Abstract:
The invention relates to a support ( 1 ) for functional planes used for a magnetic levitation track. The stator packets ( 11 ) comprised in the track are suspended in a particularly compact and production-friendly manner on a stator beam ( 9 ), the stator packet being connected to the stator beam ( 9, 10 ) via borings ( 15 ) that are disposed therein and holding bolts ( 16, 38 ) which penetrate said borings ( 15 ). The stator packets ( 11 ) can be secured in a redundant manner vial additional suspensions ( 30, . . . , 34 ) and/or by creating a non-positive connection between adjacent stator packets ( 11 ) by providing the faces of the stator packets ( 11 ), which face the direction of travel, with a profile.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention concerns a functional plane beam for a travelway for a magnetically levitated vehicle. Such a travelway is constructed of track supporting members, which consist of a main beam, which is inserted between two functional plane beams. Accordingly, on this account, the said functional plane beam defines the travelway, i.e. the course of the magnetically levitated railway or, in yet other words, a fast magnetic train track.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The fast magnetic train tracks forms a system of bearing, guidance and drive, all of which is in a non-touching mode. Employed is a longitudinal stator-linear motor, which is based on the principle of electromagnetically levitated. The long-stator linear motor corresponds, in this application, to an electric motor, with a winding in the direction of travel. Instead of a magnetically rotating field, the linear motor generates an electromagnetic field, which proceeds along the length of the entire travelway. With the aid of an electronic control system, the magnetically levitated vehicle hovers some 10 mm above the upper surface of the travelway. By a reversal of the magnetic field, the vehicle can be braked without contact or accelerated. In this operation, a principle component of the drive, specifically the stator packet, is built into the travelway. For the receiving of the said stator packet, the functional plane beam is entrusted to take over the main operations of carrying, guiding and lifting of the vehicle. Additionally, the functional plane beam conducts all operational loads, for example, through connection consoles on the main beam, which, in turn, conduct the loads into the ground by means of underpinnings and the foundations.  
         [0003]      FIG. 5  shows a conventional functional plane beam  110 . The functional plane beam possesses, to fulfill its expectations, a slide-surface  112  which faces upward, upon which the magnetically levitated vehicle can slide, if the drive, that is the current supply, drops out completely. In this case, the magnetically levitated vehicle supports itself on special sliding elements to match the said slide surface and glides along until it comes to a standstill. Lateral guide flanges  114 , having active surfaces running in the travel direction and aligned perpendicularly to the said slide surface serve for the side-to-side guidance of the magnetically levitated vehicle. This guidance takes place by directive magnets in guide shoes of the magnetically levitated vehicle, which shoes are carried adjacent to the said lateral guide flanges.  
         [0004]     In the lower area of the functional plane beam are placed the stator packets  116 , which lift and drive the vehicle. These packets are so arranged, that they lift the vehicle by means of a base group of magnets set within the guide shoes, wherein they pull the magnets. Since, in this area, only the smallest possible clearances can be allowed, the stator packets and consequently the functional plane beams themselves are especially aligned and secured.  
         [0005]     Finally, the functional plane beam itself is adjusted and fastened on a mounting surface facing the main beam. Although, steel has proven itself, because of tolerance reasons, in the case of the functional plane beam, it is possible that the therefrom separated main beam can be made just as well out of concrete (hybrid beam construction) as out of steel.  
         [0006]     For a means of suspension to retain the stator packet, the suspension system shown in DE 19 735 471 has had a successful history. This suspension system provides the stator packet to be encapsulated in plastic and to be furnished with horizontal, T-shaped grooves running transversely to the direction of travel. Further, the functional plane beam possesses a so-called stator carrying member, which, on its under side has two, parallel, trapezoidal bars (traverses) running in the direction of travel, which, likewise, possess the said horizontal T-grooves running transversely to the direction of travel. The said grooves are set at the same distances apart as are those of the stator packets.  
