Anti-collision safety device for a passenger transport system on tracks

An anti-collision safety control for a plurality of vehicles moving along a track away from a given terminal point, including a corresponding plurality of vehicle control units, one on each vehicle, and a central control station, in which the central control station comprises:

• central safety receiver means for receiving position signal from the vehicles;
• a synchronization signal generator for generating a series of sync signals;
• and
• central safety transmitter means for transmitting the sync signals and the received position signals to all of the vehicles;
• and in which each vehicle control unit comprises:
• distance measuring means for continuously measuring the distance of the vehicle from the terminal point;
• vehicle safety receiver means for receiving the sync signals and position signals from the central control station;
• position signal generator means, coupled to the distance measuring means and to the vehicle safety receiver means, for generating a local position signal for the vehicle carrying the control unit, following a received sync signal, at a time representative of the distance of the vehicle from the terminal;
• vehicle safety transmitter means for transmitting the local position signal to the central control station to complete a control loop linking the vehicle and the central control station;
• stop distance means, coupled to the position signal generator means, for generating a vehicle stop distance signal, following the local position signal, at a time representative of a safe stopping distance for the vehicle;
• and vehicle brake control means, coupled to the vehicle safety receiver means and the stop distance means, for actuating the brakes of the vehicle whenever the next position signal following the local position signal is received prior to the stop distance signal.