Anti-collision device for passive vehicles

Claim 1

An anti-collision device for a transport installation with passive vehicles running on a track equipped with a means of propulsion of the vehicles from the track, the latter being subdivided into sections, an upper section and a lower section, each equipped with an individual means of propulsion controlling the travel of a vehicle engaged on the section, an upper section being followed by a lower section, the terms upper and lower being defined in relation to the direction of circulation of the vehilces, comprising means equipping an upper section of the track for measuring and for the elaboration of continuous signals representing the position X 2 and speed V 2 of the vehicle engaged on the section and means equipping the lower section adjacent to the said upper section for measuring and for the elaboration of a continuous signal of the position X 1 of the vehicle engaged on the lower section, and a processing and signalling unit receiving the said signals X 2 V 2 X 1 having means to indicate parameters of the installation influencing the catching up of the vehicles comprising means to indicate the length L of a vehicle and means to indicate the deceleration Γ capacity of a vehicle, the said processing and signalling constituting means to signal a risk of collision when the spacing between the vehicles X 1 -X 2 -L is equal to or smaller than the emergency braking capacity of the upper vehicle at a velocity V 2 .