CA1081540A - Power collection apparatus for a transportation system - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A power collection apparatus is disclosed for the purpose of power distribution from a central power supply to the propulsion motors of at least one mass transit vehicle operative with a predetermined roadway track, including one or more rail gaps and/or crossover switches, to permit the vehicle to transfer from one section to a second section of that roadway track. The power collection apparatus includes collector support apparatus carried by each vehicle and designed to be operative with a rail support member for three individual phase power rails, a ground rail and a signal rail, permitting high speed vehicle passage through a rail gap and a crossover switch.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELAlq~D APPLICATION AND PATENTS
This application is a division from Canadian Patent Application No. 276,577, filed April 20, 19770 Reference is made to a U.S. Patent 4,090,452 issued May 23, 1978 to W. R. Segar and entitled Power Rail, Control Signal~Rail And Guide Beam Arrangement For A
Transpor~ation Sys~em, which discloses a prior art power collection apparatus and is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.
In addition, reference is made to U.S. Patent No. 4,043,436 issued A~gust 23, 1977 to W0 R. Segar and R. A. Larson and entitled Power Rail Support Apparatus For A Transportation System, which discloses a power rail support apparatus operative with the present power collectio~ apparatus .~
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and is assigned to the same assignee as the presen-t inven-tion.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The provision of a power collection apparatus including a power ground and control signal rail arrangement is known in the prior art for application in a -transportation system to supply power, grounding and control signals to at least one transportation vehicle which is directed along the transportation system roadways by guide wheels depending from the vehicle and which follow a guide beam incorporated as part of the roadway. The arrangement provides for mounting at least the power rails on top of the roadway guide beam to establish power collection surfaces which are resistant to dirt and moisture and the operation of which is not sub-stantially disturbed due to the normal relative movements between the guide beam and the vehicle. The power rails are disposed in a triangular arrangement providing connection to the three phases of a three phase alternating power signal and positioned on the top of the guide beam. A pivotal guide beam switch can be provided for directing a vehicle between a first and second roadway or alternatively between a first and third roadway if desired. A power and control signal rail arrangement cooperative with suitable vehicle connectors provides ground rail and control signal rail connections to the vehicle as it passes through the pivotal guide beam switch.
Transportation systems employing at least one self-propelled rubber tired vehicle which traverses a roadway comprised of spaced parallel tracks are well known in the ` prior art and generally described in the Transit Expressway Report of the MPC Corporation, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pitts-: - - . "' ,', " : .' ' -~81540 burgh, Pennsylvania 1521~, dated Febru~ry 20, 1967, and ~n U,S. Patent No. ~12J 180 issued April 4~ 1967 to E. 0.
Mueller. In these prior art transportation systems the vehicles are directed alon~ the roadway by guide wheel~
depending ~rom the bottom of each vehicle and traveling a guide b~am supported between Qnd parallel to th~ roadw~y tracks. Also in these transportation æystem~ electric power is supplied to the vehicle thr~ugh current collector~ in contaet with power rails mounted in relation to the guide beam or 10 ~ to the roadway tracks. Gon~rol ~igna~s are supplied to the vehicle through antennas mounte~ on the roadway, In a power rail mounting arrangement known in the prior art, a~ disclosed in published articles ~ppearing in the We~tinghouse Engineer ~or July 1965 at pages 98 to 103 and in the Westinghouse Engineer ~or January 1969 at page~ 9 to 15, power rall~ were mounted in insulated brackets ~ixed to the roadway tracks. Ihis arrangeme~t for mounting power rails required extensive ad~ustment at ~he installation si~e to obtain proper alignment between the rail~ and ~he eol-lectors mounted on the vehicle making this arrang~mentexpensive and difficult to implement. In addition, ~ince thiB arran~emen~ could not provide power to a vehicle traveling through roadway switch areas, it required additional set~ o~ power rails and complem~ntary collectors at the roadNay switch area~, A second power rail arrangemen~, known in the prior art and disclosed in U.S. Patent No.
3,672,308 is~ued June 27, 1972 to W0 R~ Segar, pro~ided for bracketing the power rail~ to a lower flange of the guide beam such that the rail ~urfaces in contact with the 30 collectors were locatsd below the hori~ontal plane of the vehicle guide wheel~0 Since ~B~S4~

