GB2091686A

GB2091686A - Cable drum road carrier

Info

Publication number: GB2091686A
Application number: GB8137648A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: BICC PLC
Current assignee: Balfour Beatty PLC
Priority date: 1980-12-16
Filing date: 1981-12-14
Publication date: 1982-08-04
Also published as: GB2091686B

Abstract

A cable drum carrier comprises two pairs of road wheels 3 having associated manually operable braking means and means 4 for rotatably mounting a cable drum D on the carrier. The carrier also includes two adjustable pairs of flanged wheels 2 for supporting the carrier on a railway track R, the arrangement being such that when the carrier is supported on a railway track, the road wheels are spaced from the track and are freely rotatable. When the carrier is supported on a track, adjustable means 5 rotatably couples the road wheels to a cable drum D when rotatably mounted on the carrier so that, when cable is unwound from the cable drum, the rotatable speed of drum can be controlled by the braking means of the road wheels. The drum carrier is especially suitable for paying out overhead conductor or catenary wire. The carrier may be suitable for towing or may carry its own means of propulsion. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An improved cable drum carrier This invention relates to a cable drum carrier, that is to say, to a carrier for rotatably supporting a drum of electric cable, bare or insulated electric conductor or other flexible elongate element (all such flexible elongate elements hereinafter, for convenience, being included in the generic term "cable") and is particularly concerned with a cable drum carrier which is suitable for being towed or pushed by another vehicle and/or which carries its own source of propulsion.

According to the invention, we provide an improved cable drum carrier comprising at least one pair of road wheels having associated manually operable braking means; means for rotatably mounting a cable drum on the carrier; adjustable means for supporting the carrier on a supporting surface or supporting surfaces in such a way that said road wheels are spaced from said supporting surface or surfaces and are freely rotatable and, when the carrier is so supported, adjustable means for directly or indirectly rotatably coupling said road wheels to a cable drum when rotatably mounted on the carrier, the arrangement being such that, when cable is unwound from the cable drum, the rotational speed of the drum can be controlled by the braking means of the road wheels.

The adjustable means for supporting the carrier on a supporting surface or supporting surfaces may be a plurality of adjustable legs or jacks by means of which the carrier can be supported in a fixed position on the ground with the road wheels clear of the ground surface but, preferably, these adjustable means comprise at least two pairs of flanged wheels for supporting the carrier on a railway track or other permanent way so that the road wheels are clear of the surfaces of the rails of the track. The carrier may, of course, include adjustable flanged wheels for supporting it on a railway track and adjustable legs for supporting it in a fixed position on the ground.

The means for rotatably mounting a cable drum on the carrier is preferably of such a form that a cable drum will be mounted with its axis lying substantially parallel to the axes of the road wheels. At least one of the road wheels may be directly coupled to a wheel secured to one flange of the drum so that rotation of the drum will cause rotation of the road wheels but, preferably, the road wheels are indirectly coupled to a wheel secured to one flange, or to wheels secured to both flanges, of the drum by at least one intermediate wheel which is or are so supported on the carrier that, when the wheels for supporting the carrier ona railway track or the legs for supporting the carrier in a fixed position on the ground are lowered for this purpose the or each intermediate wheel is brought into engagement with one of the road wheels and with the wheel, or one of the wheels, secured to the drum, and, when the wheels supporting the carrier on a railway track or the legs supporting the carrier on the ground are raised and the carrier is supported on the road wheels, the rotatable coupling between the road wheels and the wheel or wheels secured to the drum flange or flanges is disengaged. It will be appreciated that when the carrier is supported by legs on the ground or by wheels on a railway track and cable is withdrawn from a drum rotatably mounted on the carrier, rotation of the cable drum will cause the freely rotatable road wheels to rotate. By using the braking means of the road wheels to control the rotational speed of the road wheels, the rotational speed of the cable drum can also be controlled.

As previously indicated, the carrier may be suitable for towing or pushing by another vehicle and/or it may carry its own means of propulsion.

