Relocatable base for elevated power rails and method of deployment
AssigneeCaterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC
InventorsIgor Strashny, Brian Robert Weller
Life of this patent
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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, one having a first diameter supported by an arm and the other having a larger second diameter and a vertical slot. Couplers on adjacent barriers can be mated together concentrically along a central axis. The mated couplers help restrict longitudinal displacement, lateral displacement, slope change, and lateral rotation between adjacent barriers during placement. One barrier may be used as a temporary alignment structure to position barriers spaced alternatingly along a haul route for the work machine.
Claims20
A rail support module, comprising:
- a barrier having a first end, a second end, and a base extending longitudinally between the first end and the second end;
- a first coupler affixed to the first end, the first coupler including a first hollow cylinder and an arm joining the first hollow cylinder to the first end, the first hollow cylinder extending about a first axis substantially orthogonal to the base and having an inner diameter and an outer diameter;
- and
- a second coupler affixed to the second end, the second coupler having a second hollow cylinder extending about a second axis substantially orthogonal to the base, the second hollow cylinder having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the first hollow cylinder, the second hollow cylinder having a central slot extending parallel to the second axis, the central slot having a width within the second hollow cylinder less than the outer diameter of the first hollow cylinder.
A rail support assembly, comprising:
- a first barrier having a first end extending substantially perpendicular to a first base;
- a second barrier having a second end, a third end opposite the second end, and a second base, the second end and the third end extending substantially perpendicular to the second base;
- and
- concentric tubes positioned between the first barrier and the second barrier, the concentric tubes comprising:
- an exterior tube having a first wall affixed to the first end and extending with a first inner diameter about a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to the first base, the first wall having a central slot defined by a first vertical edge and a second vertical edge, the central slot running substantially parallel to the vertical axis,
- an arm affixed to the second end and positioned within the gap central slot, and
- an interior tube having a second wall affixed to the arm, the interior tube extending substantially perpendicular to the second base within the first inner diameter of the exterior tube, wherein an annular gap separates the first wall from the second wall and permits lateral movement of the first barrier and the second barrier with respect to each other.
A method, comprising:
- placing a first support of oblong shape on ground surface substantially parallel to a vehicle travel path defined by the ground surface, the first support having a first longitudinal axis;
- arranging an alignment structure of the oblong shape end-to-end with the first support using a first tubular coupling, the first tubular coupling comprising first concentric tubes configured such that the first longitudinal axis is substantially colinear with an alignment axis passing longitudinally through the alignment structure;
- positioning a second support of the oblong shape end-to-end with the alignment structure using a second tubular coupling, the second tubular coupling comprising second concentric tubes configured such that the alignment axis is substantially colinear with a second longitudinal axis of the second support;
- moving the alignment structure past the second support with respect to the vehicle travel path;
- and
- positioning the alignment structure end-to-end with the second support using a third tubular coupling, the third tubular coupling comprising third concentric tubes configured such that the alignment axis is substantially colinear with a third longitudinal axis of the third support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.