this arrangement would allow the guide wheels to pass over the power rails, power could be provided to the vehicle as it travel2d through the roadway switching areas. However, since the power rails were also located close to the road bed, they were susceptible to accumulations of dirt and moisture on the collection surfaces of the rails. These prior art arrangements permitted lateral or rolling forces acting on the vehicle to interfere with the contact between ' the collectors and the power rails, and for transportation ;
systems with vehicle turnaround capability required multiple sets of power rails, power collectors and control signal rails. Also, since the power rails of the prior art arrange- ;' ments were laterally disposed, reactive interference between power rails carrying a multiple phase alternating power signal limited the efficiency of the rail arrangements of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION ' The present invention relates to an improved power collection apparatus including a power, ground and cont,rol signal rail support member and the collector support apparatus operative therewith for providing power, grounding and control signals to at least one vehicle in a transportation system. The power, ground and control signal rails are supported in relation to the roadway guide beam to provide a simple and more economical installation by mounting the rails in rail mounting members operative with a rail support member fastened to the guide beam which directs the vehicle ~' along the roadway. Mounting the power,ground and control ~' signal rails in rela-tion to the upper flange of the roadway guide beam such that the collection surfaces are in a predeter-10~5~

mined position arrangement in a vertical plane, also makesthe power, ground and control signals resistant to inter-ference caused by accumulations of moisture and dirt on the collector surfaces of the rails. The power collector shoes of the present power collector support apparatus are guided in accordance with the respective positions of the ground collector shoe and the control signal collector shoe and are movable in relation to the vehicle and the guide beam to minimize interference from lateral and rolling forces acting 10 on ~he vehicle and movements o~ the vehicle in relation to the guide beam and the roadway. The power rails are disposed in a triangular configuration which reduces the reactive interference bstween phases of a multiple phase alternating power signal. The central position of the rail support member and the associated power rail configuration in relation to the roadway guide beam facilitates vehicle turnaround capability. The power collector shoes carried by the col-lector support apparatus fastened to the vehicle are guided in position and in relation to the power rails by coopera-ting collector shoes operative with the respective groundrail and signal rail to permit high speed vehicle passage through switch areas.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a trans-portation system roadway taken in a plane perpendicular to :
the longitudinal axis of the roadway and showing a prior art power collection apparatus; ` -~

!~: Figure 2 is an end view of the pre.sent power collection apparatus, including the power, ground and signal rail arrangement and the power collector shoes operative ~ ,, .

