Patent ID: 6431078
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: B61B,B66B,Y02T

Abstract:
An autonomous transportation system including horizontal, sloped and vertical wheel guide sections connected by transitional or curved wheel guide sections, one or more individual vehicles or groups of chained vehicles forming trains and traveling on said wheel guide sections, each vehicle comprising a traction wheel assembly, a cantilever portion, a cabin comprising a main chassis and an articulated sub-chassis, an engine assembly, a security system, and a leveling system for keeping said cabin horizontal when the vehicle runs along a non-horizontal track; wherein:each of said wheel guide sections is formed by two opposed, wheel tracks separated by a structural central portion; said traction wheel assembly comprising two subsets of wheels, each of said wheels being made by an resilient anti-slippage material and comprising anti-slippage surface design; each of said wheel tracks forming a rolling track for each of said subset of wheels, said wheel tracks being constructed with an anti-slippage material; said cantilever portion being engaged at one end to said traction wheel assembly and being engaged to said cabin at its other end by joint means, whereby the center of gravity of the cabin is distant from the longitudinal center axis of the wheel guide thereby forming a lever system which has its force application point at said joint means; being the combined weight of said cabin and its contents the applied force of said lever system; whereby at least one wheel of each said subsets of wheels is urged against their corresponding wheel track by pressing forces that result from the torque of said lever system, whereby the frictional forces between said wheels and said wheel tracks avoid wheel slippage when the vehicle is placed on a non horizontal track.