Patent ID: 8051544

Claim:
In a method of replacing an electrical insulator comprising a string of individual insulators which supports a high voltage electrical conductor on a lattice-type tower comprising the steps of detaching a worn or damaged insulator from the tower and the conductor at a work site on said tower, removing said worn or damaged insulator via helicopter from a helicopter accessible site on said tower, delivering a replacement insulator via helicopter to said helicopter accessible site on said tower, and attaching said replacement insulator to said tower and said conductor at said work site, the improvement comprising: providing an insulator support and transport means on said tower, said transport means including elongate beam means spanning said tower between said work site and said helicopter accessible site and being detachably affixed to said tower to prevent sliding movement thereof along said tower, said beam means being light enough to be handled by a lineman on said tower, and trolley means movable on said beam means between said work site and said helicopter accessible site, said support means including first cradling means detachably supported by said trolley means for safely cradling said insulator during transport between said sites and during transport to and from the tower via helicopter; detachably supporting said worn or damaged insulator in said first cradling means while detaching said insulator from said tower and said conductor; moving said detached insulator in said first cradling means along said beam to said helicopter accessible site; providing attachment means on said beam at said helicopter accessible site for detachably supporting said first cradling means; attaching said first cradling means to said attachment means and detaching said first cradling means from said trolley means; delivering a replacement insulator in second cradling means via helicopter to said helicopter accessible site on said tower; detachably attaching said second cradling means to said trolley means and detaching said second cradling means from said helicopter; detachably attaching said first cradling means to said helicopter, detaching said first cradling means from said attachment means and removing said worn or damaged insulator from said tower via helicopter in said first cradling means; moving said replacement insulator in said second cradling means along said beam to said work site; and supporting said replacement insulator in said second cradling means while attaching said replacement insulator to said tower and said conductor; whereby said helicopter is able to deliver a replacement insulator and pick up a worn or damaged insulator from the tower in a single trip.