehicle will be decelerated to
reach zero velocity at the load/unload position. The
lengths of the monitoring and control conductors are quite
short in the load/unload section, six inches for example,
to permit the of the vehicle to be gradually and
accurately reduced and to reach zero shortly before
reaching a position in which the upper wheel 34 of the
forward bogie engages the surface 624B of the upper track.
As shown in the flow diagram of Figure 33, if
the test for the load/unload mode is positive, a test is
made to determine whether the vehicle has reached the stop
position, the test being made through examination of data
from the monitoring and control unit which monitors a
guideway conductor at the load/unload position.
When the vehicle reaches the stop position,
traction control data are sent by the processor 588 to the
carrier vehicle, through communication channels including
transceivers 593-596 as aforementioned, to control the
traction motors and to place the wheels in positions as
shown in Figure 36. Then weight data obtained through
lines 598 from the weighing circuit 628 are stored and
also examined to send an alarm if the data indicate that
either the total weight or the weight distribution is
unacceptable.
The processor for the load/unload section then
waits for a start signal which may come from a control
system for a loading/unloading facility 15 and through the
region control unit 478 or which may be applied to a
processor such as the processor 588 through a line 599 as
indicated in dashed form in Figure 29. When the start
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signal is received, data are sent to certain monitoring
and control units of the load/unload section and guideway
conductors forwardly therefrom for acceleration of the
vehicle forwardly out of the load/unload position. A
continue flag is then set.
After determining that the vehicle is clear of
the stop or load/unload region, i.e. after the wheels of
the rear bogie pass under the downwardly projecting
portions of the upper tracks, traction control data are
sent to the carrier vehicle to energize the traction
control motors in a direction to increase the forces of
the springs acting on the wheel supports to values
determined by stored weight data and to obtain a condition
for high speed travel. When the traction control data are
received in the vehicle, they are preferably stored in the
memory 546 by the auxiliary processor 542 'to be available
for subsequent pass through operations and also for
maintenance, monitoring or other operations.
In the pass through mode, when the stop region
is approached, for example when the wheels are in
positions as shown in Figure 34, traction control data are
sent to the carrier vehicle to energize the traction
control motor in a direction to decrease the forces
applied by the springs and to place the wheels in
positions as shown in Figure 36 well before the upper
wheels of the front bogie are below the surface portion
624A of the right upper track and a corresponding surface
portion of the left upper track. A continue flag is then
set and in subsequent operations a test of the continue
flag results in the aforementioned test to determine
whether the vehicle is clear of the stop region. It is
noted that in the pass through mode, the traction control
data which are sent to the traction control motors are
obtained from data previously stored in the memory 546 of
the vehicle circuit unit 464.
. Merge Operations (Figs. 37-41)
Figure 37 diagrammatically illustrates a merge
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control unit 632 which monitors and controls operations
including merge operations along a main line guideway 633
and a branch line guideway 634. Figure 38 is a graph
provided to explain merging operations at relatively high
speeds and shows the acceleration of a stopped vehicle on
the branch line guideway to enter the main line guideway at a speed of 150
feet per second and after travelling a
distance of on the order of one half of a mile. Although
the unit 632 will be described in controlling a high speed
operation, it is also usable in low speed operations, as
in controlling relatively slow movements of vehicles into
and out of guideways used for temporary storage of
vehicles.
The unit 632 is a specially programmed section
control unit which has a circuit similar to the circuit of
the section control unit 476 shown in block form in Figure
29. It has eight input/output lines in two groups of four
lines each, one group being in a bus 637 connected to
section conductors on the left side of the main guideway
and the other being in a bus 638 connected to section
conductors on the right side of the branch guideway 634.
The unit 632 is also connected through buses 639 and 640
to monitoring and control units along the branch and main
line guideways 633 and 634.
The flow diagram of Figure 39 illustrates the
operation of the merge control unit 632; the flow diagram
of Figure 40 illustrates the operation of monitoring and
control units of the main line guideway 633 and the flow
diagram of Figure 41 illustrates the operation of
monitoring and control units of the branch line guideway
634.
In the graph of Figure 38, a heavier line 642
shows the movement of a vehicle that is on the branch line
guideway 634 and that in 20 seconds is accelerated from a
speed of zero at 7.5 feet per second per second to reach a
speed of 150 feet per second after travelling 1500 feet and to then travel at
a constant speed of 150 feet per
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second while moving from the branch line guideway 634 onto
the main line guideway 633. Such movement is obtained by
scheduling signals to monitoring and control units along
the branch line guideway 634 to cause each of such units
to apply a certain command speed signal to a passing
vehicle. For example, in obtaining a constant
acceleration of 7.5 feet per second, each monitoring and
control unit applies a command speed signal to obtain a
speed equal to the square root of the product of twice the
acceleration (15) and the distance of the unit from the
start position. Thus at a distance of 90 feet, the speed
may be the square root of 15 times 90, or 36.74 feet per
second. At a distance of 900 feet, the speed may be
116.19 feet per second.
Another heavier line 643 shows the movement of a
vehicle on the main line guideway which travels at 150
feet per second and which overtakes the entering vehicle
of line 642 to be 150 feet ahead of the vehicle of line
642 when the vehicle of line 642 enters the main line
guideway 633.
A third heavier line 644 shows the movement of a
vehicle on the main line guideway 633 which at zero time
is traveling at 150 feet per second and which is behind
the vehicle of line 643 at a following distance of 150
feet. To permit entry of the branch line vehicle of line
642, the vehicle of line 644 moves at a speed of 142.5
feet per second for 20 seconds to then be at a following
distance of 150 feet per second behind the entering
vehicle of line 642, after which the vehicle of line 644
moves at a speed of 150 feet per second.
A series of light lines 645 show vehicles on the
main line guideway 633 which are ahead of the vehicle of
line 643 and which move at 150 feet per second with
constant distances of 150 feet therebetween.
Another series of light lines 646 show vehicles
on the main line guideway 633 which are behind the vehicle
of line 643 and which from time zero to the 20 second time
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move at constant speeds 142.5 feet per second, rather than
150 feet per second, to gradually increase the following
distance behind the vehicle of line 643 from 150 feet to
300 feet and to place the vehicle of line 644 at 150 feet
behind the entering vehicle of line 642.
