CA1036960A - Trench duct system - Google Patents
Trench duct systemInfo
- Publication number
- CA1036960A CA1036960A CA243,517A CA243517A CA1036960A CA 1036960 A CA1036960 A CA 1036960A CA 243517 A CA243517 A CA 243517A CA 1036960 A CA1036960 A CA 1036960A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- connector
- side rails
- sections
- trench
- cover plate
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
- E04B5/00—Floors; Floor construction with regard to insulation; Connections specially adapted therefor
- E04B5/48—Special adaptations of floors for incorporating ducts, e.g. for heating or ventilating
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Architecture (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Details Of Indoor Wiring (AREA)
- Laying Of Electric Cables Or Lines Outside (AREA)
Abstract
Trench Duct System Abstract of the Disclosure A trench duct system of the type embedded in concrete floors or the like is provided for use in the distribution of electrical power, service and/or communication cables and wiring throughout a building. The system includes a plurality of trench duct sections which are interconnected to form a predetermined distribution layout. Each section of duct includes a cover plate which is removably supported by a pair of vertically adjustable side rails. The length of the cover plate and the length of each supporting side rail may or may not be the same and will depend upon the particular layout. The exposed surface of the cover plate is flush with the plane of the finished floor. Adjoining side rails, when in angular relation to one another, are interconnected by coupling members or connectors which maintain the continuity and stability of the system.
Description
~036960 .
Background of the Invention Various underfloor trench duct systems have heretofore , been provided; however, because of certain inherent.design characteristics, they have been beset with one or more of the .
following shortcomings: a) the various components comprising the ~
duct sections of the system were required to be custom-made at a -. predetermined manufacturing facility, thereby complicating the shipment of the components to a job site and often times causing in-ordinate delays in the installation of the system; b) because - the duct section components wer.e custom-made, replacement thereof oftenti~e~ was a serious and costly logistics problem; c) modify- -ing at the job site the length of either, or both, the cover plate and side r~ils of a duct section so as to compensate for unfore-se~n or u~expectea structural situ~tions or changes occurring ; dur~ng ins$~112tion of the system was an extremely difficult, cos$1y and la~orious operation; d) the coupler members or con-- nectors u~ized in interconnecting adjoining duct sections were frequently of costly construction, awkward to install and impaired the stability and continuity of the system; e) the sub-assembly of the cove~ plate and side rails was not capable of being used in combinhtion with either a base pan or being mounted directly onto a c~ellular sub-floor; and f) warehousing of the various duc~ section components in numerous widespread geographical locations was not a practical or convenient way of distributing and merchandising the product.
q~
~036960 S~'iYMA~Y ()~ TliE II~IV~NTIO,J
~__________ Thus, it is an ob,3ect of the invention to provide an underrloor trenc}l duct system ~,~hich avoi~s the a~orenoted shortcomings.
It is a further ob~ect of the invention to provide an underfloor trench duct system which is versatile and thus facilitates the designing and installing of a variety Or lay-outs without embodying numerous custom-made components.
It is a still further ob~ect of the invention to pro-vide an underfloor trench duct system wherein transporting of the various components to a Job site is greatly facilitated.
It is a still further obJect of the inventlon to pro-vide an underfloor trench duct system which has markedly im-proved structural stability and continuity and is capable of handling a wide variety of cables and wires.
Further and additional ob~ects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings and app~nded claims.
- In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a connector for use as an inside connector in one position and as an outside corner in an inverted position in a trench duct system of a type including spaced apart elongated generally parallel side rails and removable cover plates spanning the distance be-tween the side rails to engage correlative surfaces of the side rails, said connector comprising: two angularly disposed leg segments forming a first generally planar surface and a second generally planar surface on a side opposite the first surface with both surfaces adapted to engage a cover plate, an acute angle side surface and an obtuse angle side surface, and two distal end surfaces; a first rib-like elongated portion located on and protruding above the first surface, extending alongside
Background of the Invention Various underfloor trench duct systems have heretofore , been provided; however, because of certain inherent.design characteristics, they have been beset with one or more of the .
following shortcomings: a) the various components comprising the ~
duct sections of the system were required to be custom-made at a -. predetermined manufacturing facility, thereby complicating the shipment of the components to a job site and often times causing in-ordinate delays in the installation of the system; b) because - the duct section components wer.e custom-made, replacement thereof oftenti~e~ was a serious and costly logistics problem; c) modify- -ing at the job site the length of either, or both, the cover plate and side r~ils of a duct section so as to compensate for unfore-se~n or u~expectea structural situ~tions or changes occurring ; dur~ng ins$~112tion of the system was an extremely difficult, cos$1y and la~orious operation; d) the coupler members or con-- nectors u~ized in interconnecting adjoining duct sections were frequently of costly construction, awkward to install and impaired the stability and continuity of the system; e) the sub-assembly of the cove~ plate and side rails was not capable of being used in combinhtion with either a base pan or being mounted directly onto a c~ellular sub-floor; and f) warehousing of the various duc~ section components in numerous widespread geographical locations was not a practical or convenient way of distributing and merchandising the product.
q~
~036960 S~'iYMA~Y ()~ TliE II~IV~NTIO,J
~__________ Thus, it is an ob,3ect of the invention to provide an underrloor trenc}l duct system ~,~hich avoi~s the a~orenoted shortcomings.
It is a further ob~ect of the invention to provide an underfloor trench duct system which is versatile and thus facilitates the designing and installing of a variety Or lay-outs without embodying numerous custom-made components.
It is a still further ob~ect of the invention to pro-vide an underfloor trench duct system wherein transporting of the various components to a Job site is greatly facilitated.
It is a still further obJect of the inventlon to pro-vide an underfloor trench duct system which has markedly im-proved structural stability and continuity and is capable of handling a wide variety of cables and wires.
Further and additional ob~ects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings and app~nded claims.
- In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a connector for use as an inside connector in one position and as an outside corner in an inverted position in a trench duct system of a type including spaced apart elongated generally parallel side rails and removable cover plates spanning the distance be-tween the side rails to engage correlative surfaces of the side rails, said connector comprising: two angularly disposed leg segments forming a first generally planar surface and a second generally planar surface on a side opposite the first surface with both surfaces adapted to engage a cover plate, an acute angle side surface and an obtuse angle side surface, and two distal end surfaces; a first rib-like elongated portion located on and protruding above the first surface, extending alongside
-2-1036C~60 tne acute an~rle side, and having a top surface generally parallel to the upper surrace and raised above the first surface a height selecte(l to form a surface coplanar with the cover plates when assembled; a second rib-like elongated portion located on and protruding above the second surface, extending alongside the obtuse angle side, and having a surface generally parallel to the second surface and raised above the second surface a height selected to form a surface coplanar with the cover plates when assembled, and a means for fastening the connector to adJoining side rails of the trench duct sections.
For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the drawings wherein Fig, 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of layout of the improved underfloor trench duct system prior to being embedded in concrete, Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of a pair of aligned duct sections forming area A of the system of Fig. 1 and showing the cover plate of one duct section removed.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the duct sections of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and showing the side rail in a non-elevated position.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectiona] view taken along line 6~6 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 5 but showing the side rail in an elevated position relative to the base member.
!
~(~36960 . Il ~ ig. 8 is similar to Fig. 6 but showing the side rail in the same elevated ~osition as shown in Fig. 7.
-Fig. 9 is an enlaryed fraymentary top plan view of area ~ of the system of Fig. 1 wherein a plurality of duct 5 sections are arranged in intersecting relation, portions of , adjacent cover plates being removed so as to show a connector.
Fig. 10 is an enlarged top plan view of one form of ~` a connector utilized in the system of Fig. 1 and shown disposed `1 i in an inside corner mode.
10Fig. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the under-side of the connector of Fig. 10 disposed in an inside corner mode and with the components thereof in exploded relation.
Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken along line 12-12 f Fig. 10 and showing the connector in a non-elevated position. I
15Fig. 13 is similar to Fig. 12 but showing the ¦
conne~tor in an elevated position.
Fig. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 14-14 of Fig. 9.
Fig. lS is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line lS-lS of Fig. 14.
Fig. 16 is a fragmentary top plan view of area C of the system of Fig. 1 wherein a plurality of duct sections are arranged in a substantially T configuration.
Fig. 17 is a fragmen~ary top plan view of area D of -the system of F;g. 1 wherein a plurality of duct sections ~are arranged so as to form a substantially L configuration.
jFig. 18 is similar to Fig. 10 but showing the con-Inector thereof utilized in an outside corner mode.
Fig. 19 is an enlarged sectional view taXen along line 19-19 of Fig. 18.
