CA1064324A - Rapid transit system - Google Patents

Abstract

TITLE
RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An enclosed roadway supported by a superstructure forms an endless transit loop on which vehicles are pro-pelled for the mass transportation of passengers between selected stations in the transit loop. A stabilizing system maintains the vehicles on the roadway and includes a stabilizing track having recessed portions that are supported above and at opposite sides of the roadway. A
circumferential bumper surrounds each vehicle and is posi-tioned within the recessed portions of the stabilizing track.
Braking apparatus mounted on the bumper are operable to frictionally engage the recessed portions of the stabil-izing track to slow and stop the vehicle on the roadway.
Traction motors mounted on the front and rearward end portions of each vehicle include drive shafts that support driven wheels on the upper surface of the stabilizing track for propelling the vehicle along the roadway. A guidance system controls movement of the vehicles on the roadway and includes a pair of spaced parallel guide rails positioned on the roadway and a guideway positioned in parallel rela-tion between the guide rails on the roadway. Guide plates extend downwardly from the body portion of each vehicle into a recessed portion of the guideway to maintain guide wheels of each vehicle in contact with the guide rails. An additional feature includes a plurality of endless transit loops that radiate outwardly from a main terminal to provide transportation by the vehicles in a plurality of directions to and from the main terminal.

Description

- BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention - This invention relates to a rapid transit system and more particularly to a rapid transit syqtem for the mass transportation of passengers by the continuous movement of vehicles upon rails of an exclusive roadway that forms an endless transit loop.

2. Description of the Prior Art Modern mass transit systems are well known in the art and are characterized by the automatic or attended oper-~ ation of vehicles either singly or in multiple vehicle trains - on an exclusive roadway in the form of a continuous loop having stations for passenger boarding and departing located at selected points in the loop. The roadway may comprise either single or double track sections elevated or located at grade level. The track ~ections may be ~upported by steel guide beams on concrete slabs for steering the vehicle on the roadway. The vehicles or multi-vehicle trains may be pro-pelled by power rails or inductive wires feeding electric curxent to the electric motors of the vehicles. The transit systems generally include a guidance sy~tem which ~erves to maintain stability of the vehicles as they move from station to station on the exclusive roadway in the continuous loop.
' Fully automated transit system~, such as the rapid i~ transit system built by the San Franci~co Bay Area Rapid `~ Transit District (BARTD) and the Experimental Transit Express-~ way erected by Westinghouse Company in Allegheny County, :j .
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Pennsylvania, operate vehicles singly or in multiple-vehicle trainR at preselected intervalQ unidirectionally over an exclusive roadway. The experimental Transit Express-way is disclosed in The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, publication no. 67-WA/BHF-8, entitled An Evalu-ation of an Automated Mass Transit System in which rubber tired vehicles ride on concrete track slabs and are steered through vehicle guidance systems that follow a steel guide beam centered down the track of the roadway. Vehicle current 10 collectors pick up power from energized rails located ad-jacent the track slab. Intelligence i8 conveyed to and from the vehicles by conductor wires laid along the inside of the track slab. With this arrangement the operation of the en-` tire system i8 monitored and controlled remotely from a control center through electrical equipment located at the .; .
s respective stations along the roadway and aboard the vehicles.
A built-in system of checks and interlocks operate to con--~ tinuously monitor the system operation to detect malfunctions or failures in equipment. In the event of a malfunction or i 20 failure in equipment, all the vehicles are brought to a halt ., by an emergency stop procedure. Nevertheless, in the event a vehicle becomes disabled on the roadway, it is necessary to place operators on board to recover the vehicle.
United States Patent 3,403,634 illustrates and deQcribes an automatic transportation system having vehicles remotely controlled for effecting vehicle traffic between stations. This ~ystem includes a closed main loop arrange-ment wlth the vehiclss traveling at a sub~itantially unifors '' ' ' -- .. : . - .............. . - . . . . . ~ - -'.~: .. ' : : - . -.. , ' ' ' - ' - ,::' ,. : . . .