The message-passing operations as described
above in connection with Figure 32 are used in obtaining
the following distances of 150 feet per second. To obtain
the gradually increasing following distance of the main
line guideway vehicle of line 644 relative to the main
line guideway vehicle of line 643, appropriate speed
commands may be applied directly to units along the main
line guideway but the scheduling of such signals is
relatively complicated since the movement of the vehicle
of line 643 must be taken into account. Preferably,
however, the scheduling on the main line guideway is
performed by creating a "phantom" vehicle and making use
the message-passing operations of monitoring and control
units as described above in connection with Figure 32. In
the message passing operation, the detection of a signal
from a vehicle results in the format and sending of a
message to a unit behind, each unit responding to messages
from units ahead to develop command speed signals for
passing vehicles and to automatically operate each vehicle
at a speed not greater than that of the vehicle ahead and
at a certain following distance which may be proportional
to the speed of the vehicle ahead.
To control the vehicle of line 644 and
temporarily operate it at the reduced speed of 142.5 feet
per second, a phantom vehicle indicated by dotted line 648
is created by the merge control unit 632 which schedules
signals to monitoring and control units along the main
line guideway 633 to simulate a vehicle ahead of the
vehicle of line 644. The scheduling of phantom vehicle
control signals is such that in response to detection of
the vehicle of line 643 at time TO by a certain monitoring
and control unit, the units ahead of that unit are caused
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to sequentially develop signals in a timed relation
corresponding to the times at which such units ahead would
develop signals if a vehicle moved at a reduced speed,
such as the 142.5 feet per second speed of' the example,
along the main line guideway 633.
The merge control unit 632 acconnnodates
conditions of operation other than the condition depicted
in Figure 38 in which vehicles are moving uniformly at the
relatively high speed of 150 feet per second. The
vehicles may be commanded to move at a substantially lower
speed such as 75 feet per second or less when weather
conditions are difficult or in urban environments space or
other factors dictate a lower speed. Also, although every
effort may be made to avoid problems, it must be
recognized that at times which may be highly
inappropriate, vehicles may not move as fast as commanded
or may stall.
Figure 39 is a flow diagram showing the
operation of the merge control unit 632 which performs the
operations shown in the graph of Figure 38 and which also
accommodates other conditions of operation.s. As shown in
Figure 39, initial operations are performed which are like
those of the section unit 476 as depicted in Figure 33.
Then a test is made for a set condition of a merge flag
which is set after setting up for merge operations. If
the merge flag is not set, a test is made for a start
signal which may be applied after a vehicle has arrived
and is at a stop position at the entrance end of the
branch line guideway 634. If a start signal is then
received, a check is made to see if conditions for entry
are satisfactory. This check includes a check of all
monitoring and control units along both the main line and
branch line guideways, to determine among other things
whether there are vehicles on the main line guideway 633
which are stalled or moving too slowly and which would
interfere with entrance of the waiting vehicle on the
branch line guideway 634. If conditions are not
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satisfactory, alerts are sent to region control and also
to any occupants of the vehicle to inform them about the
situation.
If conditions for entry are satisfactory, a
determination is made as to the speed and path of a target
vehicle on the main line guideway 633 which may be a
vehicle such as the vehicle of line 643 moving at a high
speed. The schedules such as discussed above are then
determined, the branch line schedule being sent to
monitoring and control units of the branch line guideway
634 to start acceleration of the waiting vehicle and the
main line schedule being sent to the monitoring and
control units of the main line guideway to simulate a
vehicle such as the vehicle of dotted line 648 simulating
the entering vehicle.
The target vehicle may be a vehicle moving at a
slower speed. The path of a vehicle such as that of line
643 then starts at zero time at a position closer to the
reference zero position of the entering vehicle, the
scheduled speed values sent to monitoring and control ~
units of the branch line guideway 634 may be reduced in
proportion to speed and the main line guideway scheduling
is also changed as appropriate to reflect the difference
in starting position and speed of the target vehicle.
If traffic is lighter and there are spacing
distances greater than the minimum following distance
between vehicles moving on the main guideway at the time
of the start signal, a target vehicle may be selected
which is at the forward end of such a spacing distance.
If traffic is very light and there are no spacing
distances, a target vehicle is assumed to be moving at the
maximum speed which is allowable.
After sending appropriate schedules, a merge
flag is set. The next operation, which may also occur
after a positive response to a test for a set condition of
the merge flag, is a test to determine whether the speed
of the entering vehicle is too low, an occurrence which
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however unlikely could cause problems. If the speed is
too low, a signal is sent to monitoring and control units
of the branch line guideway to bring the vehicle to a stop
and appropriate alerts are sent, the merge flag being then
cleared.
If the speed of the entering vehicle is
satisfactory, a check is made determine whether the target
path is clear. The target path is clear if there is no
vehicle on the main line within a safe following distance
behind a vehicle such as the vehicle of line 643 of Figure
38, or behind a vehicle on an assumed and imaginary target
line equivalent to the line 648. If the target path is
not clear, the branch and main line schedules are revised
to decrease speeds and the target path is changed. The
target path might not be clear if, for example, the
vehicle of line 643 has slowed down and its path has
crossed the line 643 as shown.
If the target path is clear, a further check is
made to determine whether the main line is clear for a
certain distance ahead of the target path and whether the
set speed is at a maximum. It the path is clear ahead and
the set speed is not at a maximum, speed and path of the
target vehicle and the branch and main line schedules are
changed as appropriate.
If the target path is clear but the main line
guideway is not clear ahead of the target path or if the
speed has been set at a maximum, a check is made to
determine whether the merge point has been reached, in
which case the merge flag is cleared.
Figure 40 is a flow diagram for a monitoring and
control unit of the main line guideway 633, which differs
from that of Figure 32 in that it provides for receipt of
a message from the merge unit, such as a message as
aforementioned, used in simulating the existence on the
main line guideway 633 of a vehicle corresponding to an
~ entering vehicle on the branch line guideway 634. It also
differs from that of Figure 32 in specifying the receipt
:..
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and sending of data from and to the merge unit.
In other respects the operation is the same as depicted in
Figure 32, the unit being operative with respect to all
vehicles moving on the main line guideway 1031.