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1~8~540 therewith;
Figure 3 is an isometric view of the present power, ground and signal rail arrangement and the power collector shoes operative therewith;
Figure 4 is a graph of motor current versus time to illustrate the propulsion motor current supplied to a vehicle by the power rails;
Figure 5 is a top view of the present collector support apparatus; and Figure 6 is a side view of the present collector support apparatus.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art transportation system power collection apparatus taken along "
the longitudinal axis of the raadway. The roadway 20 is comprised of laterally spaced concrete tracks 22 and 24 supported from a road bed 26 and including a flanged guide beam 28 located between tracks 22 and 24. The guide beam 28 has an upper flange 30 and lower flange 32 joined by a vertical web 34. A transportation vehicle 36 has a pair of resilient and laterally spaced vehicle main wheels 38 and 40 running on the tracks 22 and 24 respectively. Wheel 38 is comprised of tires 42 and 43 and the wheel 40 is comprised ; of tires 45 and 46. The vehicle 36 is provided with at least two such pairs of resilient and laterally spaced wheels fixed longitudinally along the vehicle. The wheel pair 38 and 40 is connected by an axle contained in an axle housing 48 which is fixed to the vehicle frame 50 by support brackets 52 and 53. The vehicle 36 is further provided with a body 55 mounted on a longitudinal frame 57 resiliently ~upported by air springs 59 and 60 mounted on channel member~
62 and 6~ on the vehicle frame 50~ me vehicle is powered by an electric propulsion motor 64 coupled to the axle connecting the wheels 38 and 40.
The vehicle steering mechanism includes opposing guide wheels 65 and 66 which ~ollow the opposite sides of ~he guide beam web 34. One such set of guld~ wheels 65 and 66 is shown in Figure 1 and co~rises pneumatic resllient tires 67 and 68 carried on vertical axle~ 70 and 71 which 10are clamped to the frame 50 by support bushings 7~ and 7~0 me ends o~ the vertical axles 70 and 71 are clamp~d in a position which produces a predetermined force betw~en the~
guide beam web ~4 and the pneumatic tlre~ 67 and 68. Due to the resilienay o~ the pneumatic tires 67 and 68~ the normal operating distance bet~een the sur~ac~ o~ guid~ beam web 34 and the center line o~ the vertical axles 70 and 71 is somewhat less than the radius o~ the pneumatic wheels 67 and 68. This distance wlll be referred to as the operating radius. Excessive deviation~ in the operating radiu~ due to unusual lateral forces acting on the transportation vehlcle 36 or due to underin~lation of pneumatic tlres 67 and 68~are limited by steel sa~ety discs 76 and 77 attached to t~e vertical axles 70 and 71 respectively. The radius of each sa~ety disc is slightly 1QSS than the operating radius of its associated pneumatic tire so that i~ a pneumatic tire 67 or 68 becomeg de~lated or the car experiences abnormally -strong lateral wind, centrifugal or s~eering forces~ the associated safety disc 76 or 77 wlll engage the web 34 o~
the guide beam 28 and assume ~teering control o~ the vehicle.
me sa~ety discs 76 and 77 serve a æecond ~unction by coopera-L
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ting with the upper flange 30 of guide beam 28 to oppose forces tending to cause the vehicle to roll off the roadway.
For supplying electric power and control signals to the vehicle, power collector shoes 81, 82 and 83 are provided in contact with power rails 90, 92 and 94, respec-tively. In addition, ground collector shoe 95 is in contact with ground rail 96 and control signal collector shoe 97 is , in contact with control signal rail 98. Collector shoes 81, 82 and 83 are carried by support bracket 106 affixed to the vehicle frame 50. The ground rail collector 95 is mounted in bracket 110 and signal rail collector 97 is mounted in bracket 114 which are similarly fixed to the vehicle frame 50. Power rails 90, 92 and 94, ground rail 96 and the signal rail 98 are insulatively supported by mounting bracket 116 attached at predetermined longitudinal intervals ;
in the order of very five feet to the upper flange 30 of the guide beam 28. The arrangement shown in Figure 1 for insulatively mounting power rails 90, 92, 94, ground rail 96 `
and signal rail 98 from bracket 116 fixed to the upper flange of guide beam 28 provides an improved power rail, ground rail and signal rail mounting arrangement. Because the guide beam 28 is positioned within a closer tolerance than are the roadway surfaces and because the vehicle 36 is ; actually steered by the guide beam and not the roadway surfaces, the arrangement of mounting the power rails 90, 92, 94 and the ground rail 96 and signal rail 98 to the guide beam 28 provides a more accurate and convenient align-` ment between the respective rails and the collector shoes 81, 82, 83, 95 and 98.
Since each bracket 116 projects above -the upper .
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lan~e 30 Or the ~uid~ beam 28, the power rails 90, 92 and 94 are disposed above tlne road bed 26 to malce the power control circuits less susceptible to interference caused by accumulation of dirt or moisture on the power, ~round and signal rail. Additiollally, the collection surfaces of the ralls are in a vertical p3.ane which also serves to decrease po\~er circuit and control circuit susceptibility to the accumulation o~ dirt and moisture on the rail collection surfaces.
Figure 2 illustrates an end view of the present power and si~nal rail arran~ement for supp`lying power to~the propulsion motor of a vehicle through the power rails 200~
202 and 204. The power rails are supported by rail support member 206 connected by bolts 208 and 210 to the upper horizontal flan~e 30 Or the ~uide beam 28. Control signals are provided to the vehicle through the signal rail 212 and the cooperative collector shoe ?14 in communication with the control equipment aboard the vehicle. The ground rail 216 is operative with collector shoe 218.
The power collection apparatus carried by the vehicle, when the vehicle is movin~ forward into the plane Or the drawin~, includes a first collector support apparatus 220 mounted on a bushing 222 fastened to the left side of the vehicle frame 50. A first power collector arm 224 is pivotally rastened to the collector support member 226 and carries the collector shoe 2L.8 operative with the power rail 200. A second power collector arm 230 is pivotally fastened to the collector support member 226 and carries the collector shoe 232 which is not operative with a power rail. A third 3o power collector arrn 234 is pivotally rastened to the col-_9_ ., ~

