Patent US3797402A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3797402A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Magnetically suspended railway system
Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
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Filing: 1971-05-03
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Granted: 1974-03-19
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Expires: 1991-05-03
Abstract
Abstract In the magnetically suspended railway system disclosed, magnetizable carriers suspended from under each side of a railroad car, support lift and traction magnets and side-to-side guide magnets which are electrically controlled to move along the underside and upright of an inverse-T shaped magnetizable rail mounted from the tops of stationary C-shaped rail supports. Slide surfaces on the rail supports, which are more closely spaced to the carriers than to the car bottom, hold up the train at the carriers in the absence of magnetic force. At switch areas where the rails diverge into two pairs, stationary lift magnets engage the carrier and guide the car along the desired direction. Interlaced non-touching fingers magnetically couple the carriers from one car to the other.
Inventors
- 👤 L Karch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 07:27
CPC Classifications
E; E01; E01B; E01B25/00; E01B25/30; E01B25/305; B; B61; B61B; B61B13/00; B61B13/08; B60; B60L; B60L2200/00; B60L2200/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
180 words
A suspension railway system, comprising a vehicle, rail means located under the vehicle, carrying magnet means disposed below the vehicle and coupled to said rail means for suspending the vehicle and moving the vehicle forward, guide magnet means secured under said vehicle and coupled to said rail means for transversely guiding the vehicle relative to said rail means, carrier means secured to the bottom of said vehicle and mounting said carrying magnet means, said rail means including at least one magnetic structure forming an armature for both said carrying magnet and said guide magnet means, said carrier means projecting said carrying magnet means below the armature, said armature being disposed between said carrying magnet means and the bottom of the vehicle, and a plurality of running surfaces on said rail means and opposite said carrier means for mechanically supporting said vehicle during the absence of suspension, said rail means including a switch area at which said armature is interrupted, said rail means further including slide means in the switch area for mechanically supporting the vehicle during the absence of suspension.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
180 words
A suspension railway system, comprising a vehicle, rail means located under the vehicle, carrying magnet means disposed below the vehicle and coupled to said rail means for suspending the vehicle and moving the vehicle forward, guide magnet means secured under said vehicle and coupled to said rail means for transversely guiding the vehicle relative to said rail means, carrier means secured to the bottom of said vehicle and mounting said carrying magnet means, said rail means including at least one magnetic structure forming an armature for both said carrying magnet and said guide magnet means, said carrier means projecting said carrying magnet means below the armature, said armature being disposed between said carrying magnet means and the bottom of the vehicle, and a plurality of running surfaces on said rail means and opposite said carrier means for mechanically supporting said vehicle during the absence of suspension, said rail means including a switch area at which said armature is interrupted, said rail means further including slide means in the switch area for mechanically supporting the vehicle during the absence of suspension.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein said carrier and said slide means are located relative to each other so that when said vehicle passes through the switch area said carrier is disposed opposite said slide means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein said slide means include a coating of slipping material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein said rail means includes stationary magnet means along said rail means in the switch area, said carrier including a magnetizable portion opposing said stationary magnet means for forming an armature for said stationary magnet means when said carrier passes through said switch area.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
A system as in claim 4, wherein said rail means forks in two directions at said switch area and wherein said stationary magnet means includes a first electromagnetic portion extending in one of the directions and a second electromagnetic portion extending in the other direction, and wherein control means energize only the electromagnetic portion extending in the direction in which the vehicle is intended to pass.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein controller means energize said guide magnet and said carrying magnet means, and wherein said controller means energize said guide magnet means in accordance with the direction the vehicle is to follow when passing through the switch area.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
89 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein the armature is longitudinal and said rail means forms a second longitudinal armature coupled to said carrier magnet means and said guide magnet means, said armatures being located during operation of the vehicle on respective sides of the vehicle, said second armature being coupled to both said carrying magnet means and said guide magnet means, said carrier means projecting said carrying magnet means below said second armature, said second armature being disposed between said magnet means and the bottom of the vehicle.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system as in claim 7, wherein carrying magnet means includes a first portion and a second portion, said carrier means projecting said first portion under said first armature and said second portion under said second armature.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A system as in claim 8, wherein said carrier means project under said armatures and hold respective portions of said carrying magnet means above said carrier means projecting under said armatures.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system as in claim 8, wherein said carrying magnet means project laterally away from the center of said vehicle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system as in claim 8, wherein the distance between said carrier means and said slide means is smaller than the distance between said rail means and the bottom of the vehicle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
