Universal Multimodal Transportation System and Associated Infrastructure
Disclosed is a transportation system with integrated infrastructure. In one embodiment, this infrastructure takes the form of a hollow elevated load bearing guideway structure designed to support the weight of traveling vehicles. The structure supports a backbone beam, or rail, that has multiple functions. These functions may include vehicle control, security, and energy delivery. The structure is bimodal meaning vehicles can have wheels like cars or steel rimmed wheels like a train or any combination thereof.
This application claims priority to, and is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/727,732 filed Dec. 27, 2012, entitled “Universal Multimodal Transportation System and Associated Infrastructure” now U.S. Pat. No. 9,096,235, issued Aug. 4, 2015, which itself is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 12/827,437 filed Jun. 30, 2010, entitled “Integrated Multimodal Transportation System and Associated Infrastructure,” now U.S. Pat. No. 8,342,101, issued Jan. 1, 2013, which claimed priority to Provisional Patent App. No. 61/221,669 filed on Jun. 30, 2009, entitled “Automated Guideway Infrastructure.” The contents of each of these applications are fully incorporated herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transportation system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a transportation system with integrated infrastructure and multi-modal transport vehicles.
2. Description of the Background Art
Most everyone is familiar with transportation infrastructure such as the highways, streets, roads and limited access Interstates. Although widely used, such infrastructure has many shortcomings. Vehicles traveling on conventional highways require the continuous attention and skill of the vehicle operator. These skills, however, can vary based on experience, age, health, mental condition, disposition, medication, drug influences, alertness, and distractions. Moreover, anyone lacking the requisite skill and/or attention can suffer dire and fatal consequences. Tens of thousands of individuals lose their lives in vehicle crashes each year.
Conventional highways are also vulnerable to weather conditions such as ice, rain, snow, grease, hydroplaning, silt, mud, strong winds, lightning, fog, and smog visibility, all of which affect both vehicle control and traction. Night conditions, visibility and lightning can add to the difficulty of the driver.
Conventional highways are also required to be much wider than the vehicle because even skilled drivers cannot steer the vehicle along a precise path. Broad shoulders are also required because vehicles occasionally run off the road, need recovery space, and sometimes require emergency parking.
Vehicles traveling upon conventional highways are also prone to accidents that result in the vehicle running off of the highway, hitting stationary objects, rolling over, going into water, or traveling down embankments. Vehicles can likewise be involved in collisions with other vehicles. Furthermore, because highways are typically built on the surface or on grade, both the highway and the vehicles traveling thereon present a hazard to children, pedestrians, pets, wildlife, and bicycles.
Highways are also undesirable because they require a broad finished asphalt or concrete surface even though the wheels of vehicles actually use only a fraction of this surface. This creates a large heat sink and results in undesirable water run-off.
Conventional highways are also used as a passage way for a variety of municipal services, such as sewer lines, telephone lines, and power lines. The areas above and below our highways are often crowded. When services go into the ground they become less accessible, harder to find, create interference with one another and are subject to more corrosive forces. When services go overhead they create clutter and the wooden or concrete supporting poles are a hazard.
There is also the disadvantage that with all the problems of vehicle control, potential mechanical failures, highway conditions and the limitations of human operators the vehicles cannot safely travel at speeds up to the aerodynamic and physical potential of the vehicle.
It is an objective of the present invention to overcome these deficiencies by providing a transportation system with an integrated infrastructure and by further providing multimodal vehicles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOne of the advantages of the present system is achieved by providing a transportation system with an integrated infrastructure.
Yet another advantage is realized by providing a transportation system with multimodal vehicles.
Still yet a further advantage is realized by creating a rail structure wherein the contact surface for wheeled vehicles is minimized.
Another advantage results in a transportation structure that permits vehicles to travel on a contact surface or on rails.
The system also realizes advantages by providing a guideway structure that can carry associated municipal utilities equipment such as power lines, telephone lines, fiber, coaxial cable, water and/or sewer lines.
