Patent ID: 8386108

Claim:
In a vehicle having positive and negative conductors for supplying electrical power to one or more electrical circuits of the vehicle as the vehicle moves along a path from a first section of the path that has a first electrical bus of a first electrical polarity to a second section of the path that has a second electrical bus of a second, opposite electrical polarity, wherein the first and second electrical buses are spaced from each other, a method of supplying electrical power of proper polarity to the positive and negative conductors of the vehicle comprising: (a) electrically connecting first and second pairs of vehicle mounted contacts between the first electrical bus and the positive and negative conductors of the vehicle, each pair of contacts including first and second contacts electrically connected between positive and negative conductors of the first electrical bus and the positive and negative conductors of the vehicle, respectively; (b) following step (a), in response to the vehicle moving the first pair of contacts into the space between the first and second electrical buses while the second pair of contacts are electrically connected between the first electrical bus and the positive and negative conductors of the vehicle, electrically isolating the first pair of contacts from the positive and negative conductors of the vehicle; and (c) following step (b), in response to the vehicle moving the first pair of contacts into contact with the second electrical bus while the second pair of contacts are electrically connected between the first electrical bus and the positive and negative conductors of the vehicle, electrically connecting the first and second contacts of the first pair of contacts between the negative and positive conductors of the vehicle and negative and positive conductors of the second electrical bus, respectively.