Switching means for guideway tracks

Claim 1

A switching structure for a guideway track including running way means adapted for supporting running wheels of a guideway vehicle and guide rail means adapted for guiding guide wheels of said vehicle, said switching structure including a first and second moveable guide rail means, crank means for alternately raising and lowering the first and second movable guide rail means for switching running path of the vehicle, driving means for driving the crank means, said crank means having a first and second crankarms having a phase difference smaller that 180°, said first movable guide rail means being connected with said first crankarm at a first radius position so that the first movable guide rail means is movable substantially vertically for a first stroke when the first crankarm is rotated in an angular range which extends from a horizontal line, upwardly by a first upward angle and downwardly by a first downward angle which is smaller than said first upward angle, said second movable guide rail means being connected with said second crankarm at a second radius position so that the second movable guide rail means is movable substantially vertically for a second stroke when the second crankarm is rotated, in an angular range which extends from a horizontal line, upwardly by a second upward angle and downwardly by a second downward angle which is smaller than said second upward angle, said first and second strokes satisfying the following relationship, ha=ra(sin βa+sin γa) hb=rb(sin βb+sin γb) where: ha and hb are the first and second strokes, respectively; ra and rb are the first and second radius, respectively; βa and βb are the first and second upward angles; and γa and γb are the first and second downward angles, said first and second movable guide rail means being shifted during their downward strokes horizontally by distances a and b, respectively, wherein the following relationships are established: δa=ra(cos βa-cos γa) δb=rb(cos βb-cos γb). whereby said first and second movable guide rail means are shifted laterly outward when they are moved downward.