         [0007]     Although the said grooves were placed in the stator packets during its manufacture, because the individual metal sheets, from which the stator packets are formed, are subjected to stampings for the grooves, the other grooves in the stator carrying member are machine-milled in accord with the desired positioning of the stator packets. The coupling between the stator packet and the stator carrying member is done by groove matching, since the grooves of the carrying members possess the same profiling as that of the packet T-grooving. In this way the grooves complementarily join and both the components, namely the stator and the stator carrier bind together in a defined position. In this way, the groove fitting is additionally secured by screw connection to the functional plane beam.  
         [0008]     Another stator carrier suspension has been made known by DE 19 931 367, in which the groove traverse, which is bound to the stator packet, is placed between two parallel web flanges, which are located on the underside of the stator carrier member and are screwed thereto. An additional security is achieved here by means of set-pins, which are placed parallel to the said screw connections.  
         [0009]     The purpose of the securities of the two above described stator suspensions lies therein, in that upon a failure of the fastening means, a defined and detectable vertical displacement of the stator packet can be allowed, so that the utilization of the travelway continues to be possible and the suspension damage can be localized. This can be, for example, be executed in correspondence with properly distributed sensors along the travelway.  
         [0010]     The principal disadvantage of this much employed solution can be found in the fact that, the fastening of the stator packet by groove traverse members or by other intervening pieces onto a stator carrier member is relatively complicated to mechanically carry out and to maintain. Disadvantageous in this matter also, is that the useable stator height is considerably reduced by any such intervening elements.  
         [0011]     This becomes especially of importance, in occasions wherein for the purpose of acceleration a high current demand must be called up to load the stator windings. The strength of the current, however, is limited by the available cross-section of the electrical conductor wires and the therewith accompanying increase in temperature. Too high a current would lead to an overheating of the system. Larger conductor cross-sections, however, are not possible, because of the limited height of the stator packets. Stator packets of a larger overall height can only be installed under such circumstances wherein the profile of the functional plane beam would be correspondingly increased. Such a change would be encumbered with substantial design alterations—even including the guide shoe of the vehicle itself. Further, the employment of materials, which are resistant to higher temperatures, is subjected to limitation on both technical and economic grounds.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     The purpose of the present invention is, to make available a functional plane beam, which can accept a larger stator packet, that is a stator packet with a higher capacity. Under these circumstances, further advantages can be seen, such as simplification of the suspension, the mounting, and the alignment of the stator packet and as well the disadvantages of design of the conventional functional plane beam can, at least, be compensated for.  
         [0013]     The achievement of this purpose is carried out by a functional plane beam having a stator beam which carries a stator packet. The stator packet consists of vertical and travel-directed stator lamellas, and a boring penetrating the lamellas essentially perpendicular to the lamellas&#39; vertical alignment. The stator packet is bound together by a holding unit, which holding unit in a preferred embodiment includes a penetrating bolt on the stator.  
         [0014]     The concept therein is, to incorporate the suspension of the stator packet directly within the stator body itself. In this way, it becomes possible to completely use the stator package itself to completely fill the available space between the upper surface of the stator and the underside of the stator beam, which latter can theoretically extend itself as far as the slide surface. Even using the available space conventionally allowed by the present system, there are now stator packets available, wherein, in place of only one stator winding, two stator windings are incorporated.  
         [0015]     Thereby it becomes possible that higher acceleration values can be attained, without the disadvantage that greater or more complex stator windings are necessary. Further, it is possible that the acceleration period can be shortened, and possible upward climbs of the travelway can by increased, so that the travelway contours can more nearly approximate an existing land profile. This latter can also lead to a simplification of the construction of the trackage.  
         [0016]     In an embodiment of the invention the stator packet is held together by clamping plates. Such stator packets are less expensive to manufacture, since they have lesser demand for sealing. In this matter, the holding piece itself can serve to dissipate the connective forces.  
         [0017]     The clamping force can be transferred to the clamping plates by clamping elements placed on the connection piece. The clamping elements can be a shell or sleeve running coaxially with the connection piece and penetrating the stator packet and the clamping plates. The sleeve, first, picks up the clamping forces between the clamping plates, and second, serves as an encapsulation for the holding unit or penetrating connection piece (hereinafter, referred to a “bolt”).  
