Method and apparatus for lifting a bundle of sub-conductors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12476446-B2
Application number	US-202117200148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2021
Priority date	Mar 12, 2020
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A bundle lifter for lifting a sub-conductor bundle having a plurality of spaced-apart sub-conductors, includes a base platform adapted for rotational mounting onto a single point conductor lifter, four sub-conductor wire cages mounted on the platform to support a sub-conductor thereon, each wire cage adapted to releasably hold a single sub-conductor and to swivel relative to the platform, wherein when the wire cages are positioned under the sub-conductor bundle, the wire cages are swivelled to align their corresponding rollers with a corresponding sub-conductor for rolling support of the sub-conductor on the roller as the bundle lifter is elevated on the support upwards from under the sub-conductor bundle to simultaneously pick each sub-conductor in the bundle into its wire cage for translation of the bundle from an original position to a new position spaced apart from the original position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A bundle lifter for lifting and moving a three sub-conductor bundle, having spaced-apart sub-conductors either in a two high one low configuration or in a one high two low configuration, from an original position to a new position, spaced from the original position, the bundle lifter adapted for mounting to a single point conductor lifter having at least one tier of parallel elongate insulators and comprising:
a platform having opposite first and second surfaces, the first surface adapted for rotational mounting onto a distal end of the at least one tier of parallel elongate insulators; four sub-conductor wire cages mounted to the second surface of the platform, each wire cage having at least one roller adapted to support a corresponding sub-conductor from the three sub-conductor bundle thereon, each wire cage adapted to releasably hold the corresponding sub-conductor and to swivel about an axis that is orthogonal to a plane containing the platform; wherein, when the wire cages are positioned under the three sub-conductor bundle, the wire cages are swivelable to align their corresponding at least one rollers with their corresponding sub-conductors from the three sub-conductor bundle for rolling support of the sub-conductors on the at least one rollers as the bundle lifter is elevated on the single point conductor lifter upwards from under the three sub-conductor bundle to pick each sub-conductor in the three sub-conductor bundle into its corresponding wire cage for repositioning of the three sub-conductor bundle from the original position to the new position; wherein the platform has a perimeter and the four wire cages are mounted substantially equally spaced around the perimeter edge in a sequential order, first, second, third, and fourth wire cages; wherein the second and fourth wire cages are mounted to the second surface of the platform and the first and third wire cages are mounted on posts on the second surface of the platform so as to elevate the first and third wire cages above the second and fourth wire cages; wherein, when the bundle lifter is in a first platform orientation for picking the three sub-conductor bundle having the two high one low configuration, including two high sub-conductors and one low sub-conductor, the second and fourth wire cages are located between the first and third wire cages, and the first and third wire cages are aligned and positioned to engage the two high sub-conductors and the second and fourth wire cages are aligned and positioned to engage the one low sub-conductor, and wherein, when the bundle lifter is in a second platform orientation, rotated substantially 90 degrees from the first platform orientation in the second plane containing the platform, for picking the three sub-conductor bundle having the one high two low configuration, including one high sub-conductor and two low sub-conductors, the first and third wire cages are located between the second and fourth wire cages, and the first and third wire cages are aligned and positioned to engage the one high sub-conductor and the second and fourth wire cages are aligned and positioned to engage the two low sub-conductors.

2 . The bundle lifter of claim 1 , wherein the at least one roller includes a pair of rollers.

3 . The bundle lifter of claim 1 , wherein the posts extend orthogonally from the second surface of the platform.

4 . The bundle lifter of claim 1 , wherein the mounting of the second and fourth wire cages is selected from a group consisting of mounted on the second surface of the platform, and mounted on a bracket, wherein the bracket is mounted on the second surface of the platform.

5 . The bundle lifter of claim 1 , wherein the platform is mounted on a plate which is adapted to be mounted to the distal end of the at least one tier of parallel elongate insulators of the single point conductor lifter, and wherein the plate and the platform are adapted to swivel relative to one another.

6 . A system for lifting and moving a three sub-conductor bundle, having spaced-apart sub-conductors either in a two high one low configuration or in a one high two low configuration, from an original position to a new position, spaced from the original position, using the bundle lifter of claim 1 , wherein the system is mountable to a distal end of a boom and comprises:
a boom adaptor configured for mounting onto the distal end of the boom at its one end; the single point conductor lifter, wherein the single point conductor lifter is configured for mounting to a second end of the boom adaptor, and wherein the single point conductor lifter comprises the at least one tier of parallel elongate insulators, and wherein the at least one tier of parallel elongate insulators, in an operative position of the system, extends away from the second end of the boom adaptor so as to locate a distal end thereof away from the second end of the boom adaptor; and the bundle lifter of claim 1 configured for mounting to the distal end of the at least one tier of parallel elongate insulators.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one tier of parallel elongate insulators comprises stacked first and second tiers of insulators, wherein the first tier comprises a first set of insulators, the first set having a crane or truck boom end mounted to the second end of the boom adaptor and a tier end mounted to the second tier, and wherein the second tier comprises a second set of insulators, the second set having a tier end mounted to the first tier and a distal end mounted to the first surface of the platform.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein a number of insulators in the first set is greater than a number of insulators in the second set.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein each set of insulators of the first and second sets is each arranged in a matrix, each matrix comprising at least two rows and two columns.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the matrix of the first set of insulators comprises two rows and three columns and the matrix of the second set of insulators comprises two rows and two columns.

11 . A method for lifting and moving a three sub-conductor bundle, having spaced-apart sub-conductors either in a two high one low configuration or in a one high two low configuration, from an original position to a new position, spaced from the original position, using the bundle lifter of claim 1 , the method comprising:
 providing the bundle lifter of claim 1 ;  positioning the bundle lifter, in the first platform orientation, adjacent and under the three sub-conductor bundle, when the three sub-conductor bundle is in the original position and in the two high one low configuration, so as  to position the first and third wire cages under and into cooperating alignment with the two high sub-conductors, and the second and fourth wire cages under and into cooperating alignment with the one low sub-conductor; receiving and retaining the two high sub-conductors in the first and third wire cages and receiving and retaining the one low sub-conductor in the second and fourth wire cages; and repositioning the bundle lifter so as to lift and move the three sub-conductor bundle from the original position to the new position.

12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:
mounting the posts so that they extend orthogonally from the second surface of the platform; and
swivelably mounting the first and third wire cages on the posts.

13 . The method of claim 11 further comprising mounting the second and fourth wire cages directly to the second surface of the platform or through a bracket mounted to the second surface of the pla

Assignees

• Quanta Associates Lp

Inventors

• O'Connell Daniel Neil
• Jodoin Raymond Henry
• Harvey Benjamin James
• Green John Christopher
• Giang Stanley

Classifications

• H02G1/02 Primary

  for overhead lines or cables · CPC title

• H02G7/053 Primary

  Suspension clamps and clips for electric overhead lines not suspended to a supporting wire · CPC title