GB2075449A

GB2075449A - Electric powered vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2075449A
Application number: GB8012623A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Eimco Great Britain Ltd
Current assignee: Eimco Great Britain Ltd
Priority date: 1980-04-17
Filing date: 1980-04-17
Publication date: 1981-11-18
Also published as: GB2075449B

Abstract

An electrically powered vehicle 1 having an electric pick-up 9 for contacting an electrically conducting track 11 mounted externally of the vehicle 1, is connected to the pick-up 9 by means of a flexible electrically conducting cable 5. The cable 5 is supported by clips 19 to a supporting flexible elongate member 15 extending between the vehicle 1 and the pick-up 9. Both the cable 5 and member 15 are of variable length, and a variable portion of the cable 5 and member 15 is accommodated by reels 3 and 13, respectively, mounted on the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is preferably free steering, and may be used in mines. An electric pick-up system for an electrically powered vehicle is also described. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electric powered vehicles This invention relates to electric powered vehicles and especially, although not exclusively, to vehicles for use in mines.

Mining vehicles are known which are powered by diesel or electric motors. In the case of vehicles powered by electric motors, the electricity has been supplied to the vehicles in various ways. For instance power has been supplied by means of a flexible cable which extends from a reel to the vehicle so that the vehicle may travel a distance from the reel equal to the length of the cable which may be unwound from the reel. There is a practical limit to the maximum length of cable extending between the vehicle and the reel and this maximum length is for many purposes not sufficient.

It has also been proposed to use a rigid elongate electrical conductor extending along the mine wall, roof or floor. In this case the vehicle is provided with an electrical pick-up which is adapted to run along the elongate conductor. The electric pick-up may be connected to the vehicle by means of a rigid carrier. With such an arrangement it is necessary to mount the electrical conductor in position before the vehicle can be operated, and the extent of relative movement between the vehicle and the conductor is limited.

According to the present invention there is provided an electric powered vehicle having an electric pick-up adapted to contact an electrical conductor mounted externally of the vehicle. The pick-up being connected to the vehicle by means of a flexible cable, the length of the cable extending from the vehicle to the pick-up being variable.

The present invention also provides an electrical pick-up system for an electric powered vehicle, the system comprising an electric pick-up adapted to contact an electrical conductor mounted externally of the vehicle, a flexible cable for interconnecting the pick-up and the vehicle and means, for location on the vehicle, for accommodating a variable portion of the flexible cable.

Preferably the conductor is in the form of a track and the pick-up is adapted for movement relative to this track while remaining in electrical communication therewith.

Preferably the means for accommodating a variable portion of the flexible cable is a reel which is mounted on, or adapted for mounting on, the vehicle.

The electric cable may be the only flexible elongate member extending between the vehicle and the pick-up. Alternatively a further elongate member, not itself being for conducting electricity, may extend between the vehicle and the pick-up, this further elongate member being intended for supporting the electric cable and/or accommodating any undue loads or stresses applied to the flexible connection between the vehicle and the pick-up.

The vehicle may be any electric powered vehicle and especially a vehicle for use in a mine.

Preferably the vehicle is a free steering vehicle, more preferably a rubber-tyred, free steering vehicle.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a mining vehicle in accordance with the present invention; Figures 2 to 6 show various stages in the operation of the electrical supply system to the vehicle of Figure 1; and Figure 7 illustrates a multiple entry system involving the use of mining vehicles in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, a mining vehicle 1 which may, for instance, be a combined loading, hauling and dumping machine, has mounted near one end thereof a reel 3 carrying a flexible electric cable 5. Reel 3 is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Cable 5 extends from reel 3 upwardly over guide roller 7 and thence to an electric pick-up 9. Electrical pick-up 9 is itself mounted on an elongate electric powered supply track 11 in such a way as to be able to move along this supply track 11 while remaining in electrical communication therewith. Supply track 11 may be in the form of a conduit which houses an electrical conductor. The conduit may have a longitudinally extending entry slot, through which slot the pick-up extends in order to make contact with an electrical conductor located within the conduit.The entry slot may be closed by a flexible seal arrangement, which seal arrangement is displaceable by the pick-up as it travels along the supply track. The conduit may be pressurised by means of clean air or inert gas to a pressure higher than the air pressure outside the conduit.