These and other advantages are accomplished by providing a transportation system with integrated infrastructure. In one embodiment, this infrastructure takes the form of a hollow elevated load bearing guideway structure designed to support the weight of traveling vehicles. The structure supports a backbone beam, or rail, that has multiple functions. These functions may include vehicle control, security, and energy delivery. The structure is bimodal meaning vehicles can have wheels like cars or steel rimmed wheels like a train or any combination thereof. The hollow guideway structure can contain a variety of utilities. The guideway structure can be supported on a hollow tower that includes a conduit and an access corridor for all associated utilities. The system also includes vehicles with bimodal wheels which enable the vehicle to travel on rails on the guideway or on a contact surface on the guideway. Additionally, the vehicle can travel on conventional roads. The bimodal wheels are such that the vehicles using them can travel effortlessly from a flat paved surface onto the rails of the guideway without concern for misalignment. By combining a paved contact surface for wheeled vehicles and rails for steel rimmed vehicles the integrated infrastructure of the present invention blends some of the best attributes of both systems into a seamless and truly integrated bimodal transportation system.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTThe present invention relates to a transportation system 20 that provides a universal infrastructure. In one embodiment, the infrastructure 20 takes the form of a hollow elevated load bearing guideway structure 24 designed to support the weight of traveling vehicles. Structure 24 supports a universal control beam 46 that has multiple functions. These functions may include several forms of vehicle control, security, and energy delivery. Structure 24 supports bimodal wheels 120 (
The two upper triangle beams 28 are joined by a cross beam 36. An additional cross beam 38 rests on top of lower triangle beam 30 to distribute the load from tubular struts 42. Tubular struts 42 serve to join triangular beams 28 and 30 and transfer the load on beams 28 to beam 30. Loads on beams 28 are also transferred via tension from tubular strut 44 back up to universal control beam 46. Vertical strut 44 forms part of a truss web for joining universal control beam 46 to cross beam 38. Components 36, 38, 42, and 44 are preferably in a plane. Struts 42 and 44 transfer loads to and from beams 28, 30, 36, 38, 46. Again, center strut 44 transfers a tensile force to the bottom of universal control beam 46.
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By way of this construction, instead of thousands of tons of petroleum based asphalt to grind up and replace there will be a surface only a few inches wide and about two inches thick.
The structural rail 56 is capped with a contact crown rail 72. Vehicles using bimodal wheels with steel drums will ride on and with steel flanges will ride against the contact crown rail 72. Contact crown rail 72 is made to be easily and inexpensively replaceable when contact wear causes damage to its surface. A clamp 74 on the underside of beam 28 slides over a trough on each side of integral mounting bracket 54 to lock bracket 54 in place.
Universal Control BeamThe universal control beam 46 is a component of the guideway 22 and has several purposes. Universal control beam 46 is shown as an I-beam, however, it is understood this universal control beam could have numerous other configurations such as a T, U, C, E, V, W, etc. beam. It may also be rotated in various positions. Any such shapes are acceptable provided they enable the universal control beam to accomplish its purposes. A primary purpose of universal control beam 46 is to serve as a source of reference for vehicle mounted sensors that provide guidance to vehicles 26 upon the guideway 22. Under normal conditions this will reduce flange contact and wear against the crown rail 72 and the steel wheel flange. A suitable sensor arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,333,157 filed on Jun. 30, 2010, and entitled “System for Automated Vehicle Operation and Control.” The content of this Patent is fully incorporated herein. Another purpose is to provide secure vehicle stability for occasions when road conditions or weather is hazardous.
Universal control beam 46 also prevents hijacking of vehicle 26 and likewise provides emergency steering control in the event of any sort of disturbance or electronic systems failure. Universal control beam 46 assures all vehicles 26 remain on the guideway 22 at all times. Universal control beam 46 serves as a mechanism for delivering electricity to some or all vehicles on the guideway 22. Furthermore, universal control beam 46 is a vital but passive component in the guideway switching process whereby a vehicle can be switched off of one guideway onto another. This switching process is likewise described in the '157 Patent.
