Transportation system

Claim 2

A transportation system having a predetermined path along which vehicles move, means for generating signals that effectively define a series of control areas that circulate along said path, each said control area including a propulsion control portion and a sense portion, a plurality of vehicles for movement along said path, each said vehicle including circuitry responsive to said propulsion control portions for maintaining vehicle movement along said path in synchronism with the movement of said control areas, means to sense for vehicle presence in the sense portion of each control area, means responsive to the sensing of a vehicle in a sense portion for generating a warning signal, common means for sensing warning signals from all of said sense portions and means responsive to detection of a warning signal by said common means for changing the velocity of circulation of said control areas along said path.

Claim 3

A transportation system having a predetermined path along which vehicles move, means for generating signals that effectively define a series of control areas that circulate along said path, each said control area including a propulsion control portion and a sense portion, a subsidiary path via which a vehicle may exit from said predetermined path, fixed guide means disposed parallel to and co-extensive with said paths, said fixed guide means having a first surface associated with said predetermined path and a second surface associated with said subsidiary path, a plurality of vehicles for movement along said path, each said vehicle including drive means for propelling said vehicle along said paths, circuitry responsive to said propulsion control portions for maintaining vehicle movement along said path in synchronism with the movement of said control areas, means to sense for vehicle presence in the sense portion of each control area, means responsive to the sensing of a vehicle in a sense portion for generating a warning signal, and control means cooperating with said guide means for providing directional control while said vehicle is on said transportation system, each said control means including a unit carried by said vehicle adapted to engage said guide means surfaces and being movable while said vehicle is on said predetermined path between a first position in engagement with said first surface and a second position in engagement with said second surface for transferring directional control of said vehicle between said first and second surfaces.

Claim 4

A transportation system having a predetermined path along which vehicles move, means for generating signals that effectively define a series of control areas that circulate along said path, each said control area including a propulsion control portion and a sense portion, a subsidiary path via which a vehicle may exit from said predetermined path, fixed guide means disposed parallel to and co-extensive with said paths, said fixed guide means having a first surface associated with said predetermined path and a second surface associated with said subsidiary path, a plurality of vehicles for movement along said path, each said vehicle including drive means for propelling said vehicle along said paths, circuitry responsive to said propulsion control portions for maintaining vehicle movement along said path in synchronism with the movement of said control areas, means to sense for vehicle presence in the sense portion of each control area, means responsive to the sensing of a vehicle in a sense portion for generating a warning signal, and control means cooperating with said guide means for providing directional control while said vehicle is on said transportation system, each said control means including a unit carried by said vehicle adapted to engage said guide means surfaces and being movable while said vehicle is on said predetermined path between a first position in engagement with said first surface and a second position in engagement with said second surface for transferring directional control of said vehicle between said first and second surfaces.

Claim 5

The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said subsidiary path is arranged so that a vehicle may enter said predetermined path from said subsidiary path, and further including means for dividing said subsidiary path into a series of discrete control areas.

Claim 6

The system as claimed in claim 3 and further including common means for sensing warning signals from all of said sense portions and means responsive to detection of a warning signal by said common means for stopping the circulation of said vehicles along said path.

Claim 7

A transportation system having a main path and a plurality of subsidiary paths along which vehicles move, means for generating signals that effectively define a series of control areas that circulate along said paths, electrical conductor means extending along said paths for dividing each said path into a series of segments, each said control area including a propulsion control portion and a sense portion, a plurality of vehicles for movement along said paths, each said vehicle including circuitry responsive to said propulsion control portions for maintaining vehicle movement along said path in synchronism with the movement of said control areas, common means coupled to said electrical conductor means for sensing warning signals from all of said sense portions and means responsive to detection of a warning signal by said common means for stopping the circulation of said vehicles along said path, supervisory control means responsive to a request from a vehicle on one of said subsidiary paths for checking the availability of a single corresponding control area in said main path, means responsive to an indication of availability of said corresponding control area for reserving said single control area in said main path for the vehicle using said one subsidiary path, and means for moving said vehicle along the control areas of said one subsidiary path in synchronism with the movement of said reserved control area along said main path for controlling the merging entry of said vehicle onto said main path.

Claim 8

A transportation system having a main path and a plurality of subsidiary paths along which vehicles move, means for generating signals that effectively define a series of control areas that circulate along said paths, electrical conductor means extending along said paths for dividing each said path into a series of segments, each said control area including a propulsion control portion and a sense portion, a plurality of vehicles for movement along said paths, each said vehicle including circuitry responsive to said propulsion control portions for maintaining vehicle movement along said path in synchronism with the movement of said control areas, common means coupled to said electrical conductor means for sensing warning signals from all of said sense portions and means responsive to detection of a warning signal by said common means for stopping the circulation of said vehicles along said path, supervisory control means responsive to a request from a vehicle on one of said subsidiary paths for checking the availability of a single corresponding control area in said main path, means responsive to an indication of availability of said corresponding control area for reserving said single control area in said main path for the vehicle using said one subsidiary path, and means for moving said vehicle along the control areas of said one subsidiary path in synchronism with the movement of said reserved control area along said main path for controlling the merging entry of said vehicle onto said main path.