Electromagnetic suspension vehicle

Claim 1

An electromagnetic-suspension vehicle system comprising in combination: a track formed with at least one armature rail extending longitudinally along said track in a direction of displacement and having a pair of pole surfaces; a vehicle displaceable along said track, said vehicle being formed with a support extending along said rail; a row of electromagnets on said vehicle for electromagnetically suspending said vehicle from said track, said rail having a pair of pole faces turned toward said electromagnet, said electromagnet having a pair of pole faces turned toward said rail said row, being centered relative to said rail with the pole faces of the electromagnet registering with but spaced from the pole faces of the rail; and spring-and-damper means between said electromagnet and said support for enabling at least limited relative movement of the vehicle and the electromagnet in a plane parallel to a plane of said pole faces, said spring-and-damper means including a pair of leaf springs extending between said electromagnet and said support in a direction perpendicular to said plane, and a restoring spring connected between said support and said electromagnet and effective in a direction parallel to said plane.