Redundant steering system for guideway vehicle
OwnerJoy Kirston Hendersoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A guideway system and method of operating a guideway is included comprising a guideway with entrance and exit ramps and vehicles having both a smooth, servo-based primary steering systems based upon proximity sensing of the side of the guideway and a backup mechanical steering system. The backup steering system is selectively engaged and disengaged based on location with respect to the entrance and exit ramps and provides vehicle wheel steering in the event of a failure of the primary servo steering system. The backup steering comprises one or more vertical members affixed to the guideway and one or more steering elements engageable with the member(s). The elements may be pivoted into and out of backup steering engagement.
Claims17
A transport system, comprising:
- a guideway having a railtube;
- a power conductor rail disposed within the railtube;
- a reference rail affixed to the railtube having a base portion with a first web member extending at an angle from the base portion;
- a vehicle having front and rear wheels configured for travel within the railtube;
- a primary steering servo steeringly coupled to a wheel;
- a primary steering reference sensor mounted to the vehicle configured to continuously sense distance from the sensor to a side of the railtube and provide continuous and smooth steering error signals to the primary steering servo;
- and
- a mechanical backup steering device steeringly coupled to a wheel and being selectively positionable into backup steering engagement with the reference rail.
A transport system, comprising:
- a guideway having spaced-apart parallel railtubes;
- a reference rail affixed to each of the railtubes;
- a vehicle having two front and two rear wheels, each configured for travel within one of the railtubes;
- a primary steering servo steeringly coupled to one of the wheels on each side of the vehicle;
- a primary steering reference sensor mounted to each side of the vehicle configured to continuously sense distance from the sensor to the reference rail to provide continuous and smooth steering error signals to the primary steering servo;
- a mechanical backup steering device steeringly coupled one of the wheels on each side of vehicle, each of the steering devices being movable from a backup steering position adjacent one of the reference rails to a storage position, each of the backup steering devices being capable of mechanically steering the vehicle by engagement with one of the reference rails in the event one of the primary steering servos or one of the primary steering reference sensors fail;
- and
- a controller that maintains one of the backup steering devices in the backup steering position and another one in the storage position while the vehicle is being steered with one of the primary steering reference sensors and primary steering servos.
A method of operating a transport system, wherein the transport system comprises a guideway having a railtube, a vehicle having wheels disposed within the railtube, a web member in the railtube, and a backup steering device configured for selective engagement and disengagement with the web member, the method comprising:
- (a) continuously sensing wheel position within the railtube;
- (b) continuously and smoothly steering the wheels within the railtube based on the step of sensing;
- (c) selectively engaging the backup steering device with the web member;
- (d) selectively disengaging the backup steering device from the web member;
- and
- wherein the web member comprises a first and second vertical element having a space therebetween and wherein the backup steering device comprises a steering member selectively disposable into the space for backup steering engagement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.