Railways – Suspended
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-26
2004-01-20
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railways
Suspended
C104S249000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06679184
ABSTRACT:
PRIOR ART
This invention relates to an elevated suspended transportation method and apparatus and devices therefor.
In our co-pending Indian application 715/mum/2001 there is disclosed a transportation system, capable of providing high capacity lateral transportation in downtown core areas.
Particularly, this invention relates to safety device for minimizing damage to suspended coaches and passengers and cargo therein in the case of collision between coaches located on the same rail track.
PRIOR ART
All over the world, populations are rising and the infrastructure development is not keeping pace. The roads are unable to handle the rising number of vehicles and metro rails face inadequacies in increasing the capacity, besides the risk of vandalism and derailment. Expansions or new constructions need land in urban areas, which is not possible; alternative underground railways are too expensive. Transportation is a critical element in the smooth and efficient operation of almost every aspect of today's cities aid urban areas. As a result, many types of transportation systems have been developed to move people and cargo from one place to another more efficiently. The most prominent transportation systems are overland travel by automobiles and bogies, both operating on roads such as public highways. Public buses utilize the same highway network, as do, to some extent, cable cars and electric buses. Conventional high capacity urban transportation systems generally employ underground trains or streetcars moving along conventional rails. Such systems take up a considerable amount of space in the urban area and do not allow the individual cars to be separately directed. Subways, monorails, and trains, however, utilize a rail network that is typically less developed than the surrounding highway networks. Other forms of inter-city transportation include the bicycle, auto rickshaws, scooters and motor cycles, all of which use the same roads. Consequently the roads are unable to handle the rising number of vehicles.
Public buses also utilize the highway network, but are far less popular than automobiles. Buses are less favored than automobiles because one must often wait at a bus stop for a relatively long period of time and in potentially disagreeable weather. Further, buses are generally restricted to particular routes, and consequently a bus rider must walk, or acquire other transportation, to and from bus stops along various routes proximate to his origination and destination. Frequently, transfers must be made from one bus to another due to inadequate routes, and frequent interim stops must be made to load or unload other passengers. Still further, buses are subject to many of the same drawbacks as the automobile, such as traffic, stop lights, and traffic risk. As a result, buses are not as popular as the automobile even though, when properly utilized, buses are more efficient and less environmentally harmful than the cumulative effect of so many individual automobiles.
Rail-guided vehicles, such as trains, monorails, and subways, are an alternative transportation system found in many cities and urban areas. When properly utilized, such systems are more energy efficient than automobiles and less environmentally damaging. However, many of the same drawbacks exist for rail guided vehicles as for busses. For example, rail guided vehicle users are dependent upon predetermined and often inadequate schedules, a limited number of fixed routes, and lost time due to stops at intermediate stations for other passengers. Even the relatively high speeds attained by rail-guided vehicles do not fully compensate for the time lost in other ways when using such transportation systems. Surface railway is impossible to lay in an existing city. But even to lay the same in an new development is subject to negative implications. The development remains divided by the corridor and it a permanent noise polluter. Sudden disgorging of heavy loads of commuters at stations creates needless congestion on the roads reducing the quality of life. Several thousands of persons die annually because of trespassing or falling from trains. In addition derailments, collisions and capsizing cause serious damage to life and limb and property.
Underground railway is less invasive on the surface but still poses technical challenges including the management of fires and evacuation. If road vehicles are involved in inter-modal transfers, it becomes a weak link in the chain of transport between walking and the railway.
Elevated railway technically cannot reach congested central busy roads where mass transport is needed. It is too invasive and may require dislocation of some portions of the habitat as well as the system is very noisy.
Consequently, cities and urban areas have been plagued by the problems associated with having private automobiles as the primary mode of civilian transportation. A person will readily spend hours in heavy traffic either because there is no alternative, or because any available alternatives require more time and inconvenience. Moreover, the pollution created by millions of private automobiles is having an immeasurable effect on the environment and quality of civilian life, not only in urban areas but in the surrounding rural areas as well. The cumulative energy wasted at stoplights and in traffic is considerable, and causes a direct increase in fuel costs and other costs associated with automotive transportation. The energy required to accelerate an automobile that weighs several thousand kilograms is frequently converted into little more than friction within the automobile's braking system at the next traffic light. This is a considerable amount of wasted energy since the average human occupant in a typical automobile represents a mere 5% of the gross vehicle weight. Still further, dependence upon extremely large amounts of fossil fuels to power a large automotive transportation system makes such a society somewhat vulnerable to the whims of those who posses fossil fuel reserves.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Clearly, then, there is a need for a civilian transportation system that is able to compete with the automobile in terms of convenience to the user, but does not require the tremendous energy consumption of an automotive transportation system. Further, such an improved transportation system should provide increased safety expectations, less overall cost to the user, and profitability to those manufacturing, owning, and operating such a system. All administrations are in search of an economical viable solution to the transportation problem, which is concomitantly environment-friendly.
The present invention relates to a public transportation system that fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.
An object of the present invention is to provide a versatile urban transportation system that has hitherto been impossible using systems of the prior art, particular a transportation system which is safe and in which the damage as a result of an unlikely collision between two sets of coaches which happen to be positioned on the same rail track accidentally is minimized.
The present invention relates to damage control in the case of collision in the novel suspended coach rail transportation system of this invention.
Specifically, the present invention relates to a means of improving the safety levels of suspended coach rail transportation systems and more specifically, methods, means and devices controlling the damage in the case of collision to coaches.
Single supporting rail suspended monorail systems have been built in the past. The potential of high-speed operation requires that the attitude of the cars is securely controlled and capsizing of the coaches and derailment of the bogies carrying the cars be prevented.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The principal objective of the present invention is to provide in a suspended coach transportation system that includes a bogie, that can operate inside a continuous box type closed horizontal beam having a slot in lower surface for the traverse of
Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd.
Morano S. Joseph
Muserlain, Lucas and Mercanti
Olson Lars A
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