' 10643Z4 speed and automatically switched to and from preselected stations located on spur loops so that the traffic on the main loop i8 undisturbed. The enclosed loop comprises a stationary tubular elongated endless conduit that is adapted to be supported adjacent present transportation facilities.
Vehicles run bumper to bumper in the closed loop at a gener-ally high rate of speed with a minimum of space between the vehicles as determined by the demand placed upon the system.
A car or vehicle may enter the main loop from a spur loop.
A pair of longitudinal rails extend through the closed loop and include a C-shaped cross section. Rubber tired wheels of the vehicle~ engage the C-shaped rails. Rotation of the wheels through a drive means propels the vehicles on the tracks within the enclosed conduit loop. The drive mechanism compriqes a squirrel cage induction motor having stator wind-ings employed along the track and continuously excited by current therethrough to generate a magnetic wave which actu-ates a rotor of the motor placed on the vehicle to rotate the tires through the axle and provide constant thrust to the vehicles.
~; There is need for the mass transportation of passen-gers by vehicles that operate over an exclusive roadway in the ~` form of a continuous loop. While it has been suggested to provide elaborate fully automated mass transit systems, the safeguard~ required for such a ~ystem render the system com-~ercially unfeasible. Thus a mass tran~it system is needed ., .
!'~ that satisfies the problems presented by modern urban-~uburban commutation in a safe and efficient manner but economically ~' feasible.
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106~3Z4 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
_ In accordance with the present invention there is provided a rapid transit system for the mass transportation of passenyers on a roadway that is supported by a super-structure at grade level and at elevations above grade level.
A plurality of vehicles for transporting passengers to selected points on the roadway is supported for movement on the roadway. The vehicles are each supported for movement on the roadway and have a body portion with a lateral por-tion being secured to the body portion and extending around the body portion. A stabilizing system secured to the super-structure and positioned above the roadway maintains the ` vehicles on the roadway by movably supporting the lateral -portion of the body portion of each of the ~ehicles. A
guidance means is provided and includes a guide plate secured to and extending downwardly from the vehicle body portion. A recessed means i5 mounted on the roadway and ` receives the guide plate for controlling movement of the vehicles on the roadway. Each vehicle is provided with propelling mechanisms that have means for engaging the .1 ', .``& - - ~

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stabilizing system and are operable to generate movement of each of the vehicles on the roadway. Each vehicle is provided with a braking apparatus that is operable to move into and out of frictional engagement with a portion of the stabilizing means to control the rate of movement of the vehicle on the roadway.
The roadway is surrounded by an enclosure to pro-tect the vehicles against the effects of weather and the entrance of obstructions upon the roadway. A plurality of enclosed roadways may be arranged to transit loops that radi-ate outwardly from a main terminal in selected directions to direct vehicle traffic between selected points in each transit loop to and from the main terminal. A rotatable section of the roadway located at the main terminal for each transit loop permits a change of direction of the vehicles on the roadway so that the vehicles may be directed away from the main terminal to complete another circuit of the translt loop.

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Each vehicle iR maintained on the roadway by the stabilizing system that includes a pair of parallel stabil-izing tracks that are supported by the superstructure at a preselected height above the roadway. The stabilizing tracks include recess portions that receive a circumferential bumper that surrounds each vehicle and extends horizontally above the roadway. Roller members may be secured to the lower portion of the track recesqes or on the bumper to support the bumpe~ within the track recess to permit movement of the vehicles on the roadway. The guidance sy~tem for controlling - movement of the vehicles on the roadway includes a pair of spaced parallel rails that are supported on the roadway.
- Guide wheel~ extend downwardly from the vehicles and are rotatably positioned on the upper surface of the guide tracks.
The guide wheel~ are maintained in contact with the guide rails by guide plates that extend downwardly from the vehicle between the guide wheels and are retained within a guideway that is secured to the roadwa~ and positioned in parallel relation between the guide rails. With tnis arrangement, the -- 20 vehicle i8 securely retained on the roadway.

