Electric power transmission structure maintenance apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12515310-B2
Application number	US-202217704368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2022
Priority date	Mar 25, 2022
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

A power transmission structure maintenance apparatus is disclosed. The power transmission structure maintenance apparatus includes a first climber; a second climber spaced from the first climber; a carrier assembly positioned between the first and second climbers and slidably connected at a first end to the first climber and at a second end to the second climber; and a carriage positioned on the carrier assembly and including a robotic arm. The carriage is moveable along the carrier assembly to position the robotic arm in a pre-determined position along a power transmission structure to allow the robotic arm to perform maintenance on the power transmission structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A power transmission structure maintenance apparatus, comprising:
a first climber; a second climber spaced from the first climber; a carrier assembly positioned between the first and second climbers and slidably connected to the first climber and to the second climber; and a carriage positioned on the carrier assembly and including a robotic arm, the carriage moveable along the carrier assembly to position the robotic arm in a pre-determined position along a power transmission structure to allow the robotic arm to perform maintenance on the power transmission structure; wherein the first and second climbers each include an upper gripper assembly, a lower gripper assembly, and a rail positioned therebetween; and wherein each of the gripper assemblies includes hooks that are pivotally mounted to a base and configured to selectively engage and disengage a power transmission structure.

2 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carrier assembly includes a first climbing module slidably connected to the rail of first climber and a second climbing module slidably connected to the rail of the second climber.

3 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the first climbing module includes a motor-driven gear engaging a gear track of the rail of the first climber to move the first climbing module along the rail of the first climber; and the second climbing module includes a motor-driven gear engaging a gear track of the rail of the second climber to move the second climbing module along the rail of the first climber.

4 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the carrier assembly further includes a pair of spaced-apart rails and slidably connected to the first and second climbing modules and the carriage is slidably connected to the spaced-apart rails of the carrier assembly.

5 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the carrier assembly further includes a pair of spaced-apart rails and slidably connected to the first and second climbing modules and each of the spaced-apart rails of the carrier assembly comprise two or more sections connected to each other by hinges.

6 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carriage is equipped with at least one surface preparation tool and least one coating applicator.

7 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the surface preparation tool is selected from the group consisting of grinding wheels, scrapers, sanders, wire brushes, and lasers.

8 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the coating applicator is selected from the group consisting of sprayers, brushes, and rollers.

9 . A power transmission structure maintenance apparatus, comprising:
a first climber; a second climber spaced from the first climber; a carrier assembly positioned between the first and second climbers and slidably connected to the first climber and to the second climber; and a carriage positioned on the carrier assembly and including a robotic arm, the carriage moveable along the carrier assembly to position the robotic arm in a pre-determined position along a power transmission structure to allow the robotic arm to perform maintenance on the power transmission structure; wherein the first and second climbers each include an upper gripper assembly, a lower gripper assembly, and a rail positioned therebetween; and wherein each of the upper gripper assemblies includes a motor-driven gear engaging a gear track of the rail of the corresponding climber.

10 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the carrier assembly includes a first climbing module slidably connected to rail of first climber and a second climbing module slidably connected to the rail of the second climber.

11 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
the first climbing module includes a motor-driven gear engaging a gear track of the rail of the first climber to move the first climbing module along the rail of the first climber; and the second climbing module includes a motor-driven gear engaging a gear track of the rail of the second climber to move the second climbing module along the rail of the first climber.

12 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the carrier assembly further includes a pair of spaced-apart rails and slidably connected to the first and second climbing modules and the carriage is slidably connected to the rails.

13 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the carrier assembly further includes a pair of spaced-apart rails and slidably connected to the first and second climbing modules and each of the spaced-apart rails of the carrier assembly comprise two or more sections connected to each other by hinges.

14 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the carriage is equipped with at least one surface preparation tool and least one coating applicator.

15 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the surface preparation tool is selected from the group consisting of grinding wheels, scrapers, sanders, wire brushes, and lasers.

16 . The maintenance apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the coating applicator is selected from the group consisting of sprayers, brushes, and rollers.

17 . A method of maintaining a power transmission structure, comprising:
providing a maintenance apparatus, comprising:
a first climber;
a second climber spaced from the first climber;
a carrier assembly positioned between the first and second climbers and slidably connected to the first climber and to the second climber; and
a carriage positioned on the carrier assembly and including a robotic arm, the carriage moveable along the carrier assembly to allow the robotic arm to perform maintenance on the power transmission structure;
wherein the first and second climbers each include an upper gripper assembly, a lower gripper assembly, and a rail positioned therebetween; and
wherein each of the gripper assemblies includes hooks that are pivotally mounted to a base and configured to selectively engage and disengage a power transmission structure:
coupling the maintenance apparatus to the power transmission structure at or near ground level; using a surface preparation tool manipulated by the robotic arm to prepare a surface of the power transmission structure; and using a coating application tool manipulated by the robotic arm to apply a coating to the prepared surface of the power transmission structure.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising using the first and second climbers to move the maintenance apparatus to different locations on the power transmission structure.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of preparing a surface of the power transmission structure includes:
(a) using a surface preparation tool manipulated by the robotic arm to prepare a surface of the power transmission structure; (b) using the first and second climbers to raise the maintenance apparatus to a new location on the power transmission structure; and (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until the maintenance apparatus reaches an upper portion of the power transmission structure.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of coating a surface of the power transmission structure includes:
(a) using the first and second climbers to raise the maintenance apparatus to an upper portion of the power transmission structure; (b) using a coating application tool manipulated by the robotic arm to coat the prepared surface of the power transmission structure; (c) using

Assignees

• Electric Power Res Institute Inc

Inventors

• Murray Neal Scott

Classifications

• B25J11/005

  Manipulators for mechanical processing tasks · CPC title

• B25J9/102

  Gears specially adapted therefor, e.g. reduction gears (gearings in general F16H) · CPC title

• H02G1/02

  for overhead lines or cables · CPC title

• B25J11/00

  Manipulators not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B25J5/02 Primary

  travelling along a guideway · CPC title