GB2209318A

GB2209318A - A monorail vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2209318A
Application number: GB8805458A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Manuel Munoz Saiz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-09-02
Filing date: 1988-03-08
Publication date: 1989-05-10
Also published as: GB8805458D0; FI880149A; SE8800296D0; SE8800296L; FI880149A0; JPS6470259A; DE3812292A1; ES2007707A6

Description

A MONORAIL VEHICLE 220931no The present invention relates to an improved

monorail vehicle and also to an improved rail for such a system.

As is commonly known, the rail is, in such an installation, the most costly structural element.

According to the present invention there is provided a rail for a monorail vehicle system being substantially tubular and having a strip extending longitudinally downwards therefrom, said strip being used as stabilisation means for said vehicle.

Advantageously, said rail is composed of a number of sections having male and female ends to enable them to be secured together end to end, said male element having a central pin surrounded by a plurality of axially extending fingers which engage in axially extending slots of a socket of the female element, said socket being adapted to receive a said pin of the male end of the rail section.

Preferably, the transverse cross-section of the channels between adjacent said fingers and of the material between adjacent said slots tapers in a direction radially outwardly of the rail tube.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a monorail vehicle supported on a tubular rail having a strip extending longitudinally downwards therefrom, said vehicle being supported on said rail by means of wheels which are rotatable about axes fixed relative to the vehicle, said shafts being assembled in side housings in lower parts of the vehicle structure, and said vehicle further including means to prevent derailment of the vehicle.

Additionally, the means to prevent derailment include wheels fitted close to the structure bearing the rail assembled under the support in radial sense.

The system of the present invention incorporates a 2 - 1 number of improvements over other existing systems, for example, the vehicle of the invention can enter into curves more smoothly since it is pendular and its centre of gravity is under its supporting rail.

The vehicle further has an aerodynamic line and as a consequence of its aerodynamic and structural characteristics it has a low coefficient of friction in operation. Since the vehicle is pendular and the connection between the vehicle and the rail is optimum, the vehicle always having a constant point of support on the rail, it can travel at very high speeds.

The vehicle of the invention removes shaking or side movement since, as it is pendular, the centre of gravity only swings sideways but there is neither shaking nor braking since it is free and under the point of support.

The train of the invention does not require guiding wheels due to its pendular structure which enables it to roll in a controlled and balanced way while turning along the rail.

One of the most important improvements is in the low cost of the rail which is very economical since it uses relatively little material and comprises a loaded tube. The railcars can also be made ultralight.

The friction normally produced in the wheels and the rail is notably lower in the vehicle of the invention by means of the tubular shape of the rails as well as by the correct attachment in the rail sections reducing friction in the side wheels so that shaking or side movement is greatly reduced.

The train of the invention does not require side wheels.

The side damping produced in other types of train is automatically corrected for since the train of the present invention is pendular and comprises aerodynamic 35 characteristics.

The train of the invention also includes means to 1 i - 3 prevent is derailment.

The means of attachment of the rail sections corrects for thermal expansion. Such attachments are not felt by passengers when the wheels cross over them.

The railcar weight per unit length is reduced to a minimum in the vehicle of the invention permitting the passengers to walk across it and, at least two passengers or seats define the rows of side seats.

The rail consistency can be notably lower than those at present existing bearing in mind the general arrangement. This represents a lower cost too.

On the other hand, as the vehicle fits a pendular bearer system on the rail and swings with a pulley type wheel large horizontal stabilizing wheels are not required and the weight and friction of the vehicle are decreased since these side wheels usually produce steady pressure on the rail and, in the system of this invention, shaking is substantially removed at high speeds.

The supporting and driving wheels, preferably having a concave surface, work by pressing on the tube-shaped rail. The contact is made around a substantial area of the rail. The contact is further improved since the deflection of the rail is less than the deflection of the rails of other systems.

Semipulleys can be fitted.

The contact points of these pulleys with the tube-shaped rail may be set differently on the upper arch of the rail depending on the angle of the pulley shaft tilt which can be set to all intermediate positions between the horizontal and vehicle positions.

Every railcar is likewise ultralight, the wheels must be shorter and the rail requires consequently a lower consistency and section.

Another improvement of the invention is that the vehicle does not require a high ballast since the small side wheels which may be fitted on the vehicle reduce excessive rolling and consequently the possibility that the train may derail or jump is reduced, thus allowing the vehicle to have a reduced weight provided that its centre of gravity is kept under the level of the support rail. 5 The rail has a tubular shape which may be filled with material fiarly cheaply so as to increase its consistency. This rail permits the vehicle to roll freely whilst turning so that the passengers remain comfortably seated without any side movement which is always uncomfortable and unpleasant.

