US3217086A

US3217086A - Suspension apparatus with lateral conductor movement for transmission line conductors

Info

Publication number: US3217086A
Application number: US314266A
Authority: US
Inventors: John J Taylor
Original assignee: Ohio Brass Co
Current assignee: Ohio Brass Co
Priority date: 1963-10-07
Filing date: 1963-10-07
Publication date: 1965-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 1982-11-09

Description

' Nov. 9, 1965 J. J. TAYLOR 3,217,086 SUSPENSION APPARATUS WITH LATERAL CONDUCTOR MOVEMENT FOR TRANSMISSION LINE CONDUCTORS Filed Oct. 7, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHN J. TAYLOR ATTORNEY Nov. 9, 1965 .1. J. TAYLOR 3,217,086-

ON APPARA SUSPENSI TUS LATERAL CONDUCTOR MOVEMENT FOR TRANSM LINE CONDUCTORS Filed Oct. 7, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN J. TAYLOR mum ATTORNEY United States Patent Jersey Filed Oct. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 314,266 8 Claims. '(Cl. 174-40) This invention relates to high voltage transmission lines and, more particularly, to holding means and clamps for transmission line conductors.

In United States Patent 3,076,864, issued February 5, 1963, to R. W. Harmon and A. D. Lantz, there is shown and described a bundle conductor system for power transmission lines particularly useful for transmission at Very high voltages. As set forth in that patent, a plurality of conductor cables are carried from a string of suspension insulators by means of a suspension plate which holds the conductor cables in transversely spaced relation. Two of the conductor cables are carried at the top lateral extremities of the suspension plate in a trunnion arrangement which provides a favorable positioning of the conductor cables adjacent the insulators so that line voltage is divided uniformly between the several insulators.

In apparatus such as that just referred to, and in trunnion supports for conductor cables generally, it is desirable to provide for a certain degree of transverse movement of the clamp to accommodate violent lateral movements of the conductor cables. Such cable movements are known to occur in connection with system short circuits, violent windstorms, conditions of severe ice unloading, and the like, and the stresses at the juncture of the cable and the clamp may be sufiicient to damage the cable in a cable clamp which is too tightly constrained or limited to movements in the vertical plane.

The cable support and holding means described herein comprises a new and improved arrangement for supporting a conductor cable on a stanchion and trunnion, such as that illustrated in US. Patent 3,076,864 idem. Particularly, the conductor clamp is supported by a carrier member which is, in turn, carried on trunnion members supported by the stanchion members. The carrier member rotates upon the trunnions for pivotal movement in the vertical plane and the conductor clamp rotates on the carrier member for pivotal movement in the horizontal plane.

It is an important feature of the apparatus of the invetnion that two degrees of freedom are provided as an inherent aspect of the structure rather than as a result of loose fits, large clearances, and the like. Accordingly, an

important cause of excessive wear in suspension apparatus is avoided.

It is an important feature of the apparatus of the invention that the center of pivotal movement in the vertical plane is closely adjacent the center of loading of the clamp in the vertical direction so that mechanical coupling of vibratory forces between the cables of the system is minimized.

The invention, together with further objects, features, and advantages thereof, will be evident from the follow- 3,217,086 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 ing detailed description and claims, taken in connection with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates suspension apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section view of one part of the apparatus of FIG. 1, particularly illustrating the carrier apparatus for supporting the conductor clamp on the suspension plate;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top view of the conductor clamp and support apparatus therefor;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the conductor clamp and a portion of the carrier, taken in the direction 4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the conductor clamp and carrier member, taken in the direction 55 in FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the suspension apparatus 10 comprises a suspension plate 11, a plurality of

conductor clamps

12 and 13 carried at the top lateral extremities of the suspension plate 11, a conductor clamp 14 carried at the lower extremity of the suspension plate 11, and a suspension insulator 15 connected to the suspension plate 11 centrally between the conductor clamps'12- and 13. The insulator 15 comprises the lowermost insulator of a string of insulators carrying the apparatus from a tower or other fixed structure and is connected to the suspension plate 11 by means of a socket-clevis 16 and pin 17 for pivotal suspension of the plate 11,

clamps

12, 13, and 14, and the associated conductor cables in stable laterally symmetric relation to the insulator string. The apparatus comprises a conductor suspension and support system for a bundle conductor of a transmission line, as described in United States Patent 3,076,864, issued February 5, 1963, to R. W. Harmon and A. D. Lantz, and may utilize the teachings of US. Patent 3,076,866, issued therewith.