The seal arrangement may include a pair of flexible members which abut one another along the slot of the conduit. The members may be, for instance, a pair of flaps or solid tubes. They may be hollow tubes which may or may not be inflatable.

Also mounted on vehicle 1 is a further, smaller reel 1 3 located forwardly of reel 3. Reel 1 3 carries a line 1 5 which may be, for instance, made of rope or stranded metal. Line 1 5 extends over feed roller 1 7 and thence to pick-up 9 to which it is attached by means of pivotally mounted bracket 1 7. As can be seen in Figure 1, line 1 5 is taut and it is in fact this line which bears the load associated with the pulling of pick-up 9 along conduit 11. By contrast, flexible cable 5 is arranged so that it exerts substantially no load on pick-up 9. Thus cable 5 is secured to line 15 by clips 19 and between clips 1 9 and pick-up 9 cable 5 remains in a slack condition.Between clips 1 9 and reel 3 cable 5 is held in light tension only, all substantial load being taken on line 1 5.

When vehicle 1 moves in a direction from right to left, as seen in Figure 1, line 1 5 pulls pick-up 9 along conduit 11 in the same direction. When the pick-up 9 reaches the end of the conduit, vehicle 1 can continue its movement since line 1 5 and flexible cable 5 can be allowed to unwind from their respective reels 13 and 3. Accordingly vehicle 1 can move a further distance corresponding to the length of line 15 and cable 5 carried by these reels.

Figure 1 also illustrates the situation where the vehicle 1 moves in the opposite direction, that is to say from left to right as seen in Figure 1.

Disposed forwardly a short distance of each of feed rollers 7 and 17 is a further feed roller 21, 23.

Thus when vehicle 1 is to move from left to right, as seen in Figure 1, line 1 5 and cable 5 extend from their respective reels 13 and 3 over feed rollers 23 and 21 respectively and thence to pickup 9 which is pulled behind the vehicle during its movement as in the same way as has been described above. Similarly line 1 5 and cable 5 can, if necessary, extend from their respective reels 1 3 and 3 should the end of the conduit be reached by pick-up 9.

Figures 2 to 6 illustrate various stages in the operation of a loader vehicle such as vehicle 1 and the use of the power supply system described above.

As shown in Figure 2, vehicle 1 is located within mine tunnel 31 and is loading mineral from the tunnel heading 33 onto the end of conveyor 35. Located on an upper portion of one of the tunnel side walls is an elongate electrical conductor 37, which as can be seen in Figure 2, is of comparatively short length. Vehicle 1 derives its power supply from conductor 37 by means of cable 39 and pick-up 41, the latter being mounted for movement along conductor 37 whilst remaining in electrical communication therewith.

As the position of tunnel heading 33 is moved, as a result of mining operations, away from conveyor 35, use is made of the extendability of cable 39 in order that vehicle 1 may continue to deliver mineral loads from heading 33 to conveyor 35. This continues until the position of heading 33 reaches that shown in Figure 3 which is the limit of the extension of cable 39.

When this point is reached the electrical conductor 37 is extended by adding further lengths to it to achieve the position shown in Figure 4. By so extending conductor 37 the effective range of vehicle 1 is extended by an amount corresponding to the maximum extension of cable 39. This process of making use of the extendability of cable 39, followed by an extension of electrical conductor 37 can be continued until such time as the distance between the heading 33 and the conveyor loading point becomes so great that the travelling time increases beyond the maximum for economic operation. This position is illustrated in Figure 5.

In order further to extend the range of vehicle 1, the conveyor 35 is extended as shown in Figure 6.

It will be seen that the operation as illustrated in Figures 2 to 5 can now be recommenced.

The order of the above-described sequence of operations can of course be varied.

Referring to Figure 7, there is illustrated the use of the invention in a multiple entry situation. The drawing shows mine workings in which mine vehicles 101 and 103 are electric powered vehicles deriving electric power from supply conduit 105 along flexible cables 107 and 109. As each set of headings is finished, the supply conduit 105 is advanced by one panel, that is to say, from the position shown in Figure 7 to a position substantially level with wall 111.

