Electricity: transmission to vehicles – Sectional conductor – Normally dead section
Patent
1983-02-07
1986-01-28
Reese, Randolph A.
Electricity: transmission to vehicles
Sectional conductor
Normally dead section
104 95, 104107, 104112, 104165, 104288, 105 29R, 105154, 174 41, B60M 108
Patent
active
045673349
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to suspended combined electric current collection and traction systems and relates in particular to a track for such systems. The invention is concerned with that type of suspended current collection and traction system including a track having a base and a shield together defining a space accommodating at least one live conductor extending along the length of the track, a plurality of spaced contact segments extending through the shield and extending within the said space transverse to the length of the or each conductor and a resilient member serving to normally space the contact members away from the conductor or conductors, the track affording an external reaction surface, whereby, in use, a locomotive having one or more current pick-up members and one or more drive members may propel itself along the track with the or each current pick-up member engaging the contact members sequentially and pressing them into contact with the conductor or one of the conductors against the resilience of the resilient member to pass electric current to the locomotive which transmits tractive power to the or each drive member which is in contact with the reaction surface, the base affording an engagement surface for the engagement by reaction wheels carried by the locomotive to draw the or each current pick-up member into contact with the contact segments and the or each drive member into engagement with the reaction surface.
Such a construction is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,769, and FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a transverse section through one form of track described in this prior specification. In this prior construction the track is suspended from a beam 2 of T or I section to which it is secured by a plurality of dowel pins 4. In the center of the track is an inverted substantially T shaped web 6 of rubber, the head of which is slightly upturned and provided with a plurality of transversely extending holes, each of which receives a contact bar 8. The central web 6 is surrounded by a shield 10 which defines together with the web 6 two spaces, each of which contains a continuous conductor 12 extending along the length of the track. The contact bars 8 extend through the shield 10, and their projecting ends 14 form a rack on each side of the track. In use, a locomotive, which is not shown, having several pairs of reaction wheels and two or more driven current pick-up pinion wheels runs along the track with the pinion wheels being drawn into contact with the two racks by the engagement of the reaction wheels with the upper surfaces of the lower web of the beam 2. The bars 8 contact the conductors 12 and thus transmit current through the pinion wheels to the locomotive motor which rotates the pinion wheels and propels the locomotive along the track.
Whilst fully practicable, this prior construction has a number of disadvantages, many of which are attributable to the necessity of having to provide a rigid beam, e.g. of steel, to carry the track and for the reaction wheels to run on. Thus the I beam is extremely heavy which necessitates the provision of substantial and thus expensive supports and the fact that the beam is rigid means that the track must of necessity be transported to the site where it is to be used in short sections which must be subsequently connected together.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a track for a combined electric current collection and traction system of the type referred to above in which the problems of the known system are substantially avoided.
According to the present invention the base includes a flexible elongate reinforcing member extending along the length of the track and including securement means by which the track may be suspended.
The flexible reinforcing member preferably includes a metallic cable and more preferably comprises two such cables extending side by side and at least partially embedded in the base.
In one embodiment of the invention the cables are of conventional stranded type. Whilst this
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Hubbuch David F.
Reese Randolph A.
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