U.S. patent application number 10/705122 was filed with the patent office on 2005-05-12 for mass transit system.
Invention is credited to Baugh, Benton F..
Application Number | 20050098058 10/705122 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34552285 |
Filed Date | 2005-05-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050098058 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Baugh, Benton F. |
May 12, 2005 |
Mass transit system
Abstract
A mass transit system providing for the exiting of a first
vehicle from a first lower track to the opposite side of a second
lower track without entering the space occupied by a second vehicle
traveling along the second lower track, comprising providing an
upper track suspended above the first track, providing for upper
wheels on the first vehicle which will engage the upper track at a
location where the upper track is suspended above the first lower
track, and curving upper third track upwards to a height such that
the first vehicle is above the space occupied by the second vehicle
traveling along the second lower track and curving the upper track
over the space occupied by the second vehicle traveling along the
second lower track.
Inventors: |
Baugh, Benton F.; (Houston,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Benton F. Baugh
14626 OAK Bend
Houston
TX
77079
US
|
Family ID: |
34552285 |
Appl. No.: |
10/705122 |
Filed: |
November 12, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
104/88.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B61B 13/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
104/088.01 |
International
Class: |
B61K 001/00 |
Claims
1. A method of providing for passenger transit from a first
location to a second location comprising: providing a vehicle,
providing a set of lower wheels on the lower side of said vehicle
for engaging a lower track below said vehicle, and providing a set
of upper wheels on the upper side of said vehicle for
intermittently engaging an upper track above said vehicle.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a lower
track to engage said lower wheels and an upper track to engage said
upper wheels.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising spacing said set of
upper wheels a first distance to allow said wheels to engage said
upper track and alternately spacing said upper wheels a second
distance to prevent engagement with said upper track.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising when said upper wheels
engage said upper track, curving a portion of said upper track and
raising said vehicle off said lower track when said vehicle travels
along said portion of said upper track.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising raising said vehicle
to a position such that the lower portion of said vehicle is higher
than the upper portion of a similar vehicle on said lower track
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising curving said upper
track to allow said vehicle to pass over said similar vehicle.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising curving said upper
track to allow said vehicle to pass over said similar vehicle is on
a different track at the same level as said lower track.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said similar vehicle on said
different track is traveling in the opposite direction as said
vehicle on said lower track was traveling.
9. The method of providing for the exiting of a first vehicle from
a first lower track to the opposite side of a second lower track
without entering the space occupied by a second vehicle traveling
along said second lower track, comprising providing an upper track
suspended above said first track, providing for upper wheels on
said first vehicle which will engage said upper track at a location
where said upper track is suspended above said first lower track,
and curving upper third track upwards to a height such that said
first vehicle is above the said space occupied by said second
vehicle traveling along said second lower track and curving said
upper track over said space occupied by said second vehicle
traveling along said second lower track.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising positioning said set
of upper wheels a first distance to allow said wheels to engage
said upper track and spacing said set of upper wheels apart a
second distance to prevent engagement with said upper track.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein said upper track curves upwardly
above said first track, curves to a position above said second
track, and curves down to allow said first vehicle to land on said
second track.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said second vehicle is
traveling in the opposite direction as said first vehicle is
traveling.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising positioning said
upper wheels between said first distance apart and said second
distance apart by electric motors.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising positioning said
upper wheels between said first distance apart and said second
distance apart by rotary screws.
15. The method of claim 10, further comprising positioning said
upper wheels between said first distance apart and said second
distance apart by cylinders.
16. A method of providing for switching a vehicle from a first
track to a second track comprising: providing a vehicle, providing
a first and a second upper track and a lower track, said first
upper track being above said lower track at a first location,
providing a set of lower wheels on the lower side of said vehicle
for engaging said lower track below said vehicle, providing a set
of upper wheels on the upper side of said vehicle for engaging said
upper tracks above said vehicle, positioning said first upper track
and said lower track at said first location a first distance apart
such that said vehicle can engage either said first upper or said
lower track, positioning said first and second upper tracks and
said lower pair of tracks at a second location a second distance
apart such that said vehicle can only engage one or the other of
said first upper track, said second upper or said lower track,
moving said lower track from below said first upper track to below
said second upper track, bringing said second upper track and said
second lower track said first distance apart so that said vehicle
can engage said second upper track.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said moving of said lower track
from below said first upper track to below said second upper track
is by curving of said lower track.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein said moving of said lower track
from below said first upper track to below said second upper track
is by curing said upper tracks.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein changing said the distance from
said upper tracks to said lower tracks is by raising said upper
tracks.
20. The method of claim 16 wherein changing said the distance from
said upper tracks to said lower tracks is by lowering said lower
tracks.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] N/A
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] N/A
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT
DISK
[0003] A CD of this system is attached, this CD has had public
disclosure for approximately 1 month prior to the filing of the
application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The field of this invention is that of mass transit systems
for moving people around in relatively congested areas. A variety
of methods for moving people around are currently being used and
proposed with varying virtues and disadvantages.
