Platform truck for catenary wire installation and method of use

A truck and method for installing catenary wire are disclosed in which the truck may have a platform with a greater capacity than conventional systems. The truck may further comprise a set of guard rails that can be moved from a stowed position to an extended position and locked into the extended position.

FIELD

The disclosure relates generally to a method for installing, maintaining and repairing wire and in particular to a truck and method for installing, maintaining and repairing catenary wire.

BACKGROUND

Catenary is used to provide a way to power an electricity powered transportation system. For example,FIG. 1illustrates a typical catenary wire installation for an electricity powered train that runs on a set of tracks101. The wire follows along the set of tracks and may be supported by one or more support posts102that are installed adjacent to the set of tracks101at periodic intervals. The one or more support posts102may each have a set of cantilever arms106that extend away from the support post, have insulators and hold the various wires described below. The wire may include a messenger wire103(that carries current and supports the contact wire) that is strung between the support posts102, one or more dropper segments104that support a contact wire105that hangs down from the messenger wire103and is electrified so that an electric powered transportation system may contact the contact wire105that travels along the set to tracks101to power the transportation system.

In a typical system, a truck may have one or more rail gears that allow the truck to run along a set of tracks over which the catenary wire is to be installed. While the truck is running along the tracks, a person is typically still inside of the truck “driving” the truck. The typical truck has a platform on which a second person may stand to install the catenary wire while the truck is being driven by the person driving the truck.

In the typical truck, since the platform has to extend out away from the center of the truck to install the support posts and connect the catenary wires to the support post, the truck typically requires outriggers to maintain the stability of the truck during the installation process. In the typical systems, there is some mechanism to work with and perform the wire installation including the wire positioning, but that mechanism is difficult to work with. The wire installation may include holding the contact wire and catenary wire while working on the cantilever arms and/or the insulators that insulate the electrified contact wire from the support posts.

Once the wires are installed, it is necessary to measure the height and stagger of the contact wire above the top of rail. In typical systems, this may be done from the truck over the cab or using a trailer pulled behind the truck.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE OR MORE EMBODIMENTS

The disclosure is particularly applicable to a truck as shown and described below with rail gears that may be used for installing catenary wire and it is in this context that the disclosure will be described. It will be appreciated, however, that the truck has greater utility and may also be used to install different types of wire and may be used to install wire that is not adjacent to a set of tracks.

FIGS. 2-4are an isometric view and side view, respectively, of a catenary platform truck200that may be used to install and maintain catenary wires. Unlike typical trucks, the platform associated with the truck, as described below, may be rotated relative to the truck body using an elevator lifting mechanism as described below. The catenary wire installation truck200that may be built based on a typical truck202, such as a Navistar brand truck, that may have a cab portion204and a platform portion206as shown. The catenary wire installation truck200may also have a wire manipulator208, such as the two wire manipulators, a contact wire measuring device210and a platform. Further details of these elements are described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/963,868 which is incorporated herein by reference. The one or more wire manipulators208may be mounted above the roof of the cab portion, such as on a platform and may be used to hold either or both of the catenary wire or contact wire as shown inFIG. 1. The contact wire measuring device210may be mounted in a forward portion of the platform portion just behind the one or more wire manipulators208and may be used to test a height and a stagger of the contact wire above the top of rail. The stagger may be a distance of the contact wire away from the center of the set of tracks. Typically, the stagger is not much more than 12 inches each side of centerline of the set of tracks. The height of the contact wire from top of rail varies a lot, even in the same single wire run. For example, when the rail goes under a low bridge the wire height will drop lower, if freight trains run on the same line the wire will be higher. Thus, for example, a contact wire height may be as low as 13 ft. from top of rail and as high as 26 ft. 6 inches from top of rail.

The aerial device212may be located towards the rear of the platform portion of the truck and may allow an operator to assist with the wire installation process and method. The aerial device212may have an elevator portion250(not shown inFIG. 1, but more clearly shown inFIGS. 4 and 6-7D) and a platform252located at the end of the arm into which a number of users and equipment may be placed and then lift the user and equipment above the ground. The aerial device212may support 2000 pounds and rotate relative to the truck body as described below. The aerial device212may be hydraulically actuated and may be an elevator lift system manufactured and commercially sold by various different manufacturers, such as Altec. An example of the platform extended is shown inFIG. 4. The catenary wire installation truck200may also have two sets of rail gears214that are attached to the underbody of the truck (as shown inFIG. 7) adjacent a front set of wheels and a back set of wheels, respectively, of the truck. Each rail gear214moves from a stored position in which the wheels of the rail gear do not contact a set of tracks and the truck may be driven on a road to an engaged position in which the wheels of the rail gear contact a set of tracks (and lift the wheels of the truck up so that the truck wheels do not contact the road) so that the truck may be moved along the set of tracks such as in shown inFIG. 12.

The installation truck200may also have a creep drive motor and a creep drive pump (collectively, a “creep drive system”) mounted underneath the truck. The creep drive system allows the truck, once it is on the set of tracks to be moved along the set of tracks without a driver in the cab of the truck because the movement of the truck is done using the creep drive system and a control unit. When the creep drive system is engaged and moving the truck along the set of tracks, the engine of the truck may be placed into neutral. The creep drive system may be a hydraulic system that may use the creep drive pump to pressurize the hydraulic system and pump the hydraulic fluid that operates the system. For example, the creep drive system may be a commercially available Addidrive creep drive system manufactured and sold by Poclain Hydraulics. It is known how to install such as creep drive system in a truck. The creep drive system may be used to allow a user in standing on the platform of the aerial212installing the wire (as described below in more detail) and then control the movement of the truck along the set of tracks using the creep drive system and the control unit that is connected to the creep drive system but may be located on the platform of the aerial so that the control unit may be operated by the person in the platform.

