Electrically operated vehicle and electrified roadway therefor

An automotive vehicle transportation system comprising, in combination,

• a roadway having a substantially smooth road surface,
• at least one pair of elongated laterally spaced parallel electrical contact assemblies extending longitudinally of said roadway, said contact assemblies each having an electrically conductive top surface substantially flush with the road surface,
• supply electric conductor means connected to a part of contact assemblies for supplying electric energy thereto,
• an electrically powered vehicle having conductive wheel means including a pair of wheels each having an electrically conductive road engaging surface thereon mounted one on each side of the vehicle and spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the lateral spacing of said pair of contact assemblies whereby said vehicle may be positioned on the roadway with said electrically conductive surface on one of said wheels in contact with said electrically conductive surface on each of said contact assemblies, said vehicle including,
• electric motor means for powering said vehicle,
• conductive path means between said motor means and said electrically conductive surfaces on said wheels for electrically connecting said electrically conductive surfaces on said wheels to each other through said motor means,
• battery means,
• means responsive to the completion and interruption, respectively, of electrical contact between said electrically conductive surfaces on said wheels and said electrically conductive top surfaces on said contact assemblies for disconnecting and connecting, respectively, said battery means to the conductive paths formed by said conductive path means to thereby maintain electrical power to said motor means,
• air compressor means operatively connected to said electric motor means to be driven thereby,
• compressed air distribution means connected to said compressor means,
• at least one pair of air motors connected to said air distribution system and drivingly connected one to a vehicle wheel on each side of said vehicle for driving the vehicle, and
• proportioning valve means in said air distribution system, said proportioning valve means being operable to vary the proportion of compressed air flowing to the air motors located on the respective sides of the vehicle.

For use in an electrical automotive vehicle transportation system, an electrified roadway comprising, in combination,

• a rigid roadway base having a substantially continuous smooth vehicle supporting road surface thereon,
• an electric transmission system comprising at least one pair of elongated electric contact assemblies mounted on said base and extending in spaced parallel relation along the length of said roadway said contact assemblies each having an exposed electrically conductive top surface substantially flush with and forming a part of said smooth road surface, said top surface being defined by a plurality of elongated substantially flat metal plate sections,
• longitudinally extending conductor plate means beneath said top surface in spaced relation to said metal plate sections, said conductor plate means including a plurality of longitudinally extending electrically isolable conductor segments, said supply electrical conductor means including the wires of an A.C. circuit connected one to said part of each of said contact assemblies, and an A.C. source for supplying electric energy connected in said circuit,
• normally open pressure-actuated switch means responsive to a predetermined weight on said top surface for electrically connecting said metal plate sections to said conductor plate means for electrifying said top surface for operating an electrically powered automotive vehicle over said roadway, said pressure-actuated switch means including resilient means supporting said metal plates in spaced relation to said part of said contact assemblies, said resilient means being compressible upon application of said predetermined weight to said metal plates to establish electric contact between said plates and said part of said assemblies, whereby said plates are connected to said supply conductor means, and
• wherein said substantially smooth road surface comprises a layer of electrically insulating material molded on the top of said base, said layer of electrically insulating material extending between and being joined to the side edges of said elongated contact assemblies.

For use in an electrical automotive vehicle transportation system, an electrified roadway comprising, in combination,

• a rigid roadway base having a substantially continuous smooth vehicle supporting road surface thereon,
• an electric transmission system comprising at least one group each consisting of three elongated electric contact assemblies mounted on said base and extending in spaced parallel relation to one another along the length of said roadway in position to be contacted simultaneously by three laterally spaced road-engaging members on a single vehicle passing thereover, said contact assemblies each having an exposed electrically conductive top surface substantially flush with and forming a part of said smooth road surface, said top surface being defined by a plurality of elongated substantially flat metal plate sections,
• longitudinally extending conductor plate means beneath said top surface in spaced relation to said metal plate sections, said conductor plate means including a plurality of longitudinally extending electrically isolable conductor segments,
• supply electrical conductor means extending below said road surface and connected to each of said electrically isolable conductor segments, and
• normally open pressure-actuated switch means responsive to a predetermined weight on said top surface for electrically connecting said metal plate sections to said conductor plate means for electrifying said top surface for operating an electrically powered automotive vehicle over said roadway.