[0005] Automobiles are the most common form of transportation at
this time and accomplish the movement of a mass of people,
functionally one person at a time. It is relatively expensive in
terms of automotive costing, fuel costing, freeway construction,
and environmental pollution. A primary advantage is that of freedom
of movement. You don't have to go exactly where someone else wants
you to go, you have a variety of choices only limited by where
roads are built and the resultant traffic jams.
[0006] Trains and other surface rail trolleys were popularized in
the 19.sup.th century with a main feature that they did not require
a good road system. The tracks are relatively simple to install and
maintain when there is no infrastructure in place. A disadvantages
of these surface rail systems are that they are in the middle of
the traffic so they contribute to the traffic jams, they require a
substantial investment in real estate especially expansions in
existing infrastructure, are expensive to make alterations on, and
run relatively slowly. One transit system predicts that their new
proposed system will actually run at an average of 17 mph. The
market for surface rail transport was primarily eliminated by
busses in the first part of the last century, except for long
runs.
[0007] Busses provide much of the mobility of automobiles, but tend
to be relatively slow and hard to plan anything around except for
going directly to and from work, on someone else's schedule. They
tend to be diesel driven, and tend to contribute to the pollution
problem.
[0008] Mono-rail systems have had the most visual appeal for the
past several decades as they glide smoothly above the traffic. They
have been limited by the fact that monorails cannot typically
change tracks like trains because of the nature of the engagement
of the monorail with the track. A monorail functionally goes back
and forth or round and round on same track.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The object of this invention is to provide a mass
transportation system which will not block automotive traffic
during operations.
[0010] A second object of the present invention is to provide
system which will not require the purchase of significant amounts
of land when installing in an existing area.
[0011] A third object of the present invention is to provide a
system which can be installed in night times without interfering
with regular traffic during the day time.
[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
system which will allow parallel tracks to run into and out of a
city with exits from both of the tracks to a common convenient side
without one direction of traffic crossing the opposite direction of
traffic.
[0013] Another object of this invention is to provide vehicles
which have powered wheels on the top and bottom sides such that the
wheels on the top side can engage a first track and the wheels on
the bottom side can engage a second track.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 Is a cross section thru a freeway with the transit
system installed over one of the feeder roads.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a view of a substation of this invention including
several operational components. FIG. 2A is a top view and FIG. 2B
is a side view.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a closer view of the substation showing how a
vehicle will exit a track. FIG. 3A is a top view and FIG. 3B is a
side view.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a closer view of a portion of the substation
showing a vehicle at the loading and unloading platform. FIG. 4A is
a top view and FIG. 4B is a side view.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a section of the substation showing how the
vehicle can switch from an outbound line to an inbound line, or the
reverse. FIG. 5A is a top view and FIG. 5B is a side view.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a section of the substation showing a vehicle
reentering the straight thru track system. FIG. 6A is a top view
and FIG. 6B is a side view.
[0020] FIG. 7 is a cross section from FIG. 2 showing a vehicle
going each way with an automobile below going each way.
[0021] FIG. 8 is a cross section view from FIG. 2 showing the
vehicles at the area where the upper track starts.
[0022] FIG. 9 is a cross section view from FIG. 2 showing that one
vehicle is rising above the level of the top of either of the
vehicles when on the lower track.
[0023] FIG. 10 is a cross section view from FIG. 2 showing that one
of the vehicles has reached the highest position and an
intermediate structural member is added.
[0024] FIG. 11 is a cross section view from FIG. 2 showing the
vehicle which has risen up with the upper track is starting to move
off to the left on the page.
[0025] FIG. 12 is a cross section view from FIG. 2 showing the
structural portion is moving off to the left over other traffic or
other areas.
[0026] FIG. 13 is a cross section view from FIG. 2 showing the
vehicles have stopped in the area of loading and offloading
platforms.
[0027] FIG. 14 is a cross section view from FIG. 2 showing one of
the vehicles in an area on lower track that is moving between the
left position and the right position in order to change from the
outboard track to the inboard track.
[0028] FIG. 15 is an external view of a vehicle of this invention
showing that it is symmetrical to travel in either direction.
[0029] FIG. 16 is a cross section view of a vehicle showing
seating, upper wheels and lower wheels.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a cross section of the transit system 1 across
a freeway 2 with an incoming feeder 3 and an outgoing feeder 4. An
arch type construction 5 bridges the incoming feeder 3 and supports
tracks 6. Exit path 7 of outbound car 8 when it is lifted off the
track and delivered to a feeder station. Exit path 9 for inbound
car 10 shows that car 10 will also be picked up off the tracks 6,
but not necessarily as high. It is important to understand that the
path 7 of car 8 moves high enough and around the travel of the
inbound car 10 to allow the exiting outbound car 8 to slow while
exiting without concern about being hit by inbound car 10.
[0031] FIG. 2 shows the basic components of this invention in what
is called a substation 11, having cars or vehicles shown at 12, 14,
16, and 18 and automobiles shown at 20 and 22. An exit portion is
shown at 30, a loading and unloading portion is shown at 32, a
switching portion is shown at 34 and a reentering section is shown
at 36. The system uses two tracks for a vehicle, with tracks going
out from the center of the city being shown at 40 and the tracks
returning to the city being shown at 42. Tracks shown at 44, 46,
48, and 50 are a single straight set of tracks which vehicles will
run down one way or the other without interruption if they are not
exiting at a station.
