Patent ID: 6668732
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: B61B,E01B

Abstract:
A column guided and supported self-propelled vehicle comprising:a. a modular car body/structure which is rigid in its pitch axis and roll axis but flexible in its yaw axis; b. an engine or motor-driven rotating screw which engages fixed drive studs on the vehicle's guide and support columns; c. retainer flanges on the vehicle's car body/structure and on the guide and support columns which prevent the vehicle from leaving the column path; d. rollers which constrain the flexible rotating drive screw in the lateral and vertical axes within the vehicle's car body/structure; e. an internal guideway within each element of the car body/structure which provides continuous contact surfaces for the vertically and horizontally-mounted guide rollers of the guide and support column, the internal guideways at either end of the vehicle are curved outward and upward to accept a curved and/or rising path of guide and support columns; f. linear displacement components which are located between each car body/structure element of the vehicle which provide a controlled displacement in the yaw axis so that the vehicle can follow a curved or straight path of guide and support columns, the displacement components are controlled by transducers and signal processors which are activated by passive elements mounted on those guide and support columns which the vehicle encounters prior to entering a change of direction of the guide and support columns' path; g. a column assembly which provides guidance in the pitch, yaw and roll axis and supports the self-propelled vehicle by incorporating a series of rollers which constrain the vehicle to a linear or curved path above the ground; h. a column assembly which provides guidance in the pitch, yaw and roll axis and supports the self-propelled vehicle by incorporating a series of rollers, the column assembly can be displaced in the horizontal plane to align the self-propelled vehicle with alternative column paths.