Slot sealing system for a pneumatic transportation system guideway

In a vehicle guideway for a pneumatic transportation system wherein said guideway has a support platform for a vehicle track, an air duct below said support platform, and a longitudinal guideway slot in said support platform for receiving and passing a travelling connecting member that connects a propulsion plate within the air duct of the guideway to a vehicle travelling on the vehicle track, a guideway slot sealing system comprising

• a first pair of opposed resilient sealing flaps covering said guideway slot, said first pair of sealing flaps having contacting distal edges that form a first seal interface extending longitudinally of said guideway slot, the contacting distal edges of said first pair of sealing flaps projecting outwardly of said air duct to form a negative pressure seal at said first seal interface, and
• a second pair of opposed resilient sealing flaps covering said guideway slot, said second pair of sealing flaps having contacting distal edges that form a second seal interface extending longitudinally of said guideway slot, the contacting edges of said second pair of sealing flaps projecting inwardly of said air duct to form a positive pressure seal at said second seal interface,
• the first and second seal interfaces of said first and second pairs of sealing flaps being opposed to each other such that the connecting member travelling through the guideway slot is permitted to pass through both said seal interfaces.

A vehicle guideway for a pneumatic transportation system having vehicles that ride on a vehicle track and that have propulsion plates connected thereto by connecting members, said vehicle guideway comprising

• a support platform for supporting a vehicle track over which the vehicles of said pneumatic transportation system travel,
• an air duct below said support platform for receiving the propulsion plates of said vehicles,
• a longitudinal guideway slot in said support platform for receiving and passing connecting members of a vehicle travelling on the vehicle track, said guideway slot including opposed longitudinal upper edge portions having externally accessible mounting surfaces,
• a first pair of opposed resilient sealing flaps mounted to accessible mounting surfaces of said guideway slot, said first pair of sealing flaps having contacting distal edges that form a first seal interface extending longitudinally of said guideway slot, the contacting distal edges of said first pair of sealing flaps projecting outwardly of said air duct to form a negative pressure seal at said first seal interface, and
• a second pair of opposed resilient sealing flaps mounted to accessible mounting surfaces of said guideway slot, said second pair of sealing flaps having contacting distal edges that form a second seal interface extending longitudinally of said guideway slot, the contacting edges of said second pair of sealing flaps projecting inwardly of said air duct to form a positive pressure seal at said second seal interface,
• the first and second seal interfaces of said first and second pairs of sealing flaps being opposed to each other such that the connecting member travelling through the guideway slot is permitted to pass through both said seal interfaces with minimal contact between the sealing flaps and connecting member.