US 5,440,997 AGranted

Magnetic suspension transportation system and method

OwnerWalter A. Crowleyinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

A magnetic suspension system for a vehicle/rail transportation system, where interacting sets of magnets are positioned on the vehicle and the rail to suspend the vehicle from the rail and permit low friction movement along the rail. Also, laterally facing air castors are provided for lateral support. Magnet sets are provided in both linking and opposing relationship to provide support and (in at least some embodiments) prevention of lift off.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A vehicle/track transportation system, comprising:

a. a track having a longitudinal axis aligned with a path of travel along said track, a vertical axis and a horizontal axis;
b. a vehicle having a longitudinal axis, a vertical axis and a lateral axis, and arranged to be magnetically supported from said track for movement along said track path of travel;
c. first and second magnetic support means, one of said first and second magnetic support means being a track magnetic support means mounted to said track and the other of said first and second support means being a vehicle magnetic support means mounted to said vehicle;
d. said vehicle having an operating position adjacent to said track where said vehicle is properly positioned so as to be adequately supported from said track by the two magnetic support means, and positioned for movement along said track;
e. said first magnetic support means comprising at least one first magnetic component having north and south poles;
f. said second magnetic support means comprising:
i. at least one second opposing magnetic component which has north and south poles and is positioned in opposing magnetic relationship to said first magnetic component in a manner that poles of said second opposing magnetic component and said first magnetic component of like polarity are vertically spaced from each other, and facing each other, to create a magmatic repelling force therebetween;
ii. at least one second linking magnetic component which has north and south poles, and which, with the vehicle in the operating position, is positioned with at least one of the north and south poles of said second linking magnetic component being positioned laterally of, and adjacent to, at least one magnetically opposite one of the north and south poles of the first magnetic component, so that the adjacent and magnetically opposite pole of the first magnetic component form linking lines of flux with the adjacent opposite pole of the second linking magnetic component within a vertical support region, so that with the vehicle at a lower part of said region, magnetic lines of force between said adjacent poles exert an upward force on said vehicle, and, with the vehicle at an upper part of said region, the magnetic lines of force between said adjacent poles exert one of a downward force on said vehicle and a lesser upward force on said vehicle;
wherein the north and south poles of said first magnetic component are vertically aligned with one on top the other, and the north and south poles of the second linking magnetic component are vertically aligned with one on top the other.

6 more elements

A vehicle/track transportation system, comprising:

a. a track having a longitudinal axis aligned with a path of travel along said track, a vertical axis and a horizontal axis;
b. a vehicle having a longitudinal axis, a vertical axis and a lateral axis, and arranged to be magnetically supported from said track for movement along said track path of travel;
c. first and second magnetic support means, one of said first and second magnetic support means being a track magnetic support means mounted to said track and the other of said first and second support means being a vehicle magnetic support means mounted to said vehicle;
d. said vehicle having an operating position adjacent to said track where said vehicle is properly positioned so as to be adequately supported from said track by the two magnetic support means, and positioned for movement along said track;
e. said first magnetic support means comprising at least one first magnetic component having north and south poles;
f. said second magnetic support means comprising:
i. at least one second opposing magnetic component which has north and south poles and is positioned in opposing magnetic relationship to said first magnetic component in a manner that poles of said second opposing magnetic component and said first magnetic component of like polarity are vertically spaced from each other, and facing each other, to create a magmatic repelling force therebetween;
ii. at least one second linking magnetic component which has north and south poles, and which, with the vehicle in the operating position, are positioned with the north and south poles of said second linking magnetic component being positioned laterally of, and adjacent to, magnetically opposite north and south poles of the first magnetic component, respectively, so that the adjacent and magnetically opposite pole of the first magnetic component form linking lines of flux with the adjacent opposite poles of the second linking magnetic component within a vertical support region, so that with the vehicle at a lower part of said region, magnetic lines of force between said adjacent poles exert an upward force on said vehicle, and, with the vehicle at an upper part of said region, the magnetic lines of force between said adjacent poles exert one of a downward force on said vehicle and a lesser upward force on said vehicle;
wherein the north and south poles of said first magnetic component are vertically aligned with one on top the other, and the north and south poles of the second linking magnetic component are vertically aligned with one on top the other.