The vehicles are advanced on the roadway by oper-. .~, ; ation of electric motors that are mounted at the front and :.
rearward portions of the vehicles. Drive shafts extend out-wardly from the electric motors, and wheels ars nonrotatably secured to the drive ~hafts and engage the upper surface of the stabilizing tracks. Electric power is supplied from an overhead inductive wire to the electric motors to rotate the drive shafts and wh~els and thereby propel the wheels on the ~urface of the stabilizing tracks and advance the vehicle~
over the roadway.
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Accordingly the principle object of the present invention i~ to provide a rapid transit sy~tem for the mass transportation of passengers on a roadway that i~ constructed in an endless enclosed loop arou~ which vehicle~ are pro-pelled for transporting passengers between selected points of the transit loop.
Another object of the pre~ent invention is to pro-vide a rapid transit system that transports passengers between stations of an enclosed endless transit loop in self-propelled vehicles that are maintained on the roadway of the transit loop by a stabilizing track with the direction of travel con-trolled by a guidance system.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a rapid transit system that is economically feasible and efficiently operated to move passengers on an excluBive roadway in self-propelled vehicles that travel in an endless transit loop on the roadway.
These and other objects of this invention will be more completely disclosed and described in the following specification, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a prospective view of a self-propelled vehicle positioned on an enclosed roadway for travel between stations of a transit loop.
Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the transit system, illustrating a vehicle positioned on the roadway that is elevated above grade by a superstructure.

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Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the roadway partially in section, illustrating the front end of one . vehicle and the rearward end of another vehicle with the vehicles traveling in parallel relation on the track~ of the roadway within the transit loop. ~-Figure 4 is a top plan view of the enclosed loop of the rapid transit system, illustrating the ~tations located at selected points in the loop for the boarding and departing of passengers to and from the vehicle~ that circulate around the loop.
Figure S is a front view of a vehicle positioned . on the roadway in a station of the enclosed transit loop to permit the boarding and departure of passengers to and from the vehicle. .
Figure 6 i~ an enlarged fragmentary view of the : front end portion of the vehicle illustrating the braking ;~ apparatus for stopping the vehicle in the transit loop.
,~ Figure 7 is a schematic representation of a plur-ality of tran~it loops radiating outwardly from a main term-~ 20 inal for the mas~ transportation of passengers to and from ;- the main termlnal with trunk loops interconnecting the main .~ .
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Figure 8 i~ an enlarged fragmentary view of a rotatable section of the roadway for each transit loop as shown in Figure 7, illu~trating the direction of rotation of the rotatable section to rever6e the direction of travel of . the vehicles in the loop.

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Figure 9 is a perspective view of the rotatable roadway section illustrated in Figure 8.
Figure 10 i8 a fragmentary top plan view, illus-trating the rotatable roadway ~ection shown in Figure 9.
Figure 11 is a top plan view of the braking appar-atus provided on the roadway for slowing the vehicles as they approach a ~tation.
Figure 12 i8 an enlarged fragmentary view in ~ide elevation of another embodiment of the braking apparatus pro-vided on each vehicle, illustrating an actuator for engagingthe brake shoe with the roadway guide track for stopping the vehicle on the roadway.
Figure 13 i~ a top plan view of the braking appar-atus shown in Figure 12, illustrating a braking shoe pivotally ` connected to the vehicle for engagement with the guide track of the roadway.
Figure 14 i8 a top plan schematic view of a ~hunt-ing track located at a station for diverting vehicle traffic to and from the main roadway through the station.

