Abstract: A device includes a fixed portion permanently integrated in a platform, a mobile portion connected to the fixed portion so as to be capable of displacement between stowed and expanded configurations, and elements for driving the mobile portion. In order to improve the device safety, including in particularly dangerous cases such as the drift of the railway vehicle along the platform, the mobile portion is provided with telemeters for constant time measuring of the horizontal distance between them and the vehicle, while control members connected to the telemeters process the measurements from the telemeters in order to provide real-time driving-elements actuation signals according to the measurements so that, in the expanded configuration, the horizontal distance between the free end of the mobile part and the access threshold (8A) of the parked vehicle is lower than a predetermined value independently from the relative position of the platform and the parked vehicle.

Abstract: A system for automatically determining a public transport vehicle emergency braking characteristics, in particular of a railway vehicle, includes elements (1) for measuring the vehicle speed, elements (2) for measuring the distance travelled by it, and elements (3) for triggering an emergency braking of the vehicle to actuate its braking elements (4). The system includes elements for detecting (5) the activation of the elements (3) triggering the emergency braking and elements for detecting (5) when the vehicle stops, adapted to activate/deactivate the operation of elements (9) acquiring data concerning the speed and the distance travelled by the vehicle for a time interval running between the activation of the emergency triggering elements and the moment the vehicle stops, and elements (9) for analyzing the data to deliver at least a information concerning the distance travelled by the vehicle during the time interval.

Abstract: A method of connecting a card to a terminal including the following steps: a) on receiving corresponding respective commands from the terminal, it modifies the contents of the card memory by provisionally recording in the card memory each of said interdependent items of information without losing prior values corresponding to said items; and then b) the modifications are finalized either by all of them being confirmed or by all of them being discarded.

Abstract: A system for automatic and guided transport of people, the system including: at least one running track having guide members for guiding transport modules; an electric power supply system comprising a sequence of power supply blocks; electric self-propelled transport modules travelling individually along the running track and fitted with a collector for picking up electric power supplied by the power supply blocks; and an electric power supply distributor controlled by a central control unit managing the progress of the transport modules by powering or unpowering various power supply blocks.

Abstract: The device comprises a target member (4) and a support (1) for supporting the target member. The support includes a receptacle head (12) for the target member, including a housing (15) open to the outside via an outwardly flared frustoconical seat (16). The target member includes a flange (42) having a spherical annular lateral surface adapted to bear tangentially against the seat (16), and a plate (45) upstanding perpendicularly on the flange in an equatorial plane an imaginary sphere (44) of which the lateral surface of the spherical annular flange is part. The plate has two parallel plane retroreflecting faces and a hole (46) passing completely through it and centered on an axis perpendicular to the faces of the plate and passing through the center of the spherical surface, and the hole is open at both ends via a bevel (461).

Abstract: The card contains value information suitable for being debited by the machine in consideration for delivering goods or service. The machine causes a ratification flag stored in the non-volatile memory of the card to be modified between two states, namely: a ratified state corresponding to the case where the preceding transaction performed with the card, whether with the same machine or with another machine, took place correctly, and a non-ratified state for the case when said preceding transaction was interrupted in the course of being executed. The machine successively: conditionally debits the card if the flag is in the ratified state; causes the card to put the flag in the non-ratified state if a debit took place in the preceding step; then causes the goods or service to be delivered; and if delivery takes place effectively in the preceding step, causes the flag to be put by the card into the ratified state.

Abstract: A method handles collisions in a data interchange between portable objects and at least one data transceiver. The method includes the steps of the transceiver transmitting to said plurality of portable objects general call messages, each including a collision probability modulation parameter. Each portable object conditionally transmits to the transceiver a general call response with a probability of less than 100% as a function of the collision probability modulation parameter and having a specific identifier. The transceiver receives a general call response message, and in the absence of any collision between said message and a message transmitted by another portable object, a specific data communication link is established. Otherwise the method returns to the first step and repeats, optionally modifying the dynamic range of the probability modulation parameter.

Abstract: The terminal includes a coil co-operating with a data transmitter/receiver. The portable object includes a remotely powered electric circuit including: a coil for picking up the modulated magnetic field from the terminal or for responding by producing modulated disturbance of the magnetic field; a converter including a rectifier stage and a filter stage transforming the magnetic field picked up by the coil into a DC power supply voltage; and a data transmitter/receiver, the receiver including a demodulator for demodulating the amplitude of the signal picked up by the coil, the amplitude demodulator operating on the signal output by the rectifier and filter stages. Each of the coils forms a portion of a tuned resonant circuit radiating the field in free space. The amplitude modulation is a low depth modulation, with a modulation ratio that is typically less than or equal to 50%.

