2098results about "Rope railways" patented technology

A correlator system for automatic car wash has roller assemblies for supporting the front left and right wheels of a vehicle entering a car wash line. A set of guide rails or bars cooperate with the roller assemblies to adjust axial displacement and angular misalignment between the vehicle's front end and a conveyor track transporting the vehicle through the car wash facility. The rollers in the roller assembly rotate freely with minimal friction, axially displacing the front end of the vehicle and adjusting the angular misalignment of the front wheels. The low friction, easy-to-rotate rollers are provided with a plurality of braking elements that generate friction against the rollers, retarding their rotation when a worker steps thereon. The friction generated by the braking elements is insufficient to prevent roller rotation during alignment of the front end with the conveyor track. Injuries to car wash personnel caused by loss of balance when stepping on the rollers are virtually eliminated, and an accurate alignment of the vehicle's front end with the car wash conveyor track is reliably achieved.

A system for switching a transport vehicle comprising: a guideway, a vehicle that moves along the guideway, and a magnetic field source that creates a force on the vehicle to affect motion in a desired direction at a switch. Once the vehicle has started motion through the switch the guidance can be continued by use of permanent magnets until the normal guidance system is effective. The switching scheme can work with any suspension scheme, including wheels and maglev, and can work with any lateral guidance scheme, including horizontal guide wheels and magnetic guidance. The system can be used with very closely spaced vehicles, such as with Personal Rapid Transit, material handling, and elevators with multiple cabs in the same shaft.

A single-carriage reversing train positioning system which includes an extending spike-type car engaging member for engaging and moving one or more railcars. An extending chuck assembly may be provided with the ability to operate gates in bottom-discharging railcars. The system uses a single self-propelled carriage with an on-board carriage drive system that includes a drive motor which operates the car along a fixed chain situated along a guideway. A generally horizontally disposed, laterally extendable pin car-engaging assembly is mounted on the car-moving carriage for aligning with and engaging a hook loop on a railcar for moving the car. A gate-operating assembly which includes a laterally extendable chuck system which aligns with, engages and rotates gate-operating capstans on bottom discharging railcars may also be provided.

An autonomous transport system is disclosed, formed by four main subsystems: a channel subsystem; a vehicle subsystem; a wheel guide subsystem and central control station subsystem. The system is designed for the transportation of people or goods, to be used in tall buildings and in small and large scale urban environments. It comprises unitary vehicles that may move in different directions: horizontal, steeply sloped and also vertical tracks, thanks to novel traction wheel assemblies that roll on carefully designed wheel tracks. The system's cabin maintains the horizontal level / position regardless of the changes of track direction or slanting thanks to pendulum based automatic level control and may rotate up to 180° under normal conditions and even a full 360° turn respect to the wheel assembly in space restricted positions. The cabin is mounted on a cantilever, thereby displacing its center of gravity respect of the wheel guides. Thus, a lever action is established, which presses the wheels against the wheel tracks and therefore enough frictional resistance is obtained so as to avoid wheel slippage on the wheel tracks. The vehicles are moved by non-polluting, electric drives that move and stop them with high energy savings. The vehicle runways are designed taking in account safety features against fire hazards. Several vehicles may be used at the same time and on the same track and may run individually or in groups, conforming a train. The system allows for vehicles to be parked in bypassed positions or else they may be disengaged from the convoy to be used individually.

A driving wheel of a robot moving along a wire includes an inner wheel in which a rotation axis being driven to rotate by a motor is fitted, an outer wheel formed to surround the inner wheel and seated on the wire, and a shock absorbing support to elastically connect and support the inner wheel and the outer wheel between the inner wheel and the outer wheel, and a shock being transmitted is absorbed by allowing a relative movement of the inner wheel and the outer wheel by the elastic movement of the shock absorbing support. A robot moving includes a robot body, the driving wheel, a motor to drive the driving wheel by rotating the rotation axis, a connecting arm to connect and support the driving wheel and the robot body.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a switch for a powered pallet conveyor is provided. The switch comprising (a) a turntable and (b) rail portions which are arranged upon the turntable and define at least a first travel pathway and a second travel pathway, whereby the first travel pathway is defined by straight rail portions and a second travel pathway is defined by curved rail portions, so that the central line of the first travel pathway and the departure lines of the second travel pathway respectively pass through the fulcrum of the turntable.

