Importance

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Abstract

A transportation system is disclosed in which passenger carrying coaches are guided along paths defined by a trackway. The trackway has bottom, top and side tracks which limit movement of the coaches orthogonally to the trackway. The coaches proceed, for the most part, without touching the tracks, being supported by stub wings, mounted on pylons carried by the coaches. Motive power is supplied by a jet engine and primary control of a coach is by airfoil type control surfaces. Auxiliary control is supplied by nozzles which expel pressurized gas to provide corrective reactive forces. The position of a coach along the trackway is derived from location sensors carried by the coach, while the spacing of the coach from the trackway is derived from proximity sensors. The sensor signals are fed to central processing unit which compares this information with benchmark information contained in memory. The location information is used to command the motive power jet and flaps on the stub wings. The results of the proximity comparisons are used to produce consequential commands for the primary and auxiliary control systems. Retractable wheels cooperate with the associated tracks when the coach moves into close proximity. The trackways may be constructed in the dividing areas separating opposite traffic lanes of interstate highways.

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First Claim