Highway vehicle towing system

• US 8,038,022 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2009
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yi-Shan Yao
• Original Assignee: Yi-Shan Yao
• Inventors: Yao, Yi-Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, IV; Joe
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith; Jason C
• Application Number:
  US12/588,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20110079167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 105/26.05, 105/26.1, 105/34.1, 105/72.2, 105/215.1, 105/215.2, 191/33, 191/34, 191/35, 191/50, 104/139, 104/140, 213/75.R, 213/77, 213/78, 213/79, 213/208
• US Class Current: 213/75.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/28 Trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/46 Vehicles with auxiliary ad-on propulsions, e.g. add-on electric motor kits for bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/00 Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 13/00 Other railway systems
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 13/00 Locomotives or motor railcars characterised by their application to special systems or purposes B61C11/00 takes precedence; self-propelled scaffold cars, break-down cranes, inspection trolleys B61D15/00; general design of track recording vehicles B61K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B61G 5/10 for electric cables
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

A highway vehicle towing system includes a light railroad track embedded in a highway and capable of transmitting electricity from a power supply plant, and a towing tractor movable along the light railroad track to tow a car. The owing tractor has multiple pairs of metal wheels movably supported on the light railroad track, a motor, electrical wires connecting the metal wheels to the motor for transmitting electricity from the light railroad track to the motor, a transmission shaft coupled to and rotatable by the motor, and a differential mechanism coupled between the transmission shaft and the metal wheels for enabling the metal wheels to be rotated along the light railroad track by the motor.

Claims

1. A highway vehicle towing system used in a highway for towing vehicles, comprising:

a vehicle to be towed;

a light railroad track embedded in a highway and capable of transmitting electricity from a power supply plant, said light railroad track having a width shorter than the pitch of each pair of wheels of the vehicle to be towed in said highway; and

at least one towing tractor substantially aligned with said vehicle being towed and movable along said light railroad track to tow the vehicle, each said towing tractor comprising multiple pairs of metal wheels having a pitch substantially equal to said width of said railroad track for contact therewith and movably supported on said light railroad track, a motor located within said towing tractor, electrical wires connecting said metal wheels to said motor for transmitting electricity from said light railroad track to said motor and further coupled to a power supply unit within said towed vehicle and are connected to a power supply unit within said towed vehicle for charging a battery within the towed vehicle, a transmission shaft coupled to and rotatable by said motor, and a differential mechanism coupled between said transmission shaft and said metal wheels for enabling said metal wheels to be rotated along said light railroad track by said motor.

2. The highway vehicle towing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said towing tractor comprises a coupling located on a rear side thereof and connectable to a connection member at the front side of each vehicle to be towed.

3. The highway vehicle towing system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the coupling at each said towing tractor comprises two clamping arms for clamping on the connection member of one of the vehicles to be towed, each said clamping arm having an actuation portion movable by the connection member of one of the cars to be towed, and an electromagnetic valve for controlling movement of a reciprocating rod between a locking position to lock said clamping arms to the connection member clamped by said clamping arms and an unlocking position to unlock said clamping arms from the connection member.

4. The highway vehicle towing system as claimed in claim 3, wherein each said towing tractor further comprises a female electric connector mounted on the coupling thereof;

each vehicle to be towed comprises a male electric connector mounted on the connection member thereof and electrically connectable to the female electric connector of one said towing tractor upon connection between the coupling of the respective towing tractor and the connection member of the respective vehicle for allowing transmission of electricity from the respective towing tractor to the respective vehicle.

5. The highway vehicle towing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when one vehicle is connected to one said towing tractor on said light railroad track, the vehicle is started to move the linked towing tractor forwards along said light railroad track at an initial stage for a predetermined period of time, and then an engine of the vehicle is turned off for enabling the linked towing track to tow the vehicle.

6. The highway vehicle towing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each vehicle is measured through a vehicle scale and car-length measuring sensors coupled to a computer for selectively sizing said vehicle into a predetermined size group for directing the towed vehicle into a preselected lane of a highway.

7. The highway vehicle towing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said towing tractor comprises a radar range finder located on a front side thereof for measuring the distance of a vehicle located frontally of the towing tractor and controlling stoppage of the metal wheels thereof when the frontal vehicle is detected to be within a predetermined distance of said towing tractor.

8. The highway vehicle towing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of radar detectors installed in selected locations along said highway to detect traffic conditions constituting traffic congestion in said highway and to send a wireless warning signal upon occurrence of a traffic accident in said highway, and a display screen installed in each vehicle to be towed for receiving and displaying a wireless warning signal from said radar detectors.