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lector support member 226 and carries the collector shoe 236 operative with power rail 202. The power collection apparat~ls carried by the vehicle, as shown in Figure 2, includes a second collector s~lpport apparatus 240 mounted on a bushing 242 Pastelled to the ri~ht side Or the vehicle frame 50. A
fourth power collector arm ~44 is pivotally fastened to the collector support member 246 and carries the collector shoe 248 which is not operative with a power rail when the vehicl~
is movin~ for~ard,illto the ~lane Or the drawislg. A fifth power collector arm 250 is plvotally rastened to the collector support member 246 and carries the collector shoe 252 opera- , tive with the power rail 204. A sixth power collector arm 254 is pivotally Pastened to the collector support member 246 and carries the collector shoe 256 whlch is not o~era-tive with a power rail at this time. The power rails 200, ~ ' 202 and 204 are positioned in a triangular arran~ement as shown by the rail support member 206. The collector arms ' ,`
224, 230 and 234 are connected together in a first group by ` a rastener member 260. q'he collector arms 244, 250 and 254 are connected together into a second group by a fastener member 262. The first group of collector arms 224, 230 and 234 is operative throu~h connection member 263 to be movable in position substantially parallel to the axis of collector support member 226 to follow the movement of the collector ' arm 264 and collector shoe 218 as determined by the positlon oP the ground rail 216. Tile second ~roup of collector arms 244, 250 and 254 is operative throu~h connection 255 to be movable in position substantially parallel to the axis of collector support membcr 246 to follow the movement of 3o collector arm 266 and collector shoe 214 as determined by --].0--~ . .
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the position Or the control signal rail 212.
The power rails 200, 202 and 204, signal rail 212, ground rail 216 and guide beam 28 are arranged as shown in Figure 2 to maintain lmproved contact between the respective vehicle carried collector shoes 22~, 236, 252, 214 and 218 and tlle rail collectiotl surfaces as the vehicle e~periences rolling and lateral forces which, for example, may be exerted by wind or centrirugal Porce a~ainst the vehicle, which rolling rorces-e~perienced by the vehicle cause the vehicle frame 50 to move in relation to a lon~itudinal axls of rotation, and since the guide wheels act to center the vehicle frame 50 over the web of the guide beam 28. The longitudinal axis of rotation Or the vehicle frame 50 is in a vertlcal plane including the web.
; Collection sur~aces of rails 200, 20? and 204 are in a vertical plane and the collector shoes 228, 236 and 252 ~ are retractably mounted to the rèspective collector support ; members 226 and 246 by springs or in some other well-known `~
manner to compensate for slight variations in the position ;
of the res~pective collector support members 226 and 246 with -~ respect to the rails 200, 202 and 204. One cause of these ~ ;
variations ~ay be due to lateral forces acting agal~nst the vehicle.
As is well l;nown in the field of power transmission among the arran~ements o~ closely ~rouped three phase con-ductors, the least reactive interference between phases is ~`
orfered by the triangularly disposed power rails, with power rails 200, 202 and 204 being arranged in such a low reactance arrangement.

