System for automated transport of passenger cabins, automobile platforms and other load-carriers
First Claim
1. A transportation system, comprising a plurality of load-carriers, a plurality of vehicles for carrying said load-carriers, and guideways defining paths for movement of said vehicles to position said vehicles at loading regions for loading of loads on said load-carriers and at unloading regions for unloading of loads from said load-carriers, characterized in that said paths include a main path for movement of said vehicles at high speed therealong and branch paths that extend along said main path between divergent and convergent Y sections which allow movement of said vehicles off of said main path and to stop points in said branch paths and then back to enter said main path at merge points at the ends of said convergent Y sections, said loading regions being located at stop points in certain of said branch paths and said unloading regions being located at stop points in others of said branch paths, each of said vehicles being controllable to move from said main path and onto one of said certain branch paths to stop at one of said loading regions for rapid loading of a load-carrier thereat and being controllable to thereafter automatically move from said one of said certain branch paths and through said main path at high speed and through one or more of said others of said branch paths to stop at one or more of said unloading regions for unloading of a load from a load-carrier at each such unloading region.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided that uses small carrier vehicles that operate along electrified guideways and use standardized connections to automatically carry load-carriers to desired destinations. The load-carriers may be passenger cabins, freight loads or automobile platforms and in each case are loaded and unloaded at separate loading and loading regions. Loading regions are preceded by queue portions of branch paths and may include a group of regions which may be a series of cabin loading regions along a branch path or may be automobile loading regions in side-by-side lanes. Passenger station arrangements are provided for rapid and efficient movement of passengers and for transfer operations when desired. Platform constructions and loading arrangements are provided for rapid loading and unloading and safe transport of automobiles.
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Citations
48 Claims
- 1. A transportation system, comprising a plurality of load-carriers, a plurality of vehicles for carrying said load-carriers, and guideways defining paths for movement of said vehicles to position said vehicles at loading regions for loading of loads on said load-carriers and at unloading regions for unloading of loads from said load-carriers, characterized in that said paths include a main path for movement of said vehicles at high speed therealong and branch paths that extend along said main path between divergent and convergent Y sections which allow movement of said vehicles off of said main path and to stop points in said branch paths and then back to enter said main path at merge points at the ends of said convergent Y sections, said loading regions being located at stop points in certain of said branch paths and said unloading regions being located at stop points in others of said branch paths, each of said vehicles being controllable to move from said main path and onto one of said certain branch paths to stop at one of said loading regions for rapid loading of a load-carrier thereat and being controllable to thereafter automatically move from said one of said certain branch paths and through said main path at high speed and through one or more of said others of said branch paths to stop at one or more of said unloading regions for unloading of a load from a load-carrier at each such unloading region.
- 18. A transportation system, comprising a plurality of load-carriers, a plurality of vehicles for carrying said load-carriers, and guideways defining paths for movement of said vehicles to position said vehicles at loading and unloading regions for loading of loads on said load-carriers and for unloading of loads from said load-carriers, characterized in that said paths include a main path and branch paths that extend along said main path between divergent and convergent Y sections which allow movement of vehicles off of said main path and to stop points and then back to enter said main path at merge points at the ends of said convergent Y sections, said loading and unloading regions being located at stop points in said branch paths, each of said vehicles being controllable to move from said main path and onto one of said branch paths to stop at one of said loading regions for loading of a load-carrier thereat and being controllable to thereafter automatically move through said main path and through one or more of said others of said branch paths to stop at one or more of said unloading regions for unloading of a load from a load-carrier at each such unloading region, wherein monitoring and control means are provided at intervals along said main and branch paths, and wherein said vehicles move past said monitoring and control means during movement along said main and branch paths, said vehicles including data communication means for receiving data from and sending data to load-carriers carried by said vehicles and for receiving data from and sending data to said monitoring and control means while passing thereby, whereby data communication links are provided between said monitoring and control units and said load-carriers through said data communication means of passing vehicles.
- 28. A transportation system comprising a plurality of load-carriers, a plurality of vehicles for carrying said load-carriers, and guideways defining paths for movement of said vehicles to position said vehicles at stop regions that include regions for loading and unloading of loads on and from said load-carriers, said paths including first and second paths in side-by-side relation for movement of said vehicles in parallel but opposite first and second directions, third and fourth paths that cross said first and second paths in a crossing region and that are in side-by-side relation for movement of said vehicles in parallel but opposite third and fourth directions, a first branch path extending from said first path and in said first direction toward said crossing region and then turning to extend in said fourth direction away from said crossing region to join said fourth path, and a second branch path extending from said first path and in said first direction toward said crossing region and then turning to extend in said third direction away from said crossing region and to then join said third path, portions of said first and paths that are in said crossing region being at a first level, portions of said third and fourth paths that are in said crossing region being at a second level that is different from said first level, and a portion of said second branch path that is in said crossing region being at a third level that is different from said first and second levels, thereby avoiding interference between paths in said crossing region.
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33. A transportation system, comprising:
- loading and unloading stations, a plurality of load-carriers in the form of automobile platforms, a plurality of carrier vehicles for carrying said platforms, guideway means defining paths of movement of said vehicles, said platforms being movable along said guideway means and in loaded conditions from loading positions at said loading stations to unloading positions at said unloading stations and being movable alone said guideway means in an unloaded condition from said unloading positions at said unloading stations to said loading positions at said loading stations, forward and rearward lock means operable to project upwardly from said platforms for engagement with forwardly and rearwardly facing portions of automobiles to limit movement of said automobiles relative to said platforms, and means for placing both of said rearward and forward lock means in lowered positions during movements of said platforms when in an unloaded condition, for keeping said rearward lock means at a lowered position at said loading stations while moving automobiles in a forward direction and onto platforms in loading positions thereat, for operating both of said rearward and forward lock means to said upwardly protecting positions to lock an automobile thereto during movements of said platforms in loaded conditions, and for lowering said forward lock means at said unloading stations while moving automobiles in a forward direction and off of platforms in unloading positions thereat.
- View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. Apparatus for use in moving automobiles, comprising:
- platforms for supporting said automobiles, forward and rearward lock means movable from lowered folded positions to upwardly projecting unfolded positions, actuating means for moving said forward lock means rearwardly while in said unfolded positions to engage forwardly facing portions of automobiles and for moving said rearward lock means forwardly while in said unfolded positions to engage rearwardly facing portions of automobiles so as to limit forward and rearward movements of said automobiles relative to said platforms, said actuating means being operable for lowering said rearward lock means to folded positions when moving automobiles in a forward direction and onto said platform, and said actuating means being operable for lowering said forward lock means to folded positions when moving automobiles in a forward direction and off of said platform.
- View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48)
Specification