The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 26, 1994
Filed:
May. 26, 1993
Bruce S Johnson, Burbank, CA (US);
Mark S Mesko, Valencia, CA (US);
The Walt Disney Company, Burbank, CA (US);
Abstract
A system and method for movement of self-propelled vehicles in-line along a rail under external control is intended to ensure safe spacing between vehicles to avoid collisions. Each vehicle is driven by its own variable speed motor. The speed of the vehicles is controlled by a stationary cam extending beside the rail. The edge of the cam rises and falls in a predetermined manner and is sensed by a cam follower on each vehicle. The cam follower is coupled to a transducer which produces a control signal for varying the vehicle speed in response to the rise or fall of the cam edge. Each vehicle pulls along a tail which extends behind the vehicle and is guided for motion alongside the edge of the cam. If a rear vehicle approaches a forward vehicle sufficiently closely for the cam follower of the rear vehicle to be raised from the cam edge by contact with the tail of the forward vehicle, the transducer of the rear vehicle is thereby caused to signal its drive motor to move the rear vehicle at a speed no faster than the forward vehicle, to avoid collision with it.