Figure 41 is a flow diagram for a monitoring and
control unit for the branch line guideway 632, which is
similar to that of Figure 32 as well as that of Figure 40.
It differs from both in that there are no format and send
operations for the reason that only one vehicle is in the
branch line guideway 634 at one time. The unit will
receive messages either from the merge unit or from a unit
ahead, a feature which is not used in the system as it has
been described but which gives greater capabilities for
controlling the operation of the unit.
Vehicle-Load Interconnect (Figs. 42-46)
Figure 42 is an elevational view looking
forwardly at a left portion of the front connection 13.
The connection 13 as illustrated connects the automobile
platform 11 to the upper end of the forward post 15 of the
vehicle 10 but may be used for connection to passenger
cabins, freight containers or other types of loads.
The connection 13 includes a pad 650 secured to
the upper end of the post 15 and a connector 651 which is
secured to the platform 11. A major portion of the
connector 651 overlies the pad 650 and a layer of
resilient material 652 is preferably carried by the under
surface of the connector 651 for engagement with an upper
surface of the pad of substantial area. Both the pad 650
and the connector 651 have generally rectangular shapes
but the connector 651 has a portion 653 that extends
downwardly from a left rearward corner thereof and into a
notch 654 in formed in the left rearward corner of the pad
650, a similar construction being provided at the right
rearward corners of the connector 651 and pad 650.
A locking element 656 is movable horizontally to
a position as shown in the sectional view of Figure 43 in
which a rearward portion 654A is in an opening 657 in the
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depending portion 653 of the connector 651 and in which a
forward portion 656B thereof is in an opening 658 in the
pad 650. In this condition, the connector 651 is securely
locked to the pad 650.
Release of the connector 651 from the pad 650 is
effected by means of a prong 660 of the forward prong
structure 27 of the transfer vehicle 24 shown in Figure 1.
The prong 660 is moved forwardly to move a pointed forward
end 660A thereof into an opening 661 of the depending
portion 653 of the connector 651. As the prong 660
continues its forward movement, teeth of rack 661 on one
side thereof move into meshing engagement with the teeth a
pinion 662 which is disposed in an opening 663 between the
openings 657 and 661. Pinion 662 is supported on a shaft
664 for rotation about a vertical axis and its teeth
continuously mesh with teeth of rack 666 on one side of
the locking element 656.
When the prong 660 is moved forwardly to a
position as shown in Figure 44, the locking element is
moved rearwardly 656 to be completely out of the opening
658 in the pad 650. At the same time, the prong 660
extends completely through the opening 661 in the
depending portion of the connector 651. Prong 660 is then
in a position to allow it and three other similar prongs
of the forward and rearward prong structures to be moved
upwardly to lift the connector 651 off of the pad 650. A
pointed end of prong 660 then extends into an opening 668
in the pad 650 but the opening 668 extends to an upper
surface of the pad 650, so that the pad then offers no
interference with upward movement of the prong 660.
To install a load on a carrier vehicle, the
operation is reversed. An automobile platform or other
load is carried by the prong structures 27 and 28 of the
transfer vehicle 24 to be positioned over a carrier
vehicle. The prong structures 27 and 28 are then lowered
* to place the prong 660 and the connector 651 in the
positions as shown in Figure 44. The prong 660 is then
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moved rearwardly and, through the rack 661, pinion 662 and
rack 666, the locking element 656 is moved forwardly to
the position shown in Figure 43 to be left in a locked
position.
Important features relate to the effecting of
electrical connections through the association of the pad
650 and the connector 651. The sectional view of Figure
45 provides a top plan view of the locking element 656
which has a generally square cross-sectional shape and
which has four grooves 669 in its upper surface that
extend longitudinally in spaced parallel relation. Four
contacts 670 in the form of strips of an electrically
conductive spring metal have central portions secured by
rivets 671 to members 672 of a thin insulating material
that are preferably adhesively secured in the grooves 669.
The members 672 are generally U-shaped in cross-section
with bight portions at the bottoms of the grooves and side
portions extending upwardly to edges that are flush with
adjacent upper surface portions of the locking element
656.
As shown in Figure 46, end portions 670A and
670B of the contacts 670 are bowed upwardly. In the
locking position of element 656 as shown, contacts 670
function as bridging contacts. Portions 670A and 670B
thereof are in pressure contact with contact strips 673
carried by the pad 650 and contact strip 674 carried by
the connector 651.
Strips 673 are supported on a thin layer of
insulating material on a lower surface of a rearwardly
extending part of an insert member 675. The strips 673
are soldered or otherwise connected to the ends of four
wires of a cable 676 that is mounted in a passage of the
pad terminating at an opening 677 of the pad 650. A
member 678 of insulating material is secured in the pad 35 650 in a position
between opening 677 and an upper end
portion of the opening 658. After connecting the contact ~
strips 673 to the wires of the cable 676, the insert
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member 675 is mounted in the opening 677 and screws are
used to securely fasten edge portions of the rearwardly
extending part 675A of member 675 to the pad 650.
Strips 674 are similarly supported by an insert
member 680 that is secured in an opening in the connector
681 after connecting the strips 674 to wires 682 that
extend from an electrical connector device 683 mounted on
the connector 651. A second electrical connector device
684 connects contacts of the device 683 to conductors of a
cable 685 for supply of electrical power to the load to
which connector 651 is secured. The connector 651 is
shown mounted under a frame member 686 of the platform
that may the extend rearwardly to be in a protective
relationship to rearward portions 670B of the contacts 670
when the connector 651 is disconnected from the pad 650.
An arrangement is thus provided that is
relatively simple in construction and operation while
being highly reliable, using the locking element 656 in
performing electrical connection functions as well as in
performing its mechanical connection functions. When the
connector is disconnected from the pad, contacts carried
by both can be protected with minimum exposure to the
elements. Those on the pad 650 are within the opening 658
and adjacent an upper downwardly facing surface thereof.
Those carried by the locking element 656 are on its upper
surface may be readily protected by a surface such as a
downwardly facing surface of a rearward extension of the
frame member 686.
Automobile Platform Loading and Unloadiing (Figs. 47-)
Figure 47 is a top plan view of 'the platform 11,
shown at a loading station and in a folded condition after
delivery from a platform storage region. In the folded
condition, the cage structures 55 and 56, 'the end flaps 57
and 58, and wheel chocks are all in lowered positions.