An electrically powered automotive vehicle for operation on a generally smooth road surface and having a frame structure supported by wheels including a pair of laterally spaced wheels mounted one on each side of the vehicle, said vehicle comprising,

• D.c. motor means for powering the vehicle,
• an electrically conductive road-engaging tire on each of said pair of laterally spaced wheels,
• means electrically insulating said conductive tires from said vehicle frame structure,
• connecting means including non-rotating contact means on said vehicle for establishing electrical contact with the conductive tires on each of said pair of wheels,
• conductive path means including said connecting means between said motor means and each of said conductive tires for electrically connecting the tires to one another through said motor means,
• said conductor path means including transformer means for reducing the voltage of an A.C. current, and rectifier-converter means for converting the reduced voltage A.C. current to D.C. current for use by said motor means when said electrically conductive tires are in electrical contact with an A.C. electric power source,
• battery means connected in said conductive path between said motor means and said rectifier means for supplying electrical energy to said motor means,
• switching means responsive to the completion and interruption, respectively, of an energized electric circuit through said conductive tires on said pair of wheels for disconnecting and connecting, respectively, said battery means in said conducting path to thereby continuously maintain D.C. power to said motor means during operation of the vehicle,
• air compressor means drivingly connected to said electric motor means to be driven thereby,
• compressed air conduit means connected to said air compressor means, and
• air motor means connected to said conduit means and operable to drive said vehicle.

An electrically powered automotive vehicle for operation on a generally smooth road surface and having a frame structure supported by road engaging wheels including a pair of laterally spaced wheels mounted one on each side of the vehicle and electric motor means for powering the vehicle, said vehicle comprising,

• means defining an electrically conductive road engaging surface portion on said pair of laterally spaced wheels,
• means electrically insulating said conductive surface portions from the vehicle frame structure,
• conducting means including non-rotating contact means on said vehicle for establishing electrical contact with the conductive surface portion of each of said pair of wheels,
• conductive path means including said connecting means between said motor means and said conductive surface portions for electrically connecting said conductive surface portions to one another through said motor means to thereby complete an electric circuit for supplying power to said motor means when said electrically conductive surface portions are in electrical contact with an electrical power source,
• air compressor means drivingly connected to said electric motor means to be driven thereby,
• compressed air conduit means connected to said compressor means,
• a pair of air motors connected one to each of a pair of laterally spaced wheels mounted one on each side of said vehicle and operable to drive said vehicle, and
• proportioning valve means in said air conduit system, said proportioning valve means being operable to vary the proportion of compressed air flowing to the pair of air motors.

Drive-on, automatic battery charging means for use with an electrically powered vehicle including a D.C. motor and conductive path means including an electrically conductive road-engaging tire on at least two laterally spaced wheels for supplying electrical energy to the motor from supply conductors on the surface of a roadway and connected to a source of electrical energy, and batteries operatively connected in the conductive path for supplying energy to the D.C. motor to power the vehicle only when the electrically conductive tires are not in contact with supply conductors on the roadway, said battery charging means comprising,

• a plurality of electrically conductive metal plate members mounted one in position to engage each of the electrically conductive road-engaging tires on the vehicle wheels, a pressure-actuated switch disposed beneath each of said metal plate members, supply conductor means for connection to a source of electrical energy, said supply conductor means including a separate wire of an A.C. electric circuit connected to each of said pressure actuated switches, said pressure-actuated switches each being normally open whereby said plate members are normally deenergized and adapted to be closed by the weight of the vehicle when the electrically conductive road-engaging tires are disposed on said metal plate members to thereby supply electric energy to the conductive path means of the vehicle,
• rectifier-converter means connected in the conductive path of the vehicle for converting A.C. current to D.C. current, and
• means connected in said conductive path means for completing an electrical circuit between said plate members through said battery means to supply D.C. current to the batteries to charge the batteries when the vehicle is positioned with said conductive road-engaging tires on said plate members.