System and method for supporting elevated power rails

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12583364-B2
Application number	US-202318469068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2023
Priority date	Dec 28, 2021
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A modular structure supports elevated rail segments for delivering electrical power to a moving work machine, such as a hauler at a mining site. Opposite ends of a roadside barrier contain complementary tubular couplers arranged vertically. A lower end of a dielectric post positioned in one of the tubular couplers has opposing dielectric plates at an upper end. A top edge of each plate has a creepage concavity between a pair of rail recesses. Another dielectric post of similar configuration is positioned in the other of the tubular couplers. Holes within the couplers and the posts ensure alignment of respective rail recesses in which conductive rails are placed. Dielectric inserts frictionally lock the rails into the rail recesses.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly for providing power to mobile mining machine, comprising:
a plurality of posts, each post having a bottom end and a top end; a bracket assembly coupled to the top end of each post; and at least one power rail coupled to a top-most surface of the bracket assembly so that the at least one power rail extends above the bracket assembly forming a top-most surface of the modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly and is configured to provide power to the mobile mining machine.

2 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one power rail includes two power rails coupled to a top-most surface of the bracket assembly.

3 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein each post is a substantially straight pole.

4 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein each post extends at least eight feet off the ground.

5 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein each post extends about eight feet off the ground.

6 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one power rail includes a plurality of power rail segments, and the modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly defines a travel path for the mobile mining machine.

7 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 1 , further including a base support for supporting at least one post, the at least one post being coupled to the base support at the bottom end.

8 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 7 , wherein the base support is a movable roadside barrier.

9 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 8 , wherein at least one post of the plurality of posts is connected to the movable roadside barrier.

10 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 8 , further including a plurality of movable roadside barriers, at least two movable roadside barriers of the plurality of movable roadside barriers being coupled to one another by a coupling assembly that receives a post of the plurality of posts.

11 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one power rail is pre-bent.

12 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 1 , further including a third rail aligned with a post of the plurality of posts.

13 . A modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly for providing power to mobile mining machine, comprising:
a plurality of posts, each post having a bottom end and a top end; a bracket assembly coupled to the top end of each post; a plurality of power rails, each power rail coupled to the bracket assembly,
wherein at least one power rail of the plurality of power rails forms a top-most surface of the modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly; and
at least one movable barrier connected to at least one post of the plurality of posts,
wherein the plurality of posts, the bracket assemblies, the plurality of power rails, and the at least one movable barrier are configured to provide the modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly at a height of at least eight feet above the ground.

14 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of power rails includes three power rails coupled to a top-most surface of the bracket assembly.

15 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of posts are straight poles.

16 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of power rails are attached to a top end of each bracket assembly.

17 . The modular and relocatable conductor rail assembly of claim 13 , further including a base support for supporting at least one post, the at least one post being coupled to the base support at the bottom end.

18 . A method for creating a conductive rail assembly along a travel path for a mobile mining machine, the method comprising:
aligning a plurality of posts along a travel path, each post of the plurality of posts having a top end and a bottom end; coupling a bracket assembly to the top end of each post of the plurality of posts; and coupling a plurality of rails to each bracket assembly such that the plurality of rails forms a top-most surface of the rail assembly, wherein the plurality of posts and the plurality of rails are aligned with the travel path of the mobile mining machine.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein coupling of the bracket assembly and plurality of rails provide the conductive rail assembly at a height of at least eight feet above the ground.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment Llc

Inventors

• Strashny Igor

Classifications

• B60L5/085

  with carbon contact members · CPC title

• B60M1/302

  composite · CPC title

• B60M7/00

  Power lines or rails specially adapted for electrically-propelled vehicles of special types, e.g. suspension tramway, ropeway, underground railway · CPC title

• B60M1/30 Primary

  Power rails · CPC title

• B60L2200/40

  Working vehicles · CPC title