A method and system of devices facilitate the uninterrupted transport of a payload of persons (110) or cargo along a multi-segmented guide cable (180), or zip line, suspended from a series of support structures (120). Transfer mechanisms (800, 810) allow the cable to loop to a starting location or to transport between discrete endpoints. A trolley (200) carrying the payload may be powered by gravity alone, or a motorized assist may allow the cable course to be traversed without regard to relative elevations of cable supports. Safety mechanisms (300) prevent the trolley from leaving the cable (180) unintentionally. The system enables one or more riders (110) to travel along the guide cable (180) at velocities desired for recreational purposes while assuming many body positions, such as prone, sitting or standing, to provide the sensation of flying like a bird.

A personal lift device is disclosed having a motor having an output shaft. A gearing system is operatively connected to the output shaft for increasing torque. A strap for suspending a weight is wound onto a spool and rotating the spool extends and retracts the strap. A drive connection is made between the gearing system and the spool to permit said motor to drive said spool. A brake is associated with said spool to prevent unwanted extension of said strap from said spool, when a weight is suspended by said strap. In a preferred embodiment a clutch is provided between the brake and the drive train, and the greater the weight supported by the spool the greater the braking force. An emergency lift and lower device is also provided in the event of a failure of the motor.

A track system for storage and retrieval of materials for use with warehousing vehicle that rides upon tracks in horizontal configuration for storage locations, and that is capable of switching to and riding a sloped track to ascend or descend vertically. A set of transition exchanges allows the vehicle to access multiple levels of storage “flooring” or shelving. The exchanges use ramps, or movable sections of railway, that may be moved out of the way of a set of wheels of the vehicle, while other ramps are set in place to provide support to some wheels of the vehicle, whereby the vehicle may selectively either travel along the elevator track, or to move between elevator track and level storage locations.

The invention discloses a cable climbing robot, which comprises a cable holding effect, can stably climb and has a good obstacle crossing effect. The robot comprises two trolleys arranged symmetrically along the circumferential direction of a cable and clasping devices arranged on the two trolleys and used for clasping the cable, the clasping devices comprise guide rails which are respectively arranged on the front part and the rear part of the two trolleys and are parallel to each other, and the guide rails are perpendicular to the axis of the cable; two roller supports are arranged on each guide rail in a sliding mode, and a spring is arranged between each roller support and the body of each trolley along the direction of each guide rail; a roller rotating around a rotating shaft is arranged on each roller support, and the rotating shaft is obliquely arranged and is perpendicular to the axis of the cable; the rollers are supported and clamped on four points on the cable; and a driving device is arranged on at least one of the rollers.

A point-to-point transit system for riders includes an elongate guideway, a plurality of autonomous vehicles disposed in the guideway, a plurality of selectively actuable rider access portals in the side of the guideway, and a control system, configured to automatically guide the vehicles within the guideway. The rider access portals are configured to allow ingress and egress of riders to the autonomous vehicles in the guideway. The control system is configured to allow each vehicle to travel between origin and destination locations that are independently selected by a rider.

A system and method for automated handling, transferring and storing conventional cargo storage containers on a cargo ship wherein the containers are stored in a multi-tier cell system and are manipulated by powered transfer units which are selectively moveable along an intersecting overhead track system such that containers may be simultaneously retrieved from, moved or placed within any of the cells of the ship. The transfer units are equipped both with hoists, which control spreader beams which are selectively secured to the cargo containers, and guide stabilizers, which prevent undesirable movement of the cargo containers when they are elevated above the cell structures such that the containers may be manipulated even during rough sea conditions such that the system is essentially continuously operable as a floating supply distribution system.

