US 5,494,132 A · Side-loading suspension frame and ladder assembly for maintenance of energized power transmission lines

Abstract

A frame and ladder assembly which includes an electrically conductive frame that is provided to engage two, generally parallel, aerially suspended, transmission conductors of a phase bundle and to be supported therefrom; within the frame a side opening structure which defines a cradle is provided, and in the cradle structure is provided means to engage the phase, such as a plurality of rollers with circumferential recesses, so that the frame can be repositioned along the phase similar to a carriage, without disengaging the frame from the phase; the ladder assembly comprises an insulated triangular ladder assembly which is attached at its vertex to the frame and hangs beneath it, permitting a line worker situated on the ladder assembly to easily perform maintenance and repairs on an energized phase directly above the ladder assembly; the ladder assembly is also comprised of pivotally connected ladder legs so that when the top of one of the two inclined side ladders is released from the frame, the other ladder legs of the assembly will pivot relative to one another and hang vertically, downwardly from the frame, affording the line worker a means of safely descending from the energized bundled conductor phase; a support cable with an insulating segment is releasably attached at one of its ends to a harness connected to the frame and at its other end to a lifting means, such as a helicopter, which can aerially transport the ladder and frame assembly to, and position it in supportable engagement with two of the transmission conductors in the side opening cradle of the frame.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A side-loading frame adapted to be positioned by a lifting means onto bundled conductors of aerially suspended phases for supported engagement thereby, said frame comprising:

(a) a frame including an upper portion, a lower portion and a side opening cavity within said frame, said upper and lower portions being structured and disposed to receive conductors in said frame cavity;
(b) means in said cavity to engage the conductors;
(c) a ladder assembly comprising three ladders connected in a triangular arrangement, one of said ladders being generally horizontally disposed so as to form a base of the triangular arrangement, said base ladder having a first end and a second end, said ladder assembly further including a first and a second inclined ladder forming two sides of the triangular arrangement, said inclined ladders each having a lower end and an upper end, said lower end of said first inclined ladder being pivotally connected to said first end of said base ladder and said lower end of said second inclined ladder being pivotally connected to said second end of said base ladder, said upper ends of said first and second inclined ladders being positioned adjacent one another to form a vertex of said ladder assembly;
and
(d) means for connecting said ladder assembly to said frame in depending relation, and including means for releasing at least one of said inclined ladders from said frame.

2 more elements

A side-loading frame adapted to be positioned by a lifting means onto bundled conductors of aerially suspended phases for supported engagement thereby, said frame comprising:

(a) a frame including an upper portion, a lower portion and a side opening cavity within said frame, said upper and lower portions being structured and disposed to receive at least one conductor in said frame cavity;
(b) means in said cavity for engaging said at least one conductor;
(c) said lower portion of said frame being structured and configured to guide at least one of said conductors upwardly and into said side opening cavity upon a lateral movement of said frame;
(d) said frame being sized, dimensioned and configured for being independently supported on said at least one conductor;
and
(e) a ladder assembly comprising three ladders connected in a triangular arrangement, one of said ladders being generally horizontally disposed so as to form a base of the triangular arrangement, said base ladder having a first end and a second end, said ladder assembly further including a first and a second inclined ladder forming two sides of the triangular arrangement, said inclined ladders each having a lower end and an upper end, said lower end of said first inclined ladder being pivotally connected to said first end of said base ladder and said lower end of said second inclined ladder being pivotally connected to said second end of said base ladder, said upper ends of said first and second inclined ladders being positioned adjacent one another to form a vertex of said ladder assembly;
and
(f) means for connecting said ladder assembly to said frame in depending relation, and including means for releasing at least one of said inclined ladders from said frame.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Side-loading suspension frame and ladder assembly for maintenance of energized power transmission lines

Life of this patent

Side-loading suspension frame and ladder assembly for maintenance of energized power transmission lines

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13