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 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.