The above-described embodiment may be modified in many ways for different situations. For instance, the arrangement may be such that the cable issues substantially horizontally and laterally from the machine rather than in an upwards direction. As a further example, the reels may be mounted near the centre of the machine and of course only a single reel may be provided, the second reel carrying a support cable or rope being omitted.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An electrically powered vehicle having an electric pick-up adapted to contact an electrical conductor mounted externally of the vehicle, the pick-up being connected to the vehicle by means of a flexible cable, the length of the cable extending from the vehicle to the pick-up being variable.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said conductor is in the form of a track and the pick-up is adapted for movement relative to said track while remaining in electrical communication therewith.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a further elongate member, not itself being for conducting electricity, extends between the vehicle and the pick-up.

4. A vehicle according to claim 3 wherein said further elongate member supports the electric cable and/or accommodates any undue loads or stresses applied to the flexible connection between the vehicle and the pick-up.

5. A vehicle according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein said further elongate member is flexible.

6. A vehicle according to any of claims 3, 4 and 5, wherein said further elongate member is of variable length.

7. A vehicle according to any of the preceding claims wherein said vehicle is a free steering vehicle.

8. A vehicle according to any of the preceding claims wherein said vehicle is a rubber tyred vehicle.

9. A vehicle according to any of the preceding claims wherein said vehicle is for use in a mine.

10. An electrically powered vehicle substantially as described herein.

11. An electrically powered vehicle according to claim 1 and substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. An electric pick-up system for an electrically powered vehicle, the system comprising an electric pick-up adapted to contact an electrical conductor mounted externally of the vehicle, a flexible cable for interconnecting the -pick-up and the vehicle, and means, for location on the vehicle, for accommodating a variable portion of the flexible cable.

13. A system according to claim 12 where said conductor is in the form of a track and the pick-up is adapted for movement relative to said track while remaining in electrical communications therewith.

14. A system according to claim 13 or claim 12 wherein said means for accommodating a variable portion of the flexible cable is a reel mounted on, or adapted for mounting on, the vehicle.

1 5. A system according to any of claims 12 to 14, wherein said system includes a further elongate member, not for conducting electricity, extending between the vehicle and the pick-up.

16. A system according to claim 1 5 wherein said elongate member supports the electric cable and/or accommodates any undue loads or stresses applied to the flexible connections between the vehicle and the pick-up.

17. A system according to claim 1 6 or claim 1 5 wherein said elongate member is flexible.

18. A system according to any of claims 1 5, 1 6 or 1 7 wherein said elongate member is of variable length.

19. A system according to claim 1 7 or claim 18 wherein said elongate member is of rope or stranded metal.

20. A system according to any of claims 12 to 19 wherein said vehicle is for use in mines.

21. A system according to any of claims 12 to 20 wherein said vehicle is free steering.

22. A system according to claim 21 wherein said vehicle is rubber tyred.

23. An electric pick-up system substantially as described herein.

24. An electric pick-up system according to claim 12 and substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

25. A method of supplying electricity to an electrically powered vehicle from an electrical conductor mounted externally of the vehicle, said method comprising connecting an electric pick-up to the vehicle by means of a flexible cable, the pick-up being adapted to contact said electrical conductor, and varying the length of the cable extending from the vehicle to the pick-up as the distance of the vehicle from the electrical conductor varies.

26. A method according to claim 25 wherein said electrical conductor is elongate and said pickup is mounted for movement along said conductor.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein a further elongate conductor is connected lengthwise to said first mentioned electrical conductor thereby to increase the total extension of electrical conductor along which said pickup may move.

28. A method according to claim 27 wherein the working range of the vehicle is extended alternately by extension of the total length of the electrical conductor and extension of the length of the cable between pick-up and vehicle.

29. A method according to claim 25 and substantially as described herein.

30. A method of supplying electricity to an electrically powered vehicle from an electrical conductor mounted externally of the vehicle, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.