CH680060A5 - Public transportation system - uses chain or cable drives to convey passenger-carrying vehicles between stations involving changes in height and angle - Google Patents

Abstract

The public transportation system, especially for urban use, consists of vehicles (24) which are conveyed between stations, passing above or below the level of the road traffic (4,6,8). The vehicles are conveyed between the stations (26,28) by means of a flexible drive element (42,44) such as an endless cable or chain, travelling parallel to guide rails. The guide rails are mounted on supports anchored in the ground or in water or on buildings, while the flexible drive elements can be in sections, each with an endless chain or cable, and the vehicles are equipped with couplings which enable them to transfer from one section to another. ADVANTAGE - Enables large numbers of passengers to be carried across existing urban traffic systems with appropriate changes of height and angle and at low cost.

Description

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Description

The invention relates to a transport installation, in particular an urban installation, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Due to an ever-increasing number of inhabitants and cars, urban transport has become a general problem. To resolve it, we tried to use different traffic plans, reserving the normal plan for cars, buses and pedestrians and moving public transportation on underground tracks. These underground metros and trams allow fast and harmless traffic. But they present a rather expensive solution, not only because of the drilling of the necessary tunnels but also because of the damage which the buildings situated above the tunnels can suffer during the drilling of the latter.

Construction problems become even more serious as soon as you are faced with the need to cross water. In addition, passengers often do not like this transport without natural light and without sight.

To remedy these problems, the aerial metro has been created, that is to say one or more wagons or cabs running along one or more rails, either on the rails or being suspended from the latter. But for the centers of European cities, often designed in the Middle Ages, this solution is not satisfactory. The rail system for relatively large wagons does not adapt well to the narrow curves of the streets. In addition, it is impossible to climb steep slopes. It would therefore not be possible to provide stations at a normal or underground level and then raise the vehicles to a higher level to effectively circulate them in the air.

Another drawback - common to conventional and aerial metros - is the difficulty of adapting the transport volume to a variable influx of passengers. To avoid couplings and uncoupling of wagons, it is preferable to always circulate compositions of the same length but at variable intervals. Passengers traveling outside of peak hours are unhappy with this because they have to accept long waiting periods.

Escalators and conveyor belts do not offer valid solutions for this problem, for the following reasons: they are not really suitable for long distance transport, they can only climb and descend as steep slopes fixed, their transfer path is linear and they should be under a roof or inside a building.

When carrying out such transport facilities, either in the plain for urban transport or within exhibitions, we are faced with several problems concerning the end buildings, for example stations in "cellars" and " floors ”and intermediate stations. Current cable car speeds are 3000 or more people per hour, while the usual cabins have 2 to 15 seats. This requires a cabin departure every five to ten seconds, depending on the size of the cabins. The time to disembark and embark is 30 to 60 seconds, depending on the size of the cabins.

Consequently, a fairly large number of cabins are simultaneously in the disembarkation area respectively of embarkation, as well as a fairly large number of passengers having just disembarked or wishing to embark. To avoid traffic problems, this area should therefore be relatively spacious. However, the conditions of topography or town planning often do not allow the construction of a station large enough to create a long landing area or boarding area. In addition, it would not be ideal either, given the large differences in crowds in relation to the season, the time of day, the road and weather conditions.

We have already tried to separate the cabins and lead them to two landing areas respectively boarding, arranged at the same level and in parallel between the entry and exit of the cabins. The disadvantage of this solution is the following: the paths of the passengers and the cabins intersect; this is undesirable given the danger of ac-cients and the security requirements. To avoid this crossing, it would be possible to provide a staircase by which at least some of the passengers could directly access their boarding or disembarking area. But such a solution requires relatively much space in a plan.

The present invention therefore aims to remedy these drawbacks and to create a transport system, in particular an urban one, which requires only inexpensive installations, making it possible to climb steep slopes and at variable angles and to cross waters, which may have a transfer path with narrow curves being adaptable to a variable influx of passengers which is advantageous with regard to investment and operating costs.

The transport system according to the invention is characterized as indicated in the characterizing part of claim 1.

This transport system is therefore in principle a gondola, or possibly a chairlift, of the kind used as a mechanical lift in the mountains, but adapted to the needs of a city.

The guide device can be a rail system or one or more carrying cables.

The advantages of cables are their relatively low price as well as a flexible decoupling coupling and a quiet walk. The advantages of chains are the possibility of partial repairs, the small danger of torsion and the possibility of coupling vehicles so that they do not slip, regardless of temperature changes.

