Abstract: The present invention relates to replacing conductors in a high-voltage power transfer system. The method provides, for example, a method for maintaining sections of electrically conductive phases in a direct current (DC) two phase power conductor line, wherein the two phases are parallel and spaced apart. The phases are strung between support structures and supported above the ground. Maintenance work, which include replacement or repair, is performed on sections of the two phases without interrupting a power load in any one of the three phases and without transposing the relative positions of the phases.

Abstract: A grounding clamp uses a spring driving a piston mounted movable jaw as a safety lockout. The movable jaw and a fixed jaw, which may include teeth, form a conductor clamp. The ground clamp mounts on the end of a hot stick to provide for electrically insulated remote operation of the ground clamp by a lineman holding the hot stick and pulling on, or releasing, a lever arm on the hot stick. The system provides increased safety for the lineman as the spring providing the spring loading of the clamp has a high spring force to overcome, thus providing the lockout. The lever arm on the hot stick tool provides mechanical advantage to overcome the spring force and thus release the lockout. The lineman cannot usefully operate the ground clamp manually without the hot stick due to spring force lockout.

Abstract: A system is provided for use with an insulated boom section of a bucket truck. The system includes a source of high volume and pressure, dry air; one or more interior air diffusers connected to the source of high volume and pressure, dry air to direct the air into an interior of the insulated boom section. One or more exterior air diffusers connected to the source of high volume and pressure, dry air direct the air to along an exterior surface of the insulated boom section. A method is also provided for cleaning or drying both the interior and exterior surfaces simultaneously of an insulated boom section of the boom of a bucket truck. The boom of a bucket truck is further provided in another aspect that includes at least one insulated boom section, a source of high volume and pressure, dry air, one or more interior air diffusers and one or more exterior air diffusers. A pre-heating air heater may be removably mounted into the boom.

Abstract: A set of components for assembling a temporary wire suspender includes in the set a yoke plate, a plurality of J-hook assemblies, a plurality of linkage members, and a plurality of removable couplers configurable to handle an expandable number of energized or de-energized conductors or sub-conductors. Positive control of the suspended and/or supported energized or de-energized conductors or sub-conductors is achieved by using releasable latches on the J-hook assemblies.

Abstract: A horizontal conductor lifter includes a main beam to which an elongate wire holder adapter is connected through a horizontal, stacked bank of insulators and an inclined electrically insulating load transfer element collectively forming an electrically insulating truss to temporarily support the weight of a conductor or sub-conductors in a conductor bundle. The wire holder adapter supports vertically oriented wire holders thereon. A rotation actuator acts between the main beam and a distal end of a boom adapter on a crane or truck boom. In use, the rotation actuator, the stacked bank of insulators and the load transfer element prevent rotation of the wire holders to an off-vertical orientation so that the wire holders are maintained in their operative vertical orientation throughout a maintenance operation.

Abstract: A grounding clamp uses a spring driving a piston mounted movable jaw as a safety lockout. The movable jaw and a fixed jaw, which may include teeth, form a conductor clamp. The ground clamp mounts on the end of a hot stick to provide for electrically insulated remote operation of the ground clamp by a lineman holding the hot stick and pulling on, or releasing, a lever arm on the hot stick. The system provides increased safety for the lineman as the spring providing the spring loading of the clamp has a high spring force to overcome, thus providing the lockout. The lever arm on the hot stick tool provides mechanical advantage to overcome the spring force and thus release the lockout. The lineman cannot usefully operate the ground clamp manually without the hot stick due to spring force lockout.

Abstract: A static arm platform for mounting onto a static arm includes a rigid saddle adapted for releasable mounting down onto the static arm, at a desired location along the static arm dictated by a pre-chosen static arm cross section profile formed as lower cut-outs in a pair of gusset plates mounted at each end of the saddle between a pair of rigid flanks extending down the sides of the saddle. The lower cut-outs snuggly fit onto and over the static arm at the desired locations on the static arm to resist a rotation of the saddle relative to the static arm when a lineman is standing on one of a pair of foot decks mounted at the lower ends of the rigid flanks, wherein the rigid flanks define a static arm receiving cavity to envelope the static arm when the static arm platform is mounted on the static arm.

