US 5,657,696 AGranted

Switches for automated guideway transit systems

OwnerArthur Ernest Bishopinventor

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Abstract

A combination includes railway tracks, each having two substantially parallel rails, each of the rails having a substantially horizontal ledge. The tracks include a first track defining a transverse discontinuity along a length thereof and comprising a first track segment and a second track segment, each of the track segments including rail ends defining a corresponding edge of the discontinuity. A second branch track diverges laterally from the first track and includes rail ends adjacent one side of the discontinuity. The first track segment further includes a switch zone portion which can flex between a first position where the rail ends of the first track segment align with the rail ends of the second track segment, and a second position where the rail ends of the first track segments align with the rail ends of the second branch track. Ties connect the rails of the switch zone portion to one another and maintain these rails in a substantially constant spaced relationship.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A combination including a first railway track and a second branch railway track disposed adjacent the first railway track, each of the tracks comprising two substantially parallel rails each having an upper running face juxtaposed on opposite sides of a substantially horizontally extending ledge, on which vehicles using the track run, said first railway track having a transverse discontinuity dividing it into a first track segment and a second track segment each of which have rail ends at said discontinuity, said second branch railway track diverging laterally away from said first railway track and having rail ends to one side of said discontinuity, wherein said first track segment has a portion constituting a switch zone which is arranged to flex so that the rail ends of the first track segment align in a first position with the rail ends of said second track segment and in a second position with the rail ends of said second branch railway track, the rails of said first track segment being connected and maintained in substantially constant spaced relationship by a plurality of transverse ties arranged at intervals along the switch zone, the combination further including a means for transporting connected to one or more of said ties to transport said rail ends of said first track segment laterally between said first and second positions, the distance moved by the rail ends of said first track segment in moving from one said position to the other exceeds the spacing between the rail ends of the first track segment.

A combination comprising:

a plurality of railway tracks, each of the tracks comprising a first rail and a second rail substantially parallel to one another, each of the rails having a substantially horizontally extending ledge including running faces comprising an upper running face and a lower running face juxtaposed on opposite sides of the ledge, respectively, the rails being configured to receive vehicles adapted to run thereon, the railway tracks further including:
a first railway track defining a transverse discontinuity along a length thereof and thereby comprising two track segments including a first track segment and a second track segment separated from one another by the transverse discontinuity, each of the track segments further including rail ends defining a corresponding edge of the transverse discontinuity;
and
a second branch railway track diverging laterally away from the first railway track and further including rail ends adjacent one side of the transverse discontinuity;
wherein the first track segment further includes:
a switch zone portion adapted to flex between a first position in which the rail ends of the first track segment align with the rail ends of the second track segment, and a second position in which the rail ends of the first track segments align with the rail ends of the second branch railway track;
and
a plurality of ties disposed at intervals along the switch zone portion and transversely with respect to the rails thereof, the ties connecting the rails of the switch zone portion to one another and maintaining the rails of the switch zone portion in a substantially constant spaced relationship with respect to one another;
and
a switch mechanism connected to at least one of the ties for moving the switch zone portion of the first track segment between its first position and its second position such that a distance travelled by the rail ends of the first track segment in moving between the first position and the second position exceeds a spacing between rail ends of the first track segment.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.