Patent ID: 6076469
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: B61B

Abstract:
A pneumatic control circuit for the operation of pneumatically propelled vehicles on a guideway, said pneumatic control circuit including a propulsion duct (1) in said guideway providing an airflow path therethrough, at least one power propulsion unit (3) connected to said propulsion duct for selectively providing positive or negative air pressure in said propulsion duct, section isolation valves (6) provided in said propulsion duct for opening and closing the airflow path through said propulsion duct at selected intervals so as divide said propulsion duct into adjacent isolatable sections defining a guideway block, and atmospheric valves (2) provided in the propulsion duct for opening and closing the propulsion duct to atmosphere, characterized in that said pneumatic control circuit has at least one section isolation circuit comprised of an isolatable section of said propulsion duct terminated by at least one atmospheric valve in front of and in pneumatic adjacent relation to a section isolation valve for said isolatable section, said atmospheric valve and pneumatically adjacent isolation valve forming a cooperative valve set having selectable combinations of open and closed conditions to permit operative airflow states within said section isolation circuit to be controlled independently of other sections of said propulsion duct whereby the travel of a pneumatically propelled vehicle can be controlled within the guideway block associated with said section isolation circuit while maintaining the functioning of other blocks of said guideway.