Abstract: An implosion shield of ballistic fabric adapted to mount so as to surround an implosion sleeve or dead-end on a power line. The implosion shield may be wrapped or formed as an envelope or tent including one piece and folded around the implosion sleeve or dead-end and secured with fasteners. A method of installing the implosion cover may include installing an implosion sleeve or dead-end on a power line, and then installing the implosion shield around the implosion sleeve or dead-end, by wrapping the implosion shield around the implosion sleeve or dead-end, or by securing an envelope implosion shield over the implosion sleeve or dead-end, or by draping the shield over the implosion sleeve or dead-end, or by mounting the shield on a frame over the implosion sleeve or dead-end, then detonating the implosion sleeve or dead-end. The implosion shield attenuates shock, pressure and sound waves from the detonation.

Abstract: An anti-rotation device is provided for stringing a cable or wire while reducing a twisting moment of the cable or wire as it is strung. The device includes a tow component, having multiple tow sections pivotally connectable end-to-end. A plurality of insulated weighted tails are suspended so as to hang from the tow component. Each of the tails include weighted tail sections releasably connectable end-to-end to one another. At least one electrically insulated tail section is provided in each tail between the tow component and at least some of the weighted tail sections. The tails are constrained to only articulate relative to the tow component in the single plane of bending of the tow component.

Abstract: A system is provided for use with an insulated boom section of a bucket truck. The system includes a source of high volume and pressure, dry air; one or more interior air diffusers connected to the source of high volume and pressure, dry air to direct the air into an interior of the insulated boom section. One or more exterior air diffusers connected to the source of high volume and pressure, dry air direct the air to along an exterior surface of the insulated boom section. A method is also provided for cleaning or drying both the interior and exterior surfaces simultaneously of an insulated boom section of the boom of a bucket truck. The boom of a bucket truck is further provided in another aspect that includes at least one insulated boom section, a source of high volume and pressure, dry air, one or more interior air diffusers and one or more exterior air diffusers. A pre-heating air heater may be removably mounted into the boom.

Abstract: An anti-rotation device is provided for stringing a cable or wire while reducing a twisting moment of the cable or wire as it is strung. The device includes a tow component, having multiple tow sections pivotally connectable end-to-end. A plurality of insulated weighted tail components are suspended so as to hang from the tow component. Each of the insulated tail components include weighted tail sections releasably connectable end-to-end to one another. At least one electrically insulated tail section is provided in each insulated tail component between the tow component and the weighted tail sections. The tail components are constrained to only articulate relative to the tow component in the single plane of bending of the tow component.

Abstract: A system is provided for use with an insulated boom section of a bucket truck. The system includes a source of high volume and pressure, dry air; one or more interior air diffusers connected to the source of high volume and pressure, dry air to direct the air into an interior of the insulated boom section. One or more exterior air diffusers connected to the source of high volume and pressure, dry air direct the air to along an exterior surface of the insulated boom section. A method is also provided for cleaning or drying both the interior and exterior surfaces simultaneously of an insulated boom section of the boom of a bucket truck. The boom of a bucket truck is further provided in another aspect that includes at least one insulated boom section, a source of high volume and pressure, dry air, one or more interior air diffusers and one or more exterior air diffusers. A pre-heating air heater may be removably mounted into the boom.

Abstract: A grounding clamp uses a spring driving a piston mounted movable jaw as a safety lockout. The movable jaw and a fixed jaw, which may include teeth, form a conductor clamp. The ground clamp mounts on the end of a hot stick to provide for electrically insulated remote operation of the ground clamp by a lineman holding the hot stick and pulling on, or releasing, a lever arm on the hot stick. The system provides increased safety for the lineman as the spring providing the spring loading of the clamp has a high spring force to overcome, thus providing the lockout. The lever arm on the hot stick tool provides mechanical advantage to overcome the spring force and thus release the lockout. The lineman cannot usefully operate the ground clamp manually without the hot stick due to spring force lockout.