~ 10369160 Fig. 20 is a fragmentary elevational view taken along line 20-20 of Fig. 18 and showing one leg segment of the connector connected to a side rail.
Fig. 21 is similar to Fig. 11 but showing the connector in an outside corner mode and with the components thereof in exploded relation.
FigO 22 is a perspective view of one form of a vertical elbow embodied in the system of FigO l; i Fig. 23 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 23-23 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 24 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 24-24 of Fig. 23.
FigO 25 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a wire protecting element embodied in the elbow of Fig. 22.
Fig. 26 is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of an en~ closure embodied in the system of Fig. 1.
Fig. 27 is an enlarged end elev~tional view of ~he end closure of Fig. 26.
Fig. 28 is a sectional view taken along line 28-28 of ~ig. 27.
FigO 29 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 29-29 of Fig. 28.
FigO 30 is a perspective view of an auxiliary cor,part-ment-forming member disposed within a duct section of the system shown in Fig. 1.
. Fig. 31 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 31-31 of Fig. 30.
i Fiq. 32 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view of the auxiliary compartment-forming member of Fig. 30.
Fig. 33 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a duct section showing the compartment-forming member of Fig. 30 in place.
Fig. 34 is a fraqmentary perspective view of a duct section ha~ing an auxiliary compartment-forming member and support post sub-ass~mbly disposed therein.
Fig. 35 is an enlarged top plan view of the duct section of Fig. 34 with a portion of the cover plate removed.
Fig. 36 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view of the support post sub-assembly embodied in the duct '~
section of Fig. 34.
Fig. 37 is a perspective top view of one form of a cover plate embodied in the system of Fig. 1 and showing a support strip and gasket carried on the cover plate.
Fig. 38 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken along lines 38-38 of Fig. 37 and showing in phantom lines an abutting cover plate.
Figs. 39, 40 and 41 are enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional views of the same portion of a side rail and showing ~ tile trim piece mounted in three relative positions within a groove formed in the side rail.
Description Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, one form of the improved underfloor trench duct system 100 is shown mounted on a cellular sub-floor member 101 and prior to concrete or the like being poured over the sub-floor member and between the various runs comprising the system.
' For illustrative purposes only, the system shown in Fig. 1 embodies a straight run area A formed of a plurality of duct sections 102 arranged in aligned abutting, end-to-end relation; a cross-over area B formed of a plurality of duct sections arranged in an intersecting relation; a substantially . , , ~03696~
T-shaped area C wherein a first duct section extends in one direc-tton at a right angle to a sec~ônd duct section; and area D
wherein a plurality,of duct sections are arrangea in an L con-~iguration. The number of areas A, B, C and D embodied in a system l00 will depend upon the ~esign layout for a given build-ing. In addition to the aforesaid area, the system will embody numerous other accessories common to such an installation such as, for example, a vertical elbow 103 and an end closuze 104.
One form of the duct section 102 utilized in the system is shown in Fig. 4 and includes a metallic base pan 105 having as one component thereof a bottom plate 106 resting upon and being secured by welding or suitable fasteners tothecellular subfloor member 101. Mounted in relatively spaced relation on the upper surface of plate 106 are elongated side wall elements lS - 107 and 108 which are preferably of L-shape in cross section. -The side wall elements are arranged in spaced relation and corre-sponding leg portions lQ7a ard 108a extend horizontally outward~y . iQ opposite directions and are secured to the bottom plate 106.
The other corresponding leg portions 107_ and 108_ extend upward-ly and are arranged in spaced substantially parallel relation.
Mounted on each leg portion 107b and 108b for selected vertical adjustment with respect thereto is a side rail 110 or 111. Each side rail to be hereinafter described is substantially of like configùration and preferably formed of extruded metal. Overly-ing the base pan 105 and supported by the side rails 110 and lli is a planar covcr plate 112 formed of metal. The width dimen-sion of the cover plate will depend upon the spacing between the side rails. The side rails are vertically adjusted so that the exposed surface of the cover plate can be made flush with a predetermined horizontal plane which becomes the screed surface of the poured concrete.
Th~ cover plate 112 `i^s removably secured to the side rails by a plurality of screw fasteners 113 symmetrically arranged along the side marginal portions of the cover plate, see FigO lo The shank of each fastener extends through a suitable opening formed in the cover plate and is threaded into an elon-gated groove 114 formed in the upper supporting surface of the corresponding side rails 110 or 111 disposed b~th the particulæ margina~
portion of the cover plate. Each groove 114 is coextensive with the length of the side rail. The fastener opening in the cover plate is pre-punched or drilled to accommodate a screw. The fasteners 113 may remain in place after the concrete has been poured or they may be discarded. In any case, however, it is preferred that the cover plate be secured to the side rails at the time the concrete is being poured. The ultimate disposition lS of the fasteners 113 will depend upon the esthetic effect desired, and whether the exposed surface of concrete and trench ~uct is to be covered over with ti~e, carpet or the like. The fastener may be a flat head or filister head type.
As seen in Fig. 4, the opposite side edges of the c~ver plate 112 engage elongated trim strips 115 formed of metal or plastic which are disposed wi~hin second elongated grooves 116 formed in the upper surface of the respective side rails 110 and 111. Groove 116, the function of which will be described I more fully hereinafter, is spaced from groove 114 and is sub-! 25 stantially parallel thereto. A portion 117 of the side rail i defines a wall of groove 116 and is elevated relative to theil cover plate supporting surface of the side rail. Projecting out-I wardly from the upper edge of portion ll7 is a flange 118 which .1 .
has an exposed upper surface su~stantially flush with the exposed surface of the cover plate 112, see Figs. 4-6. ~he trim piece 115 may be of such c~oss-sectional configuration that it can be accommodated in various relative positions within the side rail groove 116, as seen more clearly in Figs. 39-41. The relative . position of the trim strip within the groove will depend upon ¦ the type of floor covering, if any, to be ultimatelv used.
~ Vertical adjustment of the side rail 110 or 111 rela-I tive to the upstanding leg portion 107b or 108b of the side wall 10 ;elements is effected by adjusting screws 120, only one being shown in Figs. 6 and 8. The lower shank portion 120a of the screw is threaded into a fixed nut-like member 121 carried on a bracket 122 mounted on the outer surface of the side wall leg portion 107_.
, In the illustrated embodiment the brackets 122, nut-like members 1 15 121, and the lower shank portions 120a of the adjusting screws are exposed to the poured concrete and thus, proper leveling of side rails must occur prior to hardening of the concrete.~
The upper portion 120_ of-the adjusting screw is dis-posed within an opening 123 formed in the side rail 110. The 2~. upper end of the screw is recessed from the cover plate-supporting surface of the side rail. A suitable cross slot 120c is formed in the upper end of the screw to facilitate manual adjustment thereof with a screw driver or the like when the cover plate is removed. In some duct sections, however, it may be desirable to provide holes in the cover plate which align with correspond-ing openings 123, thereby permitting vertical adjustment of the side rails while the cover plate is assembled on the side rails.
In still other duct sections, the adjusting screws may be dis-posed beyond the periphery of the cover plate.
1036C~60 Spaced longitudinally do'wnwardly from the slotted upper end of screw 120 is an annular~cbllar 120d which is disposed within a suitable recess 124 formed in the underside of the side rail 110 or 111, see Fig. 6. The recess 124, in the illustrated embodiment, is of channel-like configuration and extends the full length of the side rail. The size and configuration of the screw collar 120d is such that it is impassable relative to the opening , 123.
'The underside of the screw collar 120 is engaged by a second bracket 125 which is affixed to the undersurface of the si~e rail 110 or 111 by means of suitable fasteners 126, only one being shown in Figs. 5 and 7. Thus, the screw collar 120d is sandwiched between the bracket 125 and the undersurface of the side rail. By reason of this arrangement,,the side rail - 15 can be vertically adjusted without requiring the cover plate to be in place, as is the case with various prior structures of this t!~e. ~ I f As seen in Figs. 6 and 8,~the cover plate-supporting ,~ - surface of the side rail is provided with a suitable sealing gasket 129 which engases the underside of the cover plate 112 when the latter is in place.
The side rail is provided with a depending flange or skirt 127 which is juxtaposed with respect to the interior surface of the siae wall upst~ing leg portion 107b. The skirt cooperates with the leg portion to form a concrete barrier regardless of whether the side rail is in an elevated position, sec Fi~. 8, or a non-elev'ated position, see Fig. 6.
As aforenoted, the outer portion 117 of the side rail has the upper edge thereof terminating in a flange 118, see Fig. 6, and spaced beneath the flange and projecting outwardly from por~ion 117 is a tongue-like element 130 which extends the full length of th~ side rail. Element 130 serves a dual function.' .
