AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY AND SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED DRIVERLESS VEHICLES

• US 3,687,082 A
• Filed: 09/10/1970
• Issued: 08/29/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Howard B. Burke Jr
• Original Assignee: Howard B. Burke Jr
• Inventors: Burke, Howard B. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): La Point, Arthur L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Libman, George H.
• Application Number:
  US05/070,953
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 191/25,26,2,3 104/149,152
• US Class Current: 104/298
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/002 for control of propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways; for control of magnetic suspension or levitation for vehicles for propulsion purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/005 for control of propulsion for vehicles propelled by linear motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/12 Induction machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

A system for supplying electric power to and automatically controlling the speed of driverless, electrically driven, wheeled vehicles on a guide way. The system includes a power distributing track divided into a plurality of power segments and a plurality of electrical power sources each cyclically operated at different frequencies coupled to different predetermined power segments of the track to create a series of travelling waves, each at a different frequency, in the segmented track. A vehicle including an AC induction driving motor coupled to one power segment of the track receives electrical energy at the particular frequency appearing at a particular moment at a particular power segment. The induction motor in the vehicle continues to receive that particular frequency and, hence, maintain a constant torque so long as the vehicle continues to travel along the track at the desired rate of speed. Should the speed of the vehicle exceed or drop below the desired rate of speed, the induction motor will receive a preceding or succeeding travelling wave of such frequency as to compensate for the increase or decrease in speed thereby causing the induction motor to maintain the desired vehicle speed along the track.

Claims

1. In an automatic vehicle operation system for controlling the speed of vehicles travelling in a single direction over a plurality of roadways, the combination comprising:

a. a plurality of successive aligned electrical power segments spaced one from another along at least a substantial portion of the length of said roadways;

b. a vehicle having a driving vehicle induction motor for traveling along said roadways;

c. means for coupling said power segments to induction motor means in a vehicle adapted to travel and travelling along said roadways; and

d. electrical power source means coupled to said power segments for producing a plurality of frequency varying waves effectively travelling along said power segments, the frequency of said travelling waves varying cyclically at said power segments whereby said vehicle induction motor will receive power of a frequency as to decrease its torque for an increase in vehicle speed and increase its torque for a decrease in vehicle speed from the effective speed of said travelling wave as its travels along said power segments.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 and additionally including a guide way extending along the length of said roadways for receiving guiding means attached to said vehicles, said guide way including switching means at the junction of roadways for switching a vehicle on one roadway to the other roadway;

and electric computer means operatively connected to said switches and said power source means for controlling said vehicles.

3. The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein said power segments comprise part of said guide way.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said power source means comprises a plurality of separate electrical power sources.

5. The combination as defined in claim 3 wherein said guide way is a slot disposed in the surface of said roadway, first and second spaced apart electrically nonconductive members define said slot and carry said power segments, and an L-shaped flexible member carried by each of said nonconductive members, said L-shaped members normally closing the end of said slot adjacent said roadway surface.

6. The combination as defined in claim 5 and wherein said roadways provide a hard, smooth rolling surface.

7. In an automatic vehicle operation system for controlling the speed of vehicles travelling in a single direction over a plurality of roadways, the combination comprising:

a. a plurality of successive electrical power segments spaced one from another along at least a substantial portion of the length of said roadways;

b. a vehicle having a driving vehicle induction motor for traveling along said roadways;

c. means for coupling said power segments to induction motor means in a vehicle adapted to travel along said roadways; and

d. a plurality of electrical power souRce means coupled to said power segments for producing a series of travelling waves along said power segments, each wave being at a frequency different from that of the other waves, said induction motor receiving with respect to a predetermined wave a preceding or succeeding wave of a frequency as to decrease the torque of said induction motor for an increase in vehicle speed and to increase the torque of said induction motor for a decrease in vehicle speed from the effective speed of said predetermined wave as it travels along said power rails.

8. The combination as defined in claim 7 wherein at any given time the frequency of each power source means is different by a given amount with respect to any other power source means.

9. The combination as defined in claim 8 and additionally including a guide way extending along the length of said roadways for receiving guiding means attached to said vehicles, said guide way including switching means at the junction of roadways for switching a vehicle on one roadway to the other roadway;

and electric computer means operatively connected to said switches and said power source means for controlling said vehicles.

10. The combination as defined in claim 9 wherein said power segments comprise part of said guide way.

11. The combination as defined in claim 10 wherein said guide way is a slot disposed in the surface of said roadway, first and second spaced apart electrically nonconductive members define said slot and carry said power segments, and an L-shaped flexible member carried by each of said nonconductive members, said L-shaped members normally closing the end of said slot adjacent said roadway surface.