Magnetic propulsion system

Claim 2

A magnetic propulsion system comprising: a vehicle, a plurality of field-producing elements on said vehicle being operable when energized to produce magnetic fields, signal-producing means on the vehicle being operable to produce ultrahigh-frequency signals, means defining a roadway having a generally planar upper surface, a plurality of field-producing thrust and levitation elements on said roadway adjacent the upper surface thereof, a plurality of field-producing partition elements on said roadway adjacent the upper surface thereof, signal receiving means on the roadway adapted to receive ultrahigh frequency signals from the signalproducing means when the latter is in close proximity to the signal receiving means are thereby energized the fieldproducing elements on the roadway, the magnetic fields produced by the field-producing elements on the roadway interacting with the magnetic fields produced by the thrust and levitation field-producing elements on the vehicle to produce levitation of the vehicle above the surface of the roadway, and cause thrust of the vehicle longitudinally with respect to the roadway, said partition field-producing elements when energized, producing repelling fields whose profiles maintain the vehicle in a predetermined generally longitudinal path of travel.

Claim 3

The magnetic propulsion system as defined in claim 1 wherein said roadway has a width of sufficient magnitude to accommodate several vehicles in side-by-side relation.

Claim 4

The magnetic propulsion system as defined in claim 2 and means on said vehicle for de-energizing the field-producing partition elements on the roadway to permit said vehicle to move in a generally lateral direction.

Claim 5

The magnetic propulsion system as defined in claim 1 wherein said field-producing elements on said roadway includes a plurality of levitation field-producing elements, and a plurality of thrust field-producing elements, said levitation field-producing elements when energized, interacting with the field-producing elements on said vehicle to produce levitation of said vehicle, and said thrust field-producing elements on said roadway when energized interacting with the field-producing elements on said vehicle to produce forward thrust or stoppage of the vehicle.

Claim 6

The magnetic propulsion system as defined in claim 4 wherein said signal-producing means on said vehicle includes levitation transducer means and thrust transducer means, said levitation transducer means operable to transmit an ultrahigh-frequency signals of predetermined frequency to energize only certain levitation field-producing elements on the roadway which are disposed in close proximal relation to the vehicle, said thrust transducer means being operable to transmit ultrahigh-frequency signals of predetermined frequency energize only certain of the thrust field-producing elements on the roadway which are disposed in close proximal relation with respect to the vehicle.

Claim 7

A magnetic propulsion system as defined in claim 5 wherein said signal-producing means on the vehicle includes partition transducer means which is operable to transmit ultrahigh-frequency signals of predetermined frequency to only certain partitions field-producing elements on the roadway which are disposed in proximal relation with respect to the vehicle.

Claim 8

The magnetic propulsion system as defined in claim 6 and a control panel on the vehicle for selectively controlling said levitation transducer means, said thrust transducer means and said partition field transducer means on the vehicle.

Claim 9

A magnetic propulsion system comprising a vehicle, a plurality of field-producing elements on said vehicle being operable when energized to produce magnetic fields, A plurality of signal-producing mechanisms on the vehicle being operable to produce ultrahigh-frequency signals, means defining a roadway having a generally planar upper surface, a plurality of field-producing levitation elements arranged in generally longitudinally spaced relation on the roadway adjacent the upper surface thereof, and when energized producing magnetic fields whose polarity is opposite to the polarity of the producing elements on the vehicle to thereby elevate the vehicle above the surface of the roadway, a plurality of signal-receiving mechanism on the roadway adjacent the upper surface thereof, certain of said signal-receiving mechanisms receiving ultrahigh-frequency signals from certain of said signal-producing mechanisms to energize the field-producing levitation elements on the roadway, a plurality of thrust-producing field elements separate from said levitation field-producing elements on said roadway arranged in longitudinally spaced relation adjacent the upper surface thereof, and when energized producing a magnetic field, certain of said signal-receiving mechanisms receiving ultrahigh-frequency signals from said signal-producing mechanisms on the vehicle to energize the thrust-producing field elements on the roadway so that each thrust-producing field element produces alternating repelling and attracting fields with respect to the field-producing elements on the vehicle and thereby cause the vehicle to be thrust in a longitudinal direction, said signal-producing mechanisms on said vehicle including means adjacent the rear of the vehicle which produces a signal received by certain signal-receiving mechanisms to thereby cause each thrust-producing field element over which the rear end of the vehicle has passed to momentarily produce a magnetic field which serves to slow the forward movement of a trailing vehicle.

Claim 10

A magnetic propulsion system comprising a vehicle, a plurality of field-producing elements on said vehicle being operable when energized to produce magnetic fields, A plurality of signal-producing mechanisms on the vehicle being operable to produce ultrahigh-frequency signals, means defining a roadway having a generally planar upper surface, a plurality of field-producing levitation elements arranged in generally longitudinally spaced relation on the roadway adjacent the upper surface thereof, and when energized producing magnetic fields whose polarity is opposite to the polarity of the producing elements on the vehicle to thereby elevate the vehicle above the surface of the roadway, a plurality of signal-receiving mechanism on the roadway adjacent the upper surface thereof, certain of said signal-receiving mechanisms receiving ultrahigh-frequency signals from certain of said signal-producing mechanisms to energize the field-producing levitation elements on the roadway, a plurality of thrust-producing field elements separate from said levitation field-producing elements on said roadway arranged in longitudinally spaced relation adjacent the upper surface thereof, and when energized producing a magnetic field, certain of said signal-receiving mechanisms receiving ultrahigh-frequency signals from said signal-producing mechanisms on the vehicle to energize the thrust-producing field elements on the roadway so that each thrust-producing field element produces alternating repelling and attracting fields with respect to the field-producing elements on the vehicle and thereby cause the vehicle to be thrust in a longitudinal direction, said signal-producing mechanisms on said vehicle including means adjacent the rear of the vehicle which produces a signal received by certain signal-receiving mechanisms to thereby cause each thrust-producing field element over which the rear end of the vehicle has passed to momentarily produce a magnetic field which serves to slow the forward movement of a trailing vehicle.