Electricity: transmission to vehicles – Systems of distribution
Patent
1995-06-27
1997-07-29
Bucci, David A.
Electricity: transmission to vehicles
Systems of distribution
191 4, 191 40, 320 20, B60M 120
Patent
active
056514344
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to battery powered vehicle systems and more especially to apparatus for use in recharging the batteries of battery powered vehicles, particularly public service vehicles such as buses.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Battery powered vehicles have been in use for a number of years. In particular, it is known to provide battery powered public service vehicles which during a period of duty are subject to interim recharging of the batteries between journeys at a bus station or depot. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,657 where a battery powered public service vehicle is provided with contact means for recharging of the batteries. The contact means, typically a pantograph, can be raised to contact an overhead power conductor and receive electric current to recharge the batteries. The power conductor is carried by fixed laterally extending arms attached to posts which are connected to an electrical distribution network. A proposal has been made that, in order to increase efficiency, such vehicles should be equipped with sodium/sulphur batteries.
Sodium/sulphur batteries, which have recently been introduced, as compared with conventional rechargeable batteries, provide longer energy storage for less weight, and therefore will be subject to less discharge in powering a public service vehicle such as a bus over a given journey. Coupled with the fact that sodium/sulphur batteries can be recharged at higher rates, shorter periods of recharging should be possible with vehicles equipped with such batteries. It should therefore be possible to effect interim recharging of the batteries on the public highway, using the timetabled intervals between journeys or sections of journey, and a primary object of this invention is to provide apparatus for this purpose.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a public service vehicle transport system which comprises vehicles powered by batteries, preferably sodium/sulphur batteries, each vehicle being equipped with a pantograph which can be raised to enable the vehicle to receive electric current from an overhead power conductor for recharging the batteries, wherein, for carrying the overhead power conductor, there is provided a pylon off but adjacent the side of the road, the power conductor being carried by laterally extending arms at or adjacent the top of the pylon, which arms normally overhang the pavement or verge of the road and can be swung round to overhang the road for engagement of the power conductor by a vehicle pantograph.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for recharging the batteries, preferably sodium/sulphur batteries, of a battery powered public service vehicle, said apparatus comprising a pylon off but adjacent the side of the road, said pylon having at or adjacent its top laterally extending arms carrying a power conductor, which arms normally overhang the pavement or verge of the road and can be swung round to overhang the road for engagement of the power conductor by a pantograph provided on the vehicle to receive electric current for recharging the vehicle batteries.
Preferably, the arms are swung round by rotation of at least the upper part of the column of the pylon.
Power to the power conductor carried by the arms is preferably transmitted from below ground level by cables extending through the pylon and the arms.
Normally, the arms will carry two power conductors, i.e. live and return conductors, in parallel relationship and in the operative mode extending lengthwise of the road, respectively for engagement by positive and negative recharge contact plates on the pantograph.
In a preferred embodiment, the pylon has two arms with mountings at their free ends between which the power conductors are extended. The arms are pivotally mounted to the pylon column and in an inoperative mode the arms are closed together, the conductors being retracted into either one or both of the mountings. The arms
REFERENCES:
patent: 3002059 (1961-09-01), Mageoch
patent: 3888336 (1975-06-01), Zajic
patent: 3955657 (1976-05-01), Bossi
patent: 3971454 (1976-07-01), Waterbury
Bucci David A.
Lowe Scott L.
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