. l t)-- ~
103~960 . I
a) it is an effective key for t~ concrete which is poured subse-quent to the system being installed on the cellular subfloor member; and b) it is a means for enabling aligned side rails to be coupled together in abutting relation by an elongated splicer S piece 131.
It will be noted in Figs. 6 and 40 that the distal portion 130a of element 130 extends downwardly and inwardly ?7 forming an elongated cavity 132 of unique cross-sectional con-figuration which is adapted to snugly accommodate a similarly shaped projection 131a formed on the splicer piece 131, see Figs. 6 and 80 As seen in Fig. 3, the splicer piece 131, which is preferably an extrusion, extends a substantial distance in opposite directions from the joint J formed between the abutting duct sections 102. The splicer piece 131 has an outwardly -lS disposed portion 131b which is adapted to cooperate with projec-tion 131a so as to substantially encompass the distal portion 130a of the element 130. Because of the configuration of the distal portion 130a and the projection 131a, the splicer piece 131 can only move longitudinally of the side rail. Once the 20 abu~ting ends of the adjacent duct sections are in properly aligned relation and the splicer piece is positioned so that the joint J is disposed substantially midlength of the piece 131, the latter is locked in place by a pair of locking screws 133 threaded into corresponding holes 131c formed in portion 131b.
25 The holes 131c are longitudinally spaced a substantial distance apar~ so that one screw tightly engages one side rail and the other screw tightly engages the other side rail on duct section~
forming the ~oint J, see Fig. 3.
The surface of the side rail facing the compartment 30 128, in which the cablcs and/or wiring are housed, is providcd with a nose-like projection 134 disposed ad~acent the upper ~036960 portion thereof. The shape of the proj~ction 134 is such that it may b~ interlockingly engaged by a resilient clip, not shown, -carried on the underside of the cover plate 112 when the latter is assembled on the side rails.
As aforementioned, the trim strips 115 are of such configuration that each strip may be disposed within the groove 116 in any one of three positions, see Figs. 39, 40 and 41. , Strip 115 is a thin, elongated member of metzl or plastic mate-rial and having one flat narrow surface 115a. When the strip is in the position shown in Fig. 39, surface 115a is flush with the' exposed surface of the cover plate 112 and the floor surface may be readily covered ovèr with carpetlng.
The opposite narrow surface 115b o~ the strip has a step-like configuration. In Fig'. 39, the stepped surface 115b is concealed within groove 116 and snugly fits into a comple-mentary stepped pocket 116a formed in the bottom of the yroove.
~en, however, plastic floor tile or the like is to be applied t~
the exposed surface of the floor, the strip 115 is pos'itioned in -the groove 116 as shown in either Fig. 40 or Fig. 41. In both instances the strip protrudes upwardly from the groove an amount e~uivalent to the combined thicknesses of the cover plate and the tile to be applied over the cover plate. More of the trim strip will be exposed to view when it is positioned as in Fig. 40 than 'when positioned as in Fig. 41.
-- 25 As shown in ~lq. 4, cam~tnænt 12~, which is formd kv the base Pan and side rails 107 and 108 enables len~ths of cable, wirinq or the like to be laid therein or rem~ therefrom when the cover plate is removed.For conven-ience and/or in compliance with electrical safety codes, the com-' partment 128 may be formed into a plurality of auxiliary compart-ments 128a, 128_ and 128c, thereby enabling the cables and/or ` 1036~60 ' wiring to be segregated within a duct section. The number and size of the auxiliary compartments formed in a duct section will-depend upon the type of partitioning utilized. In Fi~s.4,23, and 31, form of partitioning is shown which includes a channel-shaped member 135 disposed beneath the cover plate. Member 135 has the sides 136 thereof formed in two sections 136a and 13fib which are adjustably connected to one another by a bolt and nut asse~bly 137. The shank of the bolt extends through an opening formed in one of the sections and an elongated vertically disposed slot formed in the other section. A web portion 138 i~terconnects the sections 136b of member 135 and rests upon i the bottom plate 106 of the duct section. Thus, by having the . sides 136 of the channel-shaped member 135 verticaily adjustable, the web portion 138 will rest at aIl times on the bottom plate 106 and the upper edges of sections 136a will engage the underside of the cover plate regardless of whether the side rails are in elevated or non-elévated positions. I
The upper edges of the side sections 136a are offset in opposite directions so as to form flanges 136c which are engaged by suitable vibration da~per pads 140 arranged in spaced relation along each flange. The pads engage the underside of cover plate 112 when the latter is in place. Once cables or wiring are laid in member 135, it will remain in the desired location within ~he compartment.
As noted in Fig: 1, the duct sections comprising the underfloar trench duct system are arranged in various angular relations, thereby forming areas B, C and D. Each area embodies a plurality of connectors 141 which are adapted to interconnect the ends of adjoining duct sections. As seen in Fig. 9, area B
is formed by utilizing four connectors 141, each-of which is dis-posed in an inside corner mode "IC". Fig. 16 shows area C wherein two connectors are utilized, and each is disposed in an inside 1036~960 corner mode. In area D, Fig. 17,-two connectors are utilized, one of ~hicll is disposed in an outside corner mode !'OC" and the other is disposed il~ an inside corner mode. As will be hereinafter descriked, the same connector is utili~ed in both modes; in one S mode the connector assumes one position and in th~ other mode it assumes an inverted position. In Figs. 10 and 11 the con-nector 141 is shown disposed in an inside corner mo~e and in Figs. 18 and 21 it is shown disposed in an outside corner mode.
Connector 141 in the illustrated embodiment includes a support portion, preferably a metallic casting, having a pair of leg segments 142 and 143 arranged at right angles to one another. The distal end of each leg segment is provided with a plurality of inflexible, longitudinal]y e~tending narrow fingers 144, 145, 146 and 147 which are adapted to interfit wit~in suitable grooves or spaces forrned in the abutting duct section. Fingers 144 and 147 are each provided with a trans-versel~ extending openirg 144a or 147_ wh;ch is a~an~ed to accommodate a locking screw 143, see Figs. 11 and 21. Each screw is manually adjusted to snugly engage an adjoining duct 2~, section, thereb~ retaining the connector and duct section in a~utting relation, see Figs. 14 and 20. As seen in Fig. 11, t~e fingers 144-147 are arran~ed in diagonally spaced relation on each end face.
Connector 141, as seen in Fig. 10, is disposed in an inside corner mocle ancl thè upper, or exposed, surface Sl of each leg segment is provided with a plurality of grooves lS0, 151 and 152. Groove 150 has one end l50a thereof terminating at the endface of the leg segment and the opposite end 150b terminating within the supporting portion and adjacent the juncture 153 of the leg sesments. When the conrector 141 and duct sections are assembled so as to form an inside corner, the groove 150 in , . 1036960 each leg secJment ~^~ill be in longitudinal alignment with the groove 114 for~ed in the corresponding side rail 110 or 111 of the adjacent duct section. The groove 150 is sized so as to accomrnodate the threaded shank of a cover plate hold-down screw 113.
Groove 151 in each leg segment 142 and 143 of thc connector 141 has one end 151a thereof terminatlng at the end face of the leg segn~ent. The opposite or inner ends 151_ of the grooves 151 interconnect, thereby forming a continuous groove from one end face to the other. Grooves 151 are aligned with the grooves 154 formed in the cover plate-supporting surfaces of the respective side rails 110 and 111 and are adapted to accommodate the sealing gasket 129, see Figs. 6 and 8.
Grooves 152 are interconnected, as in the case of grooves 151, and are aligned with the grooves 116 formed in the respective side rails 110 and 111. The cross-sectional configurations o~ grooves 11~ and 152 are t~le same ana tnus, grooves 152 are adapted to accommodate portions of trim pieces 115.
Disposed within the area of surface Sl, and delimited on opposite sides by grooves 151 and 152 are holes 155, 156 and 157 which are foxmed in the support portion of the connector.
Hole 155 is located in leg segment 142 and is adapted to receive the slotted upper end 158b of an adjusting screw 158. As in the case of the side rail adjusting screw 120, the slotted upper end 158b is recessed frorn the surface Sl of the connector 1~1. Adjusting screws 120 and 158 are of like configuration and function in a similar manner; IIole 155 is countersunk from the opposite surface S2 of leg se~ment 1~2 so as to accomrnodate the annular coll~r 158d fomled on screw 158. The lower end portion ~03696~
! 158a of screw 158 is threaded intb a stationary, internally threaded, upright cylindrical sleeve 160 which will be described more fully hereinaf~er.