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~` 20 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODI~ENTS

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figure~ 1-4, thexe is illustrated a ma~s tran~it system generally designated by the numeral 10 for the rapid movement of passengers within an enclosed transit loop 12 between sta tions 14 located at preselected points in the loop 12. The enclosed transit loop 12 includes an exclusive right-of-way :........................................................................ :
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represented by a roadway 16 upon which a plurality of vehicles 18 are self-propelled to and from the station~ 14. The vehicle~ 18 are guided on the roadway 16 by a guidance system generally designated by the numeral 20 and are maintained on the roadway 16 by a stabilizing system generally designated by the numeral 22. The vehicle~ 18 are advanced on the roadway 16 by propelling mechanisms generally designated by the numeral 24. The propelling mechanisms are mounted at the front and rearward end portions of the vehicles 18 and engage the top surface of the stabilizing ~ystem of the roadway 16.
In thi~ manner forward movement of the vehicles 18 is accom-plished so that the vehicles may be advanced from station to : station on the enclosed transit loop 12 of the transit sy~tem ~ illustrated in Figure 4.
.~ The enclosed loop 12 of the transit ~ystem 10 may :~ include a pair of spaced parallel roadways separated from one another as ~lluctrated in Figure 3. Each of the roadways 16 includes the guidance system 20 having a pair of spaced paral-: lel tracks 26 and 28 that are supported by horizontally posi-tioned I-beams 30. The beams 30 are supported by a steel superstructure generally designated by the numeral 32 and illustrated in Figure 2. The steel superstructure 32 supports the roadway 16 at grade or elevated above grade as illustrated :: in Figure 1. The steel superstructure 32 includes a plurality of pedestals 34 that are anchored in the ground and a rectangu-lar ~teel column 36 supported and secured to each of the pedes-tal~ 34. Columns 36~ in turn, ~upport the I-beams 30.
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~0643Z4 A guideway 40 of the guidance sy6tem 20 i~ 5Up-ported by an I-beam 30 in parallel relation between the guide tracks 26 and 28. The guideway 40 has a recess 42 in which i8 positioned the lower expanded portions of guide plate~ 44 that are resilient1y secured by spring mechanisms 43 and shock ab-sorbers 45 to the body portion of the vehicle 18.
. The spring mechanisms 43 include a pivotal con-; nection 47 between the body portion of the vehicle and the guide plate 44. A horizontal member 49 i~ connected to pivot :
47, and a spring member 51 i~ secured at one end portion to member 49 and at the other end to the bottom of the vehicle.
The spring 51 exerts an upward force upon member 49 to main-tain the guide plate 44 within the guideway reces3 42. Al~o, exten3ion of spring 51 permits the guide plate 44 to pivot rearwardly above the connection 47. The vehicle 18 is sup-:~ ported by guide wheel~ 46 upon the upper ~urface of guide track~ 26 and 28. With this arrangement the vehicles 18 are stabilized for high speed travel on the roadway 16.
As illustrated in Figure 3, the roadway 16 in-: 20 cludes sidewall~ 48 that extend upwardly from the I-beams 30 ;~ and have horizontal upper ~urfacee upon which is positioned the stabilizing ~y~tem 22 for maintaining the vehicles 18 on :~ the roadway 16. The stabilizing system 22 include~ a C-shaped ~tabilizing track 50 having parallel horizontal reces~es 52 that are po~itioned at a pre~elected height above the roadway :i 16. A circumferential bumper 54 extendB around and is secured to the body portion of the vehicle~ 18 by shock ab~orber~ 55.