The wheels can have a rubber coating in their gorges to decrease the noise level.

The seats can be placed perpendicularly to the longitudinal sense of the train axis depending on the internal configuration of each railcar.

Every railcar will be designed so that the luggage, shock absorbers, thrusting, water, installations and fuel, in a fuel powered vehicle, are fitted in the lowest areas built in the structure of each railcar so that the centre of gravity of the train is under the support line.

The rail can be built to a substantial height above ground level, as long as safety is considered in function with the soil relief where the rail will be assembled.

The train may be driven by electricity or fuel driving directly the engines on the rail or by means of hydraulic engines.

The frontal air resistance is minimum because of the shape of the vehicle body, that is, narrow and low in height.

The balance or the static horizontality of the railcars is reached by pumping water or fuel from one to the other side.

There is a damping system between the wheel or the shaft and the railcar structure which may be a spring, oil-pneumatic or bellows type fitted between the 7 4 - 5 wheel-pulley and the railcar roof. The best location is in the lower area so that the centre of gravity is lowered.

The bearings may be fitted in series, that is, one between the pulleywheel and the shaft and another one among the shaft journals and the railcar body with which the friction is a minimum. Conic or tilt rolling bearings are preferably used.

Some wheels or mechanic stop collars may be fitted to prevent derailment. These wheels may also be utilised as the braking wheels.

It is convenient that the two lower halves of each railcar are divided by the support line on the rail and have the same area so that the railcar cannot be severely affected neither by wind nor by wind gusts.

The seats preferably have the lightest possible weight.

The longitudinal fins on the railcar reduce rolling oscillations at high speeds.

The fins may have balancing aerodynamic control surfaces reducing rolling oscillations by means of pendulums or gyroscopes generating electrical signals for operating the control surfaces. This system will only be used when the train has only a few railcars.

The wheels or pulleys may have rubber gorge for the maximum adherence to the rail while travelling on a sloping rail and these are preferably those which are driven by engines.

The aisle may be in the centre and the seats are preferably under the pulley-rail support line even if it may be over with the centre of gravity under the above support line.

The lower rail area has the strip stiffener which is also used as a bearing surface for the stabilizer wheels reducing the rolling sway of the vehicle and serving as an electric conductor if the part of the stiffener which is not used as an electrical conductor is duly insulated.

The ends of the tubular segments of the rail have some press-forged complements with two possible shapes, tap and socketi and one is fixed in the bearer turret and the other has a limited amount of longitudinal movement in order to balance the rail expansion produced by changes in environmental temperature. This shape prevents unevenness in the supportive surface of the rail.

As a result of the above-mentionedy the train of the invention shows some constructive and performance characteristics which permit:

A high speed with a minimum resistance by the friction of the wheels and air resistance of the vehicle, maximum comfort in curves, minimum rail cost and thus of the complete installation. The production of the system is helped by the rails being tubular which are easier to manufacture.

The system is also especially useful along sloping terrains, cities, etc.

Additionally, the vehicle reaches high accelerations at the beginning of the motion, the wheels do not lift off the rail and a locomotive is not necessary bearing in mind the low power required.

The vehicle can be vertebrated with short railcars and is consequently affected neither by curves nor by changes in level.

The train of the invention, if electric, does not pollute the atmosphere.

The vehicle is preferably produced in fibreglass with polyester and polyurethane foam inside to make it very lightweight.

Preferably# the rail structure is composed of vertical pillarst each one having on its upper part a channel defining the rail bearer. This bearer may be fixed to some side plates fitted on the vertical pillars or rail bearer columns.

Each railcar has in its longitudinal lips housings 1 - 7 containing a shaft and ball bearings on rollers on which the pulley- type wheel which rest on the cylindrical area of the rail are assembled.

The vehicle too, and consequently each railcar, has a lower floor. These floors create the housings for the load which may be the installations, luggage, fuel, engines, waterr etc.

All the railcars have high speed vertical stabilizing fins on their upper and external parts.

The attachment among the railcars is bellows-made with which a vertebrated attachment is defined.

The front of the train is especially designed to prevent stray materials from coming in between the wheels and the tubular rail. The train also has side driving wheels operated by an independent engine.

The train has side stabilizing flaps in addition to the upper vertical fins which reduce the side oscillations although still permitting rolling due to the centrifugal force.

- The train may have conventional helicoidal springs or oil-pneumatic or bellows-type shock absorbers.

Braking is made by operating the engines and driving wheels and including those electrically operated using powerful electromagnets.