The platform as shown includes one pair of chocks 691 and
692 for the front wheels and a second pair of chocks 693
and 694 for the rear wheels. Each of the chocks 691-694
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is in the form of a bar which extends across the platform,
each pair being engageable with two opposite wheels or, in
the case of a three wheel automobile, with a single front
or rear wheel.
A stop wall 696 is provided to the left of the
platform 11 as shown, having a relatively soft resilient
face 697 for engagement by a front bumper of an
automobile. An entrance gate is provided that is not
shown in Figure 47 but that is to the right of the
platform 11 as shown, being opened to allow an automobile
to be driven in a forward direction from right to left
until a front bumper thereof engages the resilient face
698 of the stop wall 696. The front or forward end of the
platform as illustrated is thus assumed in the following
discussion to be the end that is to the left. However,
the platform as shown is symmetrical in construction and
would be the same if rotated 180 degrees about a vertical
axis. Control elements 61A-68A are provided that are
connected to the control elements 61-68 and that project
from the side opposite that from which elements 61-68
proj ect .
The stop wall 696 is supported from a pair of
support members 699 and 700 through a pair of spring and
shock absorber units 701 and 702 that are capable of
absorbing a substantial amount of energy from impact by an
automobile bumper without damage to thereto. A gear motor
704 is operative to control movement of support members
699 and 700 toward or way from the platform. Before
opening of the entrance gate, the gear motor 704 may be
used to place the stop wall in a position that is
appropriate for a particular automobile awaiting entry.
Also, the cage structures 55 and 56 are elevated to
positions appropriate for a particular automobile awaiting
entry, or they may fully elevated and then moved down to a
proper position after entry of an automobile onto the
platform 11.
When the entrance gate is opened, the driver of
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the automobile will see and hear requests to move ahead
slowly until the front bumper of his or her automobile
touches the stop wall 696, a condition which is sensed and
followed by requests to place the transmission in a park
condition and to apply the parking brakes. The stop wall
= 696 is then moved away from the front bumper of the
automobile. Also, the automobile is then securely
fastened to the platform by lifting the front and rear
flaps 57 and 58 to positions such as shown in Figure 1 and
by moving the chock bars 691 and 692 rearwardly and
forwardly into engagement with forward and rearward
portions of the front tire of the automobile and by moving
the chock bars 693 and 694 into a similar relationship to
the rear tires of the automobile.
Actuators are provided that include actuators
705 and 706 for the control elements 61 and 62 for the
cage structures 57 and 58, actuators 707 and 708 for the
control elements 63 and 64 for the front and rear flaps 57
and 58, actuators 709 and 710 for control elements 65 and
66 for the front wheel chocks 691 and 692 and actuators
711 and 712 for the control element 67 and 68 for the rear
wheel chocks 693 and 694. Each of the control elements
has an end portion of hexagonal shape and the actuators
705-712 include sockets 713-718 of hexagonal shape and
stepper or servo motors of a commercially available type,
operative to drive the sockets 713-718 under digital
control.
The actuators 707-712 are supported from a frame
722 that is supported from a fixed frame 723 for movement
toward and away from the platform 11 under control of a
control motor 724. After the platform 11 is placed in the
position shown, the control motor 724 is energized to move
the frame 723 toward the platform and to engage the
sockets 713-720 with the control elements. Initially, the
actuators 705 and 706 are energized to lift the cage
~ structures 55 and 56. Then, after an automobile has been
driven onto the platform 11, the actuators 707-712 are
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energized to lift the end flaps 57 and 58 and to move the
wheel chocks 691-694 toward tires of the automobile until
certain limit torques have been applied in engaging the
flaps and wheel chocks with bumpers and tires of the
automobile.
After the automobile is moved onto the platform
securely locked to the platform at the loading station
shown in Figure 47, the transfer vehicle 24, shown in
Figure 47 in a position underlying the platform 11, may be
used to lift the platform 11 with the automobile thereon
and then move it to a position as shown in Figure 1 at
which it can be locked to the carrier vehicle.
For unloading an automobile from a platform 11,
an unloading station is provided that is similar to the
loading station shown in Figure 47, differing therefrom in
that an exit gate is provided to the left of the platform
position as shown in Figure 47, assuming that the
automobile is delivered by a transfer vehicle such as
vehicle 24 in an orientation for driving off to the left.
Upon delivery, actuating sockets are moved into engagement
with the respective control elements and are then rotated
until certain limit torques have been applied in lowering
the end flaps 57 and 58 to lowered stop positions and in
moving the wheel chocks 691-694 to retracted positions in
which they are at the floor level of the platform 11.
Then the exit gates are opened and requests are made to
the driver of the automobile to drive away. After the
automobile is driven off the platform 11, the actuating
sockets for the cage structures 55 and 56 are rotated,
first one and then the other, until certain limit torques
have been applied in moving the structures to fully
lowered positions. The platform is then in a folded
condition, ready to be picked up and transferred to a
storage location in a manner as hereinafter described.
Figure 48 is a sectional view taken along line
48-48 of Figure 47. At one end of the stop wall assembly,
pins 725 and 726 connect the spring and shock absorber
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unit 701 to an upper portion of the member 699 and to the
stop wall 696, and a pin 727 connects a lower end of the
stop wall 696 to a lower portion of the member 699 which
journals rollers 729 and 730 movable along a stationary
frame member 732. The member 699 carries a rack 733 that
is meshed with a pinion 734 on a shaft 735 driven from the
gear motor 704 through a suitable reduction gearing. A
similar arrangement is provided at the opposite end of the
stop wall assembly, a pinion thereof and the pinion 734
being both driven from the gear motor 704.,
Figure 48 also shows the dependiLng portion 653
of the connector 651 and the locking element 656. In the
position as shown, the platform 11 is supported on four
support posts including a post 736 that underlies the
depending portion 653 and three other posts that underlie
the three other depending portions of connectors of the
platform 11.