Universal control beam 46 provides an immovable surface for emergency braking of vehicles 26 and also enables guideway 22 to use the narrow, tire width wide, contact surface treads 58 because it provides precise and predictable tracking of vehicle wheels. As such, universal control beam 46 provides both positive tracking and fail safe control and permits use of the guideway 22 in all weather conditions. It also provides a braking surface. The associated traction control ensures that vehicles 26 cannot be blown off or torn apart in a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake. Likewise, vehicles 26 cannot slide off or roll off due to snow, ice, mud, rain, wind, or grease. Fail safe control means positive control in the event electromagnetic wave, electric, smog, fire, smoke, rain, mist or any electric disturbance disrupts wireless communication. The traction control and fail safe aspects of the invention are more fully described in the '157 Patent.
Guideway 22 will ideally be able to provide electric power to battery powered, capacitor powered, or any electrically powered vehicle when these vehicles enter onto the guideway 22. The power should be sufficient for vehicles to quickly accelerate up to full speed along guideway 22. In addition, guideway 22 may also supply electric power to standing or parked vehicles so any electric energy storage devices on board the vehicle may be charged.
Guideway 24 can be installed in high density or otherwise intensely developed metropolitan areas. Using guideway 24 as a conduit for utilities infrastructure would solve problems associated with crowding in such areas. Several possible utilities are shown. Possible lines to be routed through guideway 24 include, inter alia, super cooled high voltage transmission lines 102, lower voltage electric distribution lines 104, fiber optic cables 106, fiber optic cable for proprietary broadband 108, and other miscellaneous communication cables 112. Fresh water and sanitary sewer force mains (114 and 116) can likewise be included. All such lines can be routed from the interior of guideway 24, through column 88, base 92 and conduit 94. This includes every utility a modern civilization requires.
Vehicle And Bimodal WheelsIn the preferred embodiment, system 20 utilizes vehicles 26 using bimodal wheels 120.
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This self-mounting aspect of the bimodal wheel 120 is illustrated in
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Another advantage to bimodal wheels 120 is realized when using them on especially large or heavy vehicles. When conventional trains operate in areas where the railroad bed has to climb steep grades they have a traction problem. Steel wheels on steel rails have little traction. In order to improve traction they carry sand and the sand is applied in front of the wheels as they climb steep grades. In addition they may have additional locomotives on that section of a rail road to help pull the load up a grade. Even then trains are limited to mild uphill grades compared to automotive vehicles.
With the disclosed guideway 24, heavy vehicles may operate on steel rails 72. However, when vehicle 26 climbs steep grades, or descends even steeper grades, rails 72 may be made shorter, less than distance 142, such that the weight of the vehicle is supported on the contact surface 134 of the bimodal wheels and contact surface 66 of the guideway. Or alternatively, the rails may remain the same height, but the paved contact surface will raise up to lift vehicle weight off of the rails. The C contact surface 66 may be modified into a surface material that can provide greater traction to the contact surface 134 than the vehicles would otherwise have on rails 72 or on ordinary pavements. This gives vehicle 26 greater traction using its contact surface 134 rather than steel surface 158. To provide greater traction for large tandem wheeled freight vehicles the contact or traction surface tracks may be doubled for ascending and descending grades. In such embodiments, vehicle 26 may still be steered by rails 72, but the vehicle weight is supported on contact surfaces 66. The ability to climb and descend even steeper grades is important. It means that routes through mountains can be selected that will be much shorter. It also means that on a per foot or per mile basis, the cost of constructing the roadway will be reduced substantially. In the long run the shorter roadway through mountains means large numbers of vehicles will get through faster and will expend less energy. So, this becomes a continuous operating benefit and savings.
