CONVERTIBLE RAIL-HIGHWAY VEHICLE

• US 3,730,103 A
• Filed: 06/22/1971
• Issued: 05/01/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George D. Weaver
• Original Assignee: George D. Weaver
• Inventors: Weaver, George D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheridan, Robert G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beltran, Howard
• Application Number:
  US05/155,451
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 104/1R,1A 105/144,177,215R,215C,179,2A,141 280/79.2R 295/1
• US Class Current: 105/141
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 13/04 Monorail systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/30 in transportation, e.g. on roads, waterways or railways

Abstract

Grooved rail wheels are mounted on retractable frames slidable on posts of turntables rotatable by steering cylinders controlled by magnetic sensors tending to be centered on a rail. The turntables are mounted on carriages supporting a car frame and movable laterally of the car frame. Cylinders connected together in a closed circuit cause some of the carriages to be moved toward one side of the car frame when others of the carriages are moved toward the other side of the car frame, thus centering the car frame on the group of carriages. Outrigger pneumatic wheels may be retracted when the rail wheels are extended and may be extended when it is desired to travel away from the rail. The pneumatic wheels are mounted on retractable frames, carried by turntables which are steered in pairs by racks engaging pinions on the turntables, the racks being movable by pivotal longitudinal members pivoted near the center of the car to turn the wheels nearer the center of the car less than the wheels near the ends of the car in rotating the car. Actuating wires movable with the racks causes compensating movement of the pivots of the longitudinal members to lessen this differential turning of the wheels. Ice blocks carried by the cylinders may be urged into engagement with the ground or rails to provide stabilizing. A pendulum on the car acts to shift wind vanes on the top of the car to correct tilt to one side or the other.

Claims

1. In a high speed vehicle, a body, a plurality of guideways supporting the body, a plurality of carriages supporting the guideways and movable laterally relative to the body, adjustment means for adjusting the positions of the carriages laterally relative to the body, the adjustment means including compensating means for shifting at least one of the carriages laterally in one direction relative to the body when another of the carriages is shifted laterally in the opposite direction relative to the body to tend to keep the carriages centered as a group under the body, a plurality of turning mechanisms turnable on vertical axes and supported by the carriages, steering means for turning the turning mechanisms, a plurality of rail wheels, and a plurality of rail wheel suspension means mounting the turning mechanisms on the wheels.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 including a steel rail, magnetic sensing means on the body adapted to sense the lateral position of the body relative to the rail, and means responsive to the sensing means for actuating the adjustment means to move the carriages in a direction tending to center the body relative to the rail.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 including a freezing holder carried by the body, a block of ice carried by the holder, and means for moving the holder relative to the body between a retracteD position and a position engaging a stabilizing surface.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the adjustment means comprises a plurality of cylinders and an equalizing hydraulic circuit connecting the cylinders in a closed, parallel circuit.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein each of the rail wheel suspension means comprises a plurality of posts mounted on the turning mechanism, fork means mounted slidably on the posts and adjustable hydraulic cylinder means connecting the fork means to the turning mechanism.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 including equalizing hydraulic circuitry connecting the hydraulic cylinder means of the several suspension means.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 including a plurality of rail wheels mounted on each turning mechanism.

8. In a vehicle, an elongated body, a plurality of wheel mounts swiveled individually to the body and positioned in pairs spaced along the body, a plurality of wheels carried by the wheel mounts, a plurality of pinions keyed to the wheel mounts, a pluraliy of bars, a plurality of pairs of racks meshing with the pinions and fixed to opposite end portions of the bars, and steering means for moving the bars longitudinally to turn the wheels.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the steering means is adapted to turn the pairs of wheels differentially

10. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the steering means is adapted to turn the wheels at the forward portion of the body in one direction and turn the wheels at the rearward portion of the body in the opposite direction.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the steering means comprises a forward rack member movable laterally of the body, a rear rack member movable laterally of the body, a front gear meshing with the front rack, a steering shaft, a steering gear on the steering shaft meshing with the front gear, a rear gear meshing with the rear rack, a second shaft keyed to the rear gear, an intermediate gear keyed to the second shaft and meshing with the steering gear, a front actuator rod connected pivotally to the front rack member and the bars at the front half of the body, and a rear actuator rod connected pivotally to the rear rack member and the bars at the rear half of the body.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 including a plurality of cylinders connecting the actuator rods pivotally to the body, and means for actuating the cylinders when the steering shaft is turned. a body,

13. In a high speed vehicle, a body, carriages supporting the body and movable laterally relative to the body, adjustment means for adjusting the positions of the carriages laterally relative to the body, a plurality of turnable mechanisms turnable on vertical axes and supporting the carriages, steering means for turning the turnable mechanisms, a plurality of rail wheels, a plurality of rail wheel suspension means mounting the turnable mechanisms on the wheels, a plurality of ground wheels, a plurality of swivels on the body, and a plurality of ground wheel suspension means mounting the ground wheels on the swivels, each of the rail wheel suspension means being adapted to raise one of the rail wheels to a retracted position, each of the ground wheel suspension means being adapted to raise one of the ground wheels to a retracted position.