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,. . - ,: : : . : -iO643Z4 The lateral edge portions of the bumper 54 are positioned within the track reces~es 52 and rest upon rollers 58 that are sec~red to the lower horizontal ~urface of the stabilizing tracks 50. With thi~ arrangement the vehicle~ 18 are stabil-ized as they are propelled along the roadway 16 and at the respective fitation~ for pas~enger boarding and departing. In another embodiment, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 12, the ~ -roller~ 58 are secured to the lower ~urface of the bumper 54 for rotation on the lower horizontal surface of the stabiliz-ing track 50 a~ the vehicles 18 are propelled along the road-way 16.
- As illustrated in Figures 1-3, the vehicles 18 .: .
. : are advanced on roadway 16 by operation of the propelling mechanism 24 that i~ provided on each of the vehicles. The propelling mechanism includes front and rear trsction motors 60 and 62 that are supported above the bumper 54 and project . .
~r~. outwardly from the end portions of the vehicle. The traction -~ motors 60 and 62 preferably are electric motors having drive shafts 64 and 66 that are rotated by the motors and have at `.: 20 their end portione nonrotatably secured thereto rubber tired wheels 68 and 70. The drive shaft~ 64 and 66 are ~upported on the vehicle body portion by shock absorbers 56.
Electric power is ~upplied to the traction motors 60 and 62 by an inductive wire 74 that extends above the road-way lfi within an enclosure 76 that ~urrounds the upper portion . .
~ of the roadway 16. The enclosure 76 extend~ upwardly from the ~ stabilizing traok 50 and has curved ~ide portions that conform ,~ ' ., , ~ . .
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. ,. : , . ~ , ~ - - . - . : -to the configuration of the vehicles 18. The enclosure 76 may be fabricated from a ~uitable material, ~uch as plex~glass and steel. The enclosure 76 functions to enclose the roadway 16 to prevent collection of debris thereon and permit termperature control within the enclosed transit loop 12. The inductive wire 74 extend~ the length of the transit loop 12 and a suit-able electrical connection 78 provided on each vehicle remains in contac~ with the wire 74 to provide current flow from the wire to the traction motors 60 and 62. Also electrical power 0 iB supplied to the vehicles from the inductive wire 74 for the purpose of opening and closing doors, providing light, air-conditioning and operating the other electrical e~uipment on each vehicle.
A~ illustrated in Figure~ 4 and 5, the roadway 16 of the enclosed transit loop 12 passes through the stations 14 where pa~sengers board and depart the vehicles~ Platforms 80 and 82 are po~itioned above the roadway 16 in each station 14 and extend adjacent to the ~tabilizing track 50 to permlt boarding and departure of the passengers to and from the vehicles. A braking mechanism generally de~ignated by the numeral 84 is provided on the stabilizing track 50 in each tation 14 to effect ~topping of the vehicles on the roadway 16 at each station.
The braking mechanism 84 illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 includes a braklng 8hoe or bar 90 that is pivotally connected at one end portion to the ~tabilizing track 50 within a recess 52. The Gpposite end portion of the braking ., ~