         [0018]     The sleeve makes possible a refined adjustment of the stator packet, namely, of the stator beam by which the final boring geometry of the sleeve itself in its adjusted condition is determined, so that an exact positional fixation can be made by the said bolt.  
         [0019]     The bolt, at assembly, can form a compression bonding with the sleeve, stator packet, and clamping plates. It becomes possible that the stator packet or the stator beam can be completely affixed by force fit.  
         [0020]     The stator packet can include recesses for the stator windings, and projections between the stator windings. The stator packet can possess additional clamping elements in the area of the projections between the recesses. In the case of deeply made recesses for the stator windings, an outspreading of the stator sheet metal is prevented.  
         [0021]     In possible embodiments the stator beam is constructed as a U-shaped structural member, and the bolt penetrates the two arms thereof. The bolt can form a press-fit with the stator beam, and can engage itself in a slotlike excision in the U-shaped structural member. This provides a particularly simple design of the stator beam, which itself, will be improved thereby.  
         [0022]     The bolt can be bound to the functional plane beam by an additional suspension. The additional suspension can be designed to secure the bolt in the bolt&#39;s inserted position. A basis for a redundant fastening and/or a security measure is made evident.  
         [0023]     In another possible embodiment of the present invention, the functional plane beam can be constructed from essentially two rolled structural shapes. One shape can be a structural angle member which incorporates a slide surface and lateral guide flange. The other shape can be a T-shaped member which carries a mounting surface and the stator beam. The most important functions—namely, carrying, guiding, driving—are thereby integrated into only two core components.  
         [0024]     In yet other possible embodiments of the present invention a horizontal groove can be constructed in one end face of the stator packet. The groove runs transverse to the direction of travel. In the other stator packet end face, a horizontal spring or tongue is positioned transverse to the direction of travel. The beam includes a number of sequentially spaced stator packets wherein a tongue is received in the respectively adjacent groove and engages the respectively adjacent stator packet. This provides safety in a case of failure of the double sided support of the stator packet and at the same time enables a detectable, groove width displacement signal, which with the installation of appropriate sensors on the travelway can be localized.  
         [0025]     The invention, in the following, is described and explained in greater detail with the aid of figures of one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0026]      FIG. 1 a  perspective view of an invented functional plane beam,  
         [0027]      FIG. 2 a  perspective view of a functional plane beam with a redundant suspension,  
         [0028]      FIG. 3 a  cross-section through an invented functional plane beam and with a double stator winding,  
         [0029]      FIG. 4  the groove and spring coupling of the stator packet, presented in direction of travel and  
         [0030]      FIG. 5 a  conventional functional plane beam with a known stator suspension means. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0031]      FIG. 1  shows a functional plane beam, assembled by welded construction and possessing an upper flange  3 . In turn, the top surface of the upper flange  3  serves as a sliding surface  2 , which surface runs horizontally in the direction of travel. On the outer edge of the upper flange  3  is located a vertical lateral guide flange  4 , which also runs in the direction of travel. The mounting surface  5  is the face of a vertical flange  6 , extending itself parallel to the lateral guide flange  4  and is positioned inward in the travelway assembly. The flange  6  and its mounting surface  5  serve for being coupled to the main beam  7  (see  FIG. 3 ) and are further penetrated by borings for erection purposes. On the under edge of the flange  6 , the stator beam  9  is fastened. Stator beam  9  is formed into an inverted U shape, thus having two side walls  10 . The said side walls  10  of the stator beam  9  contain a stator packet  11 , which is constructed of sheet metal stator laminations  12 , vertically aligned, and running in the direction of travel ( FIG. 3 ). The stator laminates  12  are formed by stampings, which, first, define the recesses  13  for stator windings  14  ( FIG. 3 ) and second, provide the location for a boring  15 , which penetrates the stator packet in a direction transverse to the direction of travel.  
