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US 12,428,789 B2Granted
System and method for joining power rail segments
AssigneeCaterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC
InventorIgor Strashny
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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. End portions of rail segments having narrower widths than body portions of the rail segments are joined within a split fishplate. Laterally opposing faces within the narrowed end portions form a longitudinal overlap, and connectors underneath the rail segments pull the split fishplate together against the end portions. In arrangements with parallel rails around a curvature, the rail segments are adjusted by sliding so that the longitudinal overlap is larger for rails on an inside of the curvature compared with rails on an outside of the curvature.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a fishplate having a groove defined by a first lip extending parallel to a longitudinal axis and a second lip extending parallel and opposite to the first lip;
- a conductive power rail having a top surface, a bottom surface, a rail width, and a rail length, the conductive power rail comprising:
- a first rail segment including a first end portion within the groove and laterally adjacent the first lip of the fishplate, the first end portion having a first end width less than the rail width;
- a second rail segment including a second end portion within the groove and laterally adjacent the second lip of the fishplate, the second end portion having a second end width less than the rail width, wherein along a longitudinal distance the first end portion laterally contacts the second end portion between the first lip and the second lip of the fishplate;
- and
- at least one connector extending beneath the bottom surface of the conductive power rail and configured to pull the first lip and the second lip together transversely to the longitudinal axis.
3 more elements
An assembly of power rails, comprising:
- an inner conductive rail traversing an inner path, the inner conductive rail having an inner top surface, an inner bottom surface, a first lateral side, a second lateral side, a first inner half, and a second inner half, the first inner half having a first inner face extending from the inner top surface to the inner bottom surface and along an inner longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the first lateral side, the second inner half having a second inner face extending from the inner top surface to the inner bottom surface and substantially parallel to and abutting the first inner face at an inner longitudinal interface;
- an inner fishplate having a first lateral lip contacting the first lateral side, a second lateral lip contacting the second lateral side, and at least one inner connector, wherein the inner longitudinal interface is located between the first lateral lip and the second lateral lip and the at least one inner connector passes beneath the inner conductive rail;
- an outer conductive rail traversing an outer path parallel to the inner conductive rail, the outer conductive rail having an outer top surface, an outer bottom surface, a third lateral side, a fourth lateral side, a first outer half, and a second outer half, the first outer half having a first outer face extending from the outer top surface to the outer bottom surface and along an outer longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the third lateral side, the second outer half having a second outer face extending from the outer top surface to the outer bottom surface and substantially parallel to and abutting the first outer face at an outer longitudinal interface;
- and
- an outer fishplate having a third lateral lip contacting the third lateral side, a fourth lateral lip contacting the fourth lateral side, and at least one outer connector, wherein the outer longitudinal interface is located between the third lateral lip and the fourth lateral lip and the at least one outer connector passes beneath the outer conductive rail.
2 more elements
A method of installing conductive rails, comprising:
- positioning a first narrowed end of a first rail segment of an inner rail and a second narrowed end of a second rail segment of the inner rail within a first fishplate, the first rail segment having a first top side, a first bottom side, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall, the first narrowed end having a first face extending between the first top surface and the first bottom surface and substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first rail segment, the second rail segment having a second top side, a second bottom side, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, the second narrowed end having a second face extending between the second top side and the second bottom side and substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the second rail segment;
- contacting the first face of the first narrowed end and the second face of the second narrowed end across a first longitudinal distance within the first fishplate;
- tightening at least one first connector within the first fishplate extending beneath at least one of the first rail segment and the second rail segment;
- positioning a third narrowed end of a third rail segment and a fourth narrowed end of a fourth rail segment of an outer rail within a second fishplate parallel to the first fishplate, the third rail segment having a third top side, a third bottom side, a fifth sidewall, and a sixth sidewall, the third narrowed end having a third face extending between the third top surface and the third bottom surface and substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the third rail segment, the fourth rail segment having a fourth top side, a fourth bottom side, a seventh sidewall, and an eighth sidewall, the fourth narrowed end having a fourth face extending between the fourth top side and the fourth bottom side and substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the fourth rail segment;
- contacting the third face of the third narrowed end and the fourth face of the fourth narrowed end across a second longitudinal distance within the second fishplate;
- and
- tightening at least one second connector within the second fishplate extending beneath at least one of the third rail segment and the fourth rail segment.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.