Short headway switching system

Claim 2

A vehicle guidance system comprising: a. a vehicle guideway having a diverge point from which vehicles may emerge to be guided along a first or second selected route; b. individual vehicles travelling along said guideway; c. first selectively adjustable vehicle switching means for guiding a first selected one of said vehicles through said diverge point to emerge on a first predetermined one of said selected routes; d. second selectively adjustable vehicle switching means for guiding a second selected one of said vehicles through said diverge point to emerge on a second predetermined one of said selected routes which may, or may not, correspond with said first predetermined one of said selected routes; and e. cooperating means between said first and second selectively adjustabLe vehicle switching means and said first and second one of said plurality of vehicles and said diverge point for causing said first and second vehicle switching means to influence only the route of said first and second vehicles, respectively, through the diverge point, and independent of the sequence of passage of said first and second vehicles through said diverge point.

Claim 3

The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first selectively adjustable switching means is selectively adjusted wayside switch associated with said diverge point.

Claim 4

The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first selectively adjustable switching means is onboard said first selected one of said vehicles.

Claim 5

The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein: a. said first and second selectively adjustable switching means are associated with said diverge point; and wherein b. said first and second vehicles have unique characteristics for responding only to said first and second adjustable switch means, respectively.

Claim 6

The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein: a. each of said individual vehicles has first and second selectively adjustable switch means.

Claim 7

The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the individual conditionable means on a selected one of said plurality of individual vehicles may be selectively conditioned to determine the route of emergence taken from each of a sequence of diverge points before said selected one of said vehicles has entered the first of said sequence of said diverge points.

Claim 8

The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein the individual conditionable means on said selected one of said vehicles which cooperated with the first diverge point of said sequence of diverge points may be conditioned to cooperate with a diverge point subsequent to said first diverge point at any time after said one vehicle has emerged from said first diverge point.

Claim 9

A vehicle guidance system comprising: a. a vehicle guideway having a trunk and a plurality of branches interconnected by a plurality of diverge points through which vehicles may be selectively routed towards a selected branch of said guideway; b. a plurality of individual vehicles travelling from the trunk to a selected branch via one or more of said diverge points; c. said diverge points divided into a plurality of types with each type having a unique characteristic; and d. each of said vehicles having individual conditionable means for selectively cooperating with the different types of diverge points to determine the route of emergence taken from each type of diverge point in response to the entering thereof by one of the plurality of vehicles.

Claim 10

A vehicle guidance system comprising: a. a vehicle guideway having a trunk and a plurality of branches interconnected by a plurality of diverge points through which vehicles may be selectively routed towards a selected branch of said guideway; b. a plurality of individual vehicles travelling from the trunk to a selected branch via one or more of said diverge points; c. said diverge points divided into a plurality of types with each type having a unique characteristic; and d. each of said vehicles having individual conditionable means for selectively cooperating with the different types of diverge points to determine the route of emergence taken from each type of diverge point in response to the entering thereof by one of the plurality of vehicles.

Claim 11

The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein the unique characteristics of each type of diverge point comprises a guide member which is uniquely positioned to cooperate with at least a selectively conditioned one of the conditionable members of each of said vehicles.

Claim 12

The combination as set forth in claim 9 wherein the number of said selectively conditionable members on each of said plurality of vehicles corresponds to the number of types of diverge points.

Claim 13

A vehicle guidance system comprising: a. a vehicle guideway having a trunk and a plurality of branches interconnected by a plurality of diverge points through which vehicles may be selectively directed towards a predetermined one of said branches of said guideway; b. a plurality of individual vehicles travelling from the trunk to various branches of said guideway via selected diverge points; c. each of said diverge points having a first and second switching element; d. said vehicles comprising a first and second class which uniquely distinguish one from the other; e. each vehicle of said first class having a first guide component, while each vehicle of said second class has a second guide component; f. first control means comprising said first guide component and said first switching element for conjOintly controlling the branch on which the vehicle emerges after entering the particular diverge point; and g. second control means comprising said second guide component and said second switching element for conjointly controlling the branch on which the vehicle emerges after entering the particular diverge point; h. whereby vehicles of said first and second class may sequentially pass through said particular diverge point, each emerging on its predetermined branch, irrespective of which class of vehicle leads the other and without the requirement to adjust either said first or second control means subsequent to the entering of the lead vehicle into said particular diverge point.

