Method of packaging, shipping and installing discharge electrodes for electrostatic precipitators

Claim 1

A method of packaging a discharge electrode comprising, providing a discharge electrode ribbon having an outer tubular sheath of an electrically conductive metal which is rigid and self-supporting throughout an axial length exceeding the desired axial length of a discharge electrode fabricated therefrom and capable of being plastically deformed into a coil without fracturing or rupturing, an inner core extending generally axially through the outer sheath and an insulator of a dielectric material interposed between the outer sheath and the inner core, coiling said discharge electrode ribbon such that the outer sheath thereof is plastically deformed by a cold-working process with none of said outer tubular sheath, inner core, and insulator being fractured or ruptured, and packaging the coiled discharged electrode ribbon in a container.

Claim 2

A method of packaging a discharge electrode comprising, providing a discharge electrode ribbon having an outer tubular sheath of an electrically conductive metal which is rigid and self-supporting throughout an axial length exceeding the desired axial length of a discharge electrode fabricated therefrom and capable of being plastically deformed into a coil without fracturing or rupturing, an inner core extending generally axially through the outer sheath and an insulator of a dielectric material interposed between the outer sheath and the inner core, coiling said discharge electrode ribbon such that the outer sheath thereof is plastically deformed by a cold-working process with none of said outer tubular sheath, inner core, and insulator being fractured or ruptured, and packaging the coiled discharged electrode ribbon in a container.

Claim 11

A method of packaging, transportinG and fabricating discharge electrodes comprising, providing at a point remote from a job site a discharge electrode ribbon having an outer tubular sheath of electrically conductive metal which is rigid and selfsupporting throughout an axial length exceeding the desired axial length of a discharge electrode to be fabricated therefrom and is capable of being plastically deformed into a coil and subsequently straightened without fracturing or rupturing, the discharge electrode ribbon having an inner core extending generally axially through the outer sheath and an insulator of dielectric material interposed between the outer sheath and the inner core, coiling said discharge electrode ribbon such that the outer sheath thereof is plastically deformed by a cold-working process without said outer tubular sheath, inner core, and insulator being fractured or ruptured, packaging the coiled discharge electrode ribbon in a container, transporting the container with the coiled discharge electrode ribbon therein to the job site, at the job site removing at least a portion of the coiled discharge electrode ribbon from the container, at the job site straightening at least a portion of the coiled discharge ribbon to provide a straight axially extending discharge electrode ribbon portion, and at the job site severing the straightened axially extending discharge electrode ribbon portion to provide a plurality of discharge electrodes of predetermined lengths.

Claim 12

A method of packaging, transportinG and fabricating discharge electrodes comprising, providing at a point remote from a job site a discharge electrode ribbon having an outer tubular sheath of electrically conductive metal which is rigid and selfsupporting throughout an axial length exceeding the desired axial length of a discharge electrode to be fabricated therefrom and is capable of being plastically deformed into a coil and subsequently straightened without fracturing or rupturing, the discharge electrode ribbon having an inner core extending generally axially through the outer sheath and an insulator of dielectric material interposed between the outer sheath and the inner core, coiling said discharge electrode ribbon such that the outer sheath thereof is plastically deformed by a cold-working process without said outer tubular sheath, inner core, and insulator being fractured or ruptured, packaging the coiled discharge electrode ribbon in a container, transporting the container with the coiled discharge electrode ribbon therein to the job site, at the job site removing at least a portion of the coiled discharge electrode ribbon from the container, at the job site straightening at least a portion of the coiled discharge ribbon to provide a straight axially extending discharge electrode ribbon portion, and at the job site severing the straightened axially extending discharge electrode ribbon portion to provide a plurality of discharge electrodes of predetermined lengths.