The element which drives the vehicles may include one or more conveyor chains or cables.

It would be possible to provide one or two large cabins (up to 100 people or more) and to circulate them as a back-and-forth shuttle.

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But it is preferable to plan a whole series of cabins or seats for approximately 2 to 15 people seated or standing.

The seats or cabins can be permanently fixed to the conveyor cable or to the chain, or else can be coupled to the cable or to the chain for the transfer zones respectively to be decoupled from the cable or the chain for the zones of stations.

These cabins or seats can be permanently fixed to the chain or to the towing cable which are of the continuously scrolling type.

One can also provide a single cable, carrier and conveyor at a time, and continuous scrolling.

We choose a carrier cable rather than a rail system if the transfer path contains narrow curves. But the rails have great advantages: one avoids the oscillation of the vehicles and they are always at the same level, independently of the number of passengers; this allows you to enter and exit flat.

The stations may be provided at the level of cabin traffic in the air, that is to say "upstairs", at the level of normal road traffic, that is to say "on the ground floor ”, Or at the level of a tunnel, that is to say“ in the cellar ”. The last possibility makes it easy to combine the station of the new transport system with a station of a regular metro or underground tram or with a level passage.

In general, in stations, the decoupled cabins of the cable slide on transfer rails at a speed lower than their translation speed. More precisely, they are braked when arriving in a deceleration zone, then they pass at low speed a landing zone and a boarding zone, from where they arrive in an acceleration zone; when leaving the last one, they are again coupled to the cable.

Depending on the distances inside the stations, it may be advantageous to provide in addition an acceleration zone, a rapid speed zone and a deceleration zone between the disembarkation and embarkation zones.

In secondary stations or cable cars for short distances, it is possible to dispense with the transfer rail system and even the possibilities of decoupling cabins; in these cases, you must choose a speed allowing embarkation and disembarkation or else slow down the cable each time a cabin passes through disembarkation or embarkation areas.

This solution has the advantage of great simplicity but it also has two drawbacks: the average speed is low and the number of cabins is always the same.

If, on the other hand, decoupled cabins are chosen, one can - depending on the number of passengers wishing to transport, - increase or decrease the number of cabins in circulation.

The guide device comprises masts anchored for example at the edge of the streets, or carriers fixed to neighboring buildings to hold the groups of rollers on which the cable rests.

The new transport system makes it possible to go up and down steep slopes (up to about 90%), and the angle does not have to be invariable, as one does not depend on the possibilities of adhesion.

The transfer path can follow narrow curves (with diameters as small as about 2 meters).

It is easy to cross rivers, possibly even without planting masts in the water, since the distances between the masts, which naturally depend on the weight of the vehicles and the number of vehicles being at the same time between two masts, can be relatively great.

It is generally planned to circulate the cabins in the air, that is to say at a traffic plan higher than the normal traffic plan of the "ground floor". But it is of course possible to pass them through tunnels.

If flexible elements with continuous scrolling are chosen to drive the vehicles, one of the sections can be used to draw vehicles from a first to a second station and the other of the sections to draw vehicles from the second to the first station. In these cases, the outward and return journeys are made along neighboring and parallel transfer paths. The flexible element in the shape of a very long O turns at these two ends around vertical axes.

However, it may be necessary or useful to separate the transfer routes from the outward and return journeys. In this case, two flexible elements can be provided. But it is advantageous to provide only one motor. This can be achieved in a simple way, if each flexible element is installed in a vertical plane, using only the lower section to pull the vehicles. In this case, the two flexible elements rotate at each end around two horizontal and aligned axes.

Such an installation makes it possible to favor one of the transfer directions, either by stopping the other, either by using more cabins in one of the directions, or by using the two transfer paths in the same direction.

The new layout of the buildings as well as the choice of electro-mechanical equipment makes it possible to move the loaded cabins in the phase where they are separated from the conveyor cable. This system makes it possible to embark respectively to disembark in different zones located essentially one above the other, that is to say at different levels. This makes it possible to use one or the other or all of the embarkation or disembarkation areas respectively.

In addition, it is possible to use one of the zones for passengers and the other for goods or to separate different categories of passengers, such as people with and without subscriptions.

