Railways – Selective delivery
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-07
2002-04-02
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Railways
Selective delivery
C104S281000, C104S290000, C104S124000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06363857
ABSTRACT:
1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1.1 Technical Field
This invention pertains to a transportation system capable of moving passengers, vehicles, or both at speeds significantly greater than possible with automobile travel, while allowing each passenger to individually determine that passenger's destination from a potentially large set of possible locations.
1.2 Background Art
Intra-continental travelers can typically choose to travel by automobile, truck, train, or airplane. Each option has its own set of benefits and disadvantages. For example, travel by automobile or truck has the advantage of the traveler having no external restrictions as to departure time or choice of destination, as any person with access to a vehicle can choose to leave on a trip at any time, and route the trip to any destination which is accessible by a road. Vehicle transportation has the further advantage of allowing the traveler to utilize that vehicle for further transportation at the point of destination. On the other hand, vehicular transportation has the disadvantage of being relatively slow, when compared to airplane travel or high-speed rail transportation.
Travel by airplane or high-speed train has the advantage of moving passengers at relatively high speeds, resulting in reaching a destination more quickly than possible by car or truck. However, passengers are restricted as to departure time, and thus arrival time, as they must select from commercial airplane or train schedules. For the same reason, the set of possible destinations is limited. Further, once arriving at a selected destination by airplane or train, the traveler does not have access to his own vehicle, as would be the case if that vehicle had been driven.
Travelers would be well-served by a transportation system which was faster than vehicular travel, but which did not require limited arrival and departure times which must conform to filling a mass transportation airplane or train with multiple passengers. Furthermore, travelers would welcome a transportation system which permitted a passenger to take his own automobile with him, for use at a point of destination, or for traveling further than the destination made available by the transportation system.
The invention described herein contemplates providing these advantages to travelers by a if transportation system based on magnetic levitation. Magnetic levitation systems are known in the prior art, such as the systems described in PCT Patent WO 92/04218 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,636 to Wang et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,853 to Suppes, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,737 to Miericke. It has been demonstrated in trials of mag-lev systems that speeds of 300 miles per hour and greater can be achieved. However, currently available technology does not provide for mag-lev transportation of automotive vehicles to individually chosen destinations, which is made possible by the claimed invention.
Other mass transportation systems are known in the prior art, each with particular advantages. For example, the electric vehicle transport system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,227 to Mullen permits electric cars to be loaded onto individual transport modules and moved along a system of guideways to a destination station, but not at the high speeds which can be achieved with a magnetic levitation system. U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,258 to Forsyth et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,496 to Drygass disclose transporter vehicles for moving multiple cars at relatively slow speeds. U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,735 to Lund teaches a system for automated transport of automobiles, via electrified guideways, but at speeds not much greater than 100 miles per hour (col. 36). U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,704 to Gilvar et al. discloses a system with individually controlled vehicles, but which is not capable of transporting standard automobiles.
Other mass transportation systems in the prior art include monorail systems described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,064 to Owen and U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,330 to Li, and a railway system for guided vehicles disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,422 to Pasquan. These transportation systems efficiently move individual passengers but do not expressly contemplate moving automobiles or trucks.
Although each of these transportation systems is well-suited for its intended purpose, none provides a high speed manner to transport both passengers and automotive vehicles to individually selected destinations.
2. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
2.1 Summary of the Invention
An object of this invention is to provide a new and useful high speed transportation system.
Another object of this invention is to provide such a transportation system which can carry individual passengers, automotive vehicles, or both.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide such a transportation system which allows each passenger, with or without an automobile, to select an individual destination on demand.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide such a transportation system in which each passenger can travel within the privacy and customary comfort of that passenger's own automotive vehicle, allowing the passenger to utilize that vehicle beyond the destination achieved on the transportation system.
The transportation system claimed herein includes a transportation network of stations and guideways connecting the stations to one another. Each guideway consists of parallel tracks. Individual transporters move between the parallel tracks from one station to another. The design and functionality of each transporter can vary significantly, as long as each transporter is of a size that fits between the parallel tracks. Each transporter is conveniently large enough to receive an automobile or truck, which vehicle can drive into an open door of the transporter at a dock in an origination station. It is possible to construct transporters and guideways which would accommodate large trucks and semi-trailers, but it is contemplated that the most efficient use of the transportation system would accommodate primarily small trucks and automobiles. Once the transporter has traveled, at speeds of approximately 300 miles per hour, across the guideways to a destination station, the vehicle is driven off the transporter onto a dock, and from there utilized in a typical fashion at the destination location or on roads leading from the destination station to other locales.
Most transporters have a body of sufficient size to receive and enclose a vehicle, but some transporters could be designed to provide seating for passengers traveling without vehicles. Similarly, transporters could be constructed to accommodate freight shipments, which could be moved into the transporter by forklift or dolly, without the necessity of including a propulsion vehicle.
Two horizontally extending supports extend in opposite directions from the body, and a transporter support magnet is supported by each horizontally extending support. Magnets supported by the guideways have the same polarity as the transporter support magnets. Thus, when the transporter support magnets are positioned above the guideway support magnets, the transporter is allowed to effectively glide along the guideways, without physically contacting the guideways. To enhance stability, it is preferable to arrange the horizontally extending supports above the center of gravity of the transporter body.
A myriad of possible designs, configurations, and possible amenities can be included with any individual transporter. For example, each transporter could include a permanent lavatory, with hot and cold running water, which is accessible by passengers riding in that transporter or riding in a vehicle loaded onto that transporter. Each such lavatory could be made fire-proof to provide a safe haven for passengers on that transporter in the event of a fire or other catastrophe, or a separate fire-proof compartment could be provided for this purpose.
Transporters designed to hold automobiles or trucks include a balance and stability system to enable the vehicle to be safely positioned and held in position within the transporter as
Blankenship Greg
Gould Linda Flewellen
Pape Joseph D.
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