Apparatus and method for enabling a two-wheeled vehicle to travel along a railroad track

A system for a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle to enable said vehicle to travel along an elongated railroad track with its two wheels upon a top surface of said track, the system comprising:

• an elongated guide component having top and bottom edges with connecting faces, the top and bottom edges and respective adjacent portions of the faces cooperating to define spaced apart guidance surfaces, one guidance surface being elevated relative to the other, the guidance surfaces being held in fixed spatial relationship to one side of said railroad track;
• structure supporting the elongated guide component at an angle such that the top edge of the elongated guide component is closer to said railroad track than the bottom edge;
• and
• a stabilizer component having a proximal end being couplable to said axle and fork of said steerable wheel to secure the stabilizer component to said two-wheeled vehicle and a distal end having bearing surfaces spaced to movably bear against respective ones of the guidance surfaces of the elongated guide component, the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperating such that one bearing surface bears against one guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction toward the elongated guide component and the other bearing surface bears against the other guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction away from the elongated guide component,
• whereby the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperate to stabilize and guide said two-wheeled vehicle along said elongated railroad track.

A system for a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle to enable said vehicle to travel along an elongated railroad track with its two wheels upon a top surface of said track, the system comprising:

• an elongated guide component having spaced apart guidance surfaces, one guidance surface being elevated relative to the other, the guidance surfaces being held in fixed spatial relationship to one side of said railroad track;
• and
• a stabilizer component having a proximal end being couplable to said axle and fork of said steerable wheel to secure the stabilizer component to said two-wheeled vehicle, the proximal end of the stabilizer component including a strut having an upper end and a lower end, fork clamping structure located at the upper end of the strut, axle engaging structure located at the lower end of the strut to releasably couple the strut to said axle of said steerable wheel, and fork support structure located medially on the strut whereby the axle engaging structure, fork clamping structure and fork support structure cooperate with said axle and fork of said steerable wheel to prevent steering of said wheel, the stabilizer component further having a distal end having bearing surfaces spaced to movably bear against respective ones of the guidance surfaces of the elongated guide component, the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperating such that one bearing surface bears against one guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction toward the elongated guide component and the other bearing surface bears against the other guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction away from the elongated guide component,
• whereby the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperate to stabilize and guide said two-wheeled vehicle along said elongated railroad track.

A system for a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle to enable said vehicle to travel along an elongated railroad track with its two wheels upon a top surface of said track, the system comprising:

• an elongated guide component having spaced apart guidance surfaces, one guidance surface being elevated relative to the other, the guidance surfaces being held in fixed spatial relationship to one side of said railroad track;
• and
• a stabilizer component having a proximal end being couplable to said axle and fork of said steerable wheel to secure the stabilizer component to said two-wheeled vehicle and a distal end having bearing surfaces spaced to movably bear against respective ones of the guidance surfaces of the elongated guide component, wherein the distal end of the stabilizer component includes at least one pair of rotatably supported rollers with peripheral edges thereon being spaced apart in confronting relationship to define respective ones of the bearing surfaces, a frame extending downwardly and outwardly from the proximal end of the stabilizer component that interconnects the proximal end with the rotatably supported rollers, and a bracket connected to the frame that rotatably supports the rotatably supported rollers,
• the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperating such that one bearing surface bears against one guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction toward the elongated guide component and the other bearing surface bears against the other guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction away from the elongated guide component,
• whereby the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperate to stabilize and guide said two-wheeled vehicle along said elongated railroad track.

A system for a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle to enable said vehicle to travel along an elongated railroad track with its two wheels upon a top surface of said track, the system comprising;

• an elongated guide component having spaced apart guidance surfaces, one guidance surface being elevated relative to the other, the guidance surfaces being held in fixed spatial relationship to one side of said railroad track;
• and
• a stabilizer component having a proximal end being couplable to said axle and fork of said steerable wheel to secure the stabilizer component to said two-wheeled vehicle and a distal end having bearing surfaces spaced to movably bear against respective ones of the guidance surfaces of the elongated guide component, wherein the distal end of the stabilizer component includes at least one pair of rotatably supported rollers with V-shaped peripheral edges thereon being spaced apart in confronting relationship to define respective ones of the bearing surfaces, the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperating such that one bearing surface bears against one guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction toward the elongated guide component and the other bearing surface bears against the other guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction away from the elongated guide component,
• whereby the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperate to stabilize and guide said two-wheeled vehicle along said elongated railroad track.

