Metal working – Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for... – Binding or covering and cutting
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-03
2001-03-06
Briggs, William (Department: 3722)
Metal working
Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for...
Binding or covering and cutting
C029S235000, C174S0050SG, C254S13430R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195861
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to insulating covers and, more particularly, to devices for installing insulating covers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electrical power may be transmitted from a generation source to consumers via overhead conductors (hereinafter “power lines”) strung between towers or poles. Electrical power is conventionally transmitted in phases wherein multiple power lines are utilized. One or more of these power lines may be a “hot” power line that carries a specified amount of alternating current electric power. Flashover may result if contact is made between two hot power lines or between a hot power line and ground. Non-grounded contact with a hot power line, such as when a bird sits upon a hot power line, typically does not result in flashover.
Because uninsulated power lines are typically less expensive than insulated power lines, many electric power suppliers utilize uninsulated power lines for the transmission and distribution of electric power. With often hundreds of miles of power lines, the use of uninsulated power lines can result in large cost savings to electric power suppliers.
Although uninsulated power lines may be less expensive to install than insulated power lines, potentially costly problems may arise from the use of uninsulated power lines. Adequate clearances between power lines and/or other grounded objects may not be sustainable during adverse weather conditions (i.e., storms and high winds). As a result, the potential for flashover caused by uninsulated power lines contacting each other or other objects may be increased. Another source of flashover may be caused by large birds and animals which have sufficient size to make contact with a hot power line and a grounded object or another power line. In addition, falling trees and tree branches may cause contact between hot power lines and ground which may result in flashover.
Flashover may result in a power outage which is undesirable to electric power suppliers and to consumers. For existing power transmission and distribution systems, electric power suppliers may find it desirable to replace uninsulated power lines with insulated ones in order to reduce the likelihood of flashover. Unfortunately, the cost of replacing uninsulated power lines with insulated power lines may be expensive. Furthermore, an interruption in the delivery of power may be required to replace uninsulated power lines. This may be economically disadvantageous to an electric power supplier as well as being undesirable to electric power consumers.
Insulating covers for use in protecting workers from hot, uninsulated power lines are available. Unfortunately, these insulating covers may be bulky and somewhat difficult to install on spans between supporting towers or poles. Indeed, a power line span between supporting towers or poles may exceed hundreds of meters. In addition, manually installing protective covers on long spans of power lines may be somewhat labor intensive and expensive. Installation may involve inserting a power line within a cover and then manually securing edge portions of the cover together to enclose the power line. Furthermore, installing protective covers on long spans of energized power lines may be somewhat hazardous to persons installing the covers. To reduce the threat of electrical shock, it may be desirable to remove a power line from service in order to cover the power line. Unfortunately, interruptions in the delivery of power may be economically disadvantageous to an electric power supplier as well as being undesirable to electric power consumers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a device that can quickly install flashover protection covers on long spans of energized power lines without requiring the power lines to be removed from service during installation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for installing protective covers around energized electric power lines that reduces the potential for electrical shock to installation personnel.
These and other objects of the present invention are provided by an apparatus that installs flashover protection covers around energized electrical power lines, wherein each cover includes an elongated flexible panel having generally parallel opposite edge portions configured to be joined together. The cover installation apparatus is configured to be easily secured to a hot power line by a user, either from the ground or from a bucket, without requiring the power line to be removed from service. The cover installation apparatus may be secured to the end of a manipulator device, such as a “hot stick”, and is configured for easy operation by a user.
The cover installation apparatus includes a frame having a cover assembly housing secured thereto. The cover assembly housing receives a flat, flexible panel and forms the flexible panel into a closed circular shape surrounding a power line. The cover assembly housing includes opposite first and second ends, with an inlet port in the first end and an outlet port in the second end. An interior passageway extends along a longitudinal direction from the inlet port to the outlet port and is configured to receive the power line therethrough. The interior passageway also provides a path for the flexible panel to follow from an uninstalled configuration to an installed configuration surrounding the power line.
The inlet port has a shape complimentary to a cross section of the flexible panel in an uninstalled configuration. The outlet port has a shape complimentary to a cross section of the flexible panel in an installed configuration. The passageway has a shape configured to join together the opposite edge portions of the flexible panel as the flexible panel is advanced through the passageway from the inlet port to the outlet port such that the flexible panel forms a longitudinally extending cover surrounding the electrical power line.
An alignment drum is rotationally secured to the frame upstream from the inlet port and serves as means for aligning the flexible panel with the inlet port as the flexible panel is advanced through the passageway. A guide rail is secured to the frame and extends from the alignment drum to the inlet port along the longitudinal direction defined by a power line to be covered. The guide rail is configured to slidably receive the flexible panel from the alignment drum and to direct the flexible panel into the inlet port of the cover assembly housing. The alignment drum is also configured to receive, from a supply source, the flexible panel at an angle transverse to the longitudinal direction and to direct the flexible panel onto the guide rail.
A first drive roller is rotationally mounted to the frame upstream from the inlet port and serves as means for advancing the flexible panel into and through the passageway. The first roller is configured to frictionally engage the flexible panel and advance the flexible panel along a guide rail into the inlet port. A second drive roller is rotationally mounted to the frame downstream from the outlet port. The second roller is configured to frictionally engage the cover exiting from the outlet port and advance the assembled cover along the electrical power line. A cutting device is preferably provided upstream from the inlet port and is configured for easy manipulation by a user.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for installing a cover around an electrical power line, includes a cover assembly housing and guide assembly. The guide assembly includes an elongated bottom wall having opposite ends. A pair of spaced-apart, elongated side walls extend upwardly from the bottom wall. The side walls converge towards one end of the bottom wall to define a guide assembly outlet and diverge towards the opposite end of the bottom wall to define a guide assembly inlet.
The guide assembly includes a partition that aligns the various portions of a flexible panel passing through the guide assembly during installat
Barrett Donald C.
Frye Terry Edward
Briggs William
Myers Bigel & Sibley & Sajovec
Tyco Electronics Corporation
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