ES366584A1 - Ground-effect transportation system - Google Patents

Abstract

A ground effect transportation system comprises in combination a track having an upper horizontal vehicle supporting surface 3 and a guide rail 5 disposed to one side of the track projecting upwardly from the surface 3 and having two vertical guiding surfaces 5a, 5b disposed one on each side of rail 5 and a ground effect machine 1 adapted to travel along the track and be supported above surface 3 by pressure fluid cushions 4, the vehicle 1 being provided with guide means 11 and (12), Fig. 2 (not shown), to co-operate with the guide rail 5 to guide the vehicle along the track, which guide means may be movable selectively into or out of co-operative relationship with the rail 5. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the guide means 11 (12) comprises an inverted substantially U-shaped member which is adapted to straddle the rail 5 and is provided on the inner surfaces 15 of the legs 20 of the U with pressure fluid cushions 16a, 16b and 17a, 17b which co-operate with rail surfaces 5a, 5b and are supplied with pressure fluid through a pipe 18 having a flexible portion 19, the members being pivotally connected to the body 13 of the vehicle 1 by telescopic arms 14. In a second embodiment of the invention, Fig. 5, a ground effect vehicle 101 is provided with guide means 108a, 108b on both sides thereof movable selectively into or out of cooperative relationship with guide rails 110a, 110b on both sides of the track and the vehicle 101 also has central pressure fluid cushion guide means 102 to co-operate with a rail 107 disposed at the centre of the track. Guide means 108a, 108b are mounted movably on the vehicle by telescopic members 111a, 111b in the form of hydraulic or pneumatic rams. In a third embodiment, Fig. 6 (not shown), each of two guide means has two guide elements one of which is movable into and out of operative positions with a guide surface and the other of which is permanently fixed to the body of the vehicle. In a fourth embodiment, Fig. 7 (not shown), the vehicle does not have central guide means and the lateral guide means are movable vertically by screw jacks. In a fifth embodiment, Fig. 8 (not shown), lateral guide means are rotatable about a horizontal axis by hydraulic or pneumatic rams. The system also includes arrangements, Figs. 9-12 (not shown), whereby a ground effect vehicle having guide means on each side may be transferred from a branch track to a main track or vice versa. The arrangements include two guide rails, one disposed on each side of the track, one of the rails following a main line of the track and the other following a branch line, the two guide rails being parallel to each other over a given distance after which one of them curves away along the branch line, the arrangement being such that the guide means provided on each side of the vehicle can be selectively moved into co-operative relationship with one or other of the guide rails to guide the vehicle either along the main line or branch line. The track may also be provided with a central guide rail along a section of the track approaching the junction of the main and branch lines and along a section of the track respectively following the main and branch lines for use with a vehicle having central guide means.