Vehicle control apparatus for a closed transporting system

For a closed transport system comprising a plurality of routes, a plurality of route junctions which each allow a choice of two directions, and at least one vehicle arranged to travel along said routes, a control apparatus comprising:

• a transmitter associated with each said junction, each transmitter being adapted to transmit a particular coded signal indicating the direction to be taken at the associated junction to proceed towards various route segments;
• drive means on each of the one or more vehicles for moving each of the one or more vehicles;
• and a respective destination selection device on each of the one or more vehicles connected to control the drive means of such vehicle, each said device comprising:
• a store in which may be entered a code indicative of a destination route segment for the vehicle;
• a receiver for receiving the coded signal transmitted from the transmitter associated with an approaching junction;
• a comparator connected to the associated store and receiver for comparing said stored destination signal and said received signal;
• and control means responsive to the output of the associated comparator to select the direction to be taken by the associated vehicle at the junction each transmitter including sending means to send said coded signal in the form of a fixed series of signal elements each associated with a particular segment and destination marking together with any said signal element associated with a route segment which will be reached on leaving the associated junction, and on the vehicle said receiver and comparator including operating means to function with the same number of signal elements each of said control means being operative on means associated with an approaching junction such that the junction either remains in one position or switches to another position, according to the direction to be taken;
• each control means including a timing circuit, which, after said control means has caused switching of a junction, is operative to cause said means associated with the junction to return the junction to its original position.

For a closed transport system comprising a plurality of routes, a plurality of route junctions which each allow a choice of two directions, and at least one vehicle arranged to travel along said routes, a control apapratus comprising;

• a transmitter associated with each said junction, each transmitter being adapted to transmit a particular coded signal indicating the direction to be taken at the associated junction to proceed towards various route segments;
• drive means on each of the one or more vehicles for moving each of the one or more vehicles;
• and a respective destination selection device on each of the one or more vehicles connected to control the drive means of such vehicle, each said device comprising;
• a store in which may be entered a code indicative of a destination route segment for the vehicle, a receiver for receiving the coded signal transmitted from the transmitter associated with an approaching junction;
• a comparator connected to the associated store and receiver for comparing said stored destination signal and said received signal;
• and control means responsive to the output of the associated comparator to select the direction to be taken by the associated vehicle at the junction each transmitter including sending means to send said coded signal in the form of a fixed series of signal elements each associated with a particular segment and destination marking together with any said signal element associated with a route segment which will be reached on leaving the associated junction, and on the vehicle said receiver and comparator including operating means to function with the same number of signal elements, means for varying the coding of each transmitter in order to give new route directions to a destination and to add or remove route segments;
• a central control unit, said transmitters being connected to said central control unit for alteration of selected transmitter codings therefrom to modify vehicle paths to avoid obstructions or blockages of the transport system.

For a closed transport system comprising a plurality of routes, a plurality of route junctions which each allow a choice of two directions, and at least one vehicle arranged to travel along said routes, a control apparatus comprising:

• a transmitter associated with each said junction, each transmitter being adapted to transmit a particular coded signal indicating the direction to be taken at the associated junction to proceed towards various route segments;
• drive means on each of the one or more vehicles for moving each of the one or more vehicles;
• and a respective destination selection device on each of the one or more vehicles connected to control the drive means of such vehicle, each said device comprising:
• a store in which may be entered a code indicative of a destination route segment for the vehicle;
• a receiver for receiving the coded signal transmitted from the transmitter associated with an approaching junction;
• a comparator connected to the associated store and receiver for comparing said stored destination signal and said received signal;
• and control means responsive to the output of the associated comparator to select the direction to be taken by the associated vehicle at the junction each transmitter including sending means to send said coded signal in the form of a fixed series of signal elements each associated with a particular segment and destination marking together with any said signal element associated with a route segment which will be reached on leaving the associated junction, and on the vehicle said receiver and comparator including operating means to function with the same number of signal elements;
• a central control unit, each of the one or more vehicles being in communication with said central control unit so that the destination coding in said store can be altered at any point in the system.

For a closed transport system comprising a plurality of routes, a plurality of route junctions which each allow a choice of two directions, and at least one vehicle arranged to travel along said routes, a control apparatus comprising:

• a transmitter associated with each said junction, each transmitter being adapted to transmit a particular coded signal indicating the direction to be taken at the associated junction to proceed towards various route segments;
• drive means on each of the one or more vehicles for moving each of the one or more vehicles;
• and a respective destination selection device on each of the one or more vehicles connected to control the drive means of such vehicle, each said device comprising:
• a store in which may be entered a code indicative of a destination route segment for the vehicle, a receiver for receiving the coded signal transmitted from the transmitter associated with an approaching junction;
• a comparator connected to the associated store and receiver for comparing said stored destination signal and said received signal;
• and control means responsive to the output of the associated comparator to select the direction to be taken by the associated vehicle at the junction each transmitter including sending means to send said coded signal in the form of a fixed series of signal elements each associated with a particular segment and destination marking together with any said signal element associated with a route segment which will be reached on leaving the associated junction, and on the vehicle said receiver and comparator including operating means to function with the same number of signal elements each of the one or more vehicles being in communication with a central control unit and is provided with means for storing a respective, individual code and a fixed destination code and means responsive to receipt of a desired destination code from said control unit to replace said fixed destination code with such received code, whereby after the vehicle has started with the aid of said fixed destination code, said fixed destination code can be replaced from said central control unit with the code of the desired destination.

For a closed transport system comprising a plurality of routes, a plurality of route junctions which each allow a choice of two directions, and at least one vehicle arranged to travel along said routes, a control apparatus comprising:

• a transmitter associated with each said junction, each transmitter being adapted to transmit a particular coded signal indicating the direction to be taken at the associated junction to proceed towards various route segments;
• drive means on each of the one or more vehicles for moving each of the one or more vehicles;
• and a respective destination selection device on each of the one or more vehicles connected to control the drive means of such vehicle, each said device comprising;
• a store in which may be entered a code indicative of a destination route segment for the vehicle;
• a receiver for receiving the coded signal transmitted from the transmitter associated with an approaching junction, a comparator connected to the associated store and receiver for comparing said stored destination signal and said received signal;
• and control means responsive to the output of the associated comparator to select the direction to be taken by the associated vehicle at the junction each transmitter including sending means to send said coded signal in the form of a fixed series of signal elements each associated with a particular segment and destination marking together with any said signal element associated with a route segment which will be reached on leaving the associated junction, and on the vehicle said receiver and comparator including operating means to function with the same number of signal elements, each of the one or more vehicles being in communication with a central control unit and is provided with means for storing a respective, individual code and a fixed destination code and means responsive to receipt of a desired destination code from said control unit to replace said fixed destination code with such received code, whereby after the vehicle has started with the aid of said fixed destination code, said fixed destination code can be replaced from said central control unit with the code of the desired destination;
• and comparator means responding to agreement between the destination signal of the receiver and the store by causing said control means to steer the vehicle, said transmitter and said store assigning the destination signal at each signal step whenever a destination can be reached immediately beyond the junction of the transmitter;
• the comparator associated with each of the one or more vehicles including first means operative to cause comparison of said additional series of received network signal elements with the network part of the destination coding to detect conformity therebetween, and second means connected to said first means and responsive to detection of conformity of said first means to cause comparison of the received series of route segment signal elements with the route segment part of the destination coding to detect conformity therebetween, said control means being responsive to detection of conformity with both the network and route segment parts of the coding by said first and second means respectively, indicating that the desired destination route segment is approaching, to cause operation of other functions of the vehicle.