The cable drum carrier of the present invention is especialiy suitable for use in installing an overhead contact wire or overhead catenary wire of an overhead electric traction system of a railway or for paying out a cable from a cable drum into a trench alongside a railway track. In both of these cases, the contact or catenary wire and the cable can be paid out from a drum rotatably mounted on the carrier as the carrier travels along the railway track.

The invention is further illustrated, by a description, by way of example, of a preferred cable drum carrier with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing which shows a side elevation of the cable drum carrier.

Referring to the drawing, the cable drum carrier comprises a platform 1 and two pairs of flanged wheels 2, the carrier being shown when supported on a railway track R by the flanged wheels. The platform 1 has a pair of road wheels 3 with associated braking means (not shown), the road wheels being shown clear of the track R but being capable of being lowered to support the platform on a road. Carried on the platform 1 is a frame 4 for supporting a cable drum D with its axis substantially parallel to the axes of the flanged wheels 2 and road wheels 3. An intermediate wheel 5 is adjustable between a position, as shown, in which it is in engagement with one of the road wheels 3 and a wheel 6 secured to the drum D orto a rotatable drum spindle, and a position in which it is out of engagement with the road wheel. A cable guide 7 is also mounted on the platform 1. A rigid link 8 at one end of the platform 1 provides for connecting the carriage to another vehicle, eg a train or a lorry, by which it can be towed or pushed.

When cable is withdrawn from the drum D, rotation of the drum will cause the freely rotatable road wheels 3 to rotate. By using the braking means (not shown) of the road wheels 3 to control the rotational speed of the road wheels, the rotational speed of the cable drum D can also be controlled.

1. A cable drum carrier comprising at least one pair of road wheels having associated manually operable braking means; means for rotatably

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION An improved cable drum carrier This invention relates to a cable drum carrier, that is to say, to a carrier for rotatably supporting a drum of electric cable, bare or insulated electric conductor or other flexible elongate element (all such flexible elongate elements hereinafter, for convenience, being included in the generic term "cable") and is particularly concerned with a cable drum carrier which is suitable for being towed or pushed by another vehicle and/or which carries its own source of propulsion. According to the invention, we provide an improved cable drum carrier comprising at least one pair of road wheels having associated manually operable braking means; means for rotatably mounting a cable drum on the carrier; adjustable means for supporting the carrier on a supporting surface or supporting surfaces in such a way that said road wheels are spaced from said supporting surface or surfaces and are freely rotatable and, when the carrier is so supported, adjustable means for directly or indirectly rotatably coupling said road wheels to a cable drum when rotatably mounted on the carrier, the arrangement being such that, when cable is unwound from the cable drum, the rotational speed of the drum can be controlled by the braking means of the road wheels. The adjustable means for supporting the carrier on a supporting surface or supporting surfaces may be a plurality of adjustable legs or jacks by means of which the carrier can be supported in a fixed position on the ground with the road wheels clear of the ground surface but, preferably, these adjustable means comprise at least two pairs of flanged wheels for supporting the carrier on a railway track or other permanent way so that the road wheels are clear of the surfaces of the rails of the track. The carrier may, of course, include adjustable flanged wheels for supporting it on a railway track and adjustable legs for supporting it in a fixed position on the ground. The means for rotatably mounting a cable drum on the carrier is preferably of such a form that a cable drum will be mounted with its axis lying substantially parallel to the axes of the road wheels. At least one of the road wheels may be directly coupled to a wheel secured to one flange of the drum so that rotation of the drum will cause rotation of the road wheels but, preferably, the road wheels are indirectly coupled to a wheel secured to one flange, or to wheels secured to both flanges, of the drum by at least one intermediate wheel which is or are so supported on the carrier that, when the wheels for supporting the carrier ona railway track or the legs for supporting the carrier in a fixed position on the ground are lowered for this purpose the or each intermediate wheel is brought into engagement with one of the road wheels and with the wheel, or one of the wheels, secured to the drum, and, when the wheels supporting the carrier on a railway track or the legs supporting the carrier on the ground are raised and the carrier is supported on the road wheels, the rotatable coupling between the road wheels and the wheel or wheels secured to the drum flange or flanges is disengaged. It will be appreciated that when the carrier is supported by legs on the ground or by wheels on a railway track and cable is withdrawn from a drum rotatably mounted on the carrier, rotation of the cable drum will cause the freely rotatable road wheels to rotate. By using the braking means of the road wheels to control the rotational speed of the road wheels, the rotational speed of the cable drum can also be controlled. As previously indicated, the carrier may be suitable for towing or pushing by another vehicle and/or it may carry its own means of propulsion. The cable drum carrier of the present invention is especialiy suitable for use in installing an overhead contact wire or overhead catenary wire of an overhead electric traction system of a railway or for paying out a cable from a cable drum into a trench alongside a railway track. In both of these cases, the contact or catenary wire and the cable can be paid out from a drum rotatably mounted on the carrier as the carrier travels along the railway track. The invention is further illustrated, by a description, by way of example, of a preferred cable drum carrier with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing which shows a side elevation of the cable drum carrier. Referring to the drawing, the cable drum carrier comprises a platform 1 and two pairs of flanged wheels 2, the carrier being shown when supported on a railway track R by the flanged wheels. The platform 1 has a pair of road wheels 3 with associated braking means (not shown), the road wheels being shown clear of the track R but being capable of being lowered to support the platform on a road. Carried on the platform 1 is a frame 4 for supporting a cable drum D with its axis substantially parallel to the axes of the flanged wheels 2 and road wheels 3. An intermediate wheel 5 is adjustable between a position, as shown, in which it is in engagement with one of the road wheels 3 and a wheel 6 secured to the drum D orto a rotatable drum spindle, and a position in which it is out of engagement with the road wheel. A cable guide 7 is also mounted on the platform 1.A rigid link 8 at one end of the platform 1 provides for connecting the carriage to another vehicle, eg a train or a lorry, by which it can be towed or pushed. When cable is withdrawn from the drum D, rotation of the drum will cause the freely rotatable road wheels 3 to rotate. By using the braking means (not shown) of the road wheels 3 to control the rotational speed of the road wheels, the rotational speed of the cable drum D can also be controlled. CLAIMS

