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US 4,347,791 AGranted
Vehicle guideway system
OwnerJames A. Mandrosinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerJames A. Mandrosinventor
Estimating the term…
A guideway system for cargo including vehicles is provided wherein a carriage glides on a rail mounted in a channel. The rail has compressed air discharge ports and vacuum intake ports positioned longitudinally therealong. The compressed air ports emit sufficient air to provide an air support cushion under the carriage and to impart positive air pressure behind it while the vacuum ports reduce the air pressure forward of the carriage to create an air pressure differential that propels the carriage along such rail. Vehicles drive onto a carriage, are secured in place and are conveyed to a desired station on such carriage. The vehicle then unloads from the carriage and drives off to its final destination. Similarly, other cargo is loaded onto a carriage and unloaded at its destination. In another embodiment, the carriage has a longitudinal slot in its underbody adjacent its support rail and compressed air is discharged from ports in the rail at the forward portion of the slot to propel the carriage along the rail.
A guideway system for cargo including vehicles comprising a carriage mounted to glide in a channel, said carriage having support means to hold said cargo thereon, said carriage having at least one longitudinal recess therein adjacent said channel, said channel having a plurality of vacuum intake ports and gas inlet pressure ports therein in sequence along the path of said carriage, which ports align with said recess as it passes by and means to activate said ports so that compressed gas and suction are applied separately to said recess to propel the carriage along said channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.