Power rail, control signal rail and guide beam arrangement for a transporting system

For a transportation system having at least one vehicle, a roadway for said vehicle to transverse, a vertically webbed guide beam having at least two sections and associated with said roadway for directing said vehicle along said roadway, and power and signal collectors mounted on said vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one power rail supported above said guide beam for coupling with said power collector for providing electromotive energy to said vehicle;
• at least one signal rail supported by said guide beam for coupling with said signal collector for providing control signals to said vehicle;
• and
• conductors supported between said guide beam sections in the plane of said vertical web of said guide beam for providing electromotive energy to said power rails and control signals to said signal rails.

For a transportation system having at least one vehicle, power and control signal collectors fixed to said vehicle, a plurality of roadways for said vehicle to traverse, a top flanged guide beam associated with each of said roadways for directing said vehicle along said roadway, and guide beam switches comprised of top flanged, pivotal guide beams for directing said vehicle between first and second of said roadways or between first and third of said roadways, the apparatus comprising:

• a power rail for providing electromotive energy to said vehicle;
• a signal rail for providing control signals to said vehicle;
• and
• means for mounting said power rail and said signal rail to the top flange of said pivotal guide beam of said guide beam switch to maintain power to the vehicle as it is directed through the switch, with said mounting means being positioned above the top flange to improve the vertical and lateral alignment of said power and signal rails with said collectors, and to permit modular assembly of said power rail and said signal rail with said pivotal guide beam.