The bimodal wheels in
The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A universal surface transportation system comprising:
- a hollow guideway having a triangular cross section, the guideway being defined by two upper corners and a lower corner;
- a central column interconnected to the hollow guideway for elevating the hollow guideway;
- utilities infrastructure located within the hollow guideway and the column, the utilities infrastructure including power cables and communications lines;
- a pair of rails at the two upper corners of the guideway, a contact surface (66) adjacent each of the rails, the rails and contact surfaces adapted to be engaged by bimodal wheels where the rails are distally located on said upper corners such that they are equidistant from the central column;
- an access ramp which provides access to the universal surface transportation system by funneling a vehicle such that said vehicle is guided onto said guideway and engages with said rails and allows for the ingress and egress of the vehicle to the universal surface transportation system;
- whereby loads from the bimodal wheels are transferred to the lower corner of the hollow guideway.
2. The universal surface transportation system of claim 1 wherein the guideway has a horizontally oriented cross beam with a control beam centrally located thereon.
3. The universal surface transportation system of claim 2 wherein the control beam is used as a steering reference for the vehicle located thereon.
4. The universal surface transportation system of claim 2 wherein the control beam provides a switching reference for the vehicle located thereon for controlling switching from guideway to guideway or switching from guideway to or from the on and off access ramps.
5. The universal surface transportation system of claim 2 wherein the control beam is used to further guide the vehicle into the system while being funneled into the system on the access ramp.
6. The universal surface transportation system of claim 2 wherein the control beam is a conduit for the utilities infrastructure located in the central column such that the vehicle located in the system can access the utilities infrastructure.
7. The universal surface transportation system of claim 2 wherein the control beam is used to secure the vehicle to the guideway so vehicles remain on the guideway at all times.
8. The universal surface transportation system of claim 2 wherein the control beam is used as an anchoring lock up device to bring said vehicle to a sudden, abrupt stop in an extreme emergency.
9. The universal surface transportation system of claim 2 wherein the control beam is used as a reference device by vehicle sensors for monitoring vehicle position on guideway.
10. The universal surface transportation system of claim 2 wherein the control beam provides secure communications contact interface and traction control with vehicle systems.
11. The universal surface transportation system of claim 2 wherein the control beam conducts and distributes electric power continually, intermittently, or instantaneously from contact conducting surfaces on the beam to suitable receiving contact surfaces on some or all of the vehicles.
12. The universal surface transportation system of claim 2 wherein the control beam provides vehicle stability when road conditions are hazardous.
13. The universal surface transportation system of claim 2 wherein the control beam prevents hijacking of vehicles.
14. The universal surface transportation system of claim 9 wherein the control beam provides emergency steering control in event of catastrophic systems failures.
15. The universal surface transportation system of claim 9 wherein the control beam enables precise, predictable vehicle tracking and operation in all weather conditions.
16. The universal surface transportation system of claim 4 wherein the control beam is used as an anchoring lock up device to bring said vehicle to a sudden, abrupt stop in an extreme emergency.
17. The universal surface transportation system of claim 4 wherein the control beam is used as a reference device by vehicle sensors for monitoring vehicle position on guideway.
18. The universal surface transportation system of claim 4 wherein the control beam conducts and distributes electric power continually, intermittently, or instantaneously from contact conducting surfaces on the beam to suitable receiving contact surfaces on some or all of the vehicles.
19. A universal surface transportation system comprising:
- a hollow guideway having a triangular cross section, the guideway being defined by two upper corners and a lower corner;
- a central column interconnected to the hollow guideway for elevating the hollow guideway;
- a pair of rails at the two upper corners of the guideway, a contact surface adjacent each of the rails, the rails and contact surfaces adapted to be engaged by bimodal wheels where the rails are distally located on said upper corners such that they are equidistant from the central column;
- whereby loads from the bimodal wheels are transferred to the lower corner of the hollow guideway.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 4, 2015
Publication Date: Feb 4, 2016
Inventor: Waldemar F. Kissel, JR. (Gainesville, FL)
Application Number: 14/817,432