In accordance with the teachings of US. Patent 3,076,- 864, the

conductor clamps

12 and 13 are supported upon spaced parallel parts or stanchions formed as an integral part of the suspension plate 11. As illustrated, par:- ticularly in FIG. 2, the conductor clamp 12 is supported between the two

stanchions

18 and 19 by means comprising a carrier member 20 and two

trunnion studs

21 and 22. The

studs

21 and 22 are threaded into the

stanchions

18 and 19 and extend through suitable conformed openings in the side parts of the carrier member 20. R0- tation of the carrier member 20 on the

studs

21 and 22 provides pivotal movement of the carrier member 20 and clamp 12 in the vertical direction.

The carrier 20 supports the body of the conductor clamp 12, which is arranged to pivot on the lateral part of the carrier 20 for relative movement of the conductor clamp in the horizontal direction.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the clamp 12 comprises a unitary clamp body 23 having two

side walls

24 and 25 and a bottom wall 26. The

side walls

24 and 25 have spaced interior portions and the bottom wall has an arcuate interior surface 27 to constitute a groove or seat for a conductor cable extending longitudinally through the clamp. The clamp body is formed with

shield parts

28, 29, 30, and 31 which extend laterally outward from the aligned parts of the side walls of the body and define

recesses

32, 33, 34, and 35 for receiving the diagonal extremities of a keeper 36. The keeper is drawn toward laterally extending

side wall portions

37, 38, 39, and 40 along the interior of the

side walls

24 and 25 by means of

bolt fasteners

41, 42, 43, and 44 which extend from the under side of the bottom wall 26 of the clamp body through the keeper 36. The

nuts

45, 46, 47, and 48 on the threaded ends of the fasteners 40 to 44 are received in

recesses

49, 50, 51, and 52 and are disposed substantially at the level of the exterior surface of the keeper 36 to prevent excessive stress concentration and minimize corona formation. The conductor clamp just described is constructed substantially in accordance with the teachings of United States patent application Serial No. 269,- 656, filed April 1, 1963, by R. W. Harmon.

The arrangement of the clamp body 23 and the carrier 20, providing relative rotational movement of the two parts, will be evident from FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. The bottom wall 26 of the clamp body 23 is formed on the under side with a circular recess 53 which has the bottom surface thereof parallel with the seatof the clamp and paralid to the longitudinal direction of the cable. The recess extends symmetrically about a circular projection or boss 54 centrally of the clamp body in the longitudinal and transverse directions thereof and extending somewhat beyond the level of the outer surface of the bottom wall of the body. The carrier 20 has a circular central part 55 "with a central opening 56 received in the recess 53 and over the boss 54 respectively.

The central part 55 of the carrier member 20 is held in the recess 53 by the heads of the fastener bolts 41 to 44 which extend over the recess 53 and the outer surface of the central part 55 of the carrier. The arrangement permits relative turning movement of the clamp and carrier while holding the parts in vertically constrained relation.

The carrier 20 has

side parts

57 and 58 which extend laterally outward from and at right angles to the central part 55, exteriorly of and vertically along and between the

side walls

24 and 25 of the clamp body 23 and the

stanchions

18 and 19. As will be evident from FIG. 3, the

side parts

57 and 58 of the carrier 20 are disposed generally between the

shield parts

28 and 29 and 30 and 31, respec- .tively, of the clamp body and have a longitudinal extent and lateral spacing from the body and extent in the longitudinal direction of the clamp to permit a limited degree of movement inthe horizontal direction. As an example of the practice of the invention, degrees of rotational freedom, or 7 /2 degrees in each direction from the neutral, may be achieved in practical structures.

The

trunnion bolts

21 and 22 extend through

openings

59 and 60 in the

side parts

57 and 58 of the carrier 20, and have the extremities thereof received in recesses 61 and 62 in the

side Walls

24 and 25 of the clamp body 23. The recesses 61 and 62 are of sufficient depth to accommodate rotational movement of the clamp in the horizontal plane and may be spaced from the interior extremity of the

bolts

21 and 22 or have the bottom surface of the recess formed as an arc of a cylinder centered on the vertical axis through the boss 54 to provide limiting engagement between the body of the clamp and the extremities of the studs. Alternately, the exterior of the clamp body may be formed with cylindrical faces to cooperate with the end faces of the studs.

In the arrangement of the clamp 12,

stanchions

18 and 19, and carrier 20, shown herein, forces and movements of the combined cables and assembly are accommodated by relative turning movement of the clamp 12 in the carrier and/or by turning movements of the carrier 20 on the

stanchion studs

21 and 22 relative to the

stanchions

18 and 19 and the suspension plate 11. Because of the freedom of relative movement in two directions thus provided, and because of the disposition of the trunnion support with the center of pivotal movement of the conductor cable and clamp body in the vertical direction centrally through the cable in the vertical direction thereof, excitations of the assembly by movements of the individual cables and excitation of the individual conductor cables by movements of the assembly are minimized.

Arrangements utilizing integral trunnion studs and/or separate stanchions may be used for the purposes described herein.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is not intended to restrict the scope of the invention and that various rearrangements of the parts and modifications of the design may be resorted to. The following claims are directed to combinations of elements which embody the invention or inventions of this application.