Hole 156 is similar to hole 155 except that it is located in leg segment 143 and is in an inverted position, that is to say, the countersun~ portions of holes 155 and 156 face in opposite directions. When the connector 141 is disposed in an outside corner mode, Figs. 18 and 21, the countersunk ~7 portion of hole 156 w~ll face downwardly and accommodate the -' collar 158d of the adjusting screw 158.
~ole 157 is located at the juncture of leg sesments 142 and 143 and is adapted to receive the threaded shank of attaching screw 161 when the connector is in its outside corner mode, see Fig. 21.
Surface Sl, of the connector 141, as seen in Fig. 10, is partially delimited by an upwardly protruding L-shaped rib-like portion 152 ~hich extends into and forms a part of both leg segments 142 and 143. The end faces 162a of portion 162, when abutting corresponding end faces of adjacent side rails, cause the portion 162 to be aligned with the portions 117 of the adjacent side rails. The top surface of portion 162 is in coplanar relation with the exposed surface of the side rail flanges 118.
Fingers 147, which project longitudinally from end faces 162a, are each recessed from the exposed surface of portion 162 . an amoun~t equal to the thickness of flange 118 of the side rail 110 or 111 so that when the connector and side rails are assembled, the finger 147 will slide beneath the flange 118 as seen in Fig. 14. Once the connector and side rails are in proper abutting relation, the screws 148 are manually threaded into . '' . . .. _ . ............... _ .
finger holes 147a until the leading or concealed ends of the .~ . .
screw fr~ctionally engaye the sîde rail portions 117 and hold the connector and si~e rails in assembled relation. Simultaneously with the engagement of finger 147 beneath flange 118 of the S side rail, finger 146 will slidably engage a part of the under-side of the supporting portion of the side rail, as seen more clearly in Fig. 15. Finger 145 will also slide beneath the side rail but will not be in contact therewith. Finger 144 also - will slidably engage he surface of the side rail depending skirt 127 which forms a wall of the compartment 128 within the duct section, see Fig. 15O
As aforementioned, the adjusting screw 158 of the connector 141 is threaded into the stationary upstanding sleeve 160, see Fig. 11. The lower end o~ the sleeve is attached to a horizontally disposed base B of a mounting plate 163 which in turn is fixedly secured to the bottom plate 106 of the duct sec~ion hase p~n. The pl~te 163 is pro~ided with 2 pair of upright angularly disposed flanges l64 and 165, the function of which will be described more fully hereinafter~
A retaining member 166, as shown in Fig. 11, is provi-ded, which is adapted to be secured by a screw fastener 167 to the undersi~e (surface S2) of the connector 141. ~lember 166 includes , a horizontally disposed first flange 166a which is provided with i a cut-out 166b to permit the shank of the ad~usting screw 158 ~ 25 and the upper portion of sleeve 160 to pass therethrough. Dis I posed wi~thin the countersunk portion of the opening 155 and j encompassing a portion of the screw shank is a spacer sleeve 168.
j The upper edge of the sleeve 168 engages the underside of the screw collar 158d and the lower edge of the sleeve engages the first flange 166a of the retaining member 166~ Sleeve 168 is ~ , 103fi960 impassable relative to the cut-out 166b. The interior dimension of sleeve 168 is such that the upper end portion of the upright sleeve 160 will fit therein when the connector is disposed in a non-elevated position as seen in Fig. 10.
Retaining member 166 includes second and third flanges 166c and 166d which are disposed at a right angle to one another ;
and conform to the angular disposition of the leg segments 142 ~
,.
and 143~ Flanges 166c and 166d are disposed iI: sliding side-by-side relation with the upright flanges 164 and 165, respectively, formed on mounting plate 163 when the components of the connector I are in assembled relation as seen in Figs. 12 and 13. The flanges cooperate with one--another to form a barrier preventing the poured concrete from finding its way into the compartments ' 128 formed in the connected duct sections.
1~ As seen in Figs. 11-13, each leg segment 142 and 143 of ~he connector 141 has a pair of nose-like pr~Jections 170 and 171. When the connector is disposed in an inside corner mode, as seen in Figs. 10-13, the projections 170 are elevated relative to projections 171 and are aligned with the correspond-ing side rail nose-li~e projections 134 of the connected duct sections. Thus, with such an arrangement, the resilient hold-down clips carried on the underside of the cover plate can interlockingly engage either the nose-like projections 134 or 170, thereby permitting the length of the cover plate and the . 25 lengths of the respective side rails supporting said cover plate to be unequal without adversely effecting securement of the -¦ cover plate to the side rails.
In the area C arrangement, for example, both the duct sections, forming the top of the T shape, may have side rails of unequal lengths. The corresponding longer side rails of such . , .
1036,960 duct sections are aligned in end-to-end relation and are inter-connected by the splicer piece 131. The other or shorter corre- -sponding side rails of such duct sections are engaged by con-nectors 141 disposed in inside corner modes, see Fig. 16.
S Area D of the system is formed by a pair of duct sections in an L, or right angle, configuration, see Fig. 17.
With such an arrangement, two connectors 141 are utilized with t one of said connectors being disposed in an outside corner mode "OC" and the other connector being disposed in an inside corner mode "IC"~ The duct sections forming area D, each has one corresponding side rail of substantially greater length than the other corresponding side rail~ The longer side rails may extend a substantial distance beyond the edges of the cover plates as shown in Fig. 17, with the result that a separate square-shaped supplemental cover plate 112A is utilized. A similar su~emental co~er plate ~.ay be utLlize~ in area C, s e ~ig. 16 and in area B, see Fig. 9. Where a supplemental cover plate 112 is used, hold-down screws 113 may be çmployed to retain the plate 112A in place during pouring of the concrete.
The connector 141, when disposea in an outside corner mode "OC", see Figs. 18-21, assumes an inverted position rela-tive to the inside corner mode position "IC" as seen in Figs.
10-14, whereby surface S2 of the connector faces upwardly and is engaged by the cover plate. At the same time, nose-like ` 25 proiections 171 are disposed in elevated positions relative to projections 170, and the countersunk end of hole 155 faces upwardly. Grooves 150', 151i and 152' are formed in surface S2 I and serve the same functions as the previously described corre-sponding grooves 15C, 151 and 152 formed in surface 51 In 30 surface 52~ groove 150' is disposed closest to the side having l .
r ~ ' 103~;9160 the nose-like projection 171 and groove 152' is disposed closest to th~ side having the nose-like projection 170, see Fig. 18O By way of contrast, however, when the connector is in an inside corner mode, Fig. 10, and surface Sl faces unwardly, groove 150 is disposed closest to the side having the nose-like projection 170 and groove 152 is disposed closest to the side `having the nose projection 171. In a similar fashlon the rib-like protuberance 162' on surface S2 is disposed adjacent the side having the nose-like projection 170, thereas in surface Sl the '.
protuberance 162 is disposed adjacent the side having the nose-like projection 171.
¦ As seen in Fig. 21, the mounting plate 163' and retain-i ing member 166' for the connector, when it is in an outside corner mode "OC", have a different configuration from the corre-spondin~ plate 163 and member 166 when the connector is disposed in an inside corner mode "I~", see Fig. 11.
Ko~n~ing plate 1~3' is secured to ~he subflooring ~y welding or suitable means. A pair of angularly disposed upright flanges 164' and 165' are connected to the base B' of the plate but are disposed substantilly outside the perimeter of the base.
The internally threaded sleeve 160' is fixedly secured to the ¦~ base B'.
Retaining member 166' includes a p~ir of depending ¦ angularly disposed flanges 166'c and 166'd which are adapted to slidably cooperate with the respective flanges 164' and 165' of the-mounting plate 163' in the same manner as in the case of member 166 and plate 163 so as to form a concrete barrier. A
flange 166'a extends laterally from the upper edge of flanse 166'c and is adapted to be secured by screw 161 to surface Sl and thereby retain the spacer sleeve 168 and ajusting screw 158 .
in prope~ assembled relatio? within hole 156. Flange 166'a is provided with a cut-out 166'b through which the upper end of sleeve 160' extends when the connector is in a non-elevated position, see Fig. 19.
5 ~ Figs. 22-24 disclose one form of an elbow 103 which / is embodied in the system 100 of Fig. 1. The elbow functions / as a means of feeding cables and/or wiring in a vertical plane.
As seen in Fig.22, the elbow 103 includes a horizontally disposed i mounting plate 172 ~Jhich is adapted to span the distance between the side rails 110 and 111 of a duct section 102, see Fig. 1.
