Supports – Pipe or cable
Patent
1995-10-11
1998-06-23
Braun, Leslie A.
Supports
Pipe or cable
248 681, 24822341, 411 84, 411182, F16L 300
Patent
active
057693650
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a fixture for use in electric line installation.
BACKGROUND ART
It is necessary to install a power cable, a telecommunication cable or other cables, and pipes (cable tubes) through which those cables pass from a vertical zone (vertical direction) to a ceiling zone (horizontal direction) in various buildings such as a factory, a business office, a store, a condominium, a warehouse, a station, a gymnasium and a theater as well as in various structures such as a tunnel, a subway, an elevated railway, an elevated road, and a bridge.
In such a ceiling zone, hanger bolts are mounted to the ceiling at fixed intervals to hold channel rails. Racks are placed on and extend across the channel rails to guidably support cables or cable tubes. The racks are then secured to the channel rails. As an alternative, the cable tubes are directly placed on and extend across the channel rails held by the hanger bolts. The cable tubes are then secured to the channel rails. The channel rail may be directly secured to the ceiling with its opening (slot) being directed downward.
In the vertical zone, the channel rails are secured to structural beams, girders or walls at fixed intervals and extend in a horizontal direction. The racks or cable tubes extend across and are secured to the channel rails.
The channel rail is also referred to as a "hanger rail", "duct channel, or "raceway". In either case, the racks and cable tubes must be secured to each channel rail at points where the racks and cable tubes intersect with each channel rail. A number of securing operations are thus required to complete the installation. A substantial number of securing operations are involved where it is necessary to secure small girders or partitions to the racks, or to secure outlet boxes or other electric devices or components to the channel rails.
To this end, there has been proposed a fixture for securing racks as disclosed in Japanese utility model publication No. 5-19671. The prior art fixture comprises a fixture body having a through opening at a location where the fixture body is attached to a channel rail, a bolt extending through the through opening, and a rectangular slat including a central, internally threaded hole adapted to receive the bolt. The slat has a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides. The long side has a length equal to or greater than the distance between flanges of the channel rail. Diagonally opposite corners of the slat are cut in an oblique fashion. A spring is disposed between the fixture body and the head of the bolt to thereby lift the bolt and the slat.
However, the prior art fixture presents the following problems.
(1) The slat is substantially long and has a length greater than the width of the fixture body. Handling of such a large slat is cumbersome. The orientation of the slat must be adjusted if a change in the orientation of the slat occurs due to contact with hands or articles prior to use.
(2) Preliminary mounting requires two steps, one step of axially pressing the bolt to move the slat below the channel flanges of the channel rail, and the other step of rotating the bolt by 90 degrees to swing the slat in a direction perpendicular to the channel rail. These operations are cumbersome. Also, an operator is subject to fatigue since his wrists are repeatedly twisted.
(3) Preliminary mounting requires a screwing operation. If the bolt is inadvertently rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the slat is disengaged from the bolt and may drop in the channel rail. Removal of the bolt requires substantial effort and time and thus deteriorates efficiency. Also, where the channel rail has a downwardly directed opening, the operator is subject to injury if the slat and articles are disengaged from the bolt and the fixture body and hit the operator's head and face.
(4) Rotation of the slat is limited when the longitudinal front end of the slat is contacted with the inner walls of the flanges. The slat may not be oriented at right angles to or may be obliquely engag
REFERENCES:
patent: 2880949 (1959-04-01), Fuss
patent: 3705442 (1972-12-01), Sygnator
patent: 4662590 (1987-05-01), Hungerford, Jr.
patent: 4789286 (1988-12-01), Laput
patent: 4830531 (1989-05-01), Condit et al.
patent: 5372341 (1994-12-01), Witherbee et al
Onishi Masakatsu
Onishi Yoshio
Berger Derek J.
Braun Leslie A.
Striker Michael J.
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