Patent ID: 7931133

Claim:
A cable connector for connecting an electrical power cable for a mobile electrically powered machine to a fixed location electrical power supply source, wherein the machine is moveable during its operation to and from and around the fixed location power supply, comprising: an elongated electrical power transmission cable having a remote end adapted to be connected to a mobile machine and an electrical supply end for connection to a fixed location electrical power supply source and having an elongated central portion between said ends; a rotatable reel arranged to rotate around a horizontal axis, about which reel the supply end portion is wound, with said reel being provided with a motor arranged to apply a wind-up force upon the reel for winding the cable supply end portion and central portion around the reel and for providing a force upon the unwound part of the central portion of the cable for generally keeping said central portion substantially taut and straight during movements of said machine; said reel being mounted upon a rotatable support which is elevated above the ground and which is freely rotatable about a generally vertically arranged axis for thereby directly aligning the cable central portion between the reel and the machine at above the ground upon which the machine moves in response to the horizontal and vertical movements and location of the machine relative to the reel; a housing, mounted on said support, surrounding, covering and substantially enclosing the reel and carried by the rotatable support for rotating about the vertical axis with the reel whereby the reel is protected against damage by impacts from objects during operation of the machine; said housing having a vertically elongated slot through which the cable central portion passes as it extends between the reel and the machine with the cable being freely moveable upwardly and downwardly within the slot; whereby the cable central portion is maintained generally taut and extended directly between the reel and machine, but will vary in height above ground upon which the support is mounted, during movements of the machine towards and away from the reel and around the reel so that the cable is arranged at a vertical height above the ground during movement of the machine.