The opposite side marginal portions 172a are supported by the side rails and the plate 172 is secured to the side rails by suitable threaded fasteners 173; The leading ends of the fasteners 173 are adapted to threadably engage grooves 114 formed in the si2e rails. Preformed holes 174 may be formed in the marginal portions 172a of the plate to accommodate the fasteners 173.
The elbow 1~3 is normally positione-d at the end of a run and is frequently connected to a cabinet, box or closet, none of which is shown. In other instances, the elbow may be connected to a vertical riser, not shown.
Secured to mounting plate 172 and extending upwardly therefrom is a hollow rectangularly shaped member 175, which in the illustrated embodiment is formed from a channel-shaped piece 176 and a flat piece 177, the latter spanning the distance between the sides 176a of~piece 176 and being fixedly secured to the offset edges 176b of the sides.
The upper edge of the ~eb 176c of piece 176 which interconnects the sides 176a thereof and the upper edge of piece 177 are provided with suitable slots 176d and 177a, respectively, -~ 30 which are utilized when the elbow is to be connected to a cabinet, .~. I
~'' ' ' ~0;~6i960 ', bo~, closet or riser in a manner well known in the art.
In order ~o facilitate securement of member 175 to the mounting plate 172, the latter is provided with a cut-out 172b shaped to closely conform to the exterior cross-sectior.al 5 . configuration of the channel-shaped piece 176. The lower end of piece 176 is provided with an outwardly projecting flange 176_ which, in turn, is secured to the underside of mounting plate 172 by welding or the like.
The lower edge 177b of flat piece 177 is provided with a protector element 178, see Fig. 25, which is fixedly secured to the concealed surface of the piece. The lower portion of element 178 is chrled inwardly and upwardly so as to form a roll-shape bumper 178a. Thus, the bumper 178a alleviates any abrasion of the bent cable or wiring occurring when same is being fed to or from the duct section through the elbow member 175. If desired, a similar protector, not shown, may be secured to the lower edge of web 176c of member 176.
One form of an end closure 104 is shown more clearly ., .
. in Figs. 26-28 and is adapted to be positioned at the end of a run 20 of duct sections, see Fig. 1. Closure 104 includes a pair of sub-J stantially flat cover pieces 180 and 181 which are disposed trans-versely of the cover plate 112 and cooperate with one another to I close off the end of the compartment 128 formed within the duct sec-, tion. Cover piece 180 is provided with a pair of laterally extendirg ¦ 25 protube~ances 180a and b formed on the opposite narrow sides of the ¦ plate. Projecting transversely in the same direction from the ¦ protuberances 180a and 180b are elongated fittings 182, see Fig.
~ 28. Each fitting 182 has a cross-sectional configuration (see ¦ Fig. 29) which is like that of splicer piece 131, and thus, ; 30 corresponding portions of the fitting and splicer piece are identified by the same number. Fitting 182 is secured by threaded fasteners 183 to a tab 180c formed on the protuberance 180a or 180b.
In assembling the cover pieces 180 and 181 on the end S of a duct section, the fittings 182 extending from protuber-ances 180a and 180b are inserted endwise into the cavities 132 ;
formed in the tongue-like elements 130 of the side rails. Once ~i the fittings have been fully inserted into the respective cavities 132, the locking screw 184 carried by each fitting is manually adjusted so as to tightly engage the accommodated element 130 and thus retain the fittings and side rails in assembled relatlon. - ~ ~
To compensate for any vertical adjustment of the side rails to which the cover pieces 180 and 181 are connected, the cover piece 181 can be slidably adjusted relative to piece 180 by loosening a pair of nut and bolt assemblies 185 which connec~
-the two cover pieces together. The shank 185a of each bolt of the assembly 185 extends through an elongated vertically disposed slot 181a formed in the upper portion of piece 181, see Figs.
26-28. The lower edge 181b of piece 181 will normally rest upon the subflooring 101, see Fig. 26.
In Fig. 33, the compartment 128 within the duct section 102 has been formed into two auxiliary compartments 128d and 128e instead of three as shown in Fig. 4 by member 135. The member ' 25 135 in Flg. 33 has been modified slightly by having one of the l, upper sections 136a thereof removed so that the section 136b, ¦ from which section 136a was removed, can be positioned bencath the nose-lik~ projection 134 and in face-to-face contact with the depending s~irt 127 of the side rail 110. The remaining upper section 136a is adjusted vertically so that the pad 140 will positively en~age the underside of the cover plate.
In certain instances the interior compartment 128 of the duct section may be partitioned by one or more Z-shaped 5 members, not shown, which are substituted for the channel-~shaped member 135. With a Z-shaped member, the vertical web portion would be in sections similar to the sections 136a and 136b of member 13S. The lower section of the Z-shaped member, ~-however, would be fixedly secured to the bottom plate 106 of the base pan 105.
Where the span between the side rails of a duct section is substantial and where the anticipated load traffic over the cover plate might be heavy, it is oftentimes desirable to utilize a support post-assembly 186, one form of which is shown more lS clearly in Fig. 36. Assembly 186 includes a stationary, upright tubular member 1~7 having tne lower end thereof affixed to a mounting bracket 188. The bracket 188 is riveted or otherwise secured to the bottom plate 106. Projecting upwardly from the internally threaded upper end of member 187 is an adjusting screw - 20 190. The screw 190 is adjusted relative to member 187 so that the head 191 of the screw will engage the underside of the cover plate ~hen the latter is assembled on the side rails of the duct section. Preferably the support post-assembly 186 is positioned substantially equidistant from the side railsO The number of ass~blies utilized and their relative locations within the com-partment may be varied as desired.
Figs. 37 and 38 disclose a support strip and gas~;et assembly 192 which may be carried on the cover plate 112 and is positioned along one edge 112b of the cover plate ~:hich will abut an edge of an adjacent cover plate in a run, see Fig. 38. The .. .. .. ... ., . _ _ ~036960 assembly 192 includes an elongated bracket or strip 193 having a first flange 193a which projects beyond the edge 112b of the cover plate and is spaced downwardly from the plane defined by the underside of the cover plate. Mounted on the upper surface of bracket flange 193a is an elongated gasket 194 which will positively engage the underside of an adjacent cover plate when the plates are installed in abutting relation.
Bracket 193 includes a second flange 193b which is welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the underside of the cover plate adjacent the edge 112b thereof. The two flanges 193a and 193b are joined by an offsetting segment 193c. The length of the brac~et 193 is substantially the same as the width of the compartment 128 which is covere over by the cover plate.
As previously mentioned, the side rails 110 and 111 may be secured directly to the subfloor member 101 rather than to the bottom plate 106. In such an install~ticn, however, it is desirable that the side rails be disposed at a right angle to the valleys lOla formed in the cellular subfloor member and that suitable plate-like members, not shown, having peripheral shapes corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the valley extend down from the side rails and function as concrete barriers.
It should be noted that because all of the side rails utilized in the system have a uniform cross-sectional configura-tion and that there is no problem of aligning the hold-down screw holes in the cover plates with preformed holes in the side rails, shipment to the job site of the duct sections in either assembled or disassembled condition is optional and thus, mini-mizes any problems associated with transporting products of this type. Furthcrmore, because the cover plate sup?ortin~
~036'~60 portion of the conne~ctor can be used in either an inside corner mode or outsi.de corner mode, inventory of the connectors ~y the manufacturer is simplified and therefore the cost of manu ac-turing the connector is subc;tantially recluced. Warehousing in S various geographical locations of the cover plates, side rails, connectors, and various accessories utilized in the improved system is readily possible and economically feasible because such components are of uniform configuration and can be utilized i.n a wide variety of layout designs.
~e claim:
For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the drawings wherein Fig, 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of layout of the improved underfloor trench duct system prior to being embedded in concrete, Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of a pair of aligned duct sections forming area A of the system of Fig. 1 and showing the cover plate of one duct section removed.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the duct sections of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and showing the side rail in a non-elevated position.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectiona] view taken along line 6~6 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 5 but showing the side rail in an elevated position relative to the base member.
!
~(~36960 . Il ~ ig. 8 is similar to Fig. 6 but showing the side rail in the same elevated ~osition as shown in Fig. 7.
-Fig. 9 is an enlaryed fraymentary top plan view of area ~ of the system of Fig. 1 wherein a plurality of duct 5 sections are arranged in intersecting relation, portions of , adjacent cover plates being removed so as to show a connector.
Fig. 10 is an enlarged top plan view of one form of ~` a connector utilized in the system of Fig. 1 and shown disposed `1 i in an inside corner mode.
10Fig. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the under-side of the connector of Fig. 10 disposed in an inside corner mode and with the components thereof in exploded relation.
Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken along line 12-12 f Fig. 10 and showing the connector in a non-elevated position. I
15Fig. 13 is similar to Fig. 12 but showing the ¦
conne~tor in an elevated position.
Fig. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 14-14 of Fig. 9.
Fig. lS is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line lS-lS of Fig. 14.
Fig. 16 is a fragmentary top plan view of area C of the system of Fig. 1 wherein a plurality of duct sections are arranged in a substantially T configuration.
Fig. 17 is a fragmen~ary top plan view of area D of -the system of F;g. 1 wherein a plurality of duct sections ~are arranged so as to form a substantially L configuration.
jFig. 18 is similar to Fig. 10 but showing the con-Inector thereof utilized in an outside corner mode.
Fig. 19 is an enlarged sectional view taXen along line 19-19 of Fig. 18.
~ 10369160 Fig. 20 is a fragmentary elevational view taken along line 20-20 of Fig. 18 and showing one leg segment of the connector connected to a side rail.
Fig. 21 is similar to Fig. 11 but showing the connector in an outside corner mode and with the components thereof in exploded relation.
FigO 22 is a perspective view of one form of a vertical elbow embodied in the system of FigO l; i Fig. 23 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 23-23 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 24 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 24-24 of Fig. 23.
FigO 25 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a wire protecting element embodied in the elbow of Fig. 22.
Fig. 26 is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of an en~ closure embodied in the system of Fig. 1.
Fig. 27 is an enlarged end elev~tional view of ~he end closure of Fig. 26.
Fig. 28 is a sectional view taken along line 28-28 of ~ig. 27.
FigO 29 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 29-29 of Fig. 28.
FigO 30 is a perspective view of an auxiliary cor,part-ment-forming member disposed within a duct section of the system shown in Fig. 1.
. Fig. 31 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 31-31 of Fig. 30.
i Fiq. 32 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view of the auxiliary compartment-forming member of Fig. 30.
Fig. 33 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a duct section showing the compartment-forming member of Fig. 30 in place.
Fig. 34 is a fraqmentary perspective view of a duct section ha~ing an auxiliary compartment-forming member and support post sub-ass~mbly disposed therein.
Fig. 35 is an enlarged top plan view of the duct section of Fig. 34 with a portion of the cover plate removed.
Fig. 36 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view of the support post sub-assembly embodied in the duct '~
section of Fig. 34.
Fig. 37 is a perspective top view of one form of a cover plate embodied in the system of Fig. 1 and showing a support strip and gasket carried on the cover plate.
Fig. 38 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken along lines 38-38 of Fig. 37 and showing in phantom lines an abutting cover plate.
Figs. 39, 40 and 41 are enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional views of the same portion of a side rail and showing ~ tile trim piece mounted in three relative positions within a groove formed in the side rail.
Description Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, one form of the improved underfloor trench duct system 100 is shown mounted on a cellular sub-floor member 101 and prior to concrete or the like being poured over the sub-floor member and between the various runs comprising the system.
' For illustrative purposes only, the system shown in Fig. 1 embodies a straight run area A formed of a plurality of duct sections 102 arranged in aligned abutting, end-to-end relation; a cross-over area B formed of a plurality of duct sections arranged in an intersecting relation; a substantially . , , ~03696~
T-shaped area C wherein a first duct section extends in one direc-tton at a right angle to a sec~ônd duct section; and area D
wherein a plurality,of duct sections are arrangea in an L con-~iguration. The number of areas A, B, C and D embodied in a system l00 will depend upon the ~esign layout for a given build-ing. In addition to the aforesaid area, the system will embody numerous other accessories common to such an installation such as, for example, a vertical elbow 103 and an end closuze 104.
One form of the duct section 102 utilized in the system is shown in Fig. 4 and includes a metallic base pan 105 having as one component thereof a bottom plate 106 resting upon and being secured by welding or suitable fasteners tothecellular subfloor member 101. Mounted in relatively spaced relation on the upper surface of plate 106 are elongated side wall elements lS - 107 and 108 which are preferably of L-shape in cross section. -The side wall elements are arranged in spaced relation and corre-sponding leg portions lQ7a ard 108a extend horizontally outward~y . iQ opposite directions and are secured to the bottom plate 106.
The other corresponding leg portions 107_ and 108_ extend upward-ly and are arranged in spaced substantially parallel relation.
Mounted on each leg portion 107b and 108b for selected vertical adjustment with respect thereto is a side rail 110 or 111. Each side rail to be hereinafter described is substantially of like configùration and preferably formed of extruded metal. Overly-ing the base pan 105 and supported by the side rails 110 and lli is a planar covcr plate 112 formed of metal. The width dimen-sion of the cover plate will depend upon the spacing between the side rails. The side rails are vertically adjusted so that the exposed surface of the cover plate can be made flush with a predetermined horizontal plane which becomes the screed surface of the poured concrete.
Th~ cover plate 112 `i^s removably secured to the side rails by a plurality of screw fasteners 113 symmetrically arranged along the side marginal portions of the cover plate, see FigO lo The shank of each fastener extends through a suitable opening formed in the cover plate and is threaded into an elon-gated groove 114 formed in the upper supporting surface of the corresponding side rails 110 or 111 disposed b~th the particulæ margina~
portion of the cover plate. Each groove 114 is coextensive with the length of the side rail. The fastener opening in the cover plate is pre-punched or drilled to accommodate a screw. The fasteners 113 may remain in place after the concrete has been poured or they may be discarded. In any case, however, it is preferred that the cover plate be secured to the side rails at the time the concrete is being poured. The ultimate disposition lS of the fasteners 113 will depend upon the esthetic effect desired, and whether the exposed surface of concrete and trench ~uct is to be covered over with ti~e, carpet or the like. The fastener may be a flat head or filister head type.
As seen in Fig. 4, the opposite side edges of the c~ver plate 112 engage elongated trim strips 115 formed of metal or plastic which are disposed wi~hin second elongated grooves 116 formed in the upper surface of the respective side rails 110 and 111. Groove 116, the function of which will be described I more fully hereinafter, is spaced from groove 114 and is sub-! 25 stantially parallel thereto. A portion 117 of the side rail i defines a wall of groove 116 and is elevated relative to theil cover plate supporting surface of the side rail. Projecting out-I wardly from the upper edge of portion ll7 is a flange 118 which .1 .
has an exposed upper surface su~stantially flush with the exposed surface of the cover plate 112, see Figs. 4-6. ~he trim piece 115 may be of such c~oss-sectional configuration that it can be accommodated in various relative positions within the side rail groove 116, as seen more clearly in Figs. 39-41. The relative . position of the trim strip within the groove will depend upon ¦ the type of floor covering, if any, to be ultimatelv used.
~ Vertical adjustment of the side rail 110 or 111 rela-I tive to the upstanding leg portion 107b or 108b of the side wall 10 ;elements is effected by adjusting screws 120, only one being shown in Figs. 6 and 8. The lower shank portion 120a of the screw is threaded into a fixed nut-like member 121 carried on a bracket 122 mounted on the outer surface of the side wall leg portion 107_.
, In the illustrated embodiment the brackets 122, nut-like members 1 15 121, and the lower shank portions 120a of the adjusting screws are exposed to the poured concrete and thus, proper leveling of side rails must occur prior to hardening of the concrete.~
The upper portion 120_ of-the adjusting screw is dis-posed within an opening 123 formed in the side rail 110. The 2~. upper end of the screw is recessed from the cover plate-supporting surface of the side rail. A suitable cross slot 120c is formed in the upper end of the screw to facilitate manual adjustment thereof with a screw driver or the like when the cover plate is removed. In some duct sections, however, it may be desirable to provide holes in the cover plate which align with correspond-ing openings 123, thereby permitting vertical adjustment of the side rails while the cover plate is assembled on the side rails.
In still other duct sections, the adjusting screws may be dis-posed beyond the periphery of the cover plate.
1036C~60 Spaced longitudinally do'wnwardly from the slotted upper end of screw 120 is an annular~cbllar 120d which is disposed within a suitable recess 124 formed in the underside of the side rail 110 or 111, see Fig. 6. The recess 124, in the illustrated embodiment, is of channel-like configuration and extends the full length of the side rail. The size and configuration of the screw collar 120d is such that it is impassable relative to the opening , 123.
'The underside of the screw collar 120 is engaged by a second bracket 125 which is affixed to the undersurface of the si~e rail 110 or 111 by means of suitable fasteners 126, only one being shown in Figs. 5 and 7. Thus, the screw collar 120d is sandwiched between the bracket 125 and the undersurface of the side rail. By reason of this arrangement,,the side rail - 15 can be vertically adjusted without requiring the cover plate to be in place, as is the case with various prior structures of this t!~e. ~ I f As seen in Figs. 6 and 8,~the cover plate-supporting ,~ - surface of the side rail is provided with a suitable sealing gasket 129 which engases the underside of the cover plate 112 when the latter is in place.