         [0032]     A stator packet  11 , as this is depicted in  FIG. 1 , is formed into a block by adhesive application and encapsulation of the said stator laminate in a plastic pour. Holding units, preferably realized as bolts  16 , provide means for fastenings to the stator beam, wherein the said fastenings include screws, threaded bolts, cylindrical pins, positioning pins, and the like. The bolt  16  penetrates the boring  15  of the stator packet  11  as well as the adjacent and corresponding borings  17  in the side flanges  10  of the stator beam  9 .  
         [0033]     Upper flange  3 , vertical flange  6 , stator beam  9  and the lateral guide flange  4  are all appropriately welded together. For reinforcement, transversely placed rib plates  18  as well as cross-ties  18   a  are likewise welded in.  
         [0034]     The connection of the complete functional plane beam to the main beam is effected by an adapter piece  19 , which, as shown in  FIG. 3 , is molded into corresponding anchorages  20  in the main beam  7 . The said adapter piece  19  can likewise be connected to a main beam  7 , in the normal manner of joining structural steel members (not shown).  
         [0035]     For the joining of the functional plane beam  1 , the outward extending end face  21  of the adaptor piece  19  can be so machined, that upon coupling with the mounting surface  5  of the functional plane beam  1 , the travelway for the magnetically levitated vehicle can be constructed with the required precision for the two respective functional plane beams  1  which are installed on each outer side of the main beam  7 .  
         [0036]     In the erection procedure, the stator packet  11  is additionally adjusted to the functional plane beam  1 , so that the required, especially small clearances, which apply to the active surfaces  22  of the stator packet  11 , can be achieved. The embodiment which is shown in  FIG. 1 , indicates that between the upper side  23  of the stator packet  11  and the underside  24  of the stator beam  9 , is to be found an empty space, which exhibits approximately the same free height as this is evident in conventional fastening with the groove traverses ( FIG. 5 ). This empty space can now be employed, in that, the stator packet  11  now fills this space and the bolt  16  is relocated accordingly to the underside  24  of the stator beam  9 . The recesses  13  for the stator winding  14  can be inwardly extended more deeply, so that two stator windings  14  can be accepted, without the necessity of changing the profile of the functional plane beam  1 . The principle of this arrangement can be inferred from  FIGS. 2, 3 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 2  shows a further developed stator packet  11 , wherein the stator laminations  12  are clamped between two clamping plates  25 . The said clamping force is brought about by connection elements  26 , which base themselves either on the bolt(s)  16 , which penetrate the stator packet and the clamping plates or on additional tie bars  27 . The said clamping force, in this matter, can also be applied by threaded connections or in other conventional ways.  
         [0038]     In the case of the said deepened recesses for the reception of more stator windings  14 , the danger, that the laminated sheets of the stator  12  can loosen themselves, in particular in the area of the projections  28  between the recesses  13 , is countered in that additional tie bars  27  are installed in these said projecting areas  28 .  
         [0039]     It is also possible, that clamping elements can be provided (not shown), which function in a clip-like manner, and enclose the projections  28  without projecting themselves out beyond the external surface, but yet do hold the stator lamellas together. These clips can serve simultaneously for the reception and the fixation of the stator windings  14 .  
         [0040]     The fastening of the stator packet  11  in  FIG. 2  is done with the aid of side located consoles  10   a , which, in common with the stator beam  9 , peripherally enclose the stator packet  11  in a U-shaped reception area. The side consoles  10   a  possess, in this function, slit appearing cutouts, into which the corresponding, lengthened bolts  16  can be inserted. Stator packets  11  mounted in this manner can be additionally secured by coupling the bolts to the stator beam  9  by means of suspension elements  30 , which, for example, consist of eye-bolts  31 . The force direction of these suspension elements  30  is so selected, that it secures the stator packet  11  with the bolt  16  in a specified inserted position. In the embodiment according to  FIG. 2 , the bolt  16  extends itself into the eye  31   a  and is fastened therein by a nut  32 , whereby the screw-winding of the eye-bolt  31   b  engages itself in a slot  33  in the stator beam  9  and is secured there by a wedge  34  and a nut  31   c . The wedge serves the purpose of exerting a horizontal force-component onto the bolt  16 , with which component it fixes the stator packet  11  in a specified position.  