The advantages and characteristics of the transport system according to the invention will emerge more clearly from the following description of an embodiment of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows a cross with different

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means of transport, including the means of transport according to the invention, partially in section,

fig. 2 shows the intersection of FIG. 1, in a plan view,

fig. 3 shows a diagram of a first possibility of transfer path, in a plan view,

fig. 4 shows a diagram of a second possibility of transfer path, in a plan view,

fig. 5 shows a diagram of a third possibility of transfer path, in a plan view,

fig. 6 shows a diagram of a fourth possibility of transfer path, in a plan view,

fig. 7 is a schematic elevation view of a first station of the transport system,

fig. 8 is a plan view of the station according to FIG. 7,

fig. 9 is a schematic elevation view of a second station of the transport system,

fig. 10 is a schematic elevation view of an intermediate station of the transport system,

fig. 11 is a plan view of the station according to FIG. 9,

fig. 12 is a schematic elevation view of another intermediate station of the transport system,

fig. 13 shows a transfer area between two stations, more detailed, in elevation.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a street 2 with trams 4, 6 and 8,10 cars. On both sides of street 2, there are sidewalks 12, 14 for pedestrians 16. To cross from one side 18 of this street 2 to the other side 20, we have provided a transport system according to the Invention, in the special case, a single-wire gondola 22 with different cabs 24. Two stations 26, 28 constructed according to the same principle, are located on the left and on the right. A third intermediate station 30 is in the middle. Each station 26, 28, 30 includes a deceleration zone 32 at the arrival of the cabins, a disembarkation zone 34 for the passengers leaving the cabins, a boarding zone 36 for the new passengers, and an acceleration zone 38 for cabins departing from the station. Between the stations, the cabins are located in zones 40 where they move at high speed; in the embarkation and disembarkation areas, they move only at a slow speed. Depending on the size of the stations, it is possible to provide additional acceleration, fast speed and deceleration zones inside the stations between the disembarkation and embarkation zones.

In high-speed areas, the cabins are coupled to cable 42, which is driven by a motor (not drawn). In the other zones, the cabins move on rail systems 44. To decelerate and accelerate the cabins, various means can be provided, for example with spring or on wheels, or inclined transfer rails can be used.

It is possible to leave cabins coupled to the cable while they pass by the intermediate station or by all the stations by slowing down or automatically increasing their speed according to the zones in which they are.

Fig. 1 shows two possibilities for the cabin transfer path:

a first possibility where the cabins pass through a tunnel 46 under the street, and a second where the cabins pass over the street. The lower passage variant also includes stairs 48, it is possible to provide escalators if the number of people during peak hours is very large. Between peak hours, it will be possible to stop the gondola or escalators, or both. This first possibility is also shown in FIG. 2.

Fig. 1 also shows, in dotted line, a variant of overpass for the cabins. This variant could also include stairs, possibly rolling.

For safety reasons, that is to say to have a possibility of escape and rescue, it is necessary to envisage staircases with open sides or rolling bands, allowing the passengers to reach it without problems while leaving the cabins at times of failure.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 show four variants of the transfer path.

In fig. 3, we see a straight line 50 with only two stations 52.

In fig. 4, we see a route 54 with a bend, so that the cable follows a polygon, with two stations 56.

In fig. 5, we see a route 58 with several sections, with two stations 60 - among several - represented. In this case, one cable can be provided, but it is preferable to provide one cable per section, which makes it easier to switch on only certain sections, depending on the influx of passengers.

In fig. 6, we see a route 62 to go and a return route 64 which are not parallel. In this case, two conveyor cables must be provided, in vertical planes. It is also possible to provide two cables in installations according to fig. 3, 4 and 5, which allows for example to use only one direction of transport, for example towards the city center in the morning and outwards in the evening.

According to fig. 7 and 8 the “cellar” station of a single cable gondola is a building 102 with a main floor 104. The cabins 106 which are intended for two to twelve people can be coupled in a known manner to a cable 108. This aerial cable 108 passes into the building 102 on a deflection pulley 110 driven in rotation by a motor 112, by a gearbox 114. A system of rails 116 is disposed on the ceiling of the main floor 14, the rails essentially forming a U with the sections 116 ', 116 ", 116"'. This main stage 104 contains different zones, that is to say a decoupling zone 118, a landing zone 120, a boarding zone 122 adjacent to the landing zone 120, a waiting zone 124 and a zone coupling 126. The decoupling zone 118 is the place where the cabins 106 arriving from the upper station are decoupled from the cable 108 and placed on the section 116 ′ of the rail system 116; they move towards the landing area 120, gradually losing their speed, this due to the money5

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tion or the effect of a braking system that is usually expected. In case the cabs slow down too much, just push them manually to the desired location.