The side rail is provided with a depending flange or skirt 127 which is juxtaposed with respect to the interior surface of the siae wall upst~ing leg portion 107b. The skirt cooperates with the leg portion to form a concrete barrier regardless of whether the side rail is in an elevated position, sec Fi~. 8, or a non-elev'ated position, see Fig. 6.
As aforenoted, the outer portion 117 of the side rail has the upper edge thereof terminating in a flange 118, see Fig. 6, and spaced beneath the flange and projecting outwardly from por~ion 117 is a tongue-like element 130 which extends the full length of th~ side rail. Element 130 serves a dual function.' .
. l t)-- ~
103~960 . I
a) it is an effective key for t~ concrete which is poured subse-quent to the system being installed on the cellular subfloor member; and b) it is a means for enabling aligned side rails to be coupled together in abutting relation by an elongated splicer S piece 131.
It will be noted in Figs. 6 and 40 that the distal portion 130a of element 130 extends downwardly and inwardly ?7 forming an elongated cavity 132 of unique cross-sectional con-figuration which is adapted to snugly accommodate a similarly shaped projection 131a formed on the splicer piece 131, see Figs. 6 and 80 As seen in Fig. 3, the splicer piece 131, which is preferably an extrusion, extends a substantial distance in opposite directions from the joint J formed between the abutting duct sections 102. The splicer piece 131 has an outwardly -lS disposed portion 131b which is adapted to cooperate with projec-tion 131a so as to substantially encompass the distal portion 130a of the element 130. Because of the configuration of the distal portion 130a and the projection 131a, the splicer piece 131 can only move longitudinally of the side rail. Once the 20 abu~ting ends of the adjacent duct sections are in properly aligned relation and the splicer piece is positioned so that the joint J is disposed substantially midlength of the piece 131, the latter is locked in place by a pair of locking screws 133 threaded into corresponding holes 131c formed in portion 131b.
25 The holes 131c are longitudinally spaced a substantial distance apar~ so that one screw tightly engages one side rail and the other screw tightly engages the other side rail on duct section~
forming the ~oint J, see Fig. 3.
The surface of the side rail facing the compartment 30 128, in which the cablcs and/or wiring are housed, is providcd with a nose-like projection 134 disposed ad~acent the upper ~036960 portion thereof. The shape of the proj~ction 134 is such that it may b~ interlockingly engaged by a resilient clip, not shown, -carried on the underside of the cover plate 112 when the latter is assembled on the side rails.
As aforementioned, the trim strips 115 are of such configuration that each strip may be disposed within the groove 116 in any one of three positions, see Figs. 39, 40 and 41. , Strip 115 is a thin, elongated member of metzl or plastic mate-rial and having one flat narrow surface 115a. When the strip is in the position shown in Fig. 39, surface 115a is flush with the' exposed surface of the cover plate 112 and the floor surface may be readily covered ovèr with carpetlng.
The opposite narrow surface 115b o~ the strip has a step-like configuration. In Fig'. 39, the stepped surface 115b is concealed within groove 116 and snugly fits into a comple-mentary stepped pocket 116a formed in the bottom of the yroove.
~en, however, plastic floor tile or the like is to be applied t~
the exposed surface of the floor, the strip 115 is pos'itioned in -the groove 116 as shown in either Fig. 40 or Fig. 41. In both instances the strip protrudes upwardly from the groove an amount e~uivalent to the combined thicknesses of the cover plate and the tile to be applied over the cover plate. More of the trim strip will be exposed to view when it is positioned as in Fig. 40 than 'when positioned as in Fig. 41.
-- 25 As shown in ~lq. 4, cam~tnænt 12~, which is formd kv the base Pan and side rails 107 and 108 enables len~ths of cable, wirinq or the like to be laid therein or rem~ therefrom when the cover plate is removed.For conven-ience and/or in compliance with electrical safety codes, the com-' partment 128 may be formed into a plurality of auxiliary compart-ments 128a, 128_ and 128c, thereby enabling the cables and/or ` 1036~60 ' wiring to be segregated within a duct section. The number and size of the auxiliary compartments formed in a duct section will-depend upon the type of partitioning utilized. In Fi~s.4,23, and 31, form of partitioning is shown which includes a channel-shaped member 135 disposed beneath the cover plate. Member 135 has the sides 136 thereof formed in two sections 136a and 13fib which are adjustably connected to one another by a bolt and nut asse~bly 137. The shank of the bolt extends through an opening formed in one of the sections and an elongated vertically disposed slot formed in the other section. A web portion 138 i~terconnects the sections 136b of member 135 and rests upon i the bottom plate 106 of the duct section. Thus, by having the . sides 136 of the channel-shaped member 135 verticaily adjustable, the web portion 138 will rest at aIl times on the bottom plate 106 and the upper edges of sections 136a will engage the underside of the cover plate regardless of whether the side rails are in elevated or non-elévated positions. I
The upper edges of the side sections 136a are offset in opposite directions so as to form flanges 136c which are engaged by suitable vibration da~per pads 140 arranged in spaced relation along each flange. The pads engage the underside of cover plate 112 when the latter is in place. Once cables or wiring are laid in member 135, it will remain in the desired location within ~he compartment.
As noted in Fig: 1, the duct sections comprising the underfloar trench duct system are arranged in various angular relations, thereby forming areas B, C and D. Each area embodies a plurality of connectors 141 which are adapted to interconnect the ends of adjoining duct sections. As seen in Fig. 9, area B
is formed by utilizing four connectors 141, each-of which is dis-posed in an inside corner mode "IC". Fig. 16 shows area C wherein two connectors are utilized, and each is disposed in an inside 1036~960 corner mode. In area D, Fig. 17,-two connectors are utilized, one of ~hicll is disposed in an outside corner mode !'OC" and the other is disposed il~ an inside corner mode. As will be hereinafter descriked, the same connector is utili~ed in both modes; in one S mode the connector assumes one position and in th~ other mode it assumes an inverted position. In Figs. 10 and 11 the con-nector 141 is shown disposed in an inside corner mo~e and in Figs. 18 and 21 it is shown disposed in an outside corner mode.
Connector 141 in the illustrated embodiment includes a support portion, preferably a metallic casting, having a pair of leg segments 142 and 143 arranged at right angles to one another. The distal end of each leg segment is provided with a plurality of inflexible, longitudinal]y e~tending narrow fingers 144, 145, 146 and 147 which are adapted to interfit wit~in suitable grooves or spaces forrned in the abutting duct section. Fingers 144 and 147 are each provided with a trans-versel~ extending openirg 144a or 147_ wh;ch is a~an~ed to accommodate a locking screw 143, see Figs. 11 and 21. Each screw is manually adjusted to snugly engage an adjoining duct 2~, section, thereb~ retaining the connector and duct section in a~utting relation, see Figs. 14 and 20. As seen in Fig. 11, t~e fingers 144-147 are arran~ed in diagonally spaced relation on each end face.
Connector 141, as seen in Fig. 10, is disposed in an inside corner mocle ancl thè upper, or exposed, surface Sl of each leg segment is provided with a plurality of grooves lS0, 151 and 152. Groove 150 has one end l50a thereof terminating at the endface of the leg segment and the opposite end 150b terminating within the supporting portion and adjacent the juncture 153 of the leg sesments. When the conrector 141 and duct sections are assembled so as to form an inside corner, the groove 150 in , . 1036960 each leg secJment ~^~ill be in longitudinal alignment with the groove 114 for~ed in the corresponding side rail 110 or 111 of the adjacent duct section. The groove 150 is sized so as to accomrnodate the threaded shank of a cover plate hold-down screw 113.
Groove 151 in each leg segment 142 and 143 of thc connector 141 has one end 151a thereof terminatlng at the end face of the leg segn~ent. The opposite or inner ends 151_ of the grooves 151 interconnect, thereby forming a continuous groove from one end face to the other. Grooves 151 are aligned with the grooves 154 formed in the cover plate-supporting surfaces of the respective side rails 110 and 111 and are adapted to accommodate the sealing gasket 129, see Figs. 6 and 8.
Grooves 152 are interconnected, as in the case of grooves 151, and are aligned with the grooves 116 formed in the respective side rails 110 and 111. The cross-sectional configurations o~ grooves 11~ and 152 are t~le same ana tnus, grooves 152 are adapted to accommodate portions of trim pieces 115.
