Transportation system with increased capacity

Abstract

A transport system for providing increased capacity to move individuals and freight while still accommodating the individual needs of passengers and freight movers to travel to unique destinations. The transit system including a car including a set of switching wheels that are designed to engage with a set of switching rails, the switching wheels being moveable to selectively engage with the switching rails to either maintain the car on the track or switch the car off of the track. The car having to capability to travel on the relatively high-speed track and on a conventional surface street.

1 . A method for driving a car along a stationary track in a mass-transit system comprising the steps of: 
 propelling the car along a length of the track, the car propelled by driving wheels engaging with a surface of the track;    maintaining the car substantially centered on the track with a set of guide wheels that engage with guide walls positioned along the length of the track;    positioning switching wheels on the car perpendicular to the driving wheels; and    switching the car to another track or maintaining the car on the current track by variously engaging sets of switching wheels on the car with switching rails on the track.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the switching wheels are provided as two sets of switching wheels to alternately engage with two sets of switching rails on the track.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein when the first set of switching wheels engages with a first set of substantially straight switching rails, the car is maintained on the track.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 3  wherein said first set of substantially straight switching rails comprises two substantially parallel switching rails positioned a distance apart in series.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 3  wherein when the second set of switching wheels engages with a second set of curved switching rails along a transition, the car is switched off of the track.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein said second set of curved switching rails comprises two substantially parallel curved switching rails positioned a distance apart in series.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein said first and second set of switching wheels are interconnected such that when said first set of switching wheels is in a down position, said second set of switching wheels is in a raised position.  
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein when the second set of switching wheels is in a lowered position, one of said second set of switching wheels initially engages with one of said curved switching rails at a first portion of the transition, and a second one of said second set of switching wheels engages with a second one of said curved switching rails at a second portion of the transition.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8  wherein at a point (p) along the transition, said switching wheels are simultaneously engaged with their respective switching rails such that both switching wheels are simultaneously providing switching for the car.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein, when a track curvature exceeds a threshold value, the car is guided along the track via the switching wheels and/or the driving wheels.  
   
   
       11 . A car for mass-transport system comprising: 
 a elongated body section for holding persons and/or freight;    a set of ground engaging driving wheels, positioned at the corners of said elongated body section for supporting the weight of and providing a driving force to said body section;    a set of guide wheels, positioned essentially perpendicular to said set of driving wheels, said guide wheels provided to engage with guide walls of a track to maintain said elongated body section substantially centered in the track; and    a set of switching wheels, positioned on an underside of said elongated body section, said switching wheels provided to engage with a set of switching rails on the track.    
   
   
       12 . The car according to  claim 11  wherein the switching wheels are provided as two sets of switching wheels to alternately engage with two sets of switching rails on the track.  
   
   
       13 . The car according to  claim 12  wherein, when the first set of switching wheels engages with a first set of substantially straight switching rails, the car is maintained on the track.  
   
   
       14 . The car according to  claim 13  wherein, when the second set of switching wheels engages with a second set of curved switching rails, the car is switched off of the track.  
   
   
       15 . The car according to  claim 14  wherein said first and second set of switching wheels are interconnected such that when said first set of switching wheels is in a down position, said second set of switching wheels is in a raised position.  
   
   
       16 . A switching node for a track for a mass-transport system comprising: 
 a driving surface, extending along a length of the track, for engaging with driving wheels of a car;    a set of guide walls, extending along the length of the track, for engaging with guide wheels of the car to maintain the car substantially centered within the track;    a set of switching rails, positioned at a node, for engaging with switching wheels of the car to either maintain the car on the track or allow the car to transfer off of the track, said set of switching rails including: 
 two substantially straight rails extending along a length of the track and staggered relative to each other, said two substantially straight rails designed to engage with a first set of switching wheels to maintain the car on the track when the first set of wheels is lowered to engage with said substantially straight rails;  
 two curved rails extending along a transition to another track, said two curved rails designed to engage with a second set of switching wheels to switch the car to another track when the second set of wheels is lowered to engage with said curved rails.  
   
   
   
       17 . The switching node according to  claim 16  wherein said first and second set of switching wheels are interconnected such that when said first set of switching wheels is in a down position, said second set of switching wheels is in a raised position.  
   
   
       18 . The switching node according to  claim 16  wherein when the second set of switching wheels is in a lowered position, one of said second set of switching wheels initially engages with one of said curved rails at a first portion of the transition, and a second one of said second set of switching wheels engages with a second one of said curved rails at a second portion of the transition.  
   
   
       19 . The switching node according to  claim 16  wherein at a point (p) along the transition, said switching wheels are simultaneously engaged with their respective switching rails such that both switching wheels are simultaneously providing switching for the car.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 16  wherein, when a track curvature exceeds a threshold value, the car is guided along the track via the switching wheels and/or the driving wheels.