Contact shoe assembly for a train

Claim 1

A contact shoe assembly for a train movable along a support track having an electrically-energized power rail extending substantially in parallel with the support track comprising: a support member having two vertically-oriented, spaced-apart guide channels and adapted for mounting to the train in operative relationship to the power rail wherein each guide channel comprises two spaced-apart, vertically-oriented parallel plates; a bracket arm disposed in between said guide channels and coupled to said guide channels for vertical movement, said bracket arm including: (i) two sets of ball bearings for rolling engagement with said plates of respective guide channels, (ii) a support portion for supporting said ball bearings, and (iii) a cantilevered portion having a groove, wherein said support portion is approximately perpendicular to said cantilevered portion; a contact shoe having a planar contact surface and connected to said bracket arm, said contact shoe including a tongue configured and dimensioned for selective receipt in the groove, so that said planar contact surface can be configured to face either upwardly or downwardly; and biasing means selectively mounted between said support member and said bracket arm and supported by said support portion, for biasing said contact shoe into yielding engagement with the power rail so that during vertical movement of said bracket arm responsive to a varying height of the power rail, said planar contact surface remains horizontal and parallel to the power rail.