[0032] Referring now to FIG. 3, road for normal automotive traffic
is shown at 60, lower tracks for lower side support for the
vehicles of this invention are provided at 62, and upper tracks for
the upper side support of vehicles of this invention are shown at
64. As will be discussed later, as the vehicles approach the
starting 70 of the upper tracks 64, they will continue to travel
down tracks 62 unless upper wheels are set to engage the tracks 64.
If the upper wheels are set to engage track 64, the vehicle will
engage tracks 64 and travel up to a higher elevation. If an
extended bridge is required, conventional structural technology can
be employed to design for bridging members as shown at 72.
[0033] Referring now to FIG. 4, the vehicle 14 has stopped at
platforms 80 to load or unload passengers. In like manner platform
82 can be utilized by a vehicle on the other set of tracks.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 5, upper tracks 64 at location 90 are
at the distance from lower tracks at 92 which allow the vehicle 16
to elect to engage upper tracks 64 at 90 or release and be fully
supported by tracks 92. We can presume at this time that vehicle 16
has been fully supported by lower tracks at 92. At location 94 the
upper tracks have moved up such that the upper tracks are higher
than the top of the vehicle 16. This allows the lower tracks at
location 96 to curve from below one set of upper tracks to under
the other set of upper tracks. When the lower tracks 92 rise up
slightly at 98, the vehicle 16 can engage the other upper tracks at
100 from the one which it was under at location 94. In this way the
vehicle can switch from one track to the other in order to switch
from out of the city direction to into the city direction.
[0035] Referring now to FIG. 6, the vehicle 18 is traveling down
upper track 110 to land on the lower track at 120 to continue the
trip.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 7, a section of the system is taken at
"7-7" on FIG. 2 showing a track in a first direction on pipes 130
and 132 and a track in the opposite direction on pipes 134 and 136.
Electrical power is delivered to the vehicles thru wires
illustrated at 138. Wheels 140 are supported on the tracks such at
on 130. Such wheel are likely to have electric motors in the hubs
of the wheels to conserve space. Upper wheels as shown at 142 will
also be powered by electric motors and will engage the upper tracks
as will be seen. Mechanism at 144 is a screw or cylinder to move
wheel 142 toward or away from engagement with the upper tracks as
will be seen. Wheels at 142 and 144 are moved to a close position
for engagement with the upper track. Wheels at 146 and 148 are at a
spaced apart position so as to not engage the upper track.
[0037] Referring now to FIG. 8, a section of the system is taken at
"8-8" on FIG. 2 showing that the vehicles are in the area of the
start of the upper tracks and wheels 142 and 144 on vehicle 149
have engaged pipes 150 and 152 of the upper track 64. Wheels 146
and 148 on vehicle 153 are shown to not engage the pipes 154 and
156 of the upper track on that side. Structure 158 is added to
support the upper tracks.
[0038] Referring now to FIG. 9, a section of the system is taken at
"9-9" on FIG. 2 showing the vehicle 149 has been lifted by the
upper tracks whereas the vehicle 153 has not been raised.
[0039] Referring now to FIG. 10, a section of the system is taken
at "10-10" on FIG. 2 showing that the vehicle has achieved the full
height needed and middle structural member 160 is added.
[0040] Referring now to FIG. 11, a section of the system is taken
at "11-11" on FIG. 2 showing that the structure 170 is moving the
vehicle off to the left.
[0041] Referring now to FIG. 12, a section of the system is taken
at "12-12" on FIG. 1 showing that vehicle 149 is still being moved
off to the left with structural portion 180.
[0042] Referring now to FIG. 13, a section of the system is taken
at "13-13" on FIG. 2 showing that structure 190 supports upper
tracks 192 and 194 which support vehicles 196 and 198 at platforms
82 and 80 for the loading and unloading of passengers. Escalators
200 and 202 provide for easy access of passengers to the loading
and unloading level. Elevators will probably be provided for
unrestricted access by all.
[0043] Referring now to FIG. 14, a section of the system is taken
at "14-14" on FIG. 1 showing that the vehicle 210 is being switched
from below one upper track 212 to below the other upper track 214
on pipes 216 and 218.
[0044] Referring now to FIG. 15, a view of a vehicle of this
invention is shown illustrating that it will be symmetrical from
the front to the rear so that it can travel equally well in either
direction.
[0045] Referring now to FIG. 16, a section of the vehicle of this
invention is shown showing lower wheels at 230 and 232 for
engagement of the lower tracks. Upper wheels at 234 and 236 are set
to engage the upper tracks and are supported by structures at 238
and 240 respectively. Wheels at 230, 232, 234 and 236 are all
individually powered electrically so that the vehicle can smoothly
move from traveling along a lower track to traveling along an upper
track.
[0046] The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative
only, as the invention may be modified and practiced in different
but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having
the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations
are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown,
other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore
evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be
altered or modified and all such variations are considered within
the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the protection
sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.
* * * * *