The basic idea is to use the potential energy stored in a load on a trolley to drive the trolley across a floor space, and to provide it with enough power to return to its initial position. The plan is that no external energy is used by the TS system, so that it travels to and fro fully autonomously. It travels on a track on the ground so that its freedom of movement is laterally constrained.
The load is placed on a dish on the trolley. The dish is supported by four springs attached to it and to a compression plate underneath it. A rack and pinion mechanism is attached to the other side of the compression plate. Four more buffer springs are attached to the plate and to a buffer plate underneath it. The purpose of these springs is to store energy while the trolley is travelling to its destination and to release that energy to drive the trolley back to its initial position.
To drive the trolley, the plate presses down on the rack, which rotates the pinion. This in turn drives a belt-pulley system (BPS), which is connected to the wheel on the floor thus turning it. At the same time the plate compresses the buffer springs energizing them. This energy is then released from the buffer springs after the trolley has been unloaded; the stored energy is then used to drive the trolley back to its original position.
An outline sketch of the trolley is given here >>
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