A system for a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle to enable said vehicle to travel along an elongated railroad track with its two wheels upon a top surface of said track, the system comprising:

• an elongated guide component having spaced apart guidance surfaces, one guidance surface being elevated relative to the other, the guidance surfaces being held in fixed spatial relationship to one side of said railroad track;
• a stabilizer component having a proximal end being couplable to said axle and fork of said steerable wheel to secure the stabilizer component to said two-wheeled vehicle and a distal end having at least one pair of rotatably supported rollers with peripheral edges thereon being spaced apart in confronting relationship to define respective bearing surfaces spaced to movably bear against respective ones of the guidance surfaces of the elongated guide component, the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperating such that one bearing surface bears against one guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction toward the elongated guide component and the other bearing surface bears against the other guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction away from the elongated guide component,
• whereby the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperate to stabilize and guide said two-wheeled vehicle along said elongated railroad track;
• and
• a selectively movable roller support on which at least one of the rollers of the at least one pair of rotatably supported rollers is rotatably mounted to selectively adjust the spacing between the roller peripheral surfaces, the roller support having a first position in which the space between the bearing surfaces is sufficient to receive therein or release therefrom the elongated guide component and a second position in which the bearing surfaces movably bear against the guidance surfaces.

A system for a vehicle having at least a steerable front wheel and an in-line rear wheel that are rotatably supported on a frame to enable said vehicle to travel along an elongated railroad track upon which said front and rear wheels both travel comprising:

• an elongated guide component having spaced apart guidance surfaces held in fixed spatial relationship to one side of said railroad track, the guidance surfaces being held at an angle such that one guidance surface is elevated relative to, and is held at a distance closer to said railroad track than, the other;
• and
• a stabilizer component having a proximal end being couplable to said frame of said vehicle to secure said stabilizer component to said vehicle and a distal end having bearing surfaces spaced to movably bear against respective ones of the guidance surfaces of the elongated guide component,
• whereby the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperate to stabilize and guide said front and rear wheels along said railroad track.

A system for a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable front wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle and a rear wheel in-line with the front wheel to enable said vehicle to travel along an elongated railroad track having a surface upon which said two wheels both travel comprising:

• an elongated guide component having an elongated guide web and structure for securing the elongated guide component in fixed spatial relationship with respect to said railroad track, the elongated guide web having top and bottom edges with connecting faces, the top and bottom edges and respective adjacent portions of the faces cooperating to define spaced apart guidance surfaces;
• and
• a stabilizer component including a first strut having axle engaging structure for releasably coupling the first strut to said axle of said front wheel, fork clamping structure for releasably coupling the first strut to said fork of said front wheel, and fork support structure to support said fork, second and third struts extending downwardly and outwardly from the first strut, and a bracket secured to the second and third struts having two pairs of confronting rollers with peripheral edges thereon to define bearing surfaces to movably bear against the respective ones of the guidance surfaces, at least one of the rollers of each pair being selectively movable in a direction perpendicular to the guidance surfaces to enable the stabilizer component to be releasably secured to the elongated guide component,
• whereby the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperate to stabilize and guide said two-wheeled vehicle along said elongated railroad track.

