Articulated train

Claim 2

Articulated railway train system comprising a plurality of car units (1, 2) made of lightweight material, each said car units having tubular cross-sectional form and having a width approximately the same as the length; said car units being adapted to run on rails, each elevated at least to the center of gravity of said car units and disposed one at each side thereof; a pair of single driven suspension wheels (18), one wheel each, located at a respective side of each car unit and oriented to roll on said rails in a vertical plane and having running surfaces at least at, or above the center of gravity of said unit; motor means in said car units coupled to drive said suspension wheels, whereby said car units will be individually selfpropelled; one centering wheel (23) each, located at respective sides of the car units to roll in an essentially horizontal plane and bearing against said rails; and top and bottom weight-bearing interconnecting means formed at the top and at the bottom of each car unit adjacent the ends of each car of the car units and interconnecting said selfpropelled car units for relative swinging movement with respect to each other, said weight-bearing interconnecting means joining said car units into an articulated train system in which the car units are independently self-propelled and suspended between said rails and supported for rolling movement at, or above their center of gravity at one point at the side of the car and in which each car unit is interconnected with an adjacent unit, said interconnection means balancing said individual car units and maintaining said car units in a train without, however, transmitting substantial tractive effort.

Claim 3

System according to claim 1, wherein the interconnecting means further extends substantially entirely around the circumference of the tubular car units.

Claim 4

System according to claim 1, wherein the interconnecting means includes a pair of pin and eyelet connections (FIG. 3) one each at the top of the end face of the car and one at the bottom of the end face of the car unit and located at the centerline, said pin and eyelet connections being elastic about a vertical axis; and an elastic sealing means (5) interconnecting said car units substantially around their circumference.

Claim 5

System according to claim 1, wherein the interconnecting means (FIG. 5) includes matching truncated conical interfitting projections (6, 7); means (9, 10) resiliently mounting said projections at the ends of the cars (1, 2); and means (8) preventing separation of said interfitting projections.

Claim 6

System according to claim 1, including a third set of undriven, idler wheels (24) mounted for rotation in a substantially vertical plane and located to be normally free and out of engagement with said rail, said idler wheel preventing tipping of said car units upon disengagement of said interconnection means.

Claim 7

System according to claim 1, wherein said width is about 2-3 m. (7-10 ft.).

Claim 8

System according to claim 1, wherein said interconnecTing means includes (FIGS. 6-11) interfitting coupling projections, at least one of which (11) has a spherical cross section, and engaging one inside the other to permit relative swinging movement between the two projections.

Claim 9

System according to claim 7, wherein the projections (FIG. 6: 11, 12) have relative sizes to effect a nonseparable interengaging fit.

Claim 10

System according to claim 7, wherein the projections comprise (FIGS. 7, 8, 9) a plurality of annular, spherically curved sections (14) secured to the end face of one car (1) and a plurality of similar interfitting spherically curved sections (13) secured to a matching end face of an adjacent car (2); and means (15) mounting one of said sections with limited relative rotation with respect to the other of said sections to permit disengagement of said sections from each other when the sections on one car are rotated so as not to match the angular position of the sections of an adjacent car.

Claim 11

System according to claim 7, wherein the projections comprise (FIGS. 10, 11) a plurality of annular, spherically curved sections (13, 14) secured to the end faces of said cars, the sections at one end face, at least, being movably mounted (FIG. 10; FIG. 11: 17) on its associated car unit to permit displacement of the fit of the section on one car from the section of the other.

Claim 12

Articulated railway train system comprising a plurality of car units (1, 2) made of lightweight material, each said car units having tubular cross-sectional form and having a width approximately the same as the length; in combination with rails each elevated at least to the center of gravity of said car units and disposed, one at each side thereof; said car units comprising a pair of single driven suspension wheels (18), one wheel each, located at a respective side of each car unit and oriented to roll on said rails in a vertical plane and having running surfaces at least at, or above the center of gravity of said unit; motor means in said car units coupled to drive said suspension wheels, whereby said car units will be individually self-propelled; one centering wheel (23) each, located at respective sides of the car units to roll in an essentially horizontal plane and bearing against said rails; and top and bottom weight-bearing interconnecting means formed at the top and at the bottom of each car unit adjacent the ends of each car of the car units and interconnecting said self-propelled car units for relative swinging movement with respect to each other, said weight-bearing interconnecting means joining said car units into an articulated train system in which the car units are independently self-propelled and suspended between said rails and supported for rolling movement at, or above their center of gravity at one point at the side of the car and in which each car unit is interconnected with an adjacent unit, said interconnection means balancing said individual car units and maintaining said car units in a train without, however, transmitting substantial tractive effort.

