Process and apparatus for coupling elastic and rigid contact line systems
AssigneeFurrer + Frey AG
InventorBeat Furrer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus for coupling a flexible contact line system and a rigid contact line system which support an overhead contact wire for providing electrical power to electrically driven vehicles. An elongate spring pole positioned in a transitional area between the rigid contact line system and the flexible contact line system supports the overhead contact wire. The spring pole has a mechanical rigidity which varies in the longitudinal direction.
Claims12
An apparatus for coupling a flexible contact line system and a rigid contact line system, said flexible and rigid contact line systems supporting an overhead contact wire for providing electrical power to electrically driven vehicles, said apparatus comprising:
- an elongate spring pole positioned in a transitional area between the rigid contact line system and the flexible contact line system, said spring pole supporting the overhead contact wire in the transitional area and having a mechanical rigidity which varies in the longitudinal direction, said spring pole having an upper side and a lower side, said lower side of the spring pole supporting the overhead contact wire, and said spring pole including a plurality of recesses distributed in the longitudinal direction on the upper side of the spring pole generally opposite the overhead contact wire, each said recess being defined by elevated portions at both ends of the recess, and the elevated portions at the ends of said recesses having a substantially constant height.
A method of coupling a flexible contact line system and a rigid contact line system, said flexible and rigid contact line systems supporting an overhead contact wire for providing electrical power to electrically driven vehicles, said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning a flexible coupling between the rigid contact line system and the flexible contact line system, said step of positioning the flexible coupling including positioning the flexible coupling in a transitional area between the rigid contact line system and the flexible contact line system, said flexible coupling having a flexibility which increases continuously along the transitional area in the longitudinal direction from the rigid contact line system to the flexible contact line system, said flexible coupling comprising an elongate spring pole, said spring pole having an upper side and a lower side, said lower side of the spring pole supporting the current conductor;
- supporting a current conductor with the flexible coupling;
- and
- distributing a plurality of recesses in the longitudinal direction on the upper side of the spring pole generally opposite the current conductor for varying the flexibility of the spring pole, each said recess being defined by elevated portions at both ends of the recess, and the elevated portions at the ends of said recesses having a substantially constant height.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.