Abstract: A low noise current collector 20 having excellent controllability and response, and a high speed railway train using such current collectors. The current collector 20 includes an aerodynamically shaped current collector head 22, a driving cylinder 32 to move the current collecting head, a supporting insulator 30, and a cable head 50 supporting a conductor 53 for conducting current from current collecting head 22 to a load. The current collector 20 is controlled by a cylinder 7 for raising and lowering so that the current collector may be contained in a dome 4 when it is in use. A multi-car train has four current collectors, two toward each end, and each current collector has its front side directed toward the center of the train. The two current collectors at the rear of the train are utilized, while the two at the front are contained within their domes 4. Therefore, the train can run in either direction, utilizing the appropriate pair of current collectors.

Abstract: A current collector for a railway trolley vehicle includes a current collecting member having a contact strip, a driving system for moving the current collecting member into and out of contact with a trolley wire, a load cell for detecting force acting between the current collecting member and the driving system, a displacement meter for detecting displacement of the driving system, first and second estimating circuits, and a control circuit. The first estimating circuit provides an estimated value of the contact force between the current collector and the trolley wire by estimating values of first parameters of the contact strip, the current collecting member, and the trolley wire and summing products of each of these values and a corresponding weighting factor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a current collector for an electrically powered vehicle. The collector includes a current collecting member which collects current from a current supplying body and conducts the current to a load in the vehicle. The current collecting member is coupled to a driving system through a first insulating element. The driving system moves the current collecting member to the current supplying body. A sensor for controlling the driving system is positioned between the driving system and the insulating element.