Urban ground level chair conveyor

The subject of this patent application for an industrial invention is a surface chairlift for urban areas.

This device has been conceived in an attempt to solve the traffic problems in large urban areas where, as is well known, the problem of traffic and the consequent difficulties encountered when moving around are becoming progressively more allarming as time goes by.

Current private means of transport are no longer able to play a satisfactory role in the transportation of things and persons from one area of a city to another in that the time required, even for comparatively short distances, has become extremely long due to the considerable extent of traffic congestion.

As far as public transport is concerned, in addition to encountering the same drawback, it is further penalised by a rigid conformity to the traffic flow conditions and service schedules, by route limitations in the case of areas where space is limited, and, similarly, by the inconvenience resulting from the distance between one stop and another which all too often compels the passenger to cover long distances on foot in order to reach the stop.

It should also be said that the overwhelming majority of the current means of surface transport, whether public or private, are equipped with explosion engines and therefore create a level of noise that is, at times, almost unbearable, not to mention a considerable level of air pollution capable of seriously endangering the health of pedestrians and the state of preservation of buildings and monuments.

From this point of view, the introduction of underground systems was thought to be the answer to the majority of the problems just described; in practice, however, the latter means of transport is not very widely used due to the fact that its application is seriously limited due, on the one hand, to the extremely high costs that justify its installation only in very large, crowded cities, and on the other hand, to the difficulties involved in setting up routes in difficult geological circumstances or in cities of archeological interest.

Although producing significant results from the point of view of efficiency and comfort and also on the economic/financial level, the recent attempts to improve traffic planning in large cities, to change peoples' habits or to rationalize or renew the means of transport currently in use, have not, however, substantially modified the conditions of urban mobility.

The ineffectiveness of these measures leads to the conclusion that the main causes of difficulty arise from the inadequacy of the systems used, especially with regard to transport requirements over short and medium distances in urban areas.

The system described in this patent application, in addition to fulfilling the functions of currently known systems introduces, as will be seen in the description that follows, substantial innovations that eliminate the abovementioned problems and can be used for the transportation of persons or things not only in a purely urban environment but in any space, covered or in the open air, where, whatever the distance to be covered, it is necessary or useful to move persons or things. This new urban chairlift can therefore be seen to be suitable for integration with the various current means of transportation and, in some specific circumstances, for substituting them altogether.

The invention in question consists of a series of carriages guided within tracks intended for this purpose sunk into the town paving.

The carriages, whether positioned singly or in groups, are equipped with a mechanical connector that, by means of a vertical rod, allows a fixed rest to be attached to the carriages; said rest may take the form of a seat, either single or multiple, if intended for the transportation of persons, or any other form if intended for the transportation of goods.

Said rest is located above the surface at a suitable height above ground level, while the carriage or groups thereof can be located completely under the ground, inserted into a channelling and guiding rail created for the purpose.

The movement of each unit, whether single or multiple, can be provided by any means of propulsion, such as one or more suitably positioned motors (their position can be chosen according to the logistics of the situation) using a moving cable or belt.

Said cable or belt follows a closed circuit through the chosen sequence of stations; appropriately studied systems of idle or motorised pulleys guide the belt or cable at every turn and along the long, straight tracts.

Inversion systems positioned at the two ends of the plant (terminal) reverse the direction of movement of the vehicles.

Along the whole route a rail provided for the purpose, normally situated under the ground, guides and protects the carriages; a continuous opening on its upper side permits the passage of the rods upon which the rests are mounted.

Rainwater and any foreign bodies that may get into the hollow of the rail can be directed into points of accumulation by means of channels studied for the purpose.

The working dynamics of the plant may vary according to the specific type of application.

In particular, the carriages may be attached rigidly to the cable: in this case a continuous structure would result with carriages moving at a constant pace, all reaching the points designated as stations simultaneously.

When the carriages reach the stations, depending on the specific circumstances, the whole line may either slow down or stop in order for the passengers to change.

As an alternative to the type of movement described above, the cable or belt may be constantly moving with the carriages in idle position at their points of departure, in other words at a standstill at the stations; when required for use , by means of a manual or automatic control mechanism, a device studied for the purpose creates a firm connection between the carriage in question and the moving cable or belt. If, in this second system of movement, a stationary unit is encountered that is not about to depart, it can be put into motion by means of an automatic remote control device.

The latter problem can be avoided if the stationary unit is diverted from the route by means of devices studied for the purpose, only being put onto the passage of transit when required for use.

In any case, whichever system of movement is chosen, suitable sensors, opportunely positioned, can signal dangerous situations or partially or completely halt the plant.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention a rack and sprocket system could be used for putting the carriages into motion without altering any of the other premises.

From this general description the advantages that this new system could bring are easy to to understand, advantages above all related to the limited amount of space required and the limited disturbance to the surrounding environment from the esthetic point of view, with the capillarity of the service provided and its ability to adapt to the logistic difficulties of a city centre, with its modularity due, in particular, to the possibility of adding or removing vehicles along the line according to the traffic requirements, without disturbing the fixed structure that guides and drives the system.

For greater clarity of explanation, the description of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawing reproduced for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, wherein:

• - fig.1 is a section of a guide rail demonstrating the structure of a transporting carriage, in this case equipped with a seat for the transportation of a person, in the cable-driven version;
• - fig.2 is a side view of the same carriage as fig.1;
• - fig.3 is the section of a guide rail, demonstrating the structure of the transporting carriage, in this case equipped with a surface for carrying goods, in the belt-driven version.

With reference to figs. 1 and 2 , the transportation system according to the invention has, as its moving unit, a carriage (1) that runs through a rail (2) created for this purpose and made out of reinforced concrete or a similar material, set below the level of the ground and bearing a continuous opening (2a) along the centre of its upper side extending for the entire length of said rail(2). Each of the carriages (1) employed has an elongated form and is equipped, at its two longitudinal ends, with a set of supporting and guiding rollers (3), each set being composed of four separate rollers suitably positioned at the four different corners so as to to be in contact with the tracks provided inside the aforementioned rail (2).

From the top of each carriage (1), at the front, a vertical rod (4) protrudes, emerging from the ground above the rail (2) by means of the continuous central opening (2a) thereof; at the upper end of said rod (4) there must in fact be fixed either a seat for a passenger (A) or a carrying surface (B) for the transportation of goods.

On the underside of the carriage (1) there is a second vertical rod (5),smaller in size, its purpose being to carry a device suitable for attachment to the moving cable (11) that runs along the bottom of the rail (2); while on the upper side of said carriage (1) there is a stabilising roller (6) placed horizontally and threaded onto the lower end of the upper vertical rod (4), its purpose being to lend stability to the actual carriage (1) when in motion; said roller (6) works in conjunction with two small projections (2b) positioned laterally below the continuous opening (2a) of the rail (2), running between them as the carriage (1) advances.

Fig. 3, on the other hand, illustrates the version of the invention equipped with a moving belt where, by means of the rollers (6), the carriage (1) runs inside a box-like metal guide (7), in turn contained within a conduit (8) situated below the level _'of the ground.

On the bottom of the interior of said box-like metal guide (7) runs a moving belt (9) to which the carriage (1) is attached by means of a plate (10), the latter being either permanently fixed to said belt (9) or attachable thereto by means of friction clutches.

It is clear that using the same construction technique and with adaptations that are obvious to any technician in the sector, it is possible to make multiple carriages, thus creating a series of seats or surfaces for carrying goods that move along the line in a solid block.