System and method for supporting elevated power rails

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12583365-B2
Application number	US-202318469167-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 mobile machine power conductor linkage for receiving power from a power conductor rail assembly, comprising:
a movable conductor arm assembly including a proximal end at a front-most end of a mobile machine and a distal end extendable away from a side of the mobile machine; and a contactor assembly coupled to a distal end of the conductor arm assembly for sliding along the power conductor rail assembly, wherein the mobile machine power conductor linkage is configured to couple to the power conductor rail assembly that is at least 8 feet above the ground between uppermost and lowermost portions of the mobile machine.

2 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 1 , wherein the movable conductor arm assembly includes a first arm assembly and a second arm assembly.

3 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 2 , wherein the first arm assembly of the movable conductor arm assembly is a telescoping arm attached at to the front-most end of the mobile machine.

4 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 3 , the telescoping arm having two configurations:
a first retracted configuration in which an extendible length of the telescoping arm is retracted within the telescoping arm, and a second extended configuration in which the extendible length of the telescoping arm is extended away from the side of the mobile machine.

5 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 4 , wherein the telescoping arm only extends along a single common plane.

6 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 5 , wherein the single common plane is a vertical plane.

7 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 2 , wherein the second arm assembly includes a plurality of trailing arms.

8 . A mobile machine power conductor linkage for receiving power from a power conductor rail assembly, comprising:
a telescoping conductor arm assembly including a proximal end adjacent a frame of a mobile machine and a distal end extendable away from a side of the mobile machine, wherein at least a portion of the telescoping conductor arm assembly extends in a direction parallel to a ground surface, the side of the mobile machine being located between a front-most end and a rear-most end of the mobile machine; and a contactor assembly coupled to a distal end of the telescoping conductor arm assembly, wherein the mobile machine power conductor linkage is configured to connect to and slide along the power conductor rail assembly that is at least 8 feet above the ground.

9 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 8 , the telescoping conductor arm assembly having two configurations:
a first retracted configuration in which an extendible length of the telescoping conductor arm assembly is retracted within the conductor arm assembly, and a second extended configuration in which the extendible length of the telescoping conductor arm assembly is extended away from the side of the mobile machine.

10 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 9 , wherein the telescoping conductor arm assembly only extends along a common plane.

11 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 10 , wherein the common plane is a horizontal plane.

12 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 8 , the telescoping conductor arm assembly including a first telescoping arm assembly and a second trailing arm assembly.

13 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 12 , wherein the second trailing arm assembly includes a plurality of trailing arms.

14 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 8 , the telescoping conductor arm assembly further including a pneumatic control system, housed within the telescoping conductor arm assembly, to regulate the movement of fluid to extend or retract the telescoping conductor arm assembly.

15 . A mobile machine power conductor linkage for receiving power from a power conductor rail assembly, comprising:
a movable conductor arm assembly forming a first arm assembly and including a proximal end adjacent a frame of the mobile machine and a distal end extendable away from a side of the mobile machine, the side of the mobile machine being located between a front-most end and a rear-most end of the mobile machine; a second arm assembly coupled to the first arm assembly; and a contactor assembly coupled to a distal end of the second arm assembly for sliding on the power conductor rail assembly, wherein the mobile machine power conductor linkage connects to the power conductor rail assembly at a height of at least 8 feet above a ground surface but below an uppermost surface of the mobile machine.

16 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 15 , the movable conductor arm assembly extends along a common plane, wherein the movable conductor arm assembly has two configurations:
a first retracted configuration in which an extendible length of the movable conductor arm assembly is retracted within the movable conductor arm assembly, and a second extended configuration in which the extendible length of the movable conductor arm assembly is extended away from the side of the mobile machine.

17 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 16 , wherein the common plane is a horizontal plane.

18 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 17 , wherein the second arm assembly includes a contactor that is capable of engaging the power conductor rail assembly.

19 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 15 , wherein the second arm assembly includes a plurality of trailing arms.

20 . The mobile machine power conductor linkage of claim 15 , the movable conductor arm assembly further including a pneumatic control system, housed within the movable conductor arm assembly, to regulate fluids and control the movement of portions of the power conductor linkage.

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