GB2232649A

GB2232649A - Transport systems

Info

Publication number: GB2232649A
Application number: GB8913985A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Edward Thomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-06-17
Filing date: 1989-06-17
Publication date: 1990-12-19
Also published as: GB8913985D0

Abstract

A transport system is controlled according to a method of connection and disconnection of carriages so that only one carriage need stop at each station, thereby allowing the other carriages to only stop at their designated stops and maintaining the momentum of the system. A carriage 14 waiting at a station 12 moves away in response to a signal from the detector 20 indicating that the train of vehicles 15 is approaching. The rear carriage 19 disconnects and stops at the station 12, while the train 16-18 continues and connects carriage 14 to carriage 16 while both are moving at approximately the same speed. Passengers on carriage 14 then transfer through the system and select the carriage which will stop at the station they require. <IMAGE>

Description

Transport Systems This invention relates to transport systems and in particular, but not exclusively, to inner city transport systems.

There are many transport systems in which vehicles may attain quite high speeds, but, which due to their need to stop and start frequently to pick up and drop off passengers or goods, have a very low average speed. In addition in the case of buses they frequently contribute to traffic congestion due to this erratic movement pattern. The frequent cycle of acceleration and deceleration is also extremely inefficient in terms of energy consumption, because momentum is constantly being conserved and lost.

From one aspect the present invention consists in a method of controlling a transport system having a track, a plurality of designated stops and a plurality of powered vehicles arranged for coupling and decoupling, the method comprising, locating a vehicle at a stop for boarding and dismounting by passengers or loading or unloading of goods, detecting the approach of a train of coupled vehicles towards a stop, moving the located vehicle from the stop in response to the approach of the train in the same direction as the train but at a slower speed, decoupling the rear-most vehicle in the train, in response to the detection, and stoping it at the stop, and coupling the moving train to the now moving located vehicle.

Preferably the vehicles have doors at either end so that passengers can move from one vehicle to another on the train and thus select the stop at which they wish to be deposited. The passenger wishing to make a long journey may have to make a number of moves and the invention also includes the step of indicating in the vehicle the stop at which that vehicle will be stopped.

For the purpose of this specification the term track may simply refer to a route on a highway or it may include overhead electrification or an underground electrified track accessible through the road surface or traditional rails.

The method is equally applicable to overground, onground or underground transport systems but it is preferred that the vehicles are electrically powered or controlled because the system is particularly suitable for automatic or computer control.

From another aspect the invention consists in a transport system comprising a track, a plurality of designated stops, a plurality of powered vehicles arranged for coupling and decoupling and control apparatus for controlling operation of the system such that a vehicle located at a stop for boarding and dismounting by passengers or loading or unloading of goods, is moved from the stop in response to the detection of an approaching train, the rear-most vehicle of the train being decoupled in response to the detection and stopped at the stop and the moving train is coupled to the now moving located vehicle.

The vehicles may be intercommunicating when coupled and may be driven from an underground electric track engaged by a travelling contact which passes along a slot in the road surface. The slot may have electromagnetic means for centring a fin of the contact which will provide the steering for the system.

Instructions to the vehicle may be also passed through this contact and for example the intended destination of each vehicle may be displayed therein together with other instructions.

The stops may be simple signs, similar to bus stops, or they may have some automatic payment system which will only allow access to the carriages if a payment, ticket or debit card is presented. Similarly the stops may be fenced off to avoid accidents with pedestrians due to the starting up of the previousely stationary vehicle.

Although the invention has been defined above, it is to be understood that it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a specific embodiment will now be described with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a transport system with a train approaching a stop; Figure 2 shows the train having reached the stop; Figure 3 illustrates the system with the train having passed the stop; and Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section of a vehicle for use in the train located in a track.

A part of a transport system is generally indicated at 10. It comprises a track 11 having stops 12 and 13, at each of which is disposed a stationary vehicle 14, which passengers can board. A train 15, comprising carriages 16,17,18 and 19, is shown approaching the stop 12 and in response to the detection of its approach by detector 20 the previously stationary vehicle 14 moves out of the stop 12 travelling in the same direction as the train 15 but at a slower speed.

Similarly, or a fixed time, after the detection of the train by detector 20, the rear-most vehicle 19 in the train is decoupled and is brought to a halt at the stop 12 as shown in Figure 3. The remaining vehicles 16 to 18 then catch up vehicle 14, which has by then been accelerated to almost the same speed and they couple automatically.

It will be seen that for the passengers passing through the stop there is no delay while passengers board and disembark and from an energy conservation point of view only half the train effectively has to be accelerated or decelerated.

As has been mentioned above the track may take any appropriate form and the vehicles may be self powered or they may be powered by an external electrical source.

One possible arrangement is shown in Figure 4. In this case a channel 21 is formed along the path of the track and has a partially closed mouth 22 which defines a slot 23. The T-shaped connector 24 is attached to the vehicle and locates with its head 25 in the channel 21 and its leg 26 through the slot 23.

Power lines and control lines are engaged by the upper surface of the. head 25 and are located on the underside of the roof 27 of the channel 21. The roof carries an electro-magnetic means along the length of the slot 23 to cause the leg 26 to be centred in the slot and hence steers the vehicle.

It is envisaged that the train 15 will travel at a relatively slow speed, say 12 to 20 mph, but because no time is wasted at the stops this will still be significantly faster than many inner city transport systems.

Claims

CLAIMS.

1 A method of controlling a transport system having a track, a plurality of designated stops and a plurality of powered vehicles arranged for coupling and decoupling, the method comprising, locating a vehicle at a stop for boarding and dismounting by passengers or loading or unloading of goods, detecting the approach of a train of coupled vehicles towards a stop, moving the located vehicle from the stop in response to the approach of the train in the same direction as the train but at a slower speed1 decoupling the rearmost vehicle in the train, in response to the detection, and stopping it at the stop, and coupling the moving train to the now moving located vehicle.

2 A transport system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vehicles have doors at either end so that passengers can move from one vehicle to another on the train and thus select the stop at which they wish to be deposited.

The passenger wishing to make a long journey may have to make a number of moves and the invention also includes the step of indicating in the vehicle the stop at which the vehicle will be stopped.

3 A transport system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherin a track, a plurality of designated stops, a plurality of powered vehicles arranged for coupling and decoupling and control apparatus for controlling operation of the system suchthat a vehicle located at a stop for boarding and dismounting by passengers or loading or unloading of goods, is moved from the stop in response to the detection of the approaching train, the rear-most vehicle of the train be decoupled in response to the detection and stopped at the stop and the moving train is coupled to the now moving located vehicle.The vehicles may be inter communicating when coupled and may be driven from an underground electric track engaged by 2 travelling contact which passes along a slot in the road surface. The slot may have electromagnetic means for centring a fin of the contact which will provide the steering for the system.