Current collecting system for self-propelled aerial tramway carriage using two supporting cables

In an aerial ropeway system or a like system of the type having a pair of generally parallel power transmission cables;

• a carriage suspended from said pair of cables for traveling therealong;
• suspension means for suspending said carriage from said pair of cables to travel therealong;
• and a current collecting system for making continual electrical contact with said pair of cables to draw current therefrom as said carriage travels along said pair of cables;
• wherein said suspension means comprises a pair of electrically insulative drive wheels each having a circumferential groove for receiving one of said power transmission cables and each being disposed on a respective one of said power transmission cables and riding thereon as said carriage travels along said pair of cables, and a pair of suspending members fixed to said carriage and each connected to a respective one of said drive wheels to allow rotation thereof in order to maintain said carriage a fixed distance from said pair of cables as said carriage travels therealong;
• and wherein said current collecting system comprises a pantograph and a pair of current collecting shoes disposed on opposite corners thereof for contacting each current collecting shoe to a respective one of said power transmission cables to effect electrical contact between said current collecting shoes and said power transmission cables as said carriage travels along said power transmission cables, means for attaching said pantograph to said carriage to maintain said current collecting shoes positioned opposite the respective ones of said power transmission cables, and means for biasing said pantograph to maintain said current collecting shoes in electrical contact with said power transmission cables, whereby irregularities in the spacing between said power transmission cables do not interrupt the electrical contact between said current collecting shoes and said power transmission cables as said carriage travels therealong.