Railways – Terminals and stations – Passenger
Patent
1997-03-12
1998-09-29
Le, Mark Tuan
Railways
Terminals and stations
Passenger
104 30, 104118, 104 8803, 105 722, B61B 100
Patent
active
058133496
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a transport system having dual-mode vehicles in the form of electrically driven vehicles which can be driven forward by built-in batteries or can be powered by a supply from a running rail or the like. The vehicles have wheels for driving on a roadway or the like and means for driving on a rail. The rail driving means include a substantially triangular cross-sectional profile pointing one of the corners upwards and the vehicle has a downward facing through-going notch in the longitudinal direction. The notch has a cross-sectional profile substantially corresponding to that of the rail. The vehicle comprises at least one door at each side for facilitating occupancy of the vehicle, when it is stationary.
International patent application no. PCT/DK91/00146 incorporated herein by reference describes a transport system of the dual-mode type and having dual-mode vehicles which can drive on a triangular rail individually or coupled together and as an individual electric car on an ordinary road.
Vehicles of the type described in the above application are usually adapted for transportation of two persons, a driver and a passenger. The vehicle can be driven manually as an electric car on an ordinary road section but it can also be driven by electronic control, as explained in the application, if the means necessary are provided in the road surface. The traffic on the triangular rail is usually automatically controlled, and if possible the vehicles are coupled together in a column to save energy.
The main component of the transport system is the vehicle 1 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, which drives on a rail 2 having a triangular cross-sectional profile 7 and usually a special brake rail 9 on top of the rail 2. The triangular rail is placed with one of its points directed upwards. Also, each vehicle is provided with ordinary wheels 8 for roadway driving.
Each vehicle has a front and a rear end where for example the front end has two substantially plane surfaces 3, 4 forming an angle along a horizontal line 5, and where the rear end has two substantially plane surfaces 3', 4' likewise joining along a horizontal line as shown, and as explained in the above international application.
FIG. 2 illustrates how the dual-mode vehicle 1 is transferred from rail traffic, receiving power from the rail, to the roadway 10 as an individual, electric vehicle with wheels 8, receiving power from brought-along batteries.
In the longitudinal direction the vehicle has a downwardly directed, through-going notch 6 with a cross-sectional profile which corresponds substantially to the cross-sectional profile 7 of the rail 2.
The vehicle and the configuration of the vehicle as well as the rail 2 and the configuration of the rail will not be explained in detail in the present application, reference being made to the above international application.
When the vehicle 1 leaves the triangular rail it drives as an electric car with a limited range determined by the capacity of the built-in battery/batteries.
EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION
In order to increase the capacity of the transport system it can be configured so that the vehicle can accommodate a number of passengers at a time. Thus, the vehicle comprises two longitudinally extending rows of seats, one row at each side of the notch, and that each door has such extent in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle that admission can be provided to all seats on the side in question when the train stops at a station system.
A transport system is provided which can accommodate several persons simultaneously, especially persons travelling the same stretch or partial stretch and in the same way as travelling by bus or train, but maintaining the majority of the advantages of the transport system according to the above international application.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,481 describes a transport system which is configured to receive multiple passengers. However some of the disadvantages of the conventional bus or train systems still prevail,
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