6 more elements

A method of supporting a vehicle from a track, comprising:

a. providing a track having a longitudinal axis aligned with a path of travel along said track, a vertical axis and a horizontal axis;
b. providing a vehicle having a longitudinal axis, a vertical axis and a lateral axis, and arranged to be magnetically supported from said track for movement along said track path of travel;
c. providing first and second magnetic support means, one of said first and second magnetic support means being a track magnetic support means mounted to said track and the other of said first and second support means being a vehicle magnetic support means mounted to said vehicle;
d. positioning said vehicle in an operating position adjacent to said track where said vehicle is properly positioned so as to be adequately supported from said track by the two magnetic support means, and positioned for movement along said track;
e. providing said first magnetic support means as at least one first magnetic component having north and south poles;
f. providing said second magnetic support means with:
i. at least one second opposing magnetic component which has north and south poles and positioning side second opposing magnetic component in opposing magnetic relationship to said first magnetic component in a manner that poles of said second opposing magnetic component and said first magnetic component of like polarity are vertically spaced from each other, and facing each other, to create a magmatic repelling force therebetween;
ii. at least one second linking magnetic component which has north and south poles, and with the vehicle in the operating position, positioning said second linking magnetic component with at least one of the north and south poles of said second linking magnetic component being positioned laterally of, and adjacent to, at least one magnetically opposite one of the north and south poles of the first magnetic component, so that the adjacent and magnetically opposite pole of the first magnetic component form linking lines of flux with the adjacent opposite pole of the second linking magnetic component within a vertical support region, so that with the vehicle at a lower part of said region, magnetic lines of force between said adjacent poles exert an upward force on said vehicle, and, with the vehicle at an upper part of said region, the magnetic lines of force between said adjacent poles exert one of a downward force on said vehicle and a lesser upward force on said vehicle;
wherein the north and south poles of said first magnetic component are vertically aligned with one on top the other, and the north and south poles of the second linking magnetic component are vertically aligned with one on top the other.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A vehicle/track transportation system, comprising:

a. a track having a longitudinal axis aligned with a path of travel along said track, a vertical axis and a horizontal axis;
b. a vehicle having a longitudinal axis, a vertical axis and a lateral axis, and arranged to be magnetically supported from said track for movement along said track path of travel;
c. first and second magnetic support means, one of said first and second magnetic support means being a track magnetic support means mounted to said track and the other of said first and second support means being a vehicle magnetic support means mounted to said vehicle;
d. said vehicle having an operating position adjacent to said track where said vehicle is properly positioned so as to be adequately supported from said track by the two magnetic support means, and positioned for movement along said track;
e. said first magnetic support means comprising at least one first magnetic component having north and south poles;
f. said second magnetic support means comprising:
i. at least one second opposing magnetic component which has north and south poles and is positioned in opposing magnetic relationship to said first magnetic component in a manner that poles of said second opposing magnetic component and said first magnetic component of like polarity are vertically spaced from each other, and facing each other, to create a magmatic repelling force therebetween;
ii. at least one second linking magnetic component which has north and south poles, and which, with the vehicle in the operating position, is positioned with at least one of the north and south poles of said second linking magnetic component being positioned laterally of, and adjacent to, at least one magnetically opposite one of the north and south poles of the first magnetic component, so that the adjacent and magnetically opposite pole of the first magnetic component form linking lines of flux with the adjacent opposite pole of the second linking magnetic component within a vertical support region, so that with the vehicle at a lower part of said region, magnetic lines of force between said adjacent poles exert an upward force on said vehicle, and, with the vehicle at an upper part of said region, the magnetic lines of force between said adjacent poles exert one of a downward force on said vehicle and a lesser upward force on said vehicle;
wherein the north and south poles of said first magnetic component are vertically aligned with one on top the other, and the north and south poles of the second linking magnetic component are vertically aligned with one on top the other.

6 more elements