The invention discloses a perpendicular rope climbing patrolling robot in ultra-deep vertical shaft steel-rope guide. The perpendicular rope climbing patrolling robot comprises an explosion-proof shell, a driving mechanism, a wheel mechanism, a clamping mechanism, a carrying mechanism and an electric control device. The explosion-proof shell comprises an upper driving shell body, a lower driving shell body, a driver shell body, an electric control device shell body and a carrying mechanism shell body. The driving mechanism comprises an upper driving part, a lower driving part and a motor driver. The wheel mechanism comprises an upper driving wheel part, an upper left side driven wheel part, an upper right side driven wheel part, a lower driving wheel part, a lower left side driven wheel part and a lower right side driven wheel part. The clamping mechanism comprises a left side clamping part and a right side clamping part. The carrying mechanism comprises a movable trolley, an intrinsic safety camera and a cloud deck. The rope climbing patrolling robot can meet the explosion-proof requirement of a coal mine, can climb on the ultra-deep vertical shaft steel-rope guide and can monitor the strain of the shaft wall and the derrick structure situation.

A personal lift device is disclosed having a motor having an output shaft. A gearing system is operatively connected to the output shaft for increasing torque. A strap for suspending a weight is wound onto a spool and rotating the spool extends and retracts the strap. A drive connection is made between the gearing system and the spool to permit said motor to drive said spool. A brake is associated with said spool to prevent unwanted extension of said strap from said spool, when a weight is suspended by said strap. In a preferred embodiment a clutch is provided between the brake and the drive train, and the greater the weight supported by the spool the greater the braking force. An emergency lift and lower device is also provided in the event of a failure of the motor.

An improved zip line trolley allowing a rider control of his or her speed while traversing along a suspended cable (8) as seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The trolley comprises front and rear pulleys (44F) and (44R) conjoined via pulley housing (16) with left and right horizontal handles (10L) and (10R) attached to vertical shaft (12). Front and rear hand brake levers (20F) and (20R) are mounted onto left and right horizontal handles (10L) and (10R). When front and rear hand brake levers (20F) and (20R) are squeezed by the rider, they create a constricting force on front left and right calipers (32FL) and (32FR) along with rear left and right calipers (32RL) and (32RR) of FIGS. 2A and 3A. Thus, friction is applied to front and rear pulleys (44F) and (44R) via front left and right brake pads (34FL) and (34FR) along with rear left and right brake pads (34RL) and (34RR). This frictional force slows the rider's speed to his or her desired rate and brings the rider to a safe stop at a precise location along suspended cable (8).

Described herein are various embodiments of trolleys usable for traversing cables such as zip lines. Various embodiments have been particularly adapted to perform better under different circumstances or in different applications using braking including impact braking.

A system and method for predicting future rail temperature for a rail of a railroad track, the system including a weather data source that provides current and forecasted meteorological data, a database that retrievably stores the meteorological data from the weather data source, and a processor that processes the meteorological data to calculate and output a future rail temperature for a future time based on the meteorological data, accounting for heat transfer characteristics of the rail. In one embodiment, the processor may be implemented to calculate the future rail temperature by determining a rate of change in rail temperature over time, and integrating the rate of change in rail temperature over time.

A traveling mechanism for a lifting device, especially for a lifting device having a laterally cantilevering boom, is movable on rails with at least two running wheels. A connection element for attaching a load to said traveling mechanism is supported in the rail by the running wheels which are arranged on both sides of the connection element. The connection element has, at the region projecting down out of the rail, at least one running roller which is freely rotatable about a horizontal axis and rolls on a horizontal outer running surface of the rail. To effectively divert horizontal forces and uniformly distribute the vertical forces to the running wheels, running wheel axles are rigidly connected with a running wheel carrier, and the running wheel carrier and connection element are swivelably connected by a universal type joint. In addition, at least one support roller is rotatably mounted at the connection element in the interior of the rail. The support roller freely rotates about a vertical axis and rolls along at least one of the side surfaces to transmit horizontal forces to the rail.

A travel assistant device to help individuals use transit systems. The device is particularly suited to help individuals with special needs (i.e. physical or mental disabilities) successfully navigate the transit system through cues that are delivered through the device. In certain embodiments the device utilizes a global positioning system (GPS)-enabled cell phone. The GPS features of the cell phone enable the location of a transit rider to be identified. The wireless communication features of the device allow positional data to be transmitted from the device to a geographic information system and to one or more interested parties to track the location of the transit rider. The device can be integrated with vehicle location systems of a transit system to coordinate the transit of the transit rider. In additional aspects the system facilitates the delivery of signal, cues or other communication to the transit rider to enable the rider to safely and effectively use the transit system without the immediate presence of a guide or supervisor.

