Boommountableroboticarm.docx

Boommountableroboticarm.docx

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Boommountableroboticarm

Boom-mountableroboticarm

FIELDOFTHEINVENTION

Thisapplicationrelatestoaroboticarmfortemporarilysupportingandrepositioningenergizedpowerlinestoenablerepairorreplacementoftransmissionordistributionpoles,crossarms,insulators,insulatorpinsandthelike,ortorelocateconductorstofacilitatetheirreplacement.Theinventionisconnectibletotheboomofaservicevehicleandincludestelescopingarmsoperablebyremotecontrol.

BACKGROUNDOFTHEINVENTION

Highvoltagetransmissionanddistributionlinesaretypicallystrungbetweenaseriesofspaced-apartsupporttowersorpoles.Theconductorsareconnectedtoinsulatorsmountedonorsuspendedfromcrossarmsextendingattheupperendoftransmissionordistributionpoles,orconductorsupportpointsbuiltintotransmissiontowers.Periodicallyitisnecessarytoreplaceorrepairthepolesortowers,crossarmsandinsulatorstomaintaintheelectricalcircuitingoodworkingorder.Itispreferableifthismaintenanceandrepairworkcanbeperformedwithoutde-energizingtheconductorsinordertoavoidaninterruptionofservicetoconsumers,ortoavoidthenecessityofpurchasingpowerfromanalternativesource,orothersystemdisruptions.

Hotlinerepairworkisapotentiallyhazardousundertaking.Safetyregulationsrequirethatlinemenmaintainaminimumworkclearanceor"limitofapproach"fromenergizedconductors.Thelimitofapproachvariesdependinguponthevoltageoftheconductorsinquestion.

Conventionalproceduresusedbylinementotemporarilysupportenergizedconductorsinordertoenablerepairofdamagedorobsoletecomponentsinvolvetheuseofinsulatedwiretongs,liftpolesandropeblocksinlabour-intensive,complexriggingarrangements.Conventionalfiberglassinsulatedtoolsarelimitedtouseonlyingoodweather.Anyaccumulationofmoisturewhichmayimpairtheirinsulatingpropertyrequiresthatthejobbestopped,andthattheconductorsbeplacedinaninsulatorwhichisratedforall-weatheruse.

Severalauxiliarycrossarmshavealsobeenproposedinthepastfortemporarilysupportingconductors,therebyreducingtheneedforlabour-intensive"stickwork"bylinemen.Forexample,U.S.Pat.No.4,973,795,whichissuedtoSharpeon27Nov.,1990,relatestoanauxiliarycrossarmconsistingofaninsulatedboomfittedwithpolymerinsulatorsandconductorhooksforreleasablyengagingenergizedconductors.TheSharpeboomissuspendedfromacraneabovethetransmissionlinestobeserviced.

Auxiliarycrossarmsfortemporarilyliftingandsupportingenergizedconductorsfrombelowarealsowellknown.Suchcrossarmstypicallyhavesleeveswhichareconnectibletotheboomjibsofderrickorbuckettrucks.

Utilitycompaniesoftenfinditconvenienttostringbothtransmissionlinesanddistributionlinesonthesamepoleortower.Thedistributionlinesareusuallysuspendedbetweenfourtotwelvefeetbelowthetransmissionlines.Thismakesitverydifficultorimpossibletosafelyraisepriorartboom-mountedauxiliarycrossarmstoapositionimmediatelybeneaththetransmissionlinesinordertoprovidetemporarysupporttothelower-mounteddistributionconductors.Further,thepriorartdoesnotdiscloseanyauxiliaryarmscapableofsimultaneouslysupportingandmanipulatingbothuppertransmissionlinesandlowerdistributionlinessuspendedonthesamesupportpoles（whichisrequiredinthecaseofpolechanges）.

Anotherlimitationofpriorartdesignsisthattheydonotpermitpivotalmovementoftheauxiliarycrossarmrelativetotheboomofaservicevehicle.Alimitedrangeofpivotalmovementisdesirabletoeasilyfacilitateconductorcapture,toenableinsertionofthecrossarmbetweenupperandlower-mountedconductorsandtoallowforrelocationofconductorstodifferentfinalconfigurations（suchasfromtriangulartoflatspacingandviceversa）.Thecapacitytocontrolpivotalmovementofthecrossarmalsohelpstocompensatefor"badparks"bytheservicevehicleandensuresthatthearmcanbemadelevelirrespectiveoftheboomangle.

Afurtherlimitationofpriorartboom-mountedauxiliaryarmsisthatalloftheconductorsmovetogetherasaunitasthetruckboomoroverheadcraneisadjusted.Thatis,operatorsarenotabletoindependentlycontrolthemotionofeachseparateconductorinordertomaximizelinemanworkingclearancesortorelocatetheconductorstoadifferentspacingconfiguration.

Accordingly,theneedhasarisenforaboom-mountableroboticarmfortemporarilysupportingenergizedconductorswhichenableslinementomaximizeworkingclearancesinasafeandtimeefficientmanner.