Abstract: The invention relates to a railway vehicle comprising two sets of two axles which are steerable relative to the body. The load of the body is applied in the vertical plane of each axle at two points adjacent to the wheels. The load of the body is applied through slide friction blocks. The invention concerns in particular railway vehicles wherein each axle is radially guided.

Abstract: A braking system having a disk brake that is mechanically connected to at least one wheel of the vehicle and cooperates with a brake caliper that is actuated by a threaded rod screwed through a threaded connection in a control nut rotatively mounted inside the caliper body, the threaded connection being irreversible by axial forces alone. The brake linings are made of an elastomeric material having a high friction coefficient when the disk is not rotating. This system provides a compact parking brake having a high power and a large remote-indication capacity, and is particularly useful in railroad vehicles.

Abstract: Apparatus including a magnet (10) having at least one degree of freedom w respect to a first member, tangent to the direction of measurement and cooperating with a magnetic portion associated with a second member, and a sensor (11) for picking up the position of the magnet relative to the first member. Such apparatus is employed in steerable railway vehicles.

Abstract: This invention relates to a guided vehicle such as a railway vehicle and is a development or improvement of the invention disclosed in patent specification No. 2 526 387. The vehicle has steerable axles, each of which is steered by a coupling bar connected to the axle mount at a contact point and pivoted on the body of the vehicle at a pivot point. The axle mount is mounted on the body for rotation about an axis of rotation. The distances between the pivot point, the axis of rotation and the contact point, and the length of the coupling bar d are chosen to position the axle radially of a curve, as in the earlier patent specification. The pivot point of the coupling bar on the body is arranged to be substantially on the roll axis of the vehicle. Each drive axle has independently rotatable wheels and a limited slip differential limits the relative slip to 5%. The non-driven axles may also have independently rotating wheels, and anti-skid, anti-wheel-spin electronic control of the wheel brakes.

Abstract: A device for aiding maintenance of an electromechanical installation, which installation has an automatic monitoring and control apparatus, provides remote supervision of the electromechanical installation. The device includes a control unit connected to the automatic monitoring and control apparatus and to the public telephone system. The device also includes at least one external supervision video terminal having a keyboard, a display screen, and a printer. The video terminal is connected to the public telephone system for remote interrogation of the control unit.

Abstract: A hydraulic brake system for vehicles, particularly light rail vehicles, includes at least one brake actuator for engaging the brake by means of a group of springs and disengaging the brake by hydraulic pressure. The system comprises an electric drive motor and pump for supplying pressurized hydraulic fluid to the actuator, and a safety valve and solenoid valves for controlling the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the actuator. An accumulator is connected to the electric drive motor and pump for delivering the pressurized hydraulic fluid via valves and restriction for adjusting the pressure in the accumulator to a value substantially inversely proportional to the load of the vehicle. It is connected to the actuator by shuttle valves controlled by the pressure of the accumulator when the control safety valve and solenoid valves are actuated to relieve hydraulic fluid from the actuator.

Abstract: The invention relates to continuous transport apparatus whose transport speed is variable. The embodiment illustrated is a moving walkway in which the load-bearing members are plates, adjacent plates overlapping to present a continuous surface. The load-bearing members are mounted on respective supports and the variation in speed is obtained by varying the spacing between adjacent supports. The supports are connected by a flexible link, which is a chain or belt in the preferred embodiment.

Abstract: The invention relates to an inter-carriage passage for a railway carriage set comprising an intermediate bodywork member having a generally annular shape connecting the adjoining ends of two carriages.In accordance with the invention, the intermediate bodywork member is connected to the two adjoining carriage ends so as to be maintained in a radial position; this intermediate member is positioned on each carriage end by means of deformable pneumatic joints.The invention is especially applicable to metro (rapid transit) trains with short carriages and radial axles.

Abstract: The chain has a single direction of curvature and is capable of passing over pinions of small diameter. This chain is made up of a classic chain comprising at regular intervals a link to which is fixed a block having at least two rectilinear coplanar faces and tangent to the pins of the links and each extending over a length equal to the interval respectively from one part to the other of the link. An application of this chain consists in a variable speed handrail.

Abstract: A safety device for a transport system in which a vehicle travels on a track divided into sequential sections operates to stop the vehicle when a parameter representing the motion of the vehicle exceeds a threshold in the course of travelling over a track section. The device comprises two comparators each delivering during passage of the vehicle in each track section a comparison signal having a first value when the parameter remains within the threshold and a second value when the parameter exceeds the threshold. A coincidence detector is connected to receive the output signals of the two comparators and operates to initiate emergency braking of the vehicle if the output signals of the two comparators do not simultaneously have the same value during travel in a track section.