A stabilizer component adapted to be couplable with a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle, and an elongated guide component having spaced apart respective guidance surfaces, one guidance surface being elevated relative to the other, said respective guidance surfaces being held in fixed spatial relationship to one side of said railroad track to enable said two-wheeled vehicle to travel along the top surface of an elongated railroad track comprising:

• a proximal end being couplable to said axle and fork of said steerable wheel to secure the stabilizer component to said two-wheeled vehicle, the proximal end including a strut having an upper end and a lower end, fork clamping structure located at the upper end of the strut wherein the fork clamping structure includes a pair of apertured tabs extending from the strut spaced to receive said fork of said steerable wheel therebetween and a clamping pin sized to be releasably received through the apertures, the tabs and pin adapted to releasably couple the strut to said fork when said fork is received within the tabs;
• and
• a distal end having bearing surfaces adapted to movably bear against said respective guidance surfaces of said elongated guide component,
• the stabilizer component cooperable with said elongated guide component and said two-wheeled vehicle such that in use one bearing surface will bear against one of said guidance surfaces when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction toward said elongated guide component and the other bearing surface will bear against said other guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction away from said elongated guide component.

A stabilizer component adapted to be couplable with a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle, and an elongated guide component having spaced apart respective guidance surfaces, one guidance surface being elevated relative to the other, said respective guidance surfaces being held in fixed spatial relationship to one side of said railroad track to enable said two-wheeled vehicle to travel along the top surface of an elongated railroad track comprising:

• a proximal end being couplable to said axle and fork of said steerable wheel to secure the stabilizer component to said two-wheeled vehicle, the proximal end including a strut having an upper end and a lower end, fork clamping structure located at the upper end of the strut, axle engaging structure located at the lower end of the strut, and fork support structure located medially on the strut, the axle engaging structure, fork clamping structure and fork support structure being adapted to cooperate with said axle and fork of said steerable wheel to prevent steering of said wheel;
• and
• a distal end having bearing surfaces adapted to movably bear against said respective guidance surfaces of said elongated guide component,
• the stabilizer component cooperable with said elongated guide component and said two-wheeled vehicle such that in use one bearing surface will bear against one of said guidance surfaces when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction toward said elongated guide component and the other bearing surface will bear against said other guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction away from said elongated guide component.

A stabilizer component adapted to be couplable with a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle, and an elongated guide component having spaced apart respective guidance surfaces, one guidance surface being elevated relative to the other, said respective guidance surfaces being held in fixed spatial relationship to one side of said railroad track to enable said two-wheeled vehicle to travel along the top surface of an elongated railroad track comprising:

• a proximal end being couplable to said axle and fork of said steerable wheel to secure the stabilizer component to said two-wheeled vehicle;
• and
• a distal end having at least one pair of rotatably supported rollers with peripheral edges thereon being spaced apart in confronting relationship to define respective bearing surfaces adapted to movably bear against said respective guidance surfaces of said elongated guide component, wherein the distal end further includes a frame extending downwardly and outwardly from the proximal end that interconnects the proximal end with the rotatably supported rollers and a bracket connected to the frame that rotatably supports the rotatably supported rollers, the stabilizer component cooperable with said elongated guide component and said two-wheeled vehicle such that in use one bearing surface will bear against one of said guidance surfaces when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction toward said elongated guide component and the other bearing surface will bear against said other guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction away from said elongated guide component.

A stabilizer component adapted to be couplable with a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle, and an elongated guide component having spaced apart respective guidance surfaces, one guidance surface being elevated relative to the other, said respective guidance surfaces being held in fixed spatial relationship to one side of said railroad track to enable said two-wheeled vehicle to travel along the top surface of an elongated railroad track comprising:

• a proximal end being couplable to said axle and fork of said steerable wheel to secure the stabilizer component to said two-wheeled vehicle;
• and
• a distal end having at least one pair of rotatably supported rollers with V-shaped peripheral edges thereon being spaced apart in confronting relationship to define respective bearing surfaces adapted to movably bear against said respective guidance surfaces of said elongated guide component,
• the stabilizer component cooperable with said elongated guide component and said two-wheeled vehicle such that in use one bearing surface will bear against one of said guidance surfaces when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction toward said elongated guide component and the other bearing surface will bear against said other guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction away from said elongated guide component.

