Automated people mover (APM) monorail system

Abstract

A bogie assembly for supporting and guiding a vehicle car body on a monorail track, the monorail track having a guideway portion and a narrower guideway beam extending upwardly from the guideway portion. The guideway portion includes a pair of rails, while the guideway beam defines a top surface and a pair of side surfaces. The bogie assembly includes a frame operative to support the vehicle car body above the guideway beam, where this frame includes an upper surface adapted to be pivotably mounted to the underside of the vehicle car body and a pair of side members extending downwardly from the upper surface. Each side member of the frame has an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface of each side member adapted to be positioned adjacent a respective one of the side surfaces of the guideway beam. The bogie assembly also includes a pair of load wheels, each load wheel being mounted to a respective one of the side members of the frame and being operative to engage a respective one of the rails of the guideway portion. Each load wheel is characterized by a flange portion capable to engage the respective rail for assisting in the guidance of the vehicle car body as it travels along the monorail track.

1 . A bogie assembly for supporting and guiding a vehicle car body on a monorail track, the monorail track having a guideway portion and a narrower guideway beam extending upwardly from the guideway portion, the guideway portion including a pair of rails, the guideway beam defining a top surface and a pair of side surfaces, said bogie assembly comprising: 
 a frame operative to support the vehicle car body above the guideway beam, said frame including: 
 a) an upper surface adapted to be pivotably mounted to the underside of the vehicle car body;  
 b) a pair of side members extending downwardly from said upper surface, each side member having an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface of each side member adapted to be positioned adjacent a respective one of the side surfaces of the guideway beam;  
   a pair of load wheels, each load wheel being mounted to a respective one of said side members of said frame and being operative to engage a respective one of the pair of rails of the monorail track, each load wheel having a flange portion capable to engage the respective rail for assisting in the guidance of the vehicle car body along the monorail track.    
   
   
       2 . A bogie assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said bogie assembly further comprises a Linear Induction Motor propulsion system for driving the vehicle car body.  
   
   
       3 . A bogie assembly as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of guide wheels, each guide wheel adapted to be mounted to the inner surface of a respective one of said side members of said frame for engaging the respective side surface of the guideway beam, when the vehicle car body is in motion said guide wheels guiding the motion of the vehicle car body along the monorail track.  
   
   
       4 . A bogie assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said load wheels are made of steel.  
   
   
       5 . A bogie assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said flange portion of each load wheel is operative to guide the motion of the vehicle car body as the vehicle car body travels through a guideway switch of the monorail track.  
   
   
       6 . A bogie assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said frame extends along at least a portion of the length of the vehicle car body.  
   
   
       7 . A vehicle for travelling on a monorail track, the monorail track having a guideway portion and a narrower guideway beam extending upwardly from the guideway portion, the guideway portion including a pair of rails, the guideway beam defining a top surface and a pair of side surfaces, said vehicle having at least one pair of load wheels, each load wheel being operative to engage a respective one of the pair of rails of the monorail track, each load wheel being characterized by a flange portion capable to engage the respective rail for assisting in the guidance of the vehicle along the monorail track  
   
   
       8 . A vehicle as defined in  claim 7 , said vehicle further comprising: 
 a bogie assembly having a frame for supporting the vehicle car body above the guideway beam, said frame including: 
 a) an upper surface adapted to be pivotably mounted to the underside of the vehicle car body;  
 b) a pair of side members extending downwardly from said upper surface, each side member having an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface of each side member adapted to be positioned adjacent a respective one of the side surfaces of the guideway beam.  
   
   
   
       9 . A vehicle as defined in  claim 8 , wherein each said load wheel is mounted to a respective one of said side members of said frame.  
   
   
       10 . A vehicle as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said vehicle further includes a Linear Induction Motor propulsion system for driving the vehicle.  
   
   
       11 . A vehicle as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said Linear Induction Motor is mounted on said bogie.  
   
   
       12 . A vehicle as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said Linear Induction Motor is mounted to the underside of the vehicle car body.  
   
   
       13 . A vehicle as defined in  claim 9 , further comprising a pair of guide wheels, each guide wheel adapted to be mounted to the inner surface of a respective one of said side members of said frame for engaging the respective side surface of the guideway beam, when the vehicle is in motion said guide wheels guiding the motion of the vehicle along the monorail track.  
   
   
       14 . A vehicle as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said load wheels are made of steel.  
   
   
       15 . A vehicle as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said flange portion of each load wheel is operative to guide the motion of said vehicle as said vehicle travels through a guideway switch of the monorail track.  
   
   
       16 . A vehicle as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said frame extends along at least a portion of the length of the vehicle car body.  
   
   
       17 . A transportation system comprising: 
 a monorail track having a guideway portion and a narrower guideway beam extending upwardly from the guideway portion, the guideway beam defining a top surface and a pair of side surfaces;    a pair of rails mounted on the guideway portion;    at least one vehicle adapted to travel on said monorail track, said vehicle including: 
 a) a car body;  
 b) a pair of load wheels, each load wheel being operative to engage a respective one of said pair of rails, each load wheel being characterized by a flange portion capable to engage said respective rail for assisting in the guidance of said vehicle along said monorail track.  
   
   
   
       18 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 17 , said vehicle further comprising: 
 a bogie assembly having a frame for supporting said car body above the guideway beam, said frame including: 
 (1) an upper surface adapted to be pivotably mounted to the underside of said car body;  
 (2) a pair of side members extending downwardly from said upper surface, each side member having an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface of each side member adapted to be positioned adjacent a respective one of the side surfaces of the guideway beam.  
   
   
   
       19 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 18 , wherein each said load wheel is mounted to a respective one of said side members of said frame.  
   
   
       20 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said vehicle further includes a Linear Induction Motor propulsion system for driving said vehicle.  
   
   
       21 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said Linear Induction Motor is mounted on said bogie.  
   
   
       22 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said Linear Induction Motor is mounted to the underside of the vehicle car body.  
   
   
       23 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 19 , further comprising a pair of guide wheels, each guide wheel adapted to be mounted to the inner surface of a respective one of said side members of said frame for engaging the respective side surface of the guideway beam, when the vehicle is in motion said guide wheels guiding the motion of the vehicle along the monorail track.  
   
   
       24 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said load wheels are made of steel.  
   
   
       25 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 18 , wherein said monorail track includes at least one guideway switch, said flange portion of each load wheel being operative to engage said respective rail for guiding the motion of said vehicle as said vehicle travels through said guideway switch of said monorail track.  
   
   
       26 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 18 , wherein said frame extends along at least a portion of the length of the vehicle car body.  
   
   
       27 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said narrower guideway beam is interrupted throughout said guideway switch.  
   
   
       28 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said guideway switch is a standard AREA track switch.  
   
   
       29 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said pair of rails is a pair of standard track rails.  
   
   
       30 . A transportation system as defined in  claim 29 , wherein said pair of rails includes a gauge, said gauge being a standard 1453 mm gauge.