A non-powered, light rail unit train (referred to as Rail-Veyor by the inventor) combination for the transport of bulk materials consisting of a plurality of connected cars open at each end except for the first and last cars, which have end plates. The train forms a long open semi-circular trough and has a flexible flap attached near the front of each car, overlapping the gap between car in front to prevent spillage during operation while allowing articulated movement of the train during transport. The lead car has four flanged wheels and tapered side drive plates at the front of the car for smooth entry into the systems stationary drive stations. The cars that follow each have parallel drive plates on either side of the car that are outside the two flanged wheels that are approximately the same width as the flexible drive tire. Each car has a clevis type hitch at the front and rear with the front clevis hitch connecting to the rear clevis hitch of the car immediately forward. Forward motion is provided by a series of appropriately placed fixed drive stations consisting of drive motors, gear reducers and horizontal flexible drive tires located on either side of the track which can be adjusted to provide sufficient friction on the aforementioned drive plates to transform rotational tire motion to horizontal thrust of the entire train. The motors at each drive station are controlled by use of an A / C inverter and controller whereby said motors are synchronized and both the voltage and frequency can be modified as needed to provide and adjust system operating needs. The flanged wheels are symmetrical to the side drive plates allowing operation in an inverted position which, when four rails are used to encapsulate the wheel outside loop discharge of the bulk material is possible. By using elevated rails, the train can operate in the inverted position as easily as in the convention manner.

The invention provides a cable detection robot which is composed of two carts, namely, a driving cart and a driven cart, distributed evenly along the circumferential direction of the cable and connected by a connecting piece. The driving cart is provided with a climbing device, the driven cart with a clamping device and the connecting piece with a deviation prevention device. The climbing device comprises a lithium cell fixed to the body of the cart and a direct current motor fixed to the side of the driving wheel of the body of the cart and the clamping device comprises a pole bracket, one end of which is movably connected with the body of the cart in a swinging manner along the radial direction of the cart, an extension spring and a pulley connected with the pole bracket. The climbing device of the cable detection robot implementing the invention has simple structure and convenient maintenance; power supply by the lithium cell is more suitable for aloft work environment, the application is safer and more reliable and the operation is stable.

The invention discloses a spiral line cable detecting robot which consists of a cart, an upper and a lower supporting hugging devices symmetrically distributed along the cable which are connected together. The robot is characterized in that the active cart is provided with a climbing device and a magnetic absorbing device; two supporting horizontal levers are provided with hugging devices; the climbing device includes a lithium battery fixed in the cart and a DC motor fixed on one side of the driving wheel in the cart; power of the DC motor is supplied by the lithium battery, and the DC motor drives the driving wheel of the cart to rotate by a drive axle, so as to drive the whole robot to spirally climb along a water transmission line of the cable; the hugging devices and the magnetic absorbing device work together to tightly press the driving wheel onto the surface of the cable. The climbing device can rotate for any degree relative to the cart, so as to adapt to the water transmission line with different thread pitch; power supply by the lithium battery is more suitable for the environment of high-altitude operation; the robot is also provided with a descending device, which is safer and more reliable in use. The invention has simple and reasonable structure, is convenient in maintenance, can have high climbing speed, is applicable in detection of the spiral line cable of large cable-stayed bridges as well as lamps and other rod types.

An unmanned tactic platform (UTP) mounted on a two-stage locomotive system of which a first locomotive stage is a significantly high-speed travel stage where the UTP reaches an arena, and a second locomotive stage is a tactical maneuver stage in which the UTP maneuvers at the arena for executing a mission.

A transportation system uses a carrier conduit in the form of a long tube or channel in order to drive a vehicle by air pressure. A carrier having end plates obstructs the travel of air through the carrier conduit. Pressure differentials formed within the carrier conduit serve to propel the carrier through the carrier conduit. By rollably supporting the carrier within the carrier conduit, friction is reduced between the carrier conduit and the carrier. The carrier may be magnetically coupled to a vehicle having vanes and a set of track- or rail-engaging wheel assemblies on vanes. The vanes may pivot upon the vehicle and serve to allow the vehicle to rollably or slidably couple to the carrier conduit track. The motion of the carrier serves to propel the vehicle along the carrier conduit track as the vehicle is magnetically coupled to the carrier. Composite materials used to construct the carrier conduit may allow for such magnetic coupling without the interference that might occur through the use of ferromagnetic materials or the like. The carrier conduit may be mounted upon pillars or pylons and sources of pressure may either be present at either end of the carrier conduit, distributed at propitious points there along, or incorporated into the carrier.