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; 10643Z4 bar 90 i~ connected to an actuator device 92. Operation of the actuator device 92 urges the braking bar to pivot about its connection to the stabilizing track 50 ~o that the end portion of the braking bar extends into the path of the vehicle to ob~truct the movement of the vehicle as it approaches the station 14. In thi~ manner the vehicle is slowed and eventually brought to a 8top at the station.
Not only may the stabilizing track 50 be provided with a braking mechanism at each station 14 but additional braking mechani~ms 84 may be located at selected points along the roadway 16 for slowing and ~topping the vehicle~ as illu8-trated in Figure 11. The braking mechani~m 84 illustrated in Figure 11 includes a braking shoe or bar 90 that is pivotally connected at one end portion to the ~tabilizing track 50 with-in a recess 52. The opposite end portion of the braking bar ~:
90 i8 connected to an actuator device 92. Thus, operation of the actuator device 92 pivots the braking shoe 90 about its connection to the stabilizing track 50 to urge the braking ~hoe 90 into the path of the approaching vehicle to engage the body portion of the vehicle, epecifically the bumper 54, to slow and stop the vehicle on the roadway 16. In this man-ner, the speed of the vehicle3 may be controlied on grade portion6 of the roadway 16 and approachee to the etatione 14.
In accordance with the enbodiment of the preeent invention illu~trsted in Figure 7, a plurality of enclo~ed traneit loop~ 12 comprieing the roadway~ 16 radiate outwardly in selected directions from a main terminal 94. With this .i,l ~, .
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arrangement, the tran~it loops 12 permit continuous movement of the vehicle 18 on the respective roadways 16 to and from the main terminal 94. The transit loops 12 may be inter-connected by trunk lines 96 to permit transportation of passenge~s be~ween ~tations in transit loops 12. A plur-ality of ~ubstations (not shown) may be provided in each of the enclosed transit loops 12 for the boarding and departing of passengers at selected points in the loops 12. Each sub-station may be interconnected to accommodate transportation ~ :
between substations or transportation between substations and the main terminal 94 and substations in the trunk lines 96.
Once the vehicles 18 have completed a run on oneof the transit loops 12, illustrated in Figure 7, and they return to the main terminal-94, a rotatable mechanism gener-ally de~ignated by the numeral 98 and illustrated in Figures 8-10 is provided for each transit loop at the terminal 94 for changing direction of the vehicles on the roadway 16 within the main terminal 94. The rotatable mechanism 98 may also be located at intermediate points of a transit loop 12 for short runs to and from the main terminal. The rotatable mechanism 98 includes a section 102 of the guidance system 20 having pairs of guide tracks 26 and 28 and guideways 40 for traffic movement in opposite directions on the roadway 16 and a sec-tion of the stabilizing track 50 extending upwardly from the guidance system 20. The center section of the stabilizing track 50 is shown in phantom in Figure 9 for purpo~e6 of illustration. The rotatable section 102 is supported for ' 1 . ....
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,. , . . . . . , , . , . . -rotation on the super~tructure 32 by a drive shaft 104 that i8 drivingly connected to a motor 106. In opera-tion, when a vehicle 18 has returned to the main terminal 94 and brought to a stop by operation of the braking mechanism 84, the rotatable ~ection 102 i8 rotated through an angle of laO in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 8 to realign the section 102 with the roadway guidance system 20. The vehicle may then proceed in the opposite direction on the roadway 16 to complete another . 10 run on the tran~it loop 12.
In addition to the braking mechanism 84 illus-trated in Figures 5, 6 and 11 that is provided within the recesse~ 52 of the stabilizing track 50, each vehicle is provided with a braking mechanism generally designated by the numeral 108 and illustrated in the Figures 12 and 13.
The braking mechanism 108 includes a brake shoe 110 that is :
. pivotally connected at one end to the vehicle 18 within the .:, track recess 52. The free end portion of the brake shoe 110 . is secured to a piston cylinder assembly 112 by a piston rod 116 that extends outwardly from the a~sembly 112. Actuation of the piston cylinder assembly 112 by hand lever 118 pivot-,~ ally connected to the as~embly 112 extends and retracts piston rod 116 to move the brake shoe 110 into and out of I frictional engagement with the stabilizing track 50.
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Movement of the hand lever 118 in the direction -~ indicated by the arrow in Figure 12 advances the pisfon with-6~l in the a9sembly 112 to extend the piston rod 116 outwardly . , .
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- ; , . , 1~6~324 and urge the free end portion of brake shoe 110 into frictional engagement with the stabilizing track 50. In this manner, the forward motion of the vehicle 18 on the roadway 16 i8 retarded, and accordingly the vehicle 18 may be brought to a halt. The braking mechanism 108 may be provided on both side~ of the vehicle 18 to provide for uniform stopping of the vehicle on the roadway to assure ~tability of the vehicle as it is brought to a stop.
Further in accordance with the practive of the present invention, a shunting track generally designated by the numeral 120 and illustraked in Figure 14 may be provided at each station 14 on the enclosed tran~it loop 12 for di-verting vehicle traffic approaching a ~tation to and from the portion of the roadway 16 that passes through a station.
The shunting track 120 includes an entrance 122 from section .,j , .
~' 123 of roadway 16 and an exit 124 to section 125 of roadway .:!
16. The roadway sections 123 and 125 are planar surfaces having the guide tracks 26 and 28 and guideways 40 removed.
Pivotal gates 126 and 127 of the stabilizing track 50 pro-; 20 vide access to and from the shunting track 120. Each of thepivotal gates i~ arranged to pivot about a vertical axi~ 129 ' to the roadway 16 between a first po~ition 128, indicated in ; phantom in Figure 14, for diverting traf~ic to and from the d shunting track 120 and a second po~ition 130 for continuing traffic flow on the roadway 16 through the station 14.
i When the pivotal gates 126 and 127 are aligned in the second position 130, the vehicle traffic bypasses the , .. ~ .
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shunting track 120 and is directed through the station 14 on the roadway 16. Accordingly, the vehicles are diverted from the roadway 16 onto the shunting track 120 and around station 14 when the pivotal gates 126 and 127 are aligned in the first position 128. Moving the gates 126 and 127 from the first position 128 to the second position 130 re-sumes traffic flow through the station 14 on the roadway 16.
Thus, by selectively pivoting the gate~ 126 and 127 into and ~: out of alignment with the roadway 16, it is possible to pro-vide continuous movement of vehicle traffic around the sta-tion to facilitate an express run or to divert vehicles from the roadway 16 for temporary storage on the shunting track . 120.
; According to the provisions of the patent stat-utes, I have explained the principle, preferred construction . and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated .' and described what I now consider to represent its best em-bodiments. However, it should be understood that within the .j scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced :j 20 otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

