High strength portable cable crossover for high tonnage earth moving vehicles

Claim 1

A combination comprising: an electrically powered excavator; a ground-engaging portable cable crossover for out-of-doors use with heavy load earth moving vehicles weighing many tons when loaded comprising: a unitary one piece body of molded synthetic resinous material having a durometer hardness sufficient to support excavating vehicle loads of many tons; said body comprising: feathered front and back edges, each edge being defined by said material disposed in the form of an acute angle tip; front and back tapered ramps, respectively extending from the tip of each edge toward the center of the body and defining a horizontal flat continuous load bearing bottom surface, and angular top surface which diverges from the bottom surface in an inward direction and a solid interior between said bottom and top surfaces; a central solid portion comprising said one piece body so as to be integral with each tapered ramp and bridging therebetween having a width substantially less than the width of either ramp, the center portion comprising a central horizontal flat continuous load bearing bottom surface linearly connecting the two ramp bottom surfaces one to the other thereby creating a continuous horizontal load bearing crossover bottom surface and spaced top shoulders respectively angularly joined to the angular top ramp surfaces and a U-shaped recess the surface of which connects one top shoulder to the other, the U-shaped recess running the full length of the crossover for receiving an electrical cable at the bottom thereof, said recess having a vertical depth substantially greater than the diameter of the cable, the spaced top shoulder and the solid material thereunder withstanding the load of high tonnage ground-engaging vehicles when displaced across the crossover without deflection or destruction of said shoulders such as would impose vehicle load on the cable in the recess.