75 words
A system as in claim 8, wherein said rail means includes stationary magnet means having two portions each extending along said rail means in the switch area adjacent the interrupted portions of said armatures, said portions of said carrier means including a magnetizable part opposite each of said portions of said stationary magneT means for forming an armature for said portions of said stationary magnet means when said carrier means passes through the switch area.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
70 words
A system as in claim 12, wherein said rail means forks at two directions at said switch area, and wherein said portions of said stationary magnet means each include a first electromagnetic part extending in one of the directions and a second electromagnetic part extending in the other direction, and wherein control means energize only the electromagnetic parts extending in the direction in which the vehicle is intended to pass.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
A system as in claim 8, wherein controller means energize said guide magnet means and said carrying magnet means and wherein said controller means energize said guide magnet means in accordance with the direction the vehicle is to follow when passing through the switch area.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
49 words
A system as in claim 8, wherein said rail means include two sets of support means, each of said support means having a foot portion, a central portion, and a head portion, each of said head portion supporting said armatures, said running surfaces being formed at the foot portions.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system as in claim 8, wherein said rail means include armature supports and said running surfaces form part of said armature supports.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as in claim 8, wherein said running surfaces are formed from materials shaped as domes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
124 words
A system as in claim 8, wherein said first portion and said second portion extend longitudinally along the vehicle, said first portion and said second portion being respectively divided into a plurality of sections, said carrier means having a plurality of carriers, a plurality of said carriers each carrying one of said sections of said first portion and projecting said sections of said first portion under the first armature, a plurality of said carriers each carrying a section of said second portion and projecting the sections of said second portion under the second armature, said first plurality of carriers being longitudinally spaced under one side of the vehicle and said second plurality of carriers being longitudinally spaced under the other side of the vehicle.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
52 words
A system as in claim 8, wherein said guide magnet means includes a first portion and a second portion, said carrier means positioning said first portion of said guide magnet means alongside said first armature and said carrier means positioning said second portion of said guide magnet means adjacent said second armature.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
124 words
A system as in claim 19, wherein said first portion and said second portion extend longitudinally along the vehicle, said first portion and said second portion being respectively divided into a plurality of sections, said carrier means having a plurality of carriers, a plurality of said carriers each carrying one of said sections of said first portion and projecting said sections of said first portion under the first armature, a plurality of said carriers each carrying a section of said second portion and projecting the sections of said second portion under the second armature, said first plurality of carriers being longitudinally spaced under one side of the vehicle and said second plurality of carriers being longitudinally spaced under the other side of the vehicle.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system as in claim 20, wherein each of said portion of said guide magnet means is divided into longitudinally spaced sections and each of said carriers carries one of said sections.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system as in claim 7, wherein said carrier means project under said armatures between said magnetic means and said running surfaces.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system as in claim 7, wherein said carrying magnet means project laterally outward away from the center of said vehicle.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein said carrier means projects under said carrying magnet means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein said carrying magnet means project laterally outward away from the center of said vehicle.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein the distancE between said carrier means and said slide means is smaller than the distance between said rail means and the bottom of the vehicle.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
49 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein said rail means includes C-shaped support means for said armature, said support means having a foot portion, a central portion and a head portion, said armature being supported by said head portion and said running surfaces being formed at the foot portion.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein said rail means include armature supports and said running surfaces form part of said armature supports.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein said running surfaces are formed from materials shaped as domes.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-03-18 | 1977-09-17 | 1978-03-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-03-18 | 1981-09-17 | 1982-03-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-03-18 | 1985-09-17 | 1986-03-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |