Carbon current collecting shoe with damage detector for operation with a high current electrical power supply

Abstract

A current collecting shoe for transferring energy from a catenary wire to rolling stock, includes a sheath constructed and arranged for fixing to a pantograph carried by the rolling stock, a wearing strip including graphite mounted on the sheath, a longitudinal slot or boring in the wearing strip and a tubular section disposed within the boring or at least partially within the slot. The tubular section is thermally stable at a temperature of at least 400.degree. C., and constructed of a material having a hardness of at least 4 on the Mohs scale and an electrical conductivity greater than graphite. This tubular section acts as an electrical conductor to transfer energy from the wearing strip to the rolling stock, and is constructed and arranged for sealing with a fluid therein and connection to a fluid pressure detection means. When excessive wear or breakage of the wearing strip causes perforation or breakage of the tubular section and loss of fluid pressure therein, this breakage is detected by the detection means which separates the wearing strip from the catenary wire before damage can occur.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.