1. A cable drum carrier comprising at least one pair of road wheels having associated manually operable braking means; means for rotatably mounting a cable drum on the carrier; adjustable means for supporting the carrier on a supporting surface or supporting surfaces in such a way that said road wheels are spaced from said supporting surface or supporting surfaces and are freely rotatable; and adjustable means for directly or indirectly rotatably coupling said road wheels, when the carrier is so supported, to a cable drum rotatably mounted on the carrier, the arrangement being such that, when cable is unwound from the cable drum, the rotational speed of the drum can be controlled by the braking means of the road wheels.

2. a cable drum carrier as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the adjustable means for supporting the carrier on a supporting surface or supporting surfaces comprises at least two pairs of flanged wheels for supporting the carrier on a railway track or other permanent way so that the road wheels are clear of the surfaces of the rails of the track.

3. A cable drum carrier as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the adjustable means for supporting the carrier on a supporting surface or supporting surfaces includes a plurality of adjustable legs or jacks by means of which the carrier can be supported in a fixed position on the ground with the road wheels clear of the ground surface.

4. A cable drum carrier as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the means for rotatably mounting a cable drum on the carrier is of such a form that a cable drum will be mounted with its axis lying substantially parallel to the axes of the road wheels.

5. A cable drum carrier as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the road wheels are indirectly coupled to a wheel secured to one flange, or to wheels secured to both flanges, of the drum by least one intermediate wheel which is or are so supported on the carrier that, when the wheels for supporting the carrier on a railway track or the legs for supporting the carrier in a fixed position on the ground are lowered for this purpose the or each intermediate wheel is brought into engagement with one of the road wheel and with the wheel, or one of the wheels, secured to the drum,and, when the wheels supporting the carrier on a railway track or the legs supporting the carrier on the ground are raised and the carrier is supported on the road wheels, the rotatable coupling between the road wheels and the wheel or wheels secured to the drum flange or flanges is disengaged.

6. A cable drum carrier as claimed in Claim 4, wherein at least one of the road wheels is directly coupled to a wheel secured to one flange of the drum so that rotation of the drum will cause rotation of the road wheels.

7. A cable drum carrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.