Claim 13

Articulated railway train system comprising a plurality of car units (1, 2) made of lightweight material, each said car units having tubular cross-sectional form and having a width approximately the same as the length; in combination with rails each elevated at least to the center of gravity of said car units and disposed, one at each side thereof; said car units comprising a pair of single driven suspension wheels (18), one wheel each, located at a respective side of each car unit and oriented to roll on said rails in a vertical plane and having running surfaces at least at, or above the center of gravity of said unit; motor means in said car units coupled to drive said suspension wheels, whereby said car units will be individually self-propelled; one centering wheel (23) each, located at respective sides of the car units to roll in an essentially horizontal plane and bearing against said rails; and top and bottom weight-bearing interconnecting means formed at the top and at the bottom of each car unit adjacent the ends of each car of the car units and interconnecting said self-propelled car units for relative swinging movement with respect to each other, said weight-bearing interconnecting means joining said car units into an articulated train system in which the car units are independently self-propelled and suspended between said rails and supported for rolling movement at, or above their center of gravity at one point at the side of the car and in which each car unit is interconnected with an adjacent unit, said interconnection means balancing said individual car units and maintaining said car units in a train without, however, transmitting substantial tractive effort.

Claim 14

System according to claim 11, wherein said rails comprise an essentially horizontal running surface adapted to support said driven suspension wheels (18); and a surface angled at an acute angle with respect thereto and engaged by said centering wheels (23).

Claim 15

System according to claim 11, including a third set of undriven, idler wheels (24) mounted for rotation in a substantially vertical plane and located to be normally free and out of engagement with said rails, said idler wheels preventing tipping of said car units upon disengagement of said interconnection means, wherein said rails include (FIGS. 15, 16, 17) a channel shape having an essentially horizontal running surface and an auxiliary surface parallel thereto and spaced from said running surface; said idler wheels (24) being located between the side of the rail opposite said running surface and said auxiliary surface, said idler wheels having a smaller diameter than the distance between said side and said auxiliary surface and engaging one or the other thereof upon isolation of a single car unit from the train system.

Claim 16

System according to claim 11, wherein said rails (FIGS. 22A, 22B) support a plurality of car units forming a train; a pair of rails adjacent a train being formed of a plurality of units placed in separate sections; and means displacing said separate sections horizontally to move a rail section, together with the train thereon.

Claim 17

System according to claim 11, wherein said rails (FIGS. 21A and 21B) support a plurality of car units forming a train; a pair of rails adjacent a train formed of a plurality of units being placed on a separate rail section; and means displacing said separate rail section vertically to move said rail section, together with the train thereon, from one level to another.

Claim 18

System according to claim 11, wherein pairs of rails extend in different directions; and track switching means (FIGS. 23A, 23B) comprising at least one rail section (30, 31) movable in a vertical plane between levels selectively engaging the rails to provide for continuous rail surfaces in a plurality of directions to effect switching of trains.

Claim 19

System according to claim 11, wherein pairs of rails (FIGS. 25-28) are provided and at least one of the rails is subdivided into rail sections, one of said sections forming a movable rail element; and means moving said rail element out of continuous track alignment with said rail sections to permit access to said cars while said cars are suspended on said rails.

Claim 20

System according to claim 11 wherein said width is about 2-3 m. (7-10 ft).

Claim 21

System according to claim 11, wherein pairs of rails are provided and a Y-switch (FIG. 24) having a switching tongue (34) selectively engageable in one or two directions with either rail and pivotally mounted at the bifurcation point of the Y to form a continuation of the rail surface; a turntable section (36) carrying auxiliary intermediate track sections (37, 38); and means synchronously moving said turntable section and said switching tongue to align, selectively, an intermediate track section from the turntable, and said tongue, in accordance with a desired switching direction, said intermediate track sections closing gaps not closed by said tongue.

Claim 22

System according to claim 19, wherein the tip of the tongue (34) is interconnected with the turntable section (36), whereby, upon movement of the turntable section, the tongue will be moved therewith.