Electric or magnetic sensors may detect the amount of rolling to limit it by activating the trimming devices.

A better understanding of the present invention may be had by the following description, which is merely given by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view of the train of the invention; FIGURE 2 shows side and close-up views of the train of the invention, partially cross-sectioned to show one of the driving wheels and the motor; FIGURE 3 shows the cross-section of a railcar; each railcar; FIGURE 4 shows another view in cross-section referring to Figure 3 showing the railcar assembly on the rail; FIGURE 5 shows an enlarged view of the pulley 5 coupling in the rail with damping and bearings.

FIGURE 6 shows graphically the pendular motion of FIGURE 7 shows. in cross-section, a second solution of semi-pulleys. These semi-pulleys may be fitted one in 10 front of the other; FIGURE 8 shows a solution of the arrangement of Figure 7 with the shafts supported in both ends by damping springs; FIGURE 9 shows a third arrangement of semi-pulleys; FIGURE 10 shows an arrangement of retracting wheels operating by the lower rail zone; FIGURE 11 shows a fixed wheel system in lower zone to limit side roll and a system to pick-up the electric current from the rail with brushes; FIGURE 12 shows the coupling between sections of rail permitting their thermal expansion; FIGURE 13 shows a further coupling system between sections of the rail; and FIGURE 14 shows a further arrangement of independent supporting wheels of the vehicle.

Figure 1 shows the vehicle 1 having railcars 2, assembled on a tubular rail 3. The rail has at its bottom a strip 4 assembled on columns 6 and bearers 5. The railcars 2 may have vertical stabilizing fins 7 at the top for use at high speed.

Inside the railcars 2, as shown in Figure 2, there is a driving wheel 8 operated by an engine 9. The railcars may also have laterally extending fins 10 to.stabilize and trim rolling at high speed.

The railcars 2 may have stiffened lips 11 to receive the largest stresses and have built-in beams in is order to lower the centre of gravity as shown in Figure 3. The railcar floor 12 rests on the inside of the lips 11. This floor is preferably placed under the level of the rail 3 although it may be placed over that level as long as the -5 centre of gravity of the train is set to always be just under the rail 3. The passenger seats 13 are located on the floor 12. Some steps 14 are provided to reach the central aisle 15. The room 16 under the floor 12 houses the load, luggage, water, fuel, etc.

The railcars 2 also have anti-derailing wheels 17 as may be seen in Figure 3. These anti-derailing wheels, which are not in contact with the rail 3, can be also used to decrease side rolling. A shell 18 is fitted on the central area to enclose the railcar.

Figure 4 shows a driving wheel system 8 operated by an engine 9. These driving wheels may be fitted with ball bearings 21 on the shaft 22 which are supported by roller bearings 19 and 20 fitted in the housing 23.

Figure 5 shows in detail one of the driving wheels 8 with shaft 22 fitted on the roller bearings 19 and 20. The yoke-housing 23 of the bearings are supported by damping springs 24 secured in position by holding ribs 25 in the yoke-housing 23 and in the lips 11 of the railcar.

Figure 6 shows substantially the pendular rolling motion of each railcar, the arc of the pulley support area 26 on the rail 3 is related to the expected rolling amplitude of the railcar. The centre of gravity 27 of the railcar moves along the arcuate locus 28. It may be seen that any rolling vibration or oscillation will be along the arc 28 and will not be felt by the rail or by the occupants of the railcar (in comparison with the existing traditional vehicles of this type).

In Figure 7p showing a second embodiment of the invention, the wheels 29 resting on the rail 3 are used as the driving wheels. These wheels are fitted on shaft 22 by the same system described in Figure 4. The shaft is fixed 1 4 t - 10 by the bearing 19.

Figure 8 shows an arrangement as in Figure 7 where the shaft of the wheels 29 is fitted between upper and lower bearings 19. The bearings yoke-housing 23 is coupled on the railcar yoke by springs 24 in position by means of the holding ribs 25.

Figures 5, 7 and 8 additionally show a bracket or arm 24a welded at the yoke 23 which moves by the lug 24b in the railcar structure 2 with a shaft. The above bracket or arm 24a has damping springs 24 which absorb the stresses in the vertical direction.

A further embodiment is shown in Figure 9 where a different type of wheel 30 is included as driving wheels resting on rail 3 and they are fitted with the shafts housed in bearings 19 placed in yoke-housings 23 as described above.

Figure 10 shows a further arrangement of the anti-derailing wheels. These wheels are coupled in retracting forks 31. The retraction is produced at high speeds but at low speeds the wheels may be more or less displaced from the strip 4. The forks 17 are rotatable on shafts 32.

The side rolling of the railcars may be controlled by fixed wheels 17, as shown in Figure llp resting on the strip of the lower rail 4. This strip 4 as shown with an electrically conducting track 34 which is electrically insulated from the strip 4 by an electric insulation 35. The brushes 33 are in contact with this track 34 to provide electrical power to the vehicle. There are two brushes, upper and lower ones, as shown in Figure 11.

In Figure 12 each section of rail 3 is ended with an axial male pin used as guide while the other end has a female housing 37. Both ends can also have grooving and tonguing couplings with male axial elements 38 and a female axial elements 39 facing one another. Thus, expansion of the rail is possible without the danger of decoupling the t h individual sections.

Figure 13 shows a further arrangement of a grooving and tonquing coupling with a male screw-shaped element 40 and a female nut-shaped element 41.

Finally Figure 14 shows yet a further arrangement of independent wheels 42 with an angular distance among them so that the bearing surface of these wheels form the curve of the rail 3.

Claims

1. A rail for a monorail vehicle system being substantially tubular and having a strip extending longitudinally downwards therefrom, said strip being used as stabilisation means for said vehicle.

2. A rail according to claim 1 having a circular or elliptical crosssection.

3. A rail according to claim 1 or 2 in which the tubing is f illed.

4. A rail according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said rail is composed of a number of sections having male and female ends to enable them to be secured together end to end, said male element having a central pin surrounded by a plurality of axially extending fingers which - engage in axially extending slots of a socket of the female elementp said socket being adapted to receive a said pin of the male end of the rail section.

5. A rail according to claim 4, wherein the transverse cross-section of the channels between adjacent said fingers and of the material between adjacent said slots tapers in a direction radially outwardly of the rail tube.

6. A monorail vehicle supported on a tubular rail having a strip extending longitudinally downwards therefrom, said vehicle being supported on said rail by means of wheels which are rotatable about axes fixed relative to the vehicle, said shafts being assembled in side housings in lower parts of the vehicle structure, and said vehicle further including means to prevent derailment of the vehicle.

7. A vehicle according to claim 6, wherein said rail is fitted on a bracket connected to columns through resisting elements.

8. A vehicle according to claim 6 or 7, including damping means under the wheel track line.

1 Q 4 0

9. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the driving wheels are operated by independent engines.

10. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the means to prevent derailment include wheels fitted close to the structure bearing the rail assembled under the support in radial sense.

11. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein said damping means is mechanical and oil-pneumatic.

12. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to llg wherein the contact of said wheels with said rail is made along an upper arch of the rail, and the shafts of said wheels are at different angles to one another.

13. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 12, wherein the contact of said wheels with the rail is made around a substantial area of the surface of the support.

14. A vehicle according to any one claims 6 to 12, wherein the contact of said wheels with the rail is made on two side facing points on said support.

15. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 14, wherein said wheels have a rubber coating on their gorge surface.

16. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 15, wherein said vehicle includes at its upper end stabilizing vertical fins.

17. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 16, including lateral side control fins to prevent vehicle oscillations and/or side stabilizing fins.

is

18. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 17, including cambered shaft wheels under the supporting wheels, said cambered shaft wheels facing one another and lying close to either side of said strip to limit roll of the vehicle.

19. A vehicle according to claim 18, wherein said cambered shaft wheels are retractable at high vehicle speeds.

20. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 19 wherein the wheels resting on the rail have a profile of 90 degrees with a semipulley shape.

21. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 19, wherein the vehicle rests on the rail by means of wheel sets which are axially separated; the wheels of each set being coplanar and resting on the upper surface of the rail in a cross section with an amplitude of 180 degrees.

22. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 21, wherein the rail includes laterally and longitudinally assembled strips to conduct electricity to the vehicle by brushes.

23. A vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 22, wherein the balance of the rail cars is reached by pumping water or fuel from one side of the rail car to the other.

24. A rail substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in.the accompanying drawings.

25. A rail according to claim 24 having ends as shown in Figure 12 or as shown in Figure 13.

26. A monorail vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

27. A monorail vehicle according to claim 26, having wheels as shown in Figures 4 and 5p or Figures 7 and 8, or Figure 9 or Figure 14.

28. A monorail vehicle according to claim 27, having antiderailment wheels as shown in Figures 3 and 11 or Figure 10 or in Figures 3, 10 and 11.

Published 1988 at The Patent OfEice. STate House. 66 71 Hign Holborn. London WC1R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent Office. Sales Brancl, St Mary Cray. Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniclues ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent, Com 1,87.