Transport systems utilizing a track supplied with fluid under pressure

Claim 3

Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the further steps of sensing the state of presence or absence of a load located in registry with another section of said track at a distance from said given section, generating accordingly another fluidic signal representative of said last-mentioned state, and applying said other fluidic signal as further pilot signal to govern said operative condition of said fluidic logic element.

Claim 4

Method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said other track section is selected at a distance ahead of said given track section with respect to the displacement direction of said loads along said track.

Claim 5

A ground effect transport system of the kind comprising a track for the conveyance therealong of movable loads floated on an interposed layer of fluid discharged from nozzles opening on said track and supplied with pressure fluid from a conduit extending within and all along said track, means for detecting the presence or absence state of a load thereon and generating accordingly a fluidic signal representative of said state, and obturator means under the control of said fluidic signal for controlling fluid supply to said nozzles, wherein the improvement comprises a fluidic logic element fitted between said detecting means and said obturator means and comprising at least one fluidic flip-flop arranged to be piloted by said fluidic signal and having an output adapted to deliver a power jet for the control of said obturator means, and a further output opening into the atmosphere, the two outputs being in branched relationship.

Claim 6

A ground effect transport system of the kind comprising a track for the conveyance therealong of movable loads floated on an interposed layer of fluid discharged from nozzles opening on said track and supplied with pressure fluid from a conduit extending within and all along said track, means for detecting the presence or absence state of a load thereon and generating accordingly a fluidic signal representative of said state, and obturator means under the control of said fluidic signal for controlling fluid supply to said nozzles, wherein the improvement comprises a fluidic logic element fitted between said detecting means and said obturator means and comprising at least one fluidic flip-flop arranged to be piloted by said fluidic signal and having an output adapted to deliver a power jet for the control of said obturator means, and a further output opening into the atmosphere, the two outputs being in branched relationship.

Claim 7

System as claimed in claim 4, wherein said fluidic logic element further comprises a control passage associated with said further output, a distributor under the control of said detecting means for deliVering pressure fluid to said control passage, and a pressure fluid source connected to said distributor, the arrangement being such that, upon detection of the presence of a load by said detecting means, pressure fluid is delivered to said control passage to deflect said power jet towards the corresponding output whereby to open said obturator means.

Claim 8

System as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a second load detecting means at a distance from the former-mentioned load detecting means, a second fluidic flip-flop having a power jet producing nozzle connected to said distributor, an output which is said control passage and another output opening into the atmosphere, a further control passage associated with said other output, and a further pressure fluid distributor under the control of said second load detecting means for delivering pressure fluid to said further control passage, the arrangement being such that, upon detection of the presence of a load by said second detecting means, pressure fluid is delivered to said further control passage of said second flip-flop to deflect the power jet produced by said nozzle thereof towards said other output opening into the atmosphere, whereby said former-mentioned flip-flop has its power jet left unaffected.

Claim 9

System as claimed in claim 4, comprising a first fluidic flip-flop having an output opening into the atmosphere, a control passage under the control of said detecting means and supplied with pressure fluid, and another output, a second fluidic flip-flop having a control passage which is said other output of said first flip-flop, an output opening into the atmosphere, and another output, and a vortex valve having a vent under the control of a further load detecting means and a radial output conduit adapted to deliver motive fluid to actuate said obturating means.

Claim 10

System as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a first distributor with a first branch opening into the atmosphere, a second branch having a power nozzle supplied with pressure fluid, a third branch connected to an upstream track section, and a fourth branch, a second like distributor with four branches the third of which is connected to a downstream track section, an inhibitor circuit to which said fourth branch of said first distributor leads and which is connected to said third branch of said second distributor, said inhibitor circuit comprising a way which opens into the atmosphere and another way, a first fluidic flip-flop under the control of said other way of said inhibitor circuit and having an output opening into the atmosphere and another output, and a second fluidic flip-flop having a control passage which is said other output of said first flip-flop, an output opening into the atmosphere and another output connected to said obturator means.

Claim 11

System as claimed in claim 4, wherein said obturator means comprise vortex type fluid valves respectively connected tangentially to a flip-flop output adapted to deliver a power jet for the control of said obturator means.

Claim 12

System as claimed in claim 4, wherein said obturator means comprise free type valve members having one face cooperating with a valve seat and another face exposed to the power jet delivered by a respective flip-flop output.

Claim 13

System as claimed in claim 4, wherein said fluidic logic element is integrated into said track and is purely static, having no movable part.

Claim 14

System as claimed in claim 4, wherein said fluidic logic element and said obturator means are incorporated into a box-like unit associated with the track surface.