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Claims (10)

1. The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
   l. A rapid transit system for the mass transpor-tation of passengers comprising, a roadway, a super-structure for supporting said roadway at grade level and at elevations above grade level, a plurality of vehicles for transporting passengers between selected points on said roadway, said vehicles each supported for movement on said roadway and having a body portion with a lateral portion being secured to said body portion and extending around said body portion, stabilizing means secured to said superstructure and positioned above said roadway for maintaining said vehicles on said roadway by movably sup-porting said lateral portion of said body portion of each of said vehicles, guidance means including a guide plate secured to and extending downwardly from said vehicle body portion and a recessed means mounted on said roadway for receiving said guide plate for controlling movement of said vehicles on said roadway, propelling means mounted on said vehicles and having means for engaging said stabilizing means for generating movement of each of said vehicles on said roadway, and braking means connected to each of said vehicles and operable to move into and out of frictional engagement with a portion of said stabilizing means to con-trol the rate of movement of said vehicles on said roadway.
2. 2. A rapid transit system for the mass transporta-tion of passengers as set forth in claim 1 which includes, a plurality of stations for passenger boarding and departing said vehicles on said roadway, said stations located at selected points on said roadway, boarding and departing plat-forms extending outwardly from each of said stations adjacent said roadway, said stabilizing means including a stabilizing track having a pair of parallel spaced, horizontal recesses positioned a preselected height above said roadway, a braking bar pivotally connected at one end portion to said stabiliz-ing track within said recesses at selected points along said stabilizing track and at each of said stations, and actuator means connected to the opposite end portion of said braking bar for urging said braking bar upon actuation into frictional engagement with said vehicle body portion to bring said vehicle to a stop on said roadway and adjacent said boarding and departing platforms of said stations.
3. 3. A rapid transit system for the mass transporta-tion of passengers as set forth in claim 1 which includes, a main terminal for passenger boarding and departing, a plurality of said roadways forming endless transit loops radiating in selected directions from said main terminal to provide transportation between a plurality of points on said transit loops and said main terminal, a transparent enclosure extending upwardly from said roadways to enclose said transit loops, a plurality of rotatable sections rotatably supported by said superstructure, said rotatable sections each includ-ing pairs of guide tracks aligned with said guidance means mounted on said roadway and having guideways positioned be-tween said respective pairs of guide tracks for receiving said guide plate of each of said vehicles, stabilizing tracks extending upwardly from said guide tracks on opposite sides thereof and between said guide tracks, said stabilizing tracks having horizontal recesses for movably supporting said vehicle body portions as said vehicles are propelled through said rotatable sections, power means connecting said rotatable sections to said superstructure for rotating said rotatable sections relative to said superstructure to facilitate a change of direction of said vehicles on said roadway, and said rotatable sections located at the end of each of said transit loops, at said main terminal and at selected points there-between.
4. 4. A rapid transit system for the mass transporta-tion of passengers as set forth in claim 3 which includes, interconnecting transit loops joining said endless transit loops for transporting passengers therebetween.
5. 5. A rapid transit system for the mass transporta-tion of passengers as set forth in claim 1 in which said stabilizing means includes, a circumferential bumper sur-rounding each of said vehicles, a stabilizing track sup-ported by said superstructure above said roadway, said stabilizing track having parallel recessed portions selected at a preselected height above said roadway and at opposite sides thereof, and said circumferential bumper being posi-tioned within said stabilizing track recessed portions to maintain stability of said vehicles while moving on said roadway and stationarily positioned on said roadway for passenger boarding and departing.