When arriving at the landing area 120, the cabins 106 are almost stopped, automatically or manually; passengers leave cabins 106 and possibly take their luggage from a luggage rack fixed outside each cabin 106. Cabins 106 are then moved to the boarding area 122 where the new passengers load their luggage and take their places. It may not be planned to separate the building into a first part for passengers wishing to make the journey and a second part for passengers who have just made the journey; in these cases, the embarkation and disembarkation zones are identical. The cabins 106 occupied are subsequently moved to the waiting zone 124, from where they are shipped, generally automatically and at regular intervals, to the coupling zone 126. Again secured to the cable 108, the cabins 106 then leaving the station. These installations and their operating mode are known.

In the new station, the building 102 comprises a secondary floor 128 located at a different plane than the main floor 104, in the particular case below this main floor 104.

A second system of rails 130, 130 ′, 130 ″, 130 ″, also forming a U, is disposed on the ceiling of the secondary stage 128. A system of conveyors 132 arranged obliquely in our example and which includes a rising section 132 'and a descending section 132 ", connects a section 134 of the first rail system 116 to the section 130' of the second rail system 130. A switch arranged in the section 116 'alternately serves the section 134 or the section 116".

On the secondary floor 128 there is a second landing area 136 and a second loading area 138, these two areas can also be combined as on the main floor, as well as a second waiting area 140. A using the switch, a part of the cabins 16 arriving on the first rail system 16 is selected automatically or manually and returned to the descending section 132 ′ of the conveyor system 132, which descends the cabins 106 to the secondary stage 128 Leaving this section 132 ′, the cabins 106 arrive using the second rail system 30 towards the second disembarkation area 136 or embarkation 138 respectively where the exchange of passengers and / or goods takes place. Then the cabins 106 are moved to the second waiting area 140 from where they are moved to the second waiting area 140 from where they are accelerated towards the section 132 "amount of the conveyor system 132 at set intervals. Having returned to the main floor 104, the cabins 106 thread through other switches between the cabins coming from the first boarding area 122, and they continue their journey as the cabins having remained on the main floor 104.

Fig. 9 shows a corresponding “upstairs” station. In its building 142 the main floor is designed essentially as described for the building of the lower station and has the same figures. On the other hand, the secondary stage 144 is located above the main stage. The conveyor system 146, with the difference that the cabins 106 arriving at the station are directed first to the upward section 146 ′, then to the second landing area 148 respectively of boarding 150 and finally to the downward section 146 "of the system Conveyor 146. Apart from that, the operating mode is analogous to that of the station in Figs. 7 and 8.

Figs. 10 and 11 show a station with a building 152 which can be divided into closed parts in the middle and open parts at the ends. The main floor 154 is located essentially at the level of the neighboring land, thus forming the ground floor of the building 152. Cables 108 and 109 cross the building 152 in opposite directions. A first system of transfer rails 156, 157 is arranged in a known manner on the ceiling of the main floor 154 and connects the decoupling zones 118 respectively 119 to the coupling zones 120 respectively 121. Two landing zones 158,159 and two zones 160,161 are located in the middle of the building 152. The secondary floor 162 is located above the main floor 154, forming the first floor of the building 152. The second rail system 164, 165 is arranged on the ceiling of the secondary stage 162. Two conveyor systems 166, 167 each comprising an ascending section 166 ', 167' and a descending section 166 ", 167" connect the secondary stage 162 to the main stage 154. Two landing zones 169, 169 and two boarding areas 170,171 are located in the center of the secondary stage 162.

The cabins 106 arriving from the left (according to FIGS. 10 and 11) are separated from the cable 108 in the decoupling zone 118. They continue their journey on the rail system 156 to a switch 172 from which part of the cabins 106 follows the rail system 156, while the rest of the cabins 106 heads towards the rising section 166 ′ of the conveyor system 166 to reach the secondary stage 162. The cabins 106 of the main stage 154 pass through the zone of disembarkation 158 and the embarkation area 160 and leave the rail system 156 in the coupling area 120. The cabins 106 of the secondary stage 162 pass through the disembarkation area 168 and through the embarkation area 170 and return then the first rail system 156 at the main level 154 using the descending section 166 "of the conveyor system 166. At the coupling zone 120, they are again secured to the cable 108. The cabins 106 coming from the right ( view in fi g. 10 and 11) move in a similar manner from the decoupling zone 119 to the coupling zone 121, crossing the station either on the main stage 154 on the rail system 157 and serving the landing zones 159 and boarding 161 either on the secondary floor using the upward section 167 ′ and the descending section 167 ″ of the conveyor system 167 and by serving the landing areas 169 and boarding areas 171.

