US 10,473,090 B2 · Drive assembly

Abstract

A drive assembly for providing a driving force includes: a first track declined in a first direction through a first declination; a second track, extending in a second direction and arranged to pivot with respect to the first track between a first position in which the track is substantially horizontal and a second position in which the second track is declined in the second direction through a second declination; and a shaft connected to a flywheel and. A first vehicle is arranged to travel along the first track between a first drive location and a first idle location to drive the shaft in a first direction and to cause a second vehicle to travel along the second track between a second idle location and a second drive location; and, the second vehicle is arranged to travel along the second track from the second drive location to the second idle location to cause the shaft to rotate in a second direction and to cause the first vehicle to travel from the first idle location to the first drive location. The shaft is coupled to the first and second vehicles and arranged to rotate in dependence of the travel of the first and second vehicles.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A drive assembly comprising:

a vehicle and a track along which the vehicle is arranged to travel, the track arranged to pivot between a first position in which the track is substantially horizontal and a second position in which the track is declined;
a counterweight;
a shaft coupled to the vehicle and to the counterweight, the shaft arranged to rotate in dependence of the travel of the vehicle and the counterweight;
wherein,
the vehicle is arranged to travel along the track between a drive location and an idle location to rotate the shaft in a first direction and to cause the counterweight to travel between a lower position and an upper position;
and,
the counterweight is arranged to descend from the upper position to the lower position as the track is moved from the second position to the first position;
and
wherein the drive assembly includes an assistance member arranged to apply a force to the track and/or the vehicle such that an assisted combined moment of the track and the vehicle is reduced compared to an unassisted combined moment of the track and the vehicle without the force.

6 more elements

A drive assembly comprising:

a first plurality of tracks along which a plurality of first vehicles is arranged to travel, the first plurality of tracks being declined in a first direction through a first declination;
a second plurality of tracks, extending in a second direction, along which a second plurality of vehicles is arranged to travel, the second plurality of tracks arranged to pivot with respect to the first plurality of tracks between a first position in which the second plurality of tracks is substantially horizontal and a second position in which the second plurality of tracks is declined in the second direction through a second declination;
a shaft coupled to the first and second plurality of vehicles, the shaft being arranged to rotate in dependence of travel of the first and second plurality of vehicles along the respective first and second plurality of tracks;
wherein,
the first plurality of vehicles is arranged to travel along the first plurality of tracks between a first plurality of drive locations and a first plurality of idle locations to rotate the shaft in a first direction and to cause the second plurality of vehicles to travel along the second plurality of tracks between a second plurality of idle locations and a second plurality of drive locations;
the second plurality of vehicles is arranged to travel along the second plurality of tracks from the second plurality of drive locations to the second plurality of idle locations to cause the shaft to rotate in a second direction and to cause the first plurality of vehicles to travel from the first plurality of idle locations to the first plurality of drive locations;
wherein
the second plurality of tracks move between the first and second positions in phase with one another.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Drive assembly

Life of this patent

Drive assembly

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21