GB1290195A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1290195 Railway systems JERVIS B WEBB CO 1 Jan 1970 [6 Jan 1969] 0047/70 Heading B7L A monorail transportation system or railway, comprises a rail 14, mounted on a planar support 12, and a vehicle 11; the rail has two oppositely facing track surfaces 22, 23, which extend substantially perpendicular to the support and on which are mounted electric conductor bars 18, 19; the vehicle, Fig. 2, has mounted on its frame 26 three wheels 28 which engage the support and may be either fixed or castering, two guide rolls 32, an electrical pick-up assembly 34, which engages the conductor bars, and a driving assembly comprising a motor 40, a drive roll 38 and an idler roll 36, the drive and idler rolls engaging the track surfaces 22, 23 respectively. The motor 40 and a shaft 47 of the drive roll 38 are both mounted on a bracket 45, the latter being mounted on a pivot pin 41 connected to a boss 44 secured to the vehicle frame 26, such that the pivoted axis lies between the shaft 47 and the centre of the motor. This arrangement ensures continued traction when the vehicle traverses curves. Normally the drive roll is urged into engagement with the track surface by a spring 50, mounted in a recess 51 of the boss 44, bearing on a plate 48 attached to the motor base 49. Referring to Fig. 2, if the vehicle travels in the direction of the arrow 59 the centrifugal force exerted on the motor 40 causes it to rotate in a clockwise direction, thus rotating the bracket and urging the drive roll into engagement with the track, the vehicle travels in the direction of the arrow 60, the motor rotates in an anti-clockwise direction, urging the roller away from the track and preventing binding. These pivotal movements are limited by the plate 48 engaging the boss 44. The motor is preferably operable by a relatively low voltage (24 volt D.C.) the current being collected from the conductor bars by the electrical pick-up assembly. This assembly, Figs. 8, 9, preferably comprises a carbon shoe 74 having conductor bar engaging portions 75, 76 and being pivotally mounted at 77 on a bracket 78 of insulating material, the bracket being secured by a pivot pin 79 to a boss 80 on the vehicle frame. A spring 82 is connected to the bracket 78 and to a second boss 83, a lead wire 84 being connected to the shoe. The circuit is completed by a second similar shoe engaging the other conductor bar. Apart from supplying current the conductor bars also form a headed portion which overlaps the drive and idler rolls, and guide rolls to prevent them jumping the rail.