6. 6. A rapid transit system for the mass transporta-tion of passengers as set forth in claim 1 in which said guidance means includes, a pair of guide rails positioned in spaced parallel relation on said roadway, said recessed means including a guideway secured to said roadway and positioned in parallel relation between said pair of guide rails, said guideway having a recessed portion, guide wheels secured to and extending downwardly from each of said vehicles, said guide wheels rotatably supported on the upper surface of said guide rails to support said vehicles for movement thereon, and said guide plate resiliently secured to and extending downwardly from each of said vehicles, said guide plate hav-ing a lower portion positioned within said guideway recessed portion to maintain the direction of travel of said vehicles on said roadway.
7. 7. A rapid transit system for the mass transporta-tion of passengers as set forth in claim 1 in which said braking means includes, a brake shoe pivotally connected at one end to said body portion of each of said vehicles ad-jacent said stabilizing means, power means positioned on each of said vehicles and connected to the opposite end of said brake shoe for moving said brake shoe into and out of frictional engagement with said stabilizing means to effect stopping of said vehicles on said roadway, and means pro-vided on each of said vehicles and connected to said power means for actuating said power means.
8. 8. A rapid transit system for the mass transporta-tion of passengers as set forth in claim 1 which includes, said stabilizing means including a stabilizing track having a pair of parallel spaced, horizontal recesses positioned a preselected height above said roadway, a braking bar pivotally connected at one end portion to said stabilizing means within said recesses at selected points along said stabilizing track, actuator means connected to the opposite end portion of said braking bar, and said actuator means extending outwardly from said stabilizing means and operable to move said braking bar into and out of frictional engagement with said vehicle body lateral portion and thereby control the rate of speed of said vehicles.
9. 9. A rapid transit system for the mass transporta-tion of passengers as set forth in claim 1 which includes, a plurality of stations for passenger boarding and departing said vehicles on said roadway, said stations located at selected points on said roadway, a shunting track for divert ing vehicles approaching said stations from said roadway and around the section of said roadway passing through said sta-tions to provide continuous uninterrupted flow of traffic through said stations, openings in said roadway for the move-ment of said vehicles between said roadway and said shunting track, said stabilizing means including a stabilizing track having a pair of parallel spaced, horizontal recesses posi-tioned a preselected height above said roadway, and portions of said stabilizing track pivotally positioned in said open-ings between said roadway and said shunting track for pivotal movement between a first position directing vehicle traffic from said roadway onto said shunting track and a second posi-tion closing said shunting track from vehicle traffic.
10. 10. A rapid transit system for the mass transporta-tion of passengers as set forth in claim 1 in which said pro-pelling means includes, traction motors mounted on the front and rearward end portions of each of said vehicles, each of said motors having rotatable drive shafts extending outwardly therefrom, drive wheels nonrotatably connected to the end portions of each of said drive shafts, said stabilizing means having a stabilizing track, said stabilizing track having a first surface for rotatably supporting said drive wheels and a second surface positioned in spaced parallel relation with said first surface, said lateral portion of said body portion of each of said vehicles having a plural-ity of rollers secured thereto, said lateral portion posi-tioned relative to said stabilizing track such that said rollers rotatably engage said stabilizing track second sur-face, and said traction motors operable upon actuation to rotate said drive wheels through said drive shafts on said first surface on said stabilizing track and thereby propel said vehicles on said roadway.