Railways – Car-carried propulsion system – Pneumatic
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-30
2001-01-30
Le, Mark T. (Department: 3617)
Railways
Car-carried propulsion system
Pneumatic
C104S138100, C104S139000, C104S282000, C104S156000, C104S124000, C104S119000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178892
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to transport systems, and more particularly mass transit transportation system or cargo transportation systems that use air pressure to propel the person or cargo carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ability to move people or things from one place to another is both a necessity and a convenience in today's society. Transportation is a necessity for the easy delivery and distribution of goods and services. It is a convenience as discretionary travel or transport provides an enhanced quality of life.
Ground transportation can be particularly pleasurable as it allows the individuals so traveling to enjoy the surrounding scenery. It is generally less expensive to transport goods by ground services than by air or sea.
With respect to ground transportation, railroads, light rail, monorails, and subways are generally those best known for allowing travel in urban and other areas. Tractor trailer rigs, 18-wheel trucks, and cargo vans provide motorized means by which goods can be transported. Buses provide means by which relatively large numbers of people can be transported by a single vehicle on roadways.
Despite the advantages of the foregoing transportation means currently known in the art, they are also subject to several drawbacks. For example, in the running of locomotive trains and tractor trailer truck rigs, chemical and/or fossil fuel pollution occurs through the exhaust of the burning of fuel in order to operate internal combustion engines. Additionally, such internal combustion engines often generate significant amount of loud noise, disturbing the peace of the surrounding area. This is true even with the use of associated mufflers or the like, which decrease the energy efficiency of such internal combustion engines. Such drawbacks serve to disturb the wildlife habitat in the surrounding area as can be seen by inspecting the areas surrounding locomotive train tracks and/or highway systems.
Generally, the infrastructure to support locomotives and/or truck rigs is significantly expensive, not only to initially construct, but also to maintain in an ongoing basis.
It would be much better to have a simple system having a small number, such as three (3), major assemblies from which the transport system can be constructed. Such a system would preferably be lightweight and constructed from composite materials that would not deplete natural resources (such as wood). The simplicity of such a system would advantageously require minimal maintenance and repair, making the operating cost of the system preferably very low. Such a transport system should be able to maneuver and operate in a closed or open loop system, and negotiate tight curves with a radius of less than fifty (50) feet. Additionally, such a system should preferably be able to negotiate ten percent (10%) grades or better.
As indicated above, certain drawbacks are present in the art that might be addressed more advantageously. A previously issued U.S. Pat. to Mandros (U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,791 issued to Mandros on Sep. 7, 1982 for a Vehicle Guideway System), discloses an air-pressure driven system that incorporates an enclosed rail system by which cargo, including vehicles, may be transported. A complicated switching system is present in the Mandros patent, indicating that the construction of such a system would require significant maintenance as well as a significant, if not costly, construction.
It would be more advantageous to provide a lower-cost system that operates in conjunction with presendy-available technology in order to supply the most advantages and fewer disadvantages amongst the variety in various systems set forth above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Three (3) major assemblies aid in forming the present invention. A pressurization passageway, carrier conduit, or pressurization vessel provides a relatively airtight channel through which a propulsion carrier assembly travels. A is passenger vehicle or other car or container is super-positioned and slidably coupled to the carrier conduit and is magnetically or electromagnetically coupled to the propulsion carrier assembly, or carrier.
Air propulsion or pressure is used within the carrier conduit to propel and control the motion of the carrier. The electromagnetic coupling between the carrier and the car serves to propel the car in association with the carrier. Air pressure controls in the form of fans or the like are used at either end of the carrier conduit to control carrier travel. The carrier has two (2) plates serving to obstruct the air flow and cause the carrier to move when air pressure is controllably shifted within the confines of the carrier conduit. Sets of wheels allow the carrier to roll within the carrier conduit and keep it from colliding or scraping the inside of the carrier conduit. Magnets, either permanent or electromagnetic, are present adjacent the top of the carrier conduit. As the carrier conduit is made of composite materials or the like, the field generated by the magnet passes through and up to the car or vehicle. The vehicle has a set of matching magnets that may be polar opposites of, or of like polarity to, those on the carrier.
The vehicle is slidably coupled to the carrier conduit by means of frames or vanes that slide along the exterior of the conduit carrier. Tracks or other constructions can be used to hold the vanes and the vehicle in place upon the carrier conduit. By allowing pivotable coupling between the vanes and the vehicle, curves may be taken by the vehicle in its slidably attached form by the carrier conduit.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a transportation system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a transportation system that is both quiet and ecologically friendly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a transportation system that relies upon air pressure for its motion.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a transportation system that is quiet and which does not locally emit any fumes or exhaust in conjunction with the traveling vehicle.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a review of the following specification and accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 436946 (1890-09-01), Kelly
patent: 3543685 (1970-12-01), Rosciszewski
patent: 3722424 (1973-03-01), Van Veldhuizen
patent: 4108077 (1978-08-01), Laing
patent: 4658732 (1987-04-01), Coester
patent: 4805761 (1989-02-01), Totsch
patent: 5845582 (1998-12-01), Coester et al.
Cislo & Thoms, LLP
Le Mark T.
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