Claim 14

A vehicle guidance system comprising: a. a vehicle guideway having a trunk and a plurality of branches interconnected by a plurality of diverge points through which vehicles may be selectively directed towards a predetermined one of said branches of said guideway; b. a plurality of individual vehicles travelling from the trunk to various branches of said guideway via selected diverge points; c. each of said diverge points having a first and second switching element; d. said vehicles comprising a first and second class which uniquely distinguish one from the other; e. each vehicle of said first class having a first guide component, while each vehicle of said second class has a second guide component; f. first control means comprising said first guide component and said first switching element for conjOintly controlling the branch on which the vehicle emerges after entering the particular diverge point; and g. second control means comprising said second guide component and said second switching element for conjointly controlling the branch on which the vehicle emerges after entering the particular diverge point; h. whereby vehicles of said first and second class may sequentially pass through said particular diverge point, each emerging on its predetermined branch, irrespective of which class of vehicle leads the other and without the requirement to adjust either said first or second control means subsequent to the entering of the lead vehicle into said particular diverge point.

Claim 15

The combination as set forth in claim 11 wherein said first and second switching elements are wayside controlled.

Claim 16

The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said first and second switching elements each comprise first and second guide rails.

Claim 17

The combination as set forth in claim 13 wherein only one of said first and second guide rails cooperates with a guide component of one of said plurality of vehicles for directing the vehicle through the diverge point.

Claim 18

A vehicle guidance system comprising: a. a vehicle guideway having a trunk and a plurality of branches interconnected by a plurality of diverge points through which vehicles may be selectively directed towards a predetermined one of said branches of said guideway; b. a plurality of individual vehicles travelling from the trunk to the various branches of said guideway via selected diverge point; c. each of said vehicles having a first and second switching element; d. said diverge points divided into a first and second class which uniquely distinguish one from the other and having first and second guide components, respectively; e. first control means comprising said first switching element and said first guide component for conjointly controlling the branch on which a vehicle emerges after entering a diverge point of said first class; and f. second control means comprising said second switching element and said second guide component for conjointly controlling the branch on which a vehicle emerges after entering a diverge point of said second class; g. whereby one of said plurality of vehicles may sequentially pass through diverge points of said first and second class, with said one vehicle emerging on its predetermined branch, irrespective of which class of diverge point is first in the sequence and without the adjustment of either said first or second control means subsequent to the entering of said vehicle into the first of said diverge points.

Claim 19

A vehicle guidance system comprising: a. a vehicle guideway having a trunk and a plurality of branches interconnected by a plurality of diverge points through which vehicles may be selectively directed towards a predetermined one of said branches of said guideway; b. a plurality of individual vehicles travelling from the trunk to the various branches of said guideway via selected diverge point; c. each of said vehicles having a first and second switching element; d. said diverge points divided into a first and second class which uniquely distinguish one from the other and having first and second guide components, respectively; e. first control means comprising said first switching element and said first guide component for conjointly controlling the branch on which a vehicle emerges after entering a diverge point of said first class; and f. second control means comprising said second switching element and said second guide component for conjointly controlling the branch on which a vehicle emerges after entering a diverge point of said second class; g. whereby one of said plurality of vehicles may sequentially pass through diverge points of said first and second class, with said one vehicle emerging on its predetermined branch, irrespective of which class of diverge point is first in the sequence and without the adjustment of either said first or second control means subsequent to the entering of said vehicle into the first of said diverge points.

Claim 20

The combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein said first and second switching elements are onboard switched.

Claim 21

The combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein subsequent to the passage of said one vehicle through the first encountered diverge point the one of the first and second control means which controlled the direction of emergence from the first encountered diverge point may be reset for controlling the direction of emergence when said one vehicle encounters another diverge point of the same type as said first encountered diverge point.