The self-driven cable transportation system for persons used for the aerial panoramic observation of the environment comprises: A cable suspended over the ground held and tensed by brackets fixed to any natural element available like trees, rocks, etc., or to any type of artificial element, like poles towers, constructions, etc., along this line vehicles driven by the a user's feet run in a safe and comfortable manner to observe the environment without having to stop at the cable's anchoring points. The user has full control of the vehicle's speed, being able to accelerate, break and stop at will, having at all times both hands free. This system may be installed and used on any type of ground with recreation and / or scientific observation purposes.

A monitoring system for detecting faults in an apparatus, such as a ski lift, employs a communication network onto which a sensor bus controller periodically transmits a safety message and receives a echo of each safety message. Different sensors are coupled to sensor adapter modules that in turn are connected in a series to the communication network. After the last sensor adapter module in the series, each safety message is echoed back along the communication network. Each sensor adapter module, upon receiving a safety message, increments a count in that message and transmits the resultant safety message to another module. When a sensor indicates a fault condition, the associated sensor adapter module blocks propagation of safety messages along the communication network. The sensor bus controller determines, in response to a failure to receive the echo and to the count in the echo, whether a fault occurred.

The present invention discloses a pulling device for a container inspection system including a pulling vehicle (1) arranged inside an inspection passage, a winch (5) and wire tension mechanisms (6,6′). Front and rear ends of the pulling vehicle are connected to a wire rope so as to drive the pulling vehicle to move back and forth inside the inspection passage. The wire rope connected to front and rear ends of the pulling vehicle is wound around a wire tension mechanism arranged at front and rear ends of the inspection passage and is turned around by a swerving pulley (2) which is positioned at the same horizontal plane as that of the wire rope, the pulling vehicle, and the wire tension mechanisms, then the wire rope passes through the vertical pulley block, and finally it is connected to a single winding drum (4) of the winch (5) and wound around the single winding drum (4) respectively. Compared with the prior arts, the present invention is advantageous in reduction in equipment investment and decrease in area occupied by the pulling device. Further, the inspection operation can be carried out more reliably and safely.

An autonomous transport system is disclosed, formed by four main subsystems: a channel subsystem; a vehicle subsystem; a wheel guide subsystem and central control station subsystem. The system is designed for the transportation of people or goods, to be used in tall buildings and in small and large scale urban environments. It comprises unitary vehicles that may move in different directions: horizontal, steeply sloped and also vertical tracks, thanks to novel traction wheel assemblies that roll on carefully designed wheel tracks. The system's cabin maintains the horizontal level / position regardless of the changes of track direction or slanting thanks to pendulum based automatic level control and may rotate up to 180° under normal conditions and even a full 360° turn respect to the wheel assembly in space restricted positions. The cabin is mounted on a cantilever, thereby displacing its center of gravity respect of the wheel guides. Thus, a lever action is established, which presses the wheels against the wheel tracks and therefore enough frictional resistance is obtained so as to avoid wheel slippage on the wheel tracks. The vehicles are moved by non-polluting, electric drives that move and stop them with high energy savings. The vehicle runways are designed taking in account safety features against fire hazards. Several vehicles may be used at the same time and on the same track and may run individually or in groups, conforming a train. The system allows for vehicles to be parked in bypassed positions or else they may be disengaged from the convoy to be used individually.

Methods for making various titanium base alloys and titanium aluminides into engineering components such as rings, tubes and pipes by melting of the alloys in a vacuum or under a low partial pressure of inert gas and subsequent centrifugal casting of the melt in the graphite molds rotating along its own axis under vacuum or low partial pressure of inert gas are provided, the molds having been fabricated by machining high density, high strength ultrafine grained isotropic graphite, wherein the graphite has been made by isostatic pressing or vibrational molding, the said molds either revolving around its own horizontal or vertical axis or centrifuging around a vertical axis of rotation.