         [0041]      FIG. 3  demonstrates an additional embodiment example of an invented functional plane beam  1  wherein the functions are integrated into two main elements  35 ,  36 . The upper flange  3  and the lateral guide flange  4  are combined into a single angle bar  35 , while the vertical flange  6  and the stator beam  9  combine, at with the side flanges  10 , which said flanges at least partially enclose the stator packet  11 , to make a T-shaped, structural member. This T-member can also be made without the side flanges  10 . In such a case, the side consoles  10   a  and/or the suspension element  30  (see  FIG. 2 ) can be installed onto the essentially flat stator beam  9 . Also, other structural element arrangements are possible. For instance, it is allowable, that upper flange  3 , vertical flange  6  and the stator beam  9  can be built-up as a double T-beam (not shown), which is closed by means of the lateral guide flange  4  on that side which forms the travelway edge. For reinforcement with this type of construction, rib plates  18  and cross-ties  18   a  can be installed.  
         [0042]      FIG. 3  shows another embodiment of the present invention, which is particularly advantageous. In this example, a stator packet  11  is presented, the lamellas  12  of which, are compressed between two clamping plates  25 . The clamping force, in this case, is generated by a shell or sleeve  37  which penetrates the boring  15 . The said sleeve  37  is welded at its ends to the clamping plates  25 . It is also possible, that the sleeve  37  need be welded only at one end with one clamping plate  25 , while the other end, is secured in the other clamping plate  25  by a collar and a corresponding recess which extends in the direction of the boring  15 . The suspension of the stator beam  9  is carried out by a bolt  38 , which passes through the mounting boring  17  and the sleeve  37 . The mounting of the bolt  38  can be done especially simply and safely, in that the said bolt can be refrigerated (for example with liquid nitrogen) and so inserted with reduced dimensions. Following warming to ambient temperature a compressive seating is achieved with the said sleeve  37  as well as the boring  17 . By this means, a force fit connection is created between the bolt  38  and the stator beam  9 ,  10 , as well as between the bolt  38  and the sleeve  37 . Obviously, no further fastening elements are necessary. Even the operational warming of the stator packet does not loosen the said compressive seating, since the bolt and the stator packet mutually increase in temperature at the same rate.  
         [0043]     By means of appropriate structural formation, the sleeve  37  can permit a post-machining of its inner surface, even after the stator packet  11  has been assembled. This is advantageous, because, possibly by abrasion, the stator lamellas are not thereby damaged, and thus following the fine adjustment of the stator packet  11  in its interior placement, the mounting boring  17  and the inner passage through the sleeve  37  can be completed in a single work-operation, and subsequently only the bolts  38  need be run through. When this is done, it is favorable, if both the mounting boring  17  as well as the through passage within the sleeve  37  need be only ground or milled at the ends.  
         [0044]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of two stator packets  11  arranged sequentially in the direction of travel, which are constructed with a transversely running groove  39  combined with a transversely running spring  40  on the end faces. For better viewing orientation, the recesses  13  for the stator windings are also shown. The receiving borings, the clamping means, and the stator lamellas are not shown. The groove and spring combination between the individual stator packets  11  offers an additional security measure upon a failure of the fastening of a stator packet  11 . The concern here is namely the groove  39 , i.e., the spring or tongue  40  of the adjacent stator packet  11 . A stator packet  11 , which suffers a failure of the suspension, must then rely on the vertical component of the width of the fissure b, to be displaced in the functional plane beam  1 . This displacement can be detected by appropriate sensors, which then emit a localizing signal, by means of which a defective travelway stretch can be recognized. In the case of this arrangement, a fissure width b between 0.5 and 10 mm has shown itself as particularly advantageous. The geometry of the groove and spring combination is not limited to trapezoidal shaping shown in  FIG. 4 . It is possible, that any structural element shape could be chosen, which permits a shape fit interference in the vertical movement of stator packets which are adjacent to one another.