Multiple Patents (Class 295/33)
  • Patent number: 11623667
    Abstract: The invention concerns a vehicle guided on a railway track comprising a chassis and at least one wheel assembly interconnected to the chassis and a method for steering said vehicle. The wheel assembly comprises a cross-member having a first end to which a first hub is interconnected by a first steering joint and a second end to which a second hub is interconnected by a second steering joint. A first wheel is attached to the first hub rotatable around a first rotation axis and a second wheel is attached to the second hub rotatable around a second rotation axis. A first sensor determines the lateral position of the first sensor with respect to the rail. The first sensor is attached to the first hub and is, with respect to a direction of travel arranged in front of the supporting area of the first wheel in a horizontal direction spaced a distance A1 apart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: MEDELA HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Göran Larsson, Michael Stalder
  • Patent number: 5690375
    Abstract: A railroad right of way is constructed of rails which have a top surface upon which the railroad car's wheels ride that undulates up and down. The plurality of wheels along the length of the rail car only bear the weight of the rail car when they happen to be the wheels that are momentarily positioned above the descending portions of the undulating track. A mechanical device attached separately to each wheel are employed to alternatively raise some of the wheels while simultaneously lowering others depending on each wheel's position over the undulations in the track at any one time. Undulations can change in frequency and height and position to those undulations in parallel rails forming the same right of way. Monorail right of ways are also practical using this undulating rail design concept.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Inventor: John Robert Schneider
  • Patent number: 4943101
    Abstract: A wheel unit for a camera dolly includes first and second wheel assemblies each having a ground wheel and a track wheel attached to the ground wheel. The diameter of the track wheel is less than the diameter of the ground wheel. A king pin disposed in between the first and second wheel assemblies has first and second axles extending therefrom at a declined angle. The first and second wheel assemblies are rotatably attached to the first and second axles, such that the wheel unit may be interchangeably used on ground or track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 24, 1990
    Assignee: Leonard Studio Equipment
    Inventor: Leonard T. Chapman
  • Patent number: 4520733
    Abstract: A guide rail and follower wheel construction for a monorail are disclosed. The monorail vehicle follower wheel has a radially directed, circumferential groove shaped to fit over a raised track portion, and the cross sectional shape of the wheel groove and the track over which it fits are such that the uppermost portion of the track contacts the radially innermost portion of the wheel groove. The wheel is mounted on the system comprising: a shaft and wheel includes opposed side-plates mounted for rotation on the shaft and a center disc mounted on the shaft between the side-plates and having a diameter less than that of the side-plates so as to form the groove. The side-plates are shaped to taper in diameter towards the center disc so that the uppermost track portion contacts only the disc. The side plates are rotatable on the shaft independently of the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1985
    Assignee: Societe Anonyme Dite: Establissements Tourtellier S.A.
    Inventor: Claude Willmann
  • Patent number: 4494464
    Abstract: A wheeled carriage is proposed which is capable of moving on rails to-and-fro, and of moving on a railless flat floor in any desired direction. The carriage has at least three pivotable wheel units. Each of these units consists of a first wheel and a second wheel. The first wheel comprises a core wheel portion and a raised peripheral wheel portion surrounding the latter. The second wheel resembles substantially the core wheel portion of the first wheel. The wheel unit is designed for making two contact points with rails when seen at its side view and equally two contact points with rails when seen at its front or rear view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1985
    Inventor: Kazuo Fujita
  • Patent number: 4431227
    Abstract: Method and device for enhancing the adhesion qualities of vehicle wheels through the use of a plurality of embedded members having exposed high frictional surfaces, which are capable of automatically being caused to attain frictional contact with a wheel bearing surface in response to slippage. Under normal conditions where enhanced friction is not needed, the embedded members lie in a relative retracted position from which they may respond to slippage conditions as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1984
    Inventor: William B. Howell
  • Patent number: 4357877
    Abstract: An electric motor driven toy train is disclosed which has a novel wheel and track assembly for minimizing slippage and avoiding binding between the train's wheels and the track as the train goes around a curve section of the track. The train's wheels are each stepped in cross-section with a small diameter rim and a large diameter rim, and the wheels ride on track sections with rails that are also stepped in cross-section. The inside rail of a curve track section is structured so that only the inside train wheels' small diameter rims ride thereover, and the outside rail is structured so that only the outside wheels' large diameter rims ride thereover. The train comprises multiple cars, each of which is articulated about a vertical axis and each of which has only a single axle so as to minimize the turning radius of the train set. A child sits upon the second car, the coal tender, and steers the first car, the locomotive of the set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Inventor: James F. Mariol