Monorail guideway assembly

A monorail guideway construction supported upon at least one column comprising:

• at least two elongated laterally spaced and generally parallel support members, at least one side of each support member comprising a control surface;
• means joining the parallel support members one to the other at spaced, predetermined locations;
• means mounted upon each support member such that the said means define parallel running surfaces along the length of the monorail guideway construction, the width of said parallel running surfaces extending outwardly from the said parallel support members;
• means mounted below said parallel support members comprising a truss defining a hollow beneath the support members which hollow opens at the top between the parallel running surfaces;
• diaphragm means which are selectively attached to the truss in the regions of column support once the exact locations of column support are known relative to the truss, thereby improving the structural integrity at the locations of column support;
• and
• the bottom of said truss at locations immediately adjacent to the at least one support column, comprising a size which exceeds the size of the bottom of the truss at locations between the support columns, so that the variation in stresses applied to the running surfaces are compensated for while minimizing overall weight.

A monorail guideway assembly which is suspendible upon support columns for supporting a train having drive wheels and control wheels, the track assembly comprising:

• at least two elongated laterally spaced and generally parallel support members of hollow tubular construction, rectangular in cross section, the outer sides of said support members comprising a control surface providing a running surface for at least one lateral control wheel;
• means joining the parallel support members one to the other at spaced, predetermined locations, said joining means comprising tie bars connecting the inner sides of said parallel support members;
• running surface means mounted upon each parallel support member at the top thereof in the generally horizontal plane such that said running surface means define spaced parallel rails, said rails supporting the load carrying drive wheels of the vehicle along the length of the monorail guideway assembly, the width of said rails extending beyond the inner and outer sides of the parallel support members;
• means comprising a removable cover plate placed between said rails and resting upon the means joining the parallel support members;
• truss means mounted below the parallel support members and comprising a flange attached to the lower sides of each of the parallel support members and extending downwardly, and means joining said flanges of the truss, said truss, running surface means and support members cooperating to define a hollow interior of the guideway assembly;
• means mounted inside the truss comprising a diaphragm plate attached to the inside surfaces of the flanges and bottom of said truss above the support columns, said diaphragm plates comprising an aperture through which conduit may pass;
• and
• the bottom of said truss, at locations immediately adjacent to the support columns comprising a size which exceeds the size of the bottom of the truss at locations between the support columns, so that the variation in stresses applied to the track are compensated for while minimizing overall weight.