The truck may also have a remote control device for moving the catenary wire installation truck along the set of tracks. The remote control device, that may be detachably mounted to the bucket so that a person in the bucket can control various function of the truck, may be used to independently control the creep drive, the wire manipulators208and the wire measuring device210. For example, the control device may have a layout (when used with the implementation that has two wire manipulator arms) with a first wire manipulator control portion that has the control elements to control the first wire manipulator, a second wire manipulator control portion that has the control elements to control the second wire manipulator independent of the first wire manipulator, a creep drive portion with control elements for controlling the creep drive system and a bucket control portion for controlling the aerial and the bucket positioning. The control device also may have controls elements to control the wire measuring device. The control device may be connected to the various systems of the truck wirelessly or via a cable.

FIG. 5shows the catenary platform truck200with the wire manipulator208extended and the platform252extended and rotated 90 degrees relative to the truck body. In this position, one or more users on the platform are able to install or maintain catenary wire.

FIG. 6illustrates a platform lift mechanism212. The platform lift mechanism212has a base portion300that attaches to the truck body and the lift mechanism250and the lift mechanism250is rotatable coupled to the platform252that allows the platform to rotate relative to the truck. In one embodiment, the platform may rotate up to 90 degrees either way of in line with the truck (but may be rotated as smaller angle as desired. As shown inFIGS. 6-7D, the lift mechanism may be an elevator lift. Prior art system used a three stage telescoping hydraulic cylinder to raise/lower the platform and the cylinder was very sensitive and required rebuilding or replacing often. Furthermore, the capacity of the prior art platform was 750-1000 lbs. In addition, the length of the telescoping cylinder the platform height in the stowed position was above the cab of the truck which made access much harder. Other prior art systems used a scissor lift that was heavy, reduced truck payload capacity and took up more space.

In embodiments of the system, the lift mechanism250may be a commercially available shelf elevator device manufactured and sold by Altec. Other embodiments may use other lift mechanisms such as those sold by Terex Utilities or other manufacturers. In accordance with each embodiment, the platform252may have a 2000 lb. platform capacity that allows more people and/or materials to be lifted by the platform to install or maintain the catenary wires. Furthermore, the platform252of the trust200may be insulated to 5 Kv. As shown inFIG. 5, the platform252may be attached to the lift mechanism250and the other end of the platform252may be rotated along the long end of the platform252to reach farther out over the side of the truck200and the short end (adjacent the lifting mechanism212) to stay within the envelope of the truck body and not foul the adjacent track. In the truck200, the stowed position of the platform252is lower than the telescoping platform which allows for safer and easier access.

FIGS. 7A-Dillustrate further details of the platform lift mechanism252.FIGS. 7A-7Cillustrate various views of the lifting mechanism.FIG. 7Dillustrates the lift mechanism252extended to its outstretched length.

FIG. 8shows the guard rails800of the platform in an unextended position andFIG. 9shows the guard rails800of the platform in an extended, locked position. The guard rail800of the platform was built so that it easily folds down for legal height while traveling over the road. The guard rail800also adjust to allow the contact wire under the top rail to gain access to the messenger wire above. As shown inFIGS. 8-9, the guard rail800is around the periphery of the platform252and the guard rail800may be extended (and locked) when one or more people are on the platform performing work. As shown inFIG. 9, the guard rail800for each portion of the platform has a first horizontal portion802, a second horizontal portion804and a post portion806as shown. The various portions of the guard rail800may be rotatable connected to each other so that the guard rail800may move between the unextended position and the extended position.

FIGS. 10A and 10Billustrates a locking mechanism for the guard rails800that allow permit the guard rails800to move from a stowed position to an extended position. Each guard rail800may further comprise a first portion1000that is connected to the vertical portion806of each guard rail portion800and the first portion has a pivot portion1002that allows the rotation as shown inFIG. 10Bso that the guard rails800can be moved from a stowed position to an extended position and locked. Each guard rail800may further comprise a clevis or lock pin portion104that is used to lock the guard rails into the extended position, a connection portion that is rotatably connected to the pivot point1002of the first portion and rotatably connected to a vertical portion1010at a pivot point1008of the vertical portion1010. The vertical portion1010is connected to the horizontal member804of the guard rail800. Each guard rail800may further comprise a second vertical portion1010that has a pivot point1012that is connected to the horizontal member804and rotatably connected to the vertical portion806. Each of the portions shown inFIGS. 10A and 10Ballow the various portions of the guard rails800to be moved from the stowed position to the extended position and permit the guard rails to be locked into position when in use.

FIGS. 11 and 12illustrate the catenary platform truck with the platform extended for installing or maintaining the catenary wire. As shown in these figures, the truck200may be riding on the rails using the rail gears and the platform252may be extended to permit the installation/repair of the catenary wire of a catenary wire system.

The platform truck200may operate without outriggers on a side slope or super elevated track up to 6 degrees. Typical catenary truck system may incorporate outriggers in order to handle side slope or super elevated track up to 6 degrees. The standard for truck mounted aerial lifts per ANSI A92.2 is 5 degrees, but 6 degrees captures of a maximum super elevation used by tracks.