A stabilizer component adapted to be couplable with a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle, and an elongated guide component having spaced apart respective guidance surfaces, one guidance surface being elevated relative to the other, said respective guidance surfaces being held in fixed spatial relationship to one side of said railroad track to enable said two-wheeled vehicle to travel along the top surface of an elongated railroad track comprising:

• a proximal end being couplable to said axle and fork of said steerable wheel to secure the stabilizer component to said two-wheeled vehicle;
• a distal end having at least one pair of rotatably supported rollers with peripheral edges thereon being spaced apart in confronting relationship to define respective bearing surfaces adapted to movably bear against said respective guidance surfaces of said elongated guide component;
• a second pair of rotatably supported rollers having peripheral edges that define a second pair of bearing surfaces;
• and
• a selectively movable roller support on which at least one of the rollers of each of the pairs of rollers is rotatably mounted to selectively adjust the spacing between the roller peripheral surfaces, the roller support having a first position in which the space between the bearing surfaces is sufficient to receive therein or release therefrom said elongated guide component and a second position in which the bearing surfaces are spaced to movably bear against said guidance surfaces,
• the stabilizer component cooperable with said elongated guide component and said two-wheeled vehicle such that in use one bearing surface will bear against one of said guidance surfaces when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction toward said elongated guide component and the other bearing surface will bear against said other guidance surface when said two-wheeled vehicle tips in a direction away from said elongated guide component.

A method of enabling a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle to travel along an elongated railroad track having a surface upon which said two wheels travel comprising:

• situating an elongated guide component having vertically spaced apart first and second guidance surfaces in fixed spatial relationship to said railroad track with the guidance surfaces at an angle such that the first guidance surface is (i) elevated relative to the second guidance surface and (ii) held at a distance closer to said railroad track than, the second guidance surface;
• placing a two-wheeled vehicle upon said surface of said railroad track;
• providing a stabilizer component having a proximal end including structure for releasably coupling the stabilizer component to said axle and fork of said steerable wheel and a distal end having at least two rotatably supported confronting rollers with peripheral edges thereon to define bearing surfaces to movably bear against respective ones of the guidance surfaces, the roller that movably bears against one of the guidance surfaces being selectively movable in a direction perpendicular to the guidance surfaces to enable the stabilizer component to be releasably secured to the elongated guide component;
• releasably coupling the stabilizer component to said two-wheeled vehicle;
• releasably securing the stabilizer component to the elongated guide component;
• and
• propelling said two-wheeled vehicle whereby the stabilizer component and elongated guide component cooperate to stabilize and guide the two-wheeled vehicle along said railroad track.

A method of enabling a vehicle having at least a steerable front wheel and an in-line rear wheel that are rotatably supported on a frame to enable said vehicle wheels to travel along a single rail of an elongated railroad track, said single rail having an upper surface upon which said front and rear wheels both travel comprising:

• situating an elongated guide component having spaced apart guidance surfaces in fixed spatial relationship to one side of said single rail and at a distance less than the distance to an opposing rail of said railroad track;
• elevating one guidance surface relative to the other;
• placing a steerable front wheel and an in-line rear wheel of said vehicle upon said upper surface of said single rail of said railroad track;
• providing a stabilizer component having a proximal end adapted to be releasably coupled to said frame of the vehicle and a distal end having bearing surfaces adapted to be releasably secured to the elongated guide component to movably bear against respective ones of the guidance surfaces;
• releasably coupling the stabilizer component to said frame of the vehicle;
• releasably securing the stabilizer component to the elongated guide component;
• and
• propelling said vehicle whereby the stabilizer component and the elongated guide component cooperate to stabilize and guide the vehicle along said railroad track.

A system for a two-wheeled vehicle having a steerable wheel rotatable about an axle and a fork supporting said axle to enable said vehicle to travel along a single rail of an elongated railroad track with its two wheels upon a top surface of said single rail, the system comprising:

• an elongated guide component having spaced apart guidance surfaces, one guidance surface being elevated relative to the other, the guidance surfaces being held in fixed spatial relationship to said single rail and at a distance less than the distance to an opposing rail of said railroad track;
• and
• a stabilizer component having a proximal end being couplable to said axle and said fork of said vehicle to secure said stabilizer component to said vehicle and a distal end having bearing surfaces spaced to movably bear against respective ones of the guidance surfaces of the elongated guide component,
• whereby the elongated guide component and stabilizer component cooperate to stabilize and guide said front and rear wheels along said railroad track.