Figure 48 also shows a positioning device formed
by an upper pointed end of an armature 737 of a solenoid
738, shown in a lowered position. When a platform such as
platform 11 is lowered toward the positiori shown, the
solenoid 738 is energized to move the armature 737
upwardly to a position in which the pointed end thereof
may enter a circular opening in a lower wall portion of
the platform 11. After the platform is lowered, the
armature 738 is moved down to the position shown to allow
subsequent transfer by the transfer vehicle 24. A similar
device is provided for positioning the opposite end of the
platform. Together, the two devices insure accurate
positioning of the connectors of the platforms relative to
the prong 660 and the three other prongs of the transfer
vehicle.
Figure 48 additionally shows one of four pointed
depending elements 741 that are provided on four corner
portions of the platform and that enter openings 742 in
= provided in upper wall portions of the platform 11, as
shown in Figure 47. Such elements 741 and openings 742
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cooperate in placing and holding platforms in properly
stacked relation.
Figure 49 is a view taken along line 49-49 of
Figure 47. The frame 720 that supports the actuators 705-
712 is supported at opposite ends on members 744 that are
slidable on support shafts 745 carried by the stationary
frame 721. Racks formed on the upper sides of the members
mesh with pinions 746 on the opposite ends of a shaft 747.
The shaft 747 is driven from the control motor 722, shown
in Figure 47. Figure 49 also shows one of two pairs of
pinion gears 748 that are provided on one side of the
transfer vehicle and that are meshed with a rack 749 on
the beam structure 25. Another two pairs of such gears
are provided on the opposite side of the transfer vehicle
and all are driven from a common drive motor carried by
the vehicle to move the vehicle along the beam structures
and 26. The gears do not support the vehicle, support
being provided by rollers secured to the gears and riding
on a support surface alongside the rack 49, the rollers
20 having diameters equal to the pitch diameters of the
gears. The gears of each pair are spaced apart a distance
greater than the width of the gaps in the beam structures
25 and 26. As described in connection with Figure 1 such
gaps are aligned with the slot provided between the top
25 walls 21 and 22, so as to permit movement of the carrier
vehicle 10 into and through the transfer section when the
transfer vehicle 24 is out of the way.
End Flap Actuation (Figs. 50-52)
Figure 50 is a sectional view taken generally
along a line 50-50 of Figure 47, showing the front end
flap 57 in a lowered position; Figure 51 is a view similar
to Figure 50, showing the front end flap 57 in an elevated
position; and Figure 52 is a sectional view on an enlarged
scale, taken generally along line 52-52 of Figure 50.
The flap 57 includes a floor plate portion 57A,
a pair of side plate portions 57B, a bottom plate portion =
57C and a series of transversely spaced support plates 750
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between the floor and bottom plate portions 57A and 57C.
The support plates 750 are secured to hinge elements 751
through which hinge pins 752 extend to hinge the flap 57
to the platform 11.
Two rack and pinion assemblies are provided for
actuating the flap 57, disposed at position spaced
inwardly from opposite sides of the flap 57. One assembly
754 includes a rack member 756 having a bifurcated end
portion connected by a pin 757 to one of the support
plates 753. A toothed portion of rack member 756 is
meshed with a pinion member 758 that is disposed on an
operating shaft 760 and that has internal splines
receiving a splined portion 760A of shaft 760 to provide a
rotational coupling while allowing axial movement of the
operating shaft for the purpose releasing a brake assembly
when rotation of the shaft is to be effected.
Shaft 760 is journaled by bearings 761 and 762
that are secured to frame members of the platform. One
end of shaft 760 is pointed and has a hexagonal shape to
provide the control element 63. The other end is
connected by a coupling element 763 to a s]haft 764 that is
journaled by a pair of bearing members 765 and 766
supported from a centrally located frame member 768 of the
platform 11. A lock or brake member 769 is secured to the
shaft 764 and has external splines that in a neutral
position of the shaft 764 are meshed with internal splines
of a stationary brake member 770 secured to the frame
member 768.
When the socket 715 of the actuator 707 is moved
toward the platform 11, it engages the control element 63
of the shaft 760 to move it to the right and to thereby
move shaft 764 and the brake member 769 to a position in
which the external splines of member 769 do not mesh with
the internal splines of the stationary brake member 770,
thereby allowing the actuating socket 715 to be rotated to
effect rotation of the shaft 764, the shaft 760 and the
pinion 756. An opposite end of the shaft '764 is connected
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through a coupling 763A to a shaft 760B that has a spline
connection to a pinion of a second rack and pinion
assembly line the assembly 754 and that has an end portion
forming a control element 63A at an opposite side of the
platform, shown in Figure 47. An actuating socket may be
moved toward the platform to engage the control element
63A and to thereby move shaft 760B and shaft 764 to the
left as viewed in Figure 52 and to release the brake.
A pair of compression springs 771 and 772 urge
the brake member 769 to the illustrated neutral position
at which the shafts are locked against rotation. Springs
771 and 772 operate between the bearing members 763 and
764 and walls of two cup members 773 and 774 that press
against opposite sides of member 769 through two ball
bearing assemblies 775 and 776. The cup members 773 and
774 are slidably supported within supports 777 and 778 and
have rim flanges that engage the supports 777 and 778 to
limit movement of member 773 to the right and of member
774 to the left.
To maintain meshing engagement of the pinion
member 758 with the rack member 756, a flanged roller 780
is engaged with the upper surface of the rack member 756
and is journaled on a shaft 781 that has opposite ends
secured to a pair of arms 782 and 783 that are journaled
on opposite end portions of the pinion member 758.
Cage Structure Actuation (Figs. 53 & 54)
Figure 53 is a sectional view taken
substantially along line 53-53 of Figure 47 and showing
portions of the cage structures 55 and 56 in lowered
positions, Figure 54 being a similar view showing portions
of the cage structures 55 and 56 in partially elevated
positions. The front cage structure 55 includes a left
side arm 784 on its left side that has an inverted U-
shaped cross-sectional configuration, including a top wall
portion 784A and a pair of side wall portions 784B only
one of which appears in Figures 53 and 54. One end of the
left side arm 784 is supported on a shaft 786 that is
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supported between an inner side wall 787 of the platform
11 and an outer side wall 788 shown in Figtire 47. One end
of a link 790 is connected through a pin 791 to a pair of
reinforcing plates 792 secured to side wall portions 784B
at an intermediate point along the arm 784., An opposite
end of the link 790 is connected through a pin 793 to a
rack member 794 that is slidable along a supporting shaft
795 and that has teeth meshed with teeth of a pinion 796
on a shaft 797. A second pinion 798 in mesh with the
pinion 796 and is secured on a shaft 799 that has one end
with a pointed hexagonal shape to form the control element
61. The opposite end of the shaft 799 is coupled to one
end of a shaft of a brake assembly that is not shown, but
which is similar to that which includes members 769 and
770 as shown in Figure 52, differing therefrom in being of
a larger size to be capable of handling higher torques.