I claim:

1. In conductor apparatus, in combination a conductor clamp comprising an elongate clamp body having a longitudinal cable-receiving groove defined by a bottom wall and spaced side walls, a carrier for the conductor clamp comprising a U-shaped carrier member having a central part thereof extending under the clamp body with the clamp body pivoted thereon and the side parts of the carrier member extending along the side walls of the clamp body in spaced relation thereto, interengaging boss and recess means on the bottom wall of the clamp body and the central part of the carrier member for relative rotational movement thereof, and support means comprising two stanchions located outwardly from the carrier member on the two sides thereof and trunnion means on the stanchions received in aligned openings in the side parts of the carrier member for rotational movement thereof relative to the stanchions.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which the trunnion means are studs threaded into the stanchions and having bearing surfaces thereof received in complementary openings in the end parts of the carrier member, the studs extending through the carrier member, and the clamp body having cylindrical exterior surfaces thereof centered on an axis vertically through the clamp and opposed to the extremities of the trunnion studs for mutually positioning the cable clamp and the carrier member, whatever the angular position of the cable clamp relative to the carrier member.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 with longitudinal recesses in the side walls of the clamp body and the extremities of the trunnion studs received therein, the said cylindrical exterior surfaces being formed at the bottom of the recesses.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the stanchions extend in the vertical direction from a suspension plate and in which the carrier pivots on a horizontal axis through the trunnion means in the plane of the said suspension plate and the conductor clamp pivots about an axis vertically through the carrier member, which vertical axis is determined by the rotational position of the carrier member on the trunnion means.

5. In conductor apparatus, a conductor clamp comprising an elongate clamp body having a longitudinal cable-receiving groove defined by a bottom wall and spaced side walls, a carrier for the conductor clamp comprising a generally U-shaped carrier member having a central part thereof extending transversely under the clamp body and side parts extending perpendicularly from the central part in spaced relation to the side walls of the clamp body, means on the ends of the side parts of the carrier member adapted for pivotal support of the carrier member on transversely directed trunnion means. for rotational movement of the carrier and clamp in a plane perpendicular to the line of a tranverse axis defined by the said trunnion means, and means pivota-lly supporting the clamp body on the central part of the carrier member for swinging movement generally in the transverse direction of the said carrier and said plane of rotation thereof.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5, in which the side parts of the carrier member extend along the side walls of the clamp body and the means on the ends of the side parts of the carrier member are substantially aligned with the central part of the conductor groove in the vertical direction thereof in the conductor clamp.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5, in which the References Cited by the Examiner last-named means comprises an exteriorly circular cen- UNITED STATES PATENTS tral part of the carrier member received in a circular recess in the bottom wall of the clamp body, and a 3076864 2/63 Lantz et X circular stud on the clamp body received in an opening 5 FOREIGN PATENTS centrally of the carrier member, the clamp body and carrier rotating on adjoining surfaces for relative pivotal 206474 2/57 Austrahamovement thereoi 855,597 11/52 Germany.

8. Apparatus in accordance With claim 7 in which 900,365 12/53 Germanythere are fastener bolts extending from the under side 0 of the clamp body into the walls thereof, and the fastener JOHN BURNS Prlmary Examiner T bolts have means extending over the recess in the clamp JOHN P. WILDMAN, LARAMIE A. ASKIN,

body and over the central part of the carrier member Examiners. for relative vertical constraint of the clamp and carrier.

Claims

5. IN CONDUCTOR APPARATUS, A CONDUCTOR CLAMP COMPRISING AN ELONGATE CLAMP BODY HAVING A LONGITUDINAL CABLE-RECEIVING GROOVE DEFINED BY A BOTTOM WALL AND SPACED SIDE WALLS, A CARRIER FOR THE CONDUCTOR CLAMP COMPRISING A GENERALLY U-SHAPED CARRIER MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL PART THEREOF EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY UNDER THE CLAMP BODY AND SIDE PARTS EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY FROM THE CENTRAL PART IN SPACED RELATION TO THE SIDE WALLS OF THE CLAMP BODY, MEANS ON THE ENDS OF THE SIDE PARTS OF THE CARRIER MEMBER ADAPTED FOR PIVOTAL SUPPORT OF THE CARRIER MEMBER ON TRANSVERSELY DIRECTED TRUNNION MEANS FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIER AND CLAMP IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE LINE OF A TRANSVERSE AXIS DEFINED BY THE SAID TRUNNION MEANS, AND MEANS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING THE CLAMP BODY ON THE CENTRAL PART OF THE CARRIER MEMBER FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT GENERALLY IN THE TRANSVERSE DIRECTION OF THE SAID CARRIER AND SAID PLANE OF ROTATION THEREOF.