Bridges – Suspension – Cables and cable clamps
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-20
2001-10-16
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3673)
Bridges
Suspension
Cables and cable clamps
C014S018000, C014S023000, C014S077100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301736
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to design and construction of lightweight elevated suspended guideways whereon high-speed vehicles will experience virtually no guideway-induced oscillations. More specifically it relates to a method of arranging suspension cables to suspend guideways along multiple towers so that deflections under vehicle load are virtually constant along the way, and temperature fluctuations do not affect alignments. Furthermore, the method of arranging suspension cables is designed to facilitate installation of pre-assembled suspension towers and pre-assembled guideway spans by helicopter.
Present multiple-span suspension bridges require anchors in alternate spans to prevent wavy rocking motion of decks and towers, thus precluding constant resilient suspension, which is necessary for oscillation-free high-speed travel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides structural components for an elevated suspended guideway comprising:
(a) A-frame-shaped suspension towers at regular intervals;
(b) continuous structural truss supported guideway with expansion joints at towers;
(c) above each guideway span between towers, a first tier of 32 identical inwardly sloping and upwardly extending suspension cables attached evenly spaced with their lower ends, 16 each along left and right edges, to the structural truss supporting the guideway, attaching points beginning and ending one-half space from adjacent towers, and having their upper ends attached in pairs to each other;
(d) above each guideway span between towers, a second tier of 16 identical inwardly sloping and upwardly extending suspension cables attached one each with their lower ends to the upper joints of the paired first tier suspension cables, and centrally above the guideway having their upper ends attached in pairs to each other and to their counter-parts from the opposite edge of the guideway truss;
(e) above each guideway span between towers, a third tier of four identical in vertical plane upwardly extending suspension cables having their lower ends one each attached to the upper joints of the paired second tier suspension cables, and having their upper ends attached in pairs to each other;
(f) above each guideway span between towers, a fourth tier of two identical in vertical plane upwardly extending suspension cables having their lower ends one each attached to the upper joints of the paired third tier suspension cables, and having their upper ends flexibly attached to the top of their next adjacent towers;
(g) above each guideway span between towers, cables parallel to guideway connecting the top joints of paired first, second and third tier suspension cables located nearest mid-span on one side of mid-span to their counterparts on the other side of mid-span;
(h) above each guideway span between towers, cables parallel to guideway flexibly connecting the top joints of paired first and second tier suspension cables located nearest towers to their respective next adjacent towers;
(i) above each guideway span between towers, cables parallel to guideway connecting the top joints of paired first tier suspension cables located on either side of one-quarter and three-quarter of the distance between towers to each other;
(j) motion dampers flexibly connecting guideway truss to tower legs.
The present invention is specifically directed at providing that guideway sagging under moving load is constant and fully resilient. This physical sameness is achieved by having suspension cables arranged whereby the load, irrespective of where it is located along the guideway, is substantially carried by the same type, number, size, length and position angle of suspension cables. Furthermore, this design also provides that temperature expansion and contraction does not cause guideway bending or misalignment, yet allows incorporation of horizontal and vertical curves, curve transitions, banking in curves, ascends and descends.
When used for high-speed conveyor-type automated people movers or fast freight pipelines, for example Articulated Train Systems (U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,903, Re. 26,673) or Bulk Material Conveyors (U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,947), a lightweight design would allow whole spans with suspension cables attached to be assembled at remote locations, transported to the site by helicopter and inserted between towers using quick snap-on connectors.
REFERENCES:
patent: 441862 (1890-12-01), Wildin
patent: 495621 (1893-04-01), Balet
patent: 510064 (1893-12-01), Eddy
patent: 4094162 (1978-06-01), Allee
patent: 4535498 (1985-08-01), Webster
patent: 4866803 (1989-09-01), Nedelcu
Addie Raymond W
Will Thomas B.
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