Patent ID: 7581502
Filing Date: 2009-09-01
Classification: E01B

Abstract:
1. A rail vehicle system comprising: a rail vehicle having left and right travel wheels; a travel rail having left and right travel surfaces, the left and right travel surfaces being separated from each other to form a space between the left and right travel surfaces for supporting the left and right travel wheels, the travel rail having a discontinuous portion in one the left and right travel surfaces to form a gap in at least one of a branch section and a merge section of the rail; and orientation control means for controlling orientation of the rail vehicle near the gap by floating the travel wheel on the gap side above the travel surface such that the travel wheel on the side opposite to the gap supports the rail vehicle; wherein the left and right travel wheels comprise left and right normal wheels and left and right auxiliary wheels inside the normal left and right wheels in the left-right direction; the travel rail includes left and right guides for guiding the rail vehicle travelling through at least one of the branch section and the merge section, the left and right guides being provided outside the left and right auxiliary wheels in the left-right direction, at the height where the left and right guides do not contact the travel wheels; the rail vehicle includes guide rollers guided by the left and right guides; the orientation control means lifts the auxiliary wheel upwardly relative to the normal wheel, on the side opposite to the gap; and on the side opposite to the gap, the orientation control means is configured to shift the travel surface on the auxiliary wheel side upwardly relative to the travel surface on the normal wheel side.