3o Figure 3 shows an isomctric view of the present ' 1~83L5~0 power and signal rail arrangement~ ~ncluding the rail ~upport member 206, power rail~ 200, 202 and 204, the collector shoes 228, 236 and 252. Each power railg such a8 power rail 200 is clamped to the rall support member 206 through a rail mountlng member, such as rail mounting member 300 having wedge lugæ 303 and 307 which can be separated as sho~ in Figure 3 ~or holding the power rail 200 securely in positlon relative to the rail support member 206. m e rail mounting member and rail support member are described ~n greater 10 ~ detail in the a~oresaid U.S. Patent ~o, 4,o43,436.
The graph o~ Figure 4 shows the typical vehicle car propulsion motor current versus time requirements profile.
me ~irs~ portion 400 shows the ini~al acceleration curren~
from zero speed. me second portion 402 shows the motor curve acceleration current untll operating speed i9 reached at ~he operating speed maintaining current ~hird portion 404. Finally, the car is stopped and the propulsion motors are no longer energized, where only the auxlliary device current requirement iæ shown in the fourth portion 406.
20 ~ The signal rail 212 and g~ und rall 216 shown ln Flgure 2 are contin~ous throughout the entire roadway inclu-~ing through the vehicle track s~ltch areas. me vehicle tlres rid e above tha ~ignal rail 212 and ground rail 216 positlons ~hen a vehlcle moves through a ~witch, and the power rails 200, 202 and 204 are discontinued to permlt the tires to pass through the switch~ The vehicle ~upport roadway surface iæ above the signal rail 212 and ground rail 216 position~ and below the poæitlons o~ the power rails 200, 202 and 204. me respective collector shoes 214 and . 4G,~/0~ D-l S ~

218 operative ~it]l the signal rall 212 and the ground rail 216 function to continuously gulde and thereby control the positions Or the respective collector shoes 252, 228 and 236 operatlve witll the po~ler rails 204, 200 alld 202. Each power rail, when discontinued for a switch, includes a well known ,' guide horn (not shown) to provide a vernier positionln~ of the collector shoe operative therewith when the vehicle has completed its passa~e tl~rough the switch and the associated power collector slloes a~ain engaes that power rail. The positional parallellsm of all four collector shoes carrled by the vehicle on each side Or the center guide beam is -~
assured by the present power collectlon apparatus. For high speed passa~e Or thc vc~licle t~lrough a switc}l at a speed in the order Or 60 miles per hour, it is desired that the proper alignment position of each collector shoe with lts respective cooperative power rail be accurately guided and controlled. The collector support apparatus, for example ~`
the second collector support apparatus 240, includes the ~,, po~er collector arm 250 and the power collector arm 266 ~, extendin~ to the opposite side of the collector support member 246 an,d being connected together by an adjustable connection member 265. The latter connection member 265 is ad~ustable in length to establish the desired distance ' '~
between the guide po~er collector arm 266 and the controlled ~, ;
second group of collector arms 244, 250 and 254. When the ;, collector shoe 214 is moved in position by the cooperative signal rail 212, this correspondingly moves the second group of collector slloes 248, 252 and 256, wlth the relative spacing positions of the po~rer rails, the ground rail and ,the signal rail beinG fixed by the shape of the rail support ' ~

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member 2Q6. The proper aiignment is assured of the power rails and the respective eollector shoes when the vehlcle passes through a switch and the respeetive collector shoes again come into contact with the associated power rails.
Vehiele turnaround operation in both directions alon~ a given roadway tracl~ is permitted by the symmetrieal sets of power eollector support appara~us 220 and 240 on either side of the guide beam 25 to permit the vehicle to move in both direetions alon~ the same track.
Figure 5 shows a top view Or the collector support apparatus 220 shown in ~igure 2. The eolleetor support ; me~ber 226 is bolted to the vehicle frarne through the hole 500. The eollector shoe 228 operative with the power rail 200 ls earried by the collector arm 224, which is eonneeted through first member 502 and second member 504 as a parallelo-gram arran~,ement to the pivot support 506 operative with collector support member 226. A spring member 508 provides a desired eontaet pressure for the eollector shoe 228 agalnst the power raii 200~ and a retainer ehain 510 limits the movement Or the eollector shoe 228 in a clockwise direction about the colleetor support member 226 when the power rail 200 is not operative with the eollector shoe 228. A eonnee-tion arm 512 is provided between the pivot support 506 and the eonneetion member 263 operative to eontrol the rail alignment movement of the group fastener member 260.
Figure 6 shows a side view Or the eollector support apparatus 220, ineluding the eolleetor support member 226, and the eollector shoes 228, 236 and 218 operative with the respective power rails 200 and 202 and the ground rall 216.
The eolleetor shoe 218 following the position of ground rail ~8~5~ ~

