Mass transit system |
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| 申请号 | US3791308D | 申请日 | 1973-03-23 | 公开(公告)号 | US3791308A | 公开(公告)日 | 1974-02-12 |
| 申请人 | HARTZ B; | 发明人 | HARTZ B; | ||||
| 摘要 | A mass transit system compatible with existing right-of-way usages is described. A self-propelled carriage mechanism supports the passenger compartment in both the vertical and horizontal planes by means of a vertical strut, with the passenger compartment positioned substantially above the running gear. The running gear travels within an entrenched passageway having a narrow slit at the top for passage of the strut connecting the passenger compartment and the running gear. The top surface of this compartment is suitable for use by surface traffic and a flexible closure member may be utilized to close the slit prior to and subsequent to passage of the mass transit vehicle. The passenger compartment is positioned far enough above the running gear so as to clear surface traffic and to avoid collision of the passenger compartment with other vehicles occupying the right-ofway. The entrenched passageway in which the running gear operates may be positioned in the center of a roadway between the lanes of traffic, at the edge thereof or in other right-of-way locations, as desired. Switching mechanisms are provided so that the invention may be used in feeder and trunk line-type applications as well as loop-type and car reversal methods of use. | ||||||
| 权利要求 | 1. A mass transit system comprising: an elongate passageway means, at least a portion of which underlies and is substantially parallel to a roadway, said passageway means defining running surfaces, said running surfaces having reaction surface means therein for providing vertical and overturning moment reaction components, said passageway communicating with ground level through a single elongate slot; running gear means positioned for movement within said passageway upon said running surfaces; strut means connected to and supported by said running gear means and extending upwardly through said slot into supportive engagement with a load carrying compartment means, the upwardly extending height of said strut positioning said compartment means a distance above ground level whereby pedestrian and vehicular traffic traversing said roadway at ground level and parallel to said passageway can pass underneath said compartment. 2. The mass transit system of claim 1 wherein said slot has a flexible closure positioned at the level of said roadway covering said slot in the absence of said strut. 3. The mass transit system of claim 1 wherein two or more of said passageways means each communicating with ground level through a single elongate slot intersect and include selective switching mechanism to permit said running gear means to transfer from one passageway means to another passageway means. 4. The mass transit system of claim 3 wherein said selective switching mechanism cormprises: at least two vertically separated, substantially horizontally extending guide surfaces, one of said guide surfaces following the path of one passageway means, and at least a second guide surface following the path of said other passageway means; vertically extensible and retractable follower means on said running gear means so arranged thereon as to be selectively positionable to follow one of said guide surfaces. 5. The mass transit system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of passenger loading platform means positioned at the level of said load-carrying compartment. 6. The mass transit system of claim 5 wherein said platform means comprises a pedestrian overpass means adapted to permit passage of pedestrians across said roadway. 7. The mass transit system of claim 6 further comprising movable platform sections retractable to permit passage of said compartment through said platform means. 8. The mass transit system of claim 1 wherein said running gear means comprises at least one support mechanism having a plurality of wheels adapted to engage said running surfaces. 9. The mass transit system of claim 1 wherein said running gear means comprises at least one ground effect support means. 10. A mass transit vehicle capable of being used in an elongate passageway means, at least a portion of which is substantially parallel to a roadway, said passageway means defining running surfaces, said running surfaces having reaction surface means therein for providing vertical and overturning moment reaction components, said passageway means communicating with ground level through a single elongate slot, said vehicle comprising: running gear means positioned for movement within said passageway means upon said running surfaces, strut means connected to and supported by said running gear means and extending upwardly Through said slot into supportive engagement with a load carrying compartment means, the upwardly extending height of said strut means positioning said compartment means a distance above ground level whereby pedestrian and vehicular traffic traversing said roadway at ground level and parallel to said passageway means can pass underneath said compartment means. 11. The mass transit vehicle of claim 10 wherein said running gear means comprises at least one support mechanism having a plurality of wheels adapted to engage said running surfaces. 12. The mass transit vehicle of claim 10 wherein said running gear means comprises at least one ground effect support means. 13. The mass transit vehicle of claim 10 wherein said running gear means comprises a pair of separate carriage elements separately pivotally articulated together and wherein said strut means comprises a pair of substantially vertical elements, each of said vertical elements extending upwardly from one of said carriage elements to said compartment means. 14. The mass transit vehicle of claim 10 further comprising: selectively positionable guide means on said running gear to selectively engage corresponding guide surfaces in said passageway means, said guide surfaces defining disparate paths so as to constrain said vehicle on one of said paths at intersections of two or more passageway means. 15. The mass transit vehicle of claim 14 wherein said guide means comprises: a vertically extensible and retractable guide member so arranged as to selectively engage one of at least two horizontally extending, stationary, vertically separated guide paths in said passageway means. 16. A strut for use in a mass transit system comprising an elongate passageway means communicating with ground level through two adjacent spaced surfaces defining a single elongate slot, said passageway means and said slot having curved sections, said curved sections of said slot defined by an inside curved surface and an outside curved surface each of said curved surfaces having a determinable radius of curvature, running gear means positioned for movement in said passageway means, and a load carrying compartment means, the strut comprising: a vertically elongate member connected to and supported by said running gear means and extending upwardly into supportive engagement with said load carrying compartment means, said member in the region of said slot having an outside and an inside exterior wall means defining in lateral cross section a compound curve on each side of said member, said curve of said outside wall means having a convex forward portion having a radius of curvature substantially equal to said determinable radius of curvature of said outside curved surface, a concave central portion and convex rearward portion having a radius of curvature substantially equal to said determinable radius of curvature of said outside curved surface, said curve of said inside wall means having convex forward and rearward, portions and a concave central portion having a radius of curvature substantially equal to said determinable radius of curvature of said inside curved surface. 17. The strut of claim 16 wherein the concave portion of said curve of said outside wall means has a radius of curvature substantially equal to said determinable radius of curvature of said inside curved surface and the convex portion of said curve of said inside wall means has a radius of curvature substantially equal to the determinable radius of curvature of said outside curved surface. |
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