Proportional thrust control for levitated vehicles

Claim 2

A proportional propulsive power control system for vehicles moving along a track under propulsive power comprising means dividing said track into a plurality of sections including vehicle detectors at each of said sections, means for timing the traversing of said vehicles between two of said vehicle detectors, and control means responsive to passage of a selected vehicle past one of said vehicle detectors for supplying a variable control signal for controlling propulsive power to said selected vehicle in a selected track section, said signal being variable in proportion to the elapsed time subsequent to a selected time period required for said selected vehicle to move from said one vehicle detector to a second vehicle detector.

Claim 3

The combination as specified in claim 1 and means to initiate said control means to vary across a control cycle upon the expiration of the time period normally required for said selected vehicle to move from said one vehicle detector to said second vehicle detector.

Claim 4

A proportional thrust control system for controlling the movement of levitated vehicles along a guideway including vehicle detector means effectively dividing said guideway into individual sections, timer means associated with at least some of said sections to time the movement of said vehicles between first and second selected vehicle detectors, said second vehicle detector being associated with the guideway section associated with said timer means, separate means for providing propulsive power to a vehicle in at least some sections of said guideway, means to prevent propulsive power from being provided to said vehicles on a guideway section associated with said timer means during the timer means time period, means to provide a control signal to regulate the separate means for supplying propulsive power as a function of the value of said control signal, and means to vary the value of said control signal across a range of values subsequent to the end of said timer means time period until said second vehicle detector detects a vehicle prior to the end of a preselected second time period after the timer means time period has expired.

Claim 5

A proportional thrust control system for controlling the movement of levitated vehicles along a guideway including vehicle detector means effectively dividing said guideway into individual sections, timer means associated with at least some of said sections to time the movement of said vehicles between first and second selected vehicle detectors, said second vehicle detector being associated with the guideway section associated with said timer means, separate means for providing propulsive power to a vehicle in at least some sections of said guideway, means to prevent propulsive power from being provided to said vehicles on a guideway section associated with said timer means during the timer means time period, means to provide a control signal to regulate the separate means for supplying propulsive power as a function of the value of said control signal, and means to vary the value of said control signal across a range of values subsequent to the end of said timer means time period until said second vehicle detector detects a vehicle prior to the end of a preselected second time period after the timer means time period has expired.

Claim 6

The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein said means to vary the value of said control signal comprises a fluid chamber, said fluid chamber being normally maintained at a first fluid quantity during the time period of said timer means, means to permit fluid to bleed from said chamber at a controlled rate immediately after the expiration of said timer means time period, and means to disable said means to permit fluid to bleed from said chamber to prevent fluid loss from said chamber in response to a selected vehicle detector detecting a vehicle.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 4 wherein said means to permit fluid to bleed from said chamber comprises an orifice, and said means to disable comprises a valve closing off flow through said orifice.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 5 wherein said means to provide said control signal comprises a set valve to connect said chamber to a source of fluid under pressure whenever the timer means is in its time period.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 3 wherein there are two means to provide a signal to control propulsive power, a second of said means to control propulsive power controlling power for braking action of a vehicle.

Claim 10

The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein said means to provide propulsive power comprises a fluid control valve which opens in response to a separate signal, and said control means includes means to regulate the amount that said fluid control valve opens to control the propulsive power supplied by said fluid control valve as a function of said control signal.

Claim 11

The combination as specified in claim 8 wherein said means to regulate the amount said valve opens comprises a fluid chamber, means controlling the amount said valve opens in proportion to the amount of fluid in said fluid chamber, means to connect said chamber to a fluid pressure source during the time period of said timer means, and bleed orifice means to control flow of fluid from said chamber subsequent to the expiration of said timer means time period, said fluid pressure source being disconnected from said chamber after expiration of said timer means time period, and means responsive to detection of a vehicle by said second selected vehicle detector to prevent further flow of fluid from said chamber through said bleed orifice means.

Claim 12

A thrust control system for propelled vehicles operating along a track comprising means dividing said track into a plurality of sections including vehicle detectors at each of said sections, means for timing the traversing of said vehicles between two of said vehicle detectors, and control means responsive to passage of a vehicle past one of said vehicle detectors for supplying a variable control signal for controlling propulsive power to said vehicle in a selected track section including means to provide a pneumatic pressure signal which changes in value between selected limits in proportion to the elapsed time subsequent to expiration of a selected time period after initiation of the means for timing associated with said one vehicle detector, and means controlling propulsive power to a vehicle in said selected track section as a function of the value of said pneumatic pressure signal.

Claim 13

A thrust control system for propelled vehicles operating along a track comprising means dividing said track into a plurality of sections including vehicle detectors at each of said sections, means for timing the traversing of said vehicles between two of said vehicle detectors, and control means responsive to passage of a vehicle past one of said vehicle detectors for supplying a variable control signal for controlling propulsive power to said vehicle in a selected track section including means to provide a pneumatic pressure signal which changes in value between selected limits in proportion to the elapsed time subsequent to expiration of a selected time period after initiation of the means for timing associated with said one vehicle detector, and means controlling propulsive power to a vehicle in said selected track section as a function of the value of said pneumatic pressure signal.

Claim 14

The combination as specified in claim 10 wherein said means to vary said pneumatic pressure signal comprises a bleed orifice, and means to prevent flow through said bleed orifice when the second vehicle detector detects a vehicle.