The opposite end of the shaft of the brake assembly is
connected to one end of a shaft the opposite end of which
forms a control element 61A on the right side of the
platform as shown in Figure 47.
The pinion 796 is supported against movement in
an axial direction and the pinion 798 is secured to the
shaft 799, the two pinions having axial lengths such that
they are maintained in rotational interengagement while
allowing axial movement of the shaft 799 in either
direction.
The support shaft 795 for the rack member is
secured at opposite ends to pair of support members 801
and 802 that are secured to frame members of the platform
11. The arm 784 is lowered by moving the rack member 794
toward the support member 801 as shown in Figure 53 and is
raised by moving the rack member 794 toward the support
member 802 as shown in Figure 54.
The free end of the left side arm 784 is
connected to one end of a transversely extending member
804 that forms a top portion of the front cage structure
when elevated but that in the lowered position of Figure
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53 is disposed in a recess 805 formed in inner side wall
and floor portions of the platform 11. The opposite end
of the member 804 is secured to a right side arm 784A
shown in Figure 47 which has a configuration mirroring
that of arm 784 and which is similarly supported.
The rear cage structure 56 includes arms 784R
and 784AR and a transversely extending member 804R and it
is operated by an actuating mechanism that includes a rack
member 794R corresponding to the arms 784 and 784A and
members 804 and 794 of the front cage structure. It also
includes shafts that are like those of the front cage
structure and that provide the control element 62 and a
control element 62A, corresponding to elements 61 and 61A.
Its construction and operation are substantially identical
to those of the front cage structure 55.
Wheel Chock Actuation (Figs. 55-62)
Figures 55 and 56 are sectional views taken
substantially along lines 55-55 and 56-56 of Figure 47 but
both illustrating a condition in which the automobile 12
in on the platform 11, in which the front end flap 57 has
been raised into engagement with a front bumper of the
automobile 12 and in which the wheel chocks 691 and 692
have been raised out of retracted positions to be moved
toward front tires 806 of the automobile 12. Figure 55
shows details of an actuating mechanism for the wheel
chock 691 while Figure 56 shows details of an actuating
mechanism for the wheel chock 692. Figure 57 is a view
similar to Figure 56 but showing a condition in which the
wheel chocks 691 and 692 have been moved to operative
positions in engagement with the front tires 806 of the
automobile 12.
In Figure 47, reference numerals 807 and 808
generally indicate a pair of transversely spaced
supporting and operating mechanisms for the wheel chock
691 and reference numerals 809 and 810 generally indicate
a pair of operating mechanisms for the wheel chock 692
that are transversely spaced from each other and from the
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mechanisms 807 and 808 for the wheel chocks 691. The
support and operating mechanism 807 for the chock 691 is
shown in Figure 55. It includes a plate 812 that is
secured to the chock 691 and that is pivotally connected
through a pin 813 to a rack member 814 that is supported
on a shaft 816 for slidable movement therealong. Rearward
and forward ends of the shaft 816 are supported by support
structures 817 and 818.
The rack member 814 has teeth meshed with a
pinion 820 that is secured to a shaft 822 'that has one end
with a pointed hexagonal shape to form the control element
65 shown in Figure 47. The opposite end of the shaft 822
is coupled to one end of a shaft of a brake assembly that
is not shown, but which is similar to that which includes
members 769 and 770 as shown in Figure 52. The opposite
end of the shaft of the brake assembly is connected to one
end of a shaft that supports and drives a pinion of the
mechanism 808 and that has an opposite end forming a
control element 65A on the right side of the platform as
shown in Figure 47.
A support roller 824 is secured to the support
plate 812 for the chock 812. When the rack member 814 is
moved to the left from the position shown in Figure 55,
the support roller 824 moves down an inclined surface 825
of the support structure 818, the rack member 814 being
placed in a retracted position when the roller reaches the
bottom end of the inclined surface 825. When with the
chock 691 in the retracted position the rack member 814 is
moved to the right as the roller 824 moves up the inclined
surface 825 to place the chock 691 at an angle as shown in
Figure 55, in position to move rearwardly toward an
operative position in engagement with the tire 806.
The operating mechanism 809 for the chock 692 is
similar to the operating mechanism 807 for the chock 691.
It includes a chock support plate 826 corresponding to
plate 812 connected through a pin 827 to a rack member 828
that corresponds to rack member 814 and that slides on a
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shaft 829 having ends supported by rearward and forward
support structures 830 and 831. It also includes a roller
832 on the plate 826 that corresponds to roller 824 and
that is movable on an inclined surface 833 of the support
structure 830. A pinion 834 has teeth in continuous mesh
with teeth of the rack member and is secured a shaft 836
having a pointed end of hexagonal shape forming the
control element 66. Like shaft 822 of the assembly 807,
shaft 836 of the assembly 809 is coupled to a shaft of a
brake assembly, the shaft of the brake assembly being
coupled to a shaft that operates the other assembly 810
for the chock 692 and that has a end forming the control
element 66A.
When rack member 814 of the assembly 807 is
moved rearwardly and rack member 828 of the assembly 809
is moved forwardly, the chocks 691 and 692 are moved
rearwardly and forwardly into operative engagement with
front and rear portions of the front tires 806, as shown
in Figure 57, to hold the automobile 12 against movement
relative to the platform 11. The chocks 693 and 694 for
the rear wheels of the automobile are supported and
operated by mechanisms that are substantially identical to
those for the chocks 691 and 692 and that are therefore
not described in detail.
Figures 58-63 provide further details as to the
construction of the mechanism 809 that are also applicable
to the mechanisms 807 and 808 for the chock 691 and the
other mechanism 808 for the chock 692 as well as to the
mechanisms for the chocks 693 and 694.
Figure 58 is a top plan view showing portions of
transversely spaced wall portions 830A and 830B of the
support structure that provide the inclined surface 833
and also a second inclined surface 833A of identical form.
A second support plate 826A is provided which is like the
plate 826 shown in Figures 55-57 and in spaced relation
thereto and which supports a second roller 832A that is
like roller 832. The shaft 829 and the rack member 828
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thereon are disposed between plates 826 and 826A and the
chock support plates 826 and 826A with the rollers 832 and
832A thereon are disposed between the walls 830A and 830B.
As is shown in Figure 59 and also in Figures 61-
63, the roller 832 is journaled on a shaft 838 secured to
plate 826. Roller 832 is journaled on a similar shaft
that is secured to plate 826A.
Figure 60 shows the pinion 834 tlaat is secured
to the shaft 836 and that has an axial length sufficient
to remain in continuous mesh with the teetlz of the rack
member 828 during axial movement of the shaft 836 when
releasing the brake assembly and allowing operation of the
chock assemblies. Figure 60 also shows frame members 839
and 840 to which the walls 830A and 830B of the support
structure 830 are secured.
Figures 61 and 62 show the movemeant of the chock
692 as the rollers 832 and 832A move up the inclined
surfaces 833 and 833A. As shown in Figure 63, after the
roller 832 reaches the top of the inclined surface 833, it
rides on a member 841 that is secured along an upper
portion of the frame member 839 of the platform 11. The
roller 832A rides on a similar member 842 that is secured
along the upper portion of the frame membei 840. A pair
of cleats 833 and 834 are provided on the chock support
plates 826 and 826A. The position of the cleats 833 and
834 is such that they are spaced a short distance from the
support members 841 and 842 when the chock 692 is being
moved toward the tire of an automobile. However, after
the chock 692 is engaged by a tire, the force applied by
the tire may be such as to slightly rotate the chock about
the points of engagement of the rollers 832 and 832A with
the members 841 and 842 to engage the cleats 843 and 834
with the members 841 and 842. The cleats 843 and 834 may
then carry major portions of the applied forces,
minimizing stresses applied to other comporients.
Automobile Load/Unload Facility (Figs. 63-66)
Figure 63 is a side elevational view of an
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automobile load/unload facility generally indicated by
reference numeral 850, showing the facility without side
walls that are preferably provided. Figure 64 is a
sectional view taken substantially along line 64-64 of
Figure 63.
The automobile 12 is shown on the platform 11 at
the loading position of Figure 47, indicated by reference
numeral 851 in Figures 63 and 64, while the carrier
vehicle 10 is positioned in a transfer section of the
guideway 18. The front pad 650 of vehicle 10 and a
corresponding rear pad 650R thereof are positioned ahead
and behind the beam structures 25 and 26.
After the automobile 12 is securely locked to
the platform 11, the transfer vehicle 24 is operative to
lift the platform a short distance and to then move to the
transfer section of guideway 18 in a position between the
front and rear pads 650 and 650R of the vehicle 10. Then
the transfer vehicle 24 lowers the platform 11 and the
,prong structures 27 and 28 are then operative to securely
lock the front and rear pads 650 and 650R to connectors
such as the connector 651, in the manner as shown in
Figures 42-46.
The transfer vehicle 24 is then moved back to
the loading position after which the carrier vehicle 10 is
operative to move the platform 11 and the automobile 12
carried thereby in a forward direction along the guideway
18, to the left as viewed in Figures 63 and 64 and toward
the desired destination.
To then move another platform to the loading
position, platform transfer apparatus is provided
including a platform transfer frame 852 that is supported
through four cables 853 from a platform frame carrier 854.
The carrier 854 is supported on motor-driven wheels for
controllable movement along an overhead structure 856 and
is connected to the transfer frame 852 through four
telescoping guide assemblies 857 that limit horizontal
movements of the transfer frame 852 relative to the
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carrier 854. Four solenoid operated latching devices 858
are carried by the platform transfer frame 852 and are
arranged to latch onto a platform at one position and then
hold the platform to the frame 852 while the frame 852
moves to another position at which the platform latching
devices 858 are operated to release the platform.
The transfer frame carrier 854 is controllably
movable along the overhead structure 856 between positions
including a position over the loading position 851, a
position over an unloading position 860 an<i a position as
shown over a platform storage position 862. A platform
11A is shown at the unloading position with an automobile
12A of a van type thereon. The platform 1:LA may be
assumed to have just been transferred by a transfer
vehicle 24A from a carrier vehicle 10A in a transfer
section of a guideway 18A. Guideway 18A is used primarily
for incoming vehicles and may be referred to herein as the
incoming guideway while guideway 18 may be referred to as
the outgoing guideway. However, it is possible to use
either guideway for either or both purposes such as when
servicing of one of the guideways may be required.
A plurality of platforms 11S may be stacked at
the storage position 862, in folded conditions as shown in
Figure 63 and the transfer frame 852 may be used in
transferring platforms from the storage position 862 to
the loading position 851 or to the storage position 862
from the unloading position, as conditions may require.
During the time that an automobi7!e is being
driven onto an empty platform at the loading position 851,
the transfer frame 852 may be operative to latch onto and
lift the top platform from the storage position to an
elevated level that is above the highest possible level of
the cage structures 55 and 56 and to then hold the
platform at the elevated level over the unloading position
851 until movement of an automobile carrying platform out
of the unloading position. The transfer frame may then
rapidly lower the platform to the loading position, then
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release the platform, then move up to an elevated level,
then move back to a position over the storage position
862, then move down to again latch onto the top platform
and move it to an elevated position over the loading
position 851. A rapid loading procedure is thus provided
in which any delay due to transfer of platforms to the
loading position 851 is minimized.
The rapid loading procedure is particularly
desirable during rush hour or other periods in which the
demand for travel in an outgoing direction is at a peak.
At times when the demand for travel in an incoming
direction is at a peak, a rapid unloading procedure may be
used in which the transfer frame after delivering a
platform to the storage position is rapidly moved in an
empty condition to a position at an elevated level over
the unloading position 860, ready to move down and pick up
and remove a folded platform to clear the unloading
position for arrival of another vehicle.
As shown, four additional platform storage
positions 863-866 are provided along a far side of the
guideway 18A and a transfer frame 868 is provided for
transfer of platforms between such positions and a
platform transfer position 870. A platform frame carrier
like the carrier 854 is movable along a structure like
structure 856 above the positions 863-866 and 870. The
transfer vehicle 24A is usable to transfer a folded
platform or a plurality of folded platforms from one to
the other of four positions, the positions 860 and 870 and
the two possible positions of carrier vehicles in the
transfer sections of guideways 18 and 18A between
positions 860 and 870. Movements of platforms may thus be
effected within the facility 850 or on carrier vehicles
between the facility 850 and other facilities. Such
movements may be effected to obtain the most efficient use
of the system.
As further shown in Figures 63 and 64, an exit
gate 871 is provided to control movement of automobiles
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from a platform at the unloading position and onto a exit
driveway 872. An entrance gate 873 is provided between an
entrance driveway 874 and the loading position 851, an
automobile 12B being shown waiting on the iantrance
guideway 874.
, Sensing devices are provided along the entrance
driveway 874 for determining arrival and dimensions of a
vehicle. A pair of structures 875 and 876 are located on
opposite sides of the driveway 874 and include pairs of
light sources and photo sensors that are spaced vertically
and that extend to a height sufficient for generation of
data as the approximate height of a passing automobile.
Pressure sensing assemblies 877 and 878 are
provided that include sensors which detect downward
pressures on a series of members that extend transversely
with respect to the direction of travel and that are
spaced short distances from one another in the direction
of travel. Another pair of structures 879 and 880 are
located behind the pressure sending assemblies 877 and
878, a third pair of structures 881 and 882 are located
ahead of the pressure sensing assemblies 877 and 878 and a
fourth pair of structures 883 and 884 are located still
further ahead of the pressure sensing assemblies 877 and
878, each of such pairs of structures including pairs of
light source and photo sensing devices so located as to
detect the times when front and rear bumpers of automobile
pass certain points.
Signals from the sensors of the pressure sensing
assemblies 877 and 878 are correlated with each other and
with signals from the devices of the structures 879-884 to
develop data as to the overall length of an automobile and
the distances from front and rear bumpers to front and
rear wheels. Data as to the weight of an automobile are
also developed from the pressure sensing devices of the
assemblies 877 and 878. Such data are used. to determine
whether the automobile is acceptable for transport by the
system and are also used for accurately locating the
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position of the stop wall 696 in order that the wheels of
the automobile be properly positioned relative to the
wheel chocks 691-694.
Each user of the system is preferably issued a
compact and light weight communication device that is not
shown but that can be carried in a pocket or purse and
each user is also given a personal identification number
that may be memorized and kept secret. The device is like
a cordless phone in having key pad, microphone and
earphone components and is usable at any time the user is
in a station of the system or in a automobile or cabin
being carried by a carrier vehicle. It is for use mostly
for entry into the system, for signalling a destination
and for obtaining instructions and information from a
central operator of the system.
However, the device is very important in that it
can be used to send an emergency signal to a central
operator of the system, by entering "911" for example, and
then talking directly with the operator. The device will
then transmit data such that the operator will immediately
have information as to a user's location and, if the user
is in a station, will be able to see what is happening
through a closed circuit TV system as well as being able
to hear what is picked up by the device. The operator can
then communicate with security personnel in the vicinity
and with police, ambulance or other services, as may be
necessary. If a user becomes ill or is threatened in any
way while in a car or cabin being carried by a carrier
vehicle, the operator may cause the vehicle to stop at a
particular station and make requests to an ambulance
service or the police to be at that station.
If desired, of course, the system may so operate
as to permit use without the communication device and
without the security and advantages it provides. As
shown, apparatus 886 is provided alongside a waiting
position behind the entrance gate 873 for use of a regular or specially issued
credit card and for use of coins or
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bills to effect payment.
Figures 65 and 66 are side elevational and plan
views showing the facility of Figures 850 located along a
roadway and showing guideways connected thereto. The
directions of movement of automobiles from an adjacent
roadway into the entrance driveway 874 and from the exit
guideway to the roadway are indicated by arrows.
Incoming carrier vehicles enter along the
guideway 18A which is a branch line guideway on which the
vehicles travel after exiting from a branch line exit of a
Y junction in an elevated main line guideway 890. The Y
junction, which is not shown in Figures 65 and 66, is at a
substantial distance from the facility 850, sufficient to
allow the vehicle to safely reduce its speEad, go down an
inclined portion of the guideway 18A such as shown in
Figure 65 and enter the facility 850 at a slow speed,
coming to a stop within the facility 850 at the transfer
section at which vehicle 10A is shown in Figure 64.
After an automobile carrying platform is
transferred from a carrier vehicle to the unloading
position 860 of Figures 63 and 64, the empty carrier
vehicle normally exits along the right portion of a Y
junction 892 and moves through a semi-circular guideway
section 893 to a guideway of a vehicle storage region that
includes three parallel guideway sections 894-896.
Empty carrier vehicles move from the storage
region and through a semi-circular guideway portion 897 to
the guideway 18. The number of stored empty carrier
vehicles is normally such that a queue of vehicles extends
to the transfer section in the facility 850, a vehicle at
the end of the queue being ready to move a short distance
to enter the transfer section as a loaded vehicle moves
out of the section. Figure 64, the vehicle 10 shows the
vehicle 10 at the transfer section of guideway 18, ready
to have the platform 11 with automobile 12 thereon
transferred to its pads 650 and 650R. After such
transfer, the vehicle 10 may then move out through the
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guideway 18 and move to one entrance of a section 898 that
has an exit to a guideway 900, a second entrance being
from a left portion of the Y junction 892 and that has an
exit to a guideway 900. As shown in Figure 65, guideway
900 is inclined upwardly to the level of the main line
guideway 890. It joins the main line guideway 890 in a
junction that is not shown but that is at a substantial
distance from the facility 850, sufficient to allow the
carrier vehicle 10 to accelerate to a speed that will not
substantially slow down vehicles travelling on the main
guideway 890.
It will be understood that modifications and
variations may be effected without departing from the
spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this invention.
What is claimed is:
