Electro-magnetically propelled vehicle

Claim 2

A vehicle for travelling along a prepared track, said vehicle having connected thereto at least one stator of a linear induction motor for driving the vehicle by cooperation with a linear motor rail extending along the track, including means for spacing said stator from the rail, characterized in that opposite sides of said stator each carry one of a first pair of connection points and the vehicle carries a second pair of laterally spaced connection points, and characterized in that said pairs of connection points are interconnected by a linkage which includes: a. a pair of main links extending generally in the direction of motion of the vehicle, one end of each main link being connected respectively to one connection point of one pair of said connection points; b. a pair of cranks each rotatably connected to one connection point of the other pair of connection points, the other ends of each main link being connected respectively to one crank of the pair of cranks; and c. a cross link extending transversely to the main links and interconnecting the cranks in such a manner that an increase in the distance between a connection point on one side of the stator and the associated connection point on the vehicle on the same side results in rotation of both cranks in the same sense and results in a decrease in the distance between the connection point on the other side of the stator and the other connection point on the vehicle.

Claim 3

A vehicle for travelling along a track, said vehicle having connected thereto a stator of a linear induction motor for driving the vehicle and including means for spacing said stator from a linear motor rail extending along the track, characterized in that opposite sides of said stator each carry onE of a first pair of laterally spaced connection points and the vehicle carries a second pair of laterally spaced connection points, and characterized in that said pairs of connection points are interconnected by a linkage which includes: a. a pair of main links extending generally in the direction of motion of the vehicle for transmitting a longitudinally directed force between the vehicle and the stator, one end of each main link being connected respectively to one connection point of one pair of said connection points; b. a pair of cranks each rotatably connected to one connection point of the other pair of connection points, the other ends of each main link being connected respectively to one crank of the pair of cranks; and c. a cross link interconnecting the cranks in such a manner that, should the vehicle move relatively to the rail so that the distance between a connection point on one side of the stator and the associated connection point on the vehicle on the same side increases and the distance between the connection point on the other side of the stator and the other connection point on the vehicle decreases, the linkage operates with rotation of the cranks to maintain the forces separately transmitted between the vehicle and the stator by the two said main links substantially equal.

Claim 4

A vehicle for travelling along a track, said vehicle having connected thereto a stator of a linear induction motor for driving the vehicle and including means for spacing said stator from a linear motor rail extending along the track, characterized in that opposite sides of said stator each carry onE of a first pair of laterally spaced connection points and the vehicle carries a second pair of laterally spaced connection points, and characterized in that said pairs of connection points are interconnected by a linkage which includes: a. a pair of main links extending generally in the direction of motion of the vehicle for transmitting a longitudinally directed force between the vehicle and the stator, one end of each main link being connected respectively to one connection point of one pair of said connection points; b. a pair of cranks each rotatably connected to one connection point of the other pair of connection points, the other ends of each main link being connected respectively to one crank of the pair of cranks; and c. a cross link interconnecting the cranks in such a manner that, should the vehicle move relatively to the rail so that the distance between a connection point on one side of the stator and the associated connection point on the vehicle on the same side increases and the distance between the connection point on the other side of the stator and the other connection point on the vehicle decreases, the linkage operates with rotation of the cranks to maintain the forces separately transmitted between the vehicle and the stator by the two said main links substantially equal.

Claim 5

A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the stator comprises two similar and opposed parts spaced apart for cooperation with a linear induction motor rail extending between them, and in which each stator part carries one of said first pair of connection points, and the main links are arranged for transmitting to the vehicle tractive or braking force produced by the stator and lie on a plane which includes the lines of action of the two stator parts.

Claim 6

A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the stator is connected to the vehicle by two said linkages, one of which is arranged for transmitting to the vehicle tractive force produced by the stator and the other of which is arranged for transmitting to the vehicle braking force produced by the stator.

Claim 7

A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the linkage is arranged for transmitting the respective longitudinally directed forces between the vehicle and the stator by tension in the main links.

Claim 8

A vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the main links are each arranged so as to be incapable of taking compression.

Claim 9

A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cranks of the linkage are rotatably connected to the second pair of connection points on the vehicle.

Claim 10

A vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cranks are arranged and connected to rotate in the same sense.

Claim 11

A vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the main links are generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle for acting in tension to transmit to the vehicle tractive or braking force produced by the stator, and each crank has first and second arms extending outwardly from the crank axis of rotation, the first arms of the two cranks extending generally inwardly of the stator and being connected to respective ones of the main links, and the second arms of the two cranks extending generally longitudinally of the stator and being connected together by the cross link extending therebetween.

Claim 12

A vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first and second arms of each crank are spaced apart along the crank axis of rotation, and the second arms are generally parallel to the main links and extend from the cranks in the same direction as the main links, whereby the cross link is in tension when the main links are operative to transmit to the vehicle tractive or braking force produced by the stator.

Claim 13

A vehicle for travelling along a prepared track, said vehicle being connected to at least one stator of a linear induction motor for driving the vehicle, said stator being formed in two parts interconnected against longitudinal movement relative to each other, and disposed on opposite sides of a linear motor rail exTending along the track, including means for spacing said parts from the rail, characterized in that said stator parts each carry one of a first pair of connection points and the vehicle carries a second pair of connection points spaced on opposite sides of the rail, and characterized in that said pairs of connection points are interconnected by a linkage which includes: a. A pair of main links extending generally in the direction of motion of the vehicle, one end of each main link being connected respectively to one connection point of one pair of said connection points: b. A pair of cranks each rotatably connected to one connection point of the other pair of connection points, the other ends of each main link being connected respectively to one crank of the pair of cranks: and c. A cross link extending transversely to the main links and interconnecting the cranks in such a manner that increase in the distance between a connection point on one stator part and the connection point on the vehicle on the same side of the rail results in rotation of both cranks in the same sense and results in the distance between the connection point on the other stator part and the other connection point on the vehicle decreasing.

Claim 14

A vehicle for travelling along a prepared track, said vehicle being connected to at least one stator of a linear induction motor for driving the vehicle, said stator being formed in two parts interconnected against longitudinal movement relative to each other, and disposed on opposite sides of a linear motor rail exTending along the track, including means for spacing said parts from the rail, characterized in that said stator parts each carry one of a first pair of connection points and the vehicle carries a second pair of connection points spaced on opposite sides of the rail, and characterized in that said pairs of connection points are interconnected by a linkage which includes: a. A pair of main links extending generally in the direction of motion of the vehicle, one end of each main link being connected respectively to one connection point of one pair of said connection points: b. A pair of cranks each rotatably connected to one connection point of the other pair of connection points, the other ends of each main link being connected respectively to one crank of the pair of cranks: and c. A cross link extending transversely to the main links and interconnecting the cranks in such a manner that increase in the distance between a connection point on one stator part and the connection point on the vehicle on the same side of the rail results in rotation of both cranks in the same sense and results in the distance between the connection point on the other stator part and the other connection point on the vehicle decreasing.