SUMMARYOFTHEINVENTION

Inaccordancewiththeinventionaboom-mountableroboticarmisprovidedfortemporarilysupportingaconductor,suchasanenergizedtransmissionline.Theroboticarmincludesaboomadapterconnectibletotheboomofaservicevehicle;anupperframepivotablyconnectedtotheboomadaptor;afirsttelescopingarmcoupledtoafirstendoftheupperframeandmoveablerelativetotheframebetweenretractedandextendedpositions;afirstinsulatormountedonthefirsttelescopingarm;aconductorholdermountedontheinsulatorforreleasablycouplingtheroboticarmtotheconductor;andadjustmentmeansforadjustingtheangularpositionoftheupperframerelativetotheboomadaptor.

Theroboticarmalsopreferablyincludesactuatingmeansforactuatingmovementofthefirsttelescopingarm;andremotecontrolmeansforremotelycontrollingoperationoftheactuatingmeans.Theactuatingmeansmayconsistofafirsthydrauliccylinderhousedwithintheupperframe.

Theadjustmentmeansmayconsistofanextensiblelevellingarmextendingbetweentheupperframeandtheboomadaptor.Ahydrauliclevellingcylindermaybeprovidedforactuatingmovementofthelevellingarm.Preferablytheboomadaptorisconnectedtoanendportionoftheupperframe.

Theroboticarmmayalsoincludeasecondtelescopingarmcoupledtoasecondendoftheupperframeandmoveablerelativetotheupperframebetweenretractedandextendedpositions.Thefirstandsecondtelescopingarmsandtheupperframearepreferablycoaxial.Theactuatingmeansmayfurtherincludeahydrauliccylinderhousedwithintheupperframeforactuatingmovementofthesecondtelescopingarm.Aninsulatorandconductorholderismountedonthesecondtelescopingarmforreleasablyengagingandsupportingasecondconductor.Afurtherinsulatorandconductorholdermaybemounteddirectlyontheupperframeforreleasablyengagingandsupportingathirdconductor.Forexample,thefirst,secondandthirdconductorscouldcompriseathreephasehighvoltagetransmissionline.

Theroboticarmmayalsoincludealowerframepivotallycoupledtotheboomadaptoranddisposedbeneaththeupperframe.Athirdtelescopingarmmaybecoupledtothelowerframeformovementrelativetothelowerframebetweenretractedandextendedpositions.Thelowerframeisprovidedforengagingandsupportingconductorsdisposedbelowthefirst,secondandthirdconductors（suchasdistributionlinessupportedbeneathhighvoltagetransmissionlines）.

BRIEFDESCRIPTIONOFTHEDRAWINGS

Indrawingswhichillustrateembodimentsoftheinvention,butwhichshouldnotbeconstruedtolimitthespiritorscopeoftheinventioninanyway:

FIG.1isanisometricviewoftheapplicant'sroboticarmmountedontheboomofaservicevehiclefortemporarilysupportingtransmissionanddistributionconductorsextendingbetweentransmissiontowers.

FIG.2isasideelevationalviewoftheroboticarmandservicevehicleofFIG.1.

FIG.3isanenlarged,sideelevationalviewoftheroboticarmofFIG.2withthetelescopingarmsretracted.

FIG.4isanalternativeembodimentoftheroboticarmofFIG.3whereintheboomadaptorisconnectedtoacentralportionoftheupperframe.

FIG.5isasideelevationalviewoftheroboticarmofFIG.3illustratingtherangeofangularmotionoftheupperframerelativetotheboom.

FIG.6isasideelevationalviewoftheroboticarmofFIG.3withonetelescopingarmretractedandtheothertelescopingarmextended.

FIG.7isasideelevationalviewoftheroboticarmofFIG.3withbothtelescopingarmsextended.

FIG.8isatopplanviewoftheroboticarmofFIG.3.

FIG.9isatopplanviewoftheroboticarmofFIG.7.

FIG.10（a）isanenlargedsideelevationalviewofaconductorholderinitsopenconfigurationandabearingadaptorforrotatablycouplingtheconductorholdertoacorrespondinginsulator.

FIG.10（b）isafrontelevationalviewoftheconductorholderofFIG.10（a）.

FIG.10（c）isapartiallyexploded,sideelevationalviewoftheconductorholderofFIG.10（a）initsclosedposition.

FIG.10（d）isafrontelevationalviewoftheconductorholderofFIG.10（c）fullyassembled.

FIG.11isasideelevationalviewofanalternativeembodimentoftheinventionhavingalowerframeforengagingdistributionlinessupportedbyalowercrossarmandshowingthetelescopingarmsfullyretracted.

FIG.12isasideelevationalviewoftheroboticarmofFIG.11withthetelescopingarmsfullyextended.

FIG.13isasideelevationalviewoftheroboticarmofFIG.11illustratingtherangeofangularmotionoftheupperframeandlowerframerelativetotheboom.

FIG.14isasideelevationalviewoftheroboticarmofFIG.3withthetelescopingarmsfullyretractedtoreleasablyengagethreespacedtransmissionconductors.

FIG.15isasideelevationalviewoftheroboticarmofFIG.14withthetelescopingarmsextendedtoincreasethespacingbetweenthetransmissionconductors,andwiththeboomoftheservicevehicleextendedtoincr