A drive system for raising or lowering a sliding piece of a current collector for rail vehicles. The sliding piece is disposed on a positioning device of the current collector, and the sliding piece is configured to be brought into contact with an overhead line using contact pressure. The drive system includes a bellows drive which is actuated by compressed air to actuate the positioning device, and a pneumatic control unit having a control valve for supplying or withdrawing compressed air to/from the bellows drive. The drive system includes a detection line and a lowering valve for venting the bellows drive when pressure drops in the detection line, the lowering valve being a 3/2-way valve disposed in a pneumatic supply line between the control valve and the bellows drive.

A rail connector assembly for an electrically powered mobile machine includes a boom assembly with a first end and a second end, and an arm assembly movable between a stowed condition and a deployed condition. The arm assembly includes a first end coupled to the boom and a second end. A contactor assembly is coupled to the second end of the arm assembly. The system further includes a hydraulic system controlling movement of the rail connector assembly. The hydraulic system includes a hydraulic power unit, a plurality of hydraulic actuators fluidly driven by the hydraulic power unit, and at least one float valve fluidly connected to at least one of the plurality of hydraulic actuators.

A rail connector assembly for an electrically powered mobile machine includes a boom assembly with a first end and a second end, and an arm assembly movable between a stowed condition and a deployed condition. The arm assembly includes a first end coupled to the boom and a second end. A contactor assembly is coupled to the second end of the arm assembly. The system further includes a hydraulic system controlling movement of the rail connector assembly. The hydraulic system includes a hydraulic power unit, a plurality of hydraulic actuators fluidly driven by the hydraulic power unit, and at least one float valve fluidly connected to at least one of the plurality of hydraulic actuators.

A road-guided motor vehicle includes a power collector for an overhead line and an actuator arrangement. The power collector is controlled by the actuator arrangement from a first, pantograph-lowered into a second, pantograph-raised position or vice versa. The power collector is assigned a sensor arrangement having a data connection to a control unit of the actuator arrangement. The control unit is configured such that a contact pressure of power collector against overhead line is detected or determined using sensor arrangement data, a memory with spatially resolved contact pressures for the power collector and a position ascertaining unit. At a motor vehicle position determined by the position ascertaining unit, an associated contact pressure is read out from the memory and automatically set by the control unit or signaled to a motor vehicle driver. A method for raising a power collector pantograph onto an overhead line is also provided.

A road-guided motor vehicle includes a power collector for an overhead line and an actuator arrangement. The power collector is controlled by the actuator arrangement from a first, pantograph-lowered into a second, pantograph-raised position or vice versa. The power collector is assigned a sensor arrangement having a data connection to a control unit of the actuator arrangement. The control unit is configured such that a contact pressure of power collector against overhead line is detected or determined using sensor arrangement data, a memory with spatially resolved contact pressures for the power collector and a position ascertaining unit. At a motor vehicle position determined by the position ascertaining unit, an associated contact pressure is read out from the memory and automatically set by the control unit or signaled to a motor vehicle driver. A method for raising a power collector pantograph onto an overhead line is also provided.