216 and collector arm 264 are operative through pivot support 600 and extended connection arm 602 to determine the movement of connection member 263 in a direction parallel to the axis of collector support member 226, for controlling the power rail alignment positions of the collector shoes 228 and 236 through the extended connection arm 512, pivot support 604, the member 606 and the fastener member 260.
The present disclosure eovers the provision for positionally guiding in relation to the guide beam 28 and the power rails the vehicle carried power collector shoes through rail gaps, switches and crossovers at the desired vehicle maximum operating speed, such as 60 miles per hour.
The signal rail 212 and ground rail 216 are used for position control of the respective vehicle carried power collector shoes by linking the associated collector arms to the con~
tinuously guided collector arms for the signal rail and ; :
ground rail eolleetor shoes. There is diselosed a three phase, five rail power collection apparatus for fixed guide- i way type electrically propelled vehicles that permits high speed operation through rail gaps, switches and crossovers.
Eaeh vehicle carried collector support apparatus 220 and 2~0 ineludes power eolleetor shoes guided through necessary interruptions in the three phase power rails by using the signal rail 212 and ground rail 216 as position piloting rails for the respective groups of power collector shoes which are equidistantly located, one to each side of the guide beam top flange 30 located below the roadway surface so that the vehicle can pass over the signal rail 212 and ground rail 216 when in the region of a switch. The signal rail 212 and ground rail 216 are continuous throughout the 5~ :

system, including switches, and since they are fixed in position by the rail support member 206 both vertically and laterally with respect to the three phase power rails 200, 202 and 204, they provide optimum position control of the vehicle carried power collector 228, 236 and 252 during the time when the vehicle carried power collector shoes are not in contact with the respective power rails 200, 202 and 204.
Accurate vertical and lateral positioning of the vehicle carried power collector shoes in the power rail gap interval through switches is essential for high speed operation of a vehicle through switches and is accomplished in the controlled space envelope by linking the power collector shoes to the continuously guided signal rail collector shoe and ground rail collector shoe thereby assuring proper reentry position of the power collector shoes onto the power rails. The disclosed geometric configuration of the three power rails in combination with duplicate sets of vehicle carried collec-tor support apparatus and associated collector shoes permits a vehicle to operate through crossovers and switches. Half of the power collector shoes which are required for the crossover capability are inactive at any given time, however, they remain guided even when not in contact with the power rails. It should be noted that the signal rail and ground rail can function interchangeably from an electrical stand-point.

Claims (4)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In power collection apparatus for a vehicle operative with a track having a vehicle support surface below which first and second conductive rails are positioned and above which first and second power rails are positioned the combination of first collector means operative with said first conductive rail, second collector means operative with said first power rail, first collector support means operative with said vehicle and pivotally supporting each of said first and second collector means, third collector means operative with said second conductive rail, fourth collector means operative with said second power rail, and second collector support means operative with said vehicle and pivotally supporting each of said third and fourth collector means, first connection means between said first collector means and said second collector means such that the position of the second collector means is determined by the position of said first collector means, and second connection means between said third collector means and said fourth collector means such that the position of the fourth collector means is determined by the position of said third collector means.

2. me power collection apparatus of claim 1, with said track having at least one switch including said vehicle support surface and wherein said first and second conductive rails do continue and said first and second power rails do not continue, with said first collector support means being operative to position said second collector means in accord-ance with the position of said first collector means when said vehicle is operative with said switch, and with said second collector support means being operative to position said fourth collector means in accord-ance with the position of said third collector means when said vehicle is operative with said switch.

3. The power collection apparatus of claim 1, with said first collector support means being positioned at one side of said power rails and with said second collector support means being positioned at the other side of said power rails.

4. The power collection apparatus of claim 1, with said first collector support means and said second collector support means being symmetrically positioned respectively at a first side of said power rails and at a second side of said power rails such that said vehicle can operate in each of two directions along said track.