Abstract: A vehicle system for driving and supporting a vehicle by magnetic force along a vehicle travel path includes a guide rail extending along the vehicle travel path; longitudinal stators stationarily mounted along the guide rail; a vehicle including a vehicle shell and a vehicle chassis supporting the vehicle shell; a carrier bar secured to the chassis; permanent magnets mounted on the carrier bar for cooperating with the longitudinal stators to generate a magnetic carrying force opposing the vehicle weight; and first and second guide rollers each having a roller shaft rigidly supported relative to the carrier bar and rollingly engaging the guide rail for maintaining constant an airgap between the permanent magnets and the longitudinal stators. The first and second rollers take up, until their load limit is reached, any deficiency or excess in the magnetic carrying force to entirely compensate for the vehicle weight.

Abstract: A railway switch has a rightward switch position for coupling a track with a right track and a leftward switch position for coupling the track with a left track. Each track has a right rail and a left rail. The switch has a first or right rail of the rightward switch position, a second or left rail of the rightward switch position, a third or right rail of the leftward switch position and a fourth or left rail of the leftward switch position. The switch includes a turning segment whose carrier member supports the second and third rails and is rotatable through 90.degree.. The first and fourth rails are shiftably supported by respective switch tongues. The turning segment and the switch tongues are each movable into first and second positions.

Abstract: A permanent magnet assembly including a magnet carrier supporting a plurality of permanent magnets each having the shape of a top parallelepiped portion disposed on top of a bottom parallelepiped portion, with the top and bottom portions having equal lengths, but unequal widths, such that the bottom portion defines two identically dimensioned projections on each lengthwise side of the top portion. The magnets lie on the carrier with their bottom portions. To fasten the magnets to the carrier, holders are disposed on the two projections of the bottom portion and connected to the carrier to press the magnets onto the carrier. A single holder is disposed on two facing projections of two adjacent magnets, with the width of the holders determining the spacing between adjacent magnets and therefore the pole pitch of the magnet assembly.

Abstract: In magnetic levitation vehicles, supporting and driving forces are generated by a long stator on the track and permanent magnets on the vehicle. The underside of a rail provides the attachment of the long stator; the rail further has two oppositely disposed horizontal running surfaces for pairs of spacer rollers on the vehicle and a vertical running surface for lateral guide rollers on the vehicle. For a particularly simple and inexpensive production of the rail it is proposed to make the one end section of the railhead of the rail the horizontal running surfaces and a lateral guide profile fastened to the underside of the railhead the vertical running surface.

Abstract: A rail switch point element for a track system has a longitudinal axis of rotation and is rotatable about the axis to selectively switch between a straight ahead and a turnout position. A first straight track piece has first and second orthogonal planar surfaces extending in a longitudinal direction. The first surface is a tracking surface when switched to the straight ahead position. The axis of rotation extends longitudinally through the first straight track piece. A first curved track piece has a curved surface fixedly attached along an edge to the second surface of the first straight track piece, and has a bent planar surface orthogonal to the curved surface. The bent planar surface is a tracking surface when switched to the turnout position.