| 摘要 |
The present disclosure relates to a transitional mode high speed rail system. The high speed rail infrastructure employed by the system is constructed adjacent a conventional host highway. The infrastructure can be provided adjacent to acceleration/deceleration lanes, or emergency parking/paved shoulder lanes. The vehicles used by the system are individual, self-powered, self-operating, individual mass passenger transport vehicles similar in size and appearance to municipal buses. These are transitional mode vehicles because they operate as railroad vehicles on the high speed rail infrastructure, but transition to automotive vehicle mode traveling on ordinary paved roads. They are mass passenger transport vehicles because many passengers can be accommodated. |
| 主权项 |
1. A multimodal high speed transportation system comprising:
a guideway infrastructure supported by a series of support columns, the guideway infrastructure comprising a triangular frame that includes two opposing edges, empty space containing electronics, sensors, support beams, and support features, and a central extent, each opposing edge including a planar contact surface of fixed width and a rail positioned above the planar contact surface, a central control beam and a charging surface extending along the central extent, electric lines positioned within the guideway infrastructure and delivering electric power to the charging surface; a highway extending alongside the guideway infrastructure, the highway including a conventional road surface, the highway and the guideway infrastructure being interconnected at designated locations by way of on-ramps and off-ramps; a series of interconnected mass passenger transport (MPT), each MPT including a central saddle and a set of bimodal wheels, with each bimodal wheel including a metallic flange and a resilient tire, the rim and tire each having an axis of rotation that is substantially horizontal, each MPT adapted to travel between the skyway guideway infrastructure or the highway by way of the on-ramps and off-ramps, wherein when an MPT travels along the highway, the resilient tires contact the conventional road surface, and when an MPT travels along the guideway infrastructure, the metallic rims contact the rails and the saddle engages the central control beam and the MPT receives power from the charging surface. |