Abstract: A system for drying an exterior of an insulated boom section of an aerial lift device. The system includes at least one section of a boom cover which encapsulates the insulated boom section when the boom cover is disposed over the exterior of the insulated boom section. The system also includes retainers to releasably retain the boom cover on the insulated boom section. The system further includes spacers to space the boom cover from the exterior of the insulated boom section by an air gap and an inlet to direct air through the air gap and over, along and around the insulated boom section exterior for drying the insulated boom section. A corresponding method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A grounding clamp uses a spring driving a piston mounted movable jaw as a safety lockout. The movable jaw and a fixed jaw, which may include teeth, form a conductor clamp. The ground clamp mounts on the end of a hot stick to provide for electrically insulated remote operation of the ground clamp by a lineman holding the hot stick and pulling on, or releasing, a lever arm on the hot stick. The system provides increased safety for the lineman as the spring providing the spring loading of the clamp has a high spring force to overcome, thus providing the lockout. The lever arm on the hot stick tool provides mechanical advantage to overcome the spring force and thus release the lockout. The lineman cannot usefully operate the ground clamp manually without the hot stick due to spring force lockout.

Abstract: An implosion shield of ballistic fabric adapted to mount so as to surround an implosion sleeve or dead-end on a power line. The implosion shield may be wrapped or formed as an envelope or tent including one piece and folded around the implosion sleeve or dead-end and secured with fasteners. A method of installing the implosion cover may include installing an implosion sleeve or dead-end on a power line, and then installing the implosion shield around the implosion sleeve or dead-end, by wrapping the implosion shield around the implosion sleeve or dead-end, or by securing an envelope implosion shield over the implosion sleeve or dead-end, or by draping the shield over the implosion sleeve or dead-end, or by mounting the shield on a frame over the implosion sleeve or dead-end, then detonating the implosion sleeve or dead-end. The implosion shield attenuates shock, pressure and sound waves from the detonation.

Abstract: A remotely controlled unmanned aerial device for use in proximity or in contact with high voltage powerlines, includes an unmanned aerial vehicle and an electrically conductive shield forming part of or operatively coupled to so as to encapsulate the unmanned aerial vehicle. When in the presence of a high voltage powerline, the unmanned aerial vehicle either when bonded-on or within the corresponding magnetic fields of the powerline, so as to transfer the powerline potential in whole or in part to the unmanned aerial vehicle, electrically energizes the conductive shield around the unmanned aerial vehicle while leaving components of the unmanned aerial vehicle within the shield substantially electrically unaffected by the voltage potential.

Abstract: A grounding clamp includes a safety lock-out which locks the operation of the clamp in the absence of a cooperating hot-stick. The lock-out employs a clutch which prevents the translation of the clamping members relative to one another until the clutch is disengaged. The cooperating hot-stick is required for the disengagement of the clutch.

Abstract: An implosion shield of ballistic fabric adapted to mount so as to surround an implosion sleeve or dead-end on a power line. The implosion shield may be wrapped or formed as an envelope or tent including one piece and folded around the implosion sleeve or dead-end and secured with fasteners. A method of installing the implosion cover may include installing an implosion sleeve or dead-end on a power line, and then installing the implosion shield around the implosion sleeve or dead-end, by wrapping the implosion shield around the implosion sleeve or dead-end, or by securing an envelope implosion shield over the implosion sleeve or dead-end, or by draping the shield over the implosion sleeve or dead-end, or by mounting the shield on a frame over the implosion sleeve or dead-end, then detonating the implosion sleeve or dead-end. The implosion shield attenuates shock, pressure and sound waves from the detonation.

Abstract: A set of components for assembling a temporary wire suspender includes in the set a yoke plate, a plurality of J-hook assemblies, a plurality of linkage members, and a plurality of removable couplers configurable to handle an expandable number of energized or de-energized conductors or sub-conductors. Positive control of the suspended and/or supported energized or de-energized conductors or sub-conductors is achieved by using releasable latches on the J-hook assemblies.