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In certain cases it may be useful to provide a system of rails and switches at one or the other or at two floors making it possible to redirect the cabins 106 in the opposite direction to their arrival.

Fig. 12 finally shows an intermediate station which responds specifically to the needs of urban transport. It corresponds to the station in fig. 10 and 11 also bearing the same figures with the only difference that the main floor is located above the secondary floor, the last being located at the level of the neighboring land and thus forming the ground floor of the building so that the cabins must first go down and then go up using the conveyor system. It is obvious that it will be more comfortable for passengers to disembark and board at the secondary level and it will therefore be logical to use it first and to reserve the additional use of the main floor during peak hours.

Garage tracks 174 can be arranged on the main floor and / or on the secondary floor, but to make the best use of the space in buildings they are provided according to FIG. 8 preferably at the secondary level below respectively above the lateral sections of the rail systems of the main floors.

The conveyor systems being arranged obliquely in the embodiment to which the description relates by way of example can be replaced by vertical conveyor systems.

Vehicles can be suspended or hung in conveyor systems. But it is also possible to place them in a conveyor system consisting essentially of a carpet, escalator or elevator.

This station which gives the possibility to empty respectively to fill cabins, seats or skips at different levels and to favor one or the other therefore allows the construction of a relatively compact building and facilitates rational operation of the transport system.

Fig. 13 shows a transport system according to the invention with a rail system 202 as a guiding device in the translation zones 204 and another rail system 206 as a guiding device in the stations 208. The vehicles 210 are driven by a conveyor cable 212 in the translation zone 204 and by a series of rollers 214 in the stations 208. The latter serve to accelerate and decelerate the cabins. The conveyor cable 212 is a continuously traveling cable, driven by a motor 216 at its left turn point 218 (seen in FIG. 13). Several tension rollers 220 serve to maintain the necessary tension state. The two sections of this conveyor cable 222, 224 are arranged in a vertical plane. The cabins can only be coupled to the lower section 222, so that this cable - although continuously running - only serves to transport the cabins in one direction, the upper section not being used for transporting cabins. To transport the cabins in the other direction, it is necessary to provide a second guide device and a second conveyor cable, similar to the first and pouring the cabins on the same rail system 206 in the stations. The two rail systems with their conveyor cables must not be arranged in parallel. But they have at each of their turning points 226, 228 guide rollers 230, 232 with aligned axes, those of one end are entrained. The guide rollers normally rotate in opposite directions, to transport the same number of cabins in both directions of translation. However, it is possible to stop one or the other of the conveyor cables for a certain time or to lead them in the same direction, for example during peak hours. In order to be able to do this, you naturally need a certain tank of cabins at the station, of which we want to send a large number without receiving any.

Fig. 13 further shows the areas of deceleration 234 and acceleration 236, boarding 238 and landing 240 and coupling 242 and decoupling 244. A carriage 246 rolls on the rails and carries the cabin. The arrangement of the rails and the cabin allow boarding and disembarking at level.

The description above shows that the implementation of the transport system according to the invention leads to gondolas or chairlifts with very varied aspects.

This makes it possible to satisfy requirements in a large field of transport problems.

Claims (1)

Claims 1. Transport installation, in particular urban, with a guidance device and vehicles moving along said device between and in stations, these vehicles being at least between stations at a level below or above the level of road traffic, characterized in that the vehicles are driven at least between the stations by a flexible element moving parallel to the guide device. 2. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide device comprises a rail system. 3. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide device comprises a carrying cable. 4. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible element is a continuously scrolling element. 5. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible element is a chain. 6. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible element is a conveyor cable. 7. Installation according to claims 3 and 6, characterized in that the carrying cable serves as a conveyor cable, preferably continuous scrolling. 8. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that there is provided a guide device and a flexible element with continuous scrolling for one of the directions of the vehicles and another guide device and another flexible element with scrolling - 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 11 CH 680 060 A5 continuous for the other direction of the vehicles, the two flexible elements lying in vertical planes and rotating in the same direction or in opposite directions, around two aligned axes, arranged at the common ends of the guiding devices and driven by a device common. 9. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicles are cabins capable of being coupled to and decoupled from the flexible element. 10. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide device is supported by supports anchored in the ground or in water or in buildings. 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 7