Disclosed herein is a transport system, comprising an electrified cable system, a carriage supported by a non-electrified static cable, an electrical drive system incorporated into the carriage, the electrical drive system being utilized to move the carriage along the non-electrified static cable, a transconnector configured to supply electrical power to the carriage, and a power distribution panel. Corresponding methods of making and using the system also are disclosed.

A torque coil (two-layer coil structure) of the disclosed embodiments includes an inner coil formed by spirally winding metal wire, and an outer coil arranged to be in close contact with the outer periphery of the inner coil and formed by spirally winding metal wire. A winding direction of the inner coil and a winding direction of the outer coil are opposite from each other, and when the torque coil is twisted in the circumferential direction in which the diameter of the inner coil is increased, a change amount of the diameter of the outer coil is larger than a change amount of the diameter of the inner coil. The two-layer coil structure has high twisting rigidity, thus suppressing the occurrence of kinks due to rotational resistance.

An electrified-cable system is disclosed herein. The system includes first and second wires each having a longitudinally-extending uninsulated region comprising at least a portion of the circumference of the first wire, and a longitudinally-extending insulated region comprising the remaining circumference of the first wire, and an insulating connector that couples the insulated region of the first wire to the insulated region of the second wire. The system is configured to form an electrical circuit from the first wire to the second wire through a carriage in electrical contact with the uninsulated region of the first wire and the uninsulated region of the second wire. A corresponding method is also disclosed.

Auger conveyors most commonly employed in industries where the horizontal and/or vertical transfer of solids or semi-solid materials is required. Auger conveyors employ a rotating helical screw blade, commonly known as fighting, which rotates about on an inline axis within an inline conduit. Described herein is an auger conveyor which does not need to follow the traditional rule of rotating about on an inline axis. A flexible wire rope shaft is employed to rotate about on an infinite number of axes thereby facilitating an auger conveyor connected to the flexible wire rope shaft through buttons, to traverse a non-linear path.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wire rod for a steel wire, which is excellent in low cycle fatigue characteristics and is useful as a material for a high-strength steel wire such as a wire rope or a PC steel wire, and to provide a steel wire that can exhibit such characteristics. A wire rod for a steel wire of the present invention comprises by mass: C: 0.70 to 1.3%; Si: 0.1 to 1.5%; Mn: 0.1 to 1.5%; N: 0.001 to 0.006%; Al: 0.001 to 0.10%; Ti: 0.02 to 0.20%; B: 0.0005 to 0.010%; P: 0% or more and 0.030% or less; and S: 0% or more and 0.030% or less, with the balance being iron and inevitable impurities, wherein, the wire rod having pearlite as a main phase and a hydrogen diffusion coefficient D in steel at 300 C. satisfies formula (1) below:

D2.510.sup.7(cm.sup.2/sec)(1).