Disposed within the area of surface Sl, and delimited on opposite sides by grooves 151 and 152 are holes 155, 156 and 157 which are foxmed in the support portion of the connector.
Hole 155 is located in leg segment 142 and is adapted to receive the slotted upper end 158b of an adjusting screw 158. As in the case of the side rail adjusting screw 120, the slotted upper end 158b is recessed frorn the surface Sl of the connector 1~1. Adjusting screws 120 and 158 are of like configuration and function in a similar manner; IIole 155 is countersunk from the opposite surface S2 of leg se~ment 1~2 so as to accomrnodate the annular coll~r 158d fomled on screw 158. The lower end portion ~03696~
! 158a of screw 158 is threaded intb a stationary, internally threaded, upright cylindrical sleeve 160 which will be described more fully hereinaf~er.
Hole 156 is similar to hole 155 except that it is located in leg segment 143 and is in an inverted position, that is to say, the countersun~ portions of holes 155 and 156 face in opposite directions. When the connector 141 is disposed in an outside corner mode, Figs. 18 and 21, the countersunk ~7 portion of hole 156 w~ll face downwardly and accommodate the -' collar 158d of the adjusting screw 158.
~ole 157 is located at the juncture of leg sesments 142 and 143 and is adapted to receive the threaded shank of attaching screw 161 when the connector is in its outside corner mode, see Fig. 21.
Surface Sl, of the connector 141, as seen in Fig. 10, is partially delimited by an upwardly protruding L-shaped rib-like portion 152 ~hich extends into and forms a part of both leg segments 142 and 143. The end faces 162a of portion 162, when abutting corresponding end faces of adjacent side rails, cause the portion 162 to be aligned with the portions 117 of the adjacent side rails. The top surface of portion 162 is in coplanar relation with the exposed surface of the side rail flanges 118.
Fingers 147, which project longitudinally from end faces 162a, are each recessed from the exposed surface of portion 162 . an amoun~t equal to the thickness of flange 118 of the side rail 110 or 111 so that when the connector and side rails are assembled, the finger 147 will slide beneath the flange 118 as seen in Fig. 14. Once the connector and side rails are in proper abutting relation, the screws 148 are manually threaded into . '' . . .. _ . ............... _ .
finger holes 147a until the leading or concealed ends of the .~ . .
screw fr~ctionally engaye the sîde rail portions 117 and hold the connector and si~e rails in assembled relation. Simultaneously with the engagement of finger 147 beneath flange 118 of the S side rail, finger 146 will slidably engage a part of the under-side of the supporting portion of the side rail, as seen more clearly in Fig. 15. Finger 145 will also slide beneath the side rail but will not be in contact therewith. Finger 144 also - will slidably engage he surface of the side rail depending skirt 127 which forms a wall of the compartment 128 within the duct section, see Fig. 15O
As aforementioned, the adjusting screw 158 of the connector 141 is threaded into the stationary upstanding sleeve 160, see Fig. 11. The lower end o~ the sleeve is attached to a horizontally disposed base B of a mounting plate 163 which in turn is fixedly secured to the bottom plate 106 of the duct sec~ion hase p~n. The pl~te 163 is pro~ided with 2 pair of upright angularly disposed flanges l64 and 165, the function of which will be described more fully hereinafter~
A retaining member 166, as shown in Fig. 11, is provi-ded, which is adapted to be secured by a screw fastener 167 to the undersi~e (surface S2) of the connector 141. ~lember 166 includes , a horizontally disposed first flange 166a which is provided with i a cut-out 166b to permit the shank of the ad~usting screw 158 ~ 25 and the upper portion of sleeve 160 to pass therethrough. Dis I posed wi~thin the countersunk portion of the opening 155 and j encompassing a portion of the screw shank is a spacer sleeve 168.
j The upper edge of the sleeve 168 engages the underside of the screw collar 158d and the lower edge of the sleeve engages the first flange 166a of the retaining member 166~ Sleeve 168 is ~ , 103fi960 impassable relative to the cut-out 166b. The interior dimension of sleeve 168 is such that the upper end portion of the upright sleeve 160 will fit therein when the connector is disposed in a non-elevated position as seen in Fig. 10.
Retaining member 166 includes second and third flanges 166c and 166d which are disposed at a right angle to one another ;
and conform to the angular disposition of the leg segments 142 ~
,.
and 143~ Flanges 166c and 166d are disposed iI: sliding side-by-side relation with the upright flanges 164 and 165, respectively, formed on mounting plate 163 when the components of the connector I are in assembled relation as seen in Figs. 12 and 13. The flanges cooperate with one--another to form a barrier preventing the poured concrete from finding its way into the compartments ' 128 formed in the connected duct sections.
1~ As seen in Figs. 11-13, each leg segment 142 and 143 of ~he connector 141 has a pair of nose-like pr~Jections 170 and 171. When the connector is disposed in an inside corner mode, as seen in Figs. 10-13, the projections 170 are elevated relative to projections 171 and are aligned with the correspond-ing side rail nose-li~e projections 134 of the connected duct sections. Thus, with such an arrangement, the resilient hold-down clips carried on the underside of the cover plate can interlockingly engage either the nose-like projections 134 or 170, thereby permitting the length of the cover plate and the . 25 lengths of the respective side rails supporting said cover plate to be unequal without adversely effecting securement of the -¦ cover plate to the side rails.
In the area C arrangement, for example, both the duct sections, forming the top of the T shape, may have side rails of unequal lengths. The corresponding longer side rails of such . , .
1036,960 duct sections are aligned in end-to-end relation and are inter-connected by the splicer piece 131. The other or shorter corre- -sponding side rails of such duct sections are engaged by con-nectors 141 disposed in inside corner modes, see Fig. 16.
S Area D of the system is formed by a pair of duct sections in an L, or right angle, configuration, see Fig. 17.
With such an arrangement, two connectors 141 are utilized with t one of said connectors being disposed in an outside corner mode "OC" and the other connector being disposed in an inside corner mode "IC"~ The duct sections forming area D, each has one corresponding side rail of substantially greater length than the other corresponding side rail~ The longer side rails may extend a substantial distance beyond the edges of the cover plates as shown in Fig. 17, with the result that a separate square-shaped supplemental cover plate 112A is utilized. A similar su~emental co~er plate ~.ay be utLlize~ in area C, s e ~ig. 16 and in area B, see Fig. 9. Where a supplemental cover plate 112 is used, hold-down screws 113 may be çmployed to retain the plate 112A in place during pouring of the concrete.
The connector 141, when disposea in an outside corner mode "OC", see Figs. 18-21, assumes an inverted position rela-tive to the inside corner mode position "IC" as seen in Figs.
10-14, whereby surface S2 of the connector faces upwardly and is engaged by the cover plate. At the same time, nose-like ` 25 proiections 171 are disposed in elevated positions relative to projections 170, and the countersunk end of hole 155 faces upwardly. Grooves 150', 151i and 152' are formed in surface S2 I and serve the same functions as the previously described corre-sponding grooves 15C, 151 and 152 formed in surface 51 In 30 surface 52~ groove 150' is disposed closest to the side having l .
r ~ ' 103~;9160 the nose-like projection 171 and groove 152' is disposed closest to th~ side having the nose-like projection 170, see Fig. 18O By way of contrast, however, when the connector is in an inside corner mode, Fig. 10, and surface Sl faces unwardly, groove 150 is disposed closest to the side having the nose-like projection 170 and groove 152 is disposed closest to the side `having the nose projection 171. In a similar fashlon the rib-like protuberance 162' on surface S2 is disposed adjacent the side having the nose-like projection 170, thereas in surface Sl the '.
protuberance 162 is disposed adjacent the side having the nose-like projection 171.
¦ As seen in Fig. 21, the mounting plate 163' and retain-i ing member 166' for the connector, when it is in an outside corner mode "OC", have a different configuration from the corre-spondin~ plate 163 and member 166 when the connector is disposed in an inside corner mode "I~", see Fig. 11.
Ko~n~ing plate 1~3' is secured to ~he subflooring ~y welding or suitable means. A pair of angularly disposed upright flanges 164' and 165' are connected to the base B' of the plate but are disposed substantilly outside the perimeter of the base.
The internally threaded sleeve 160' is fixedly secured to the ¦~ base B'.
Retaining member 166' includes a p~ir of depending ¦ angularly disposed flanges 166'c and 166'd which are adapted to slidably cooperate with the respective flanges 164' and 165' of the-mounting plate 163' in the same manner as in the case of member 166 and plate 163 so as to form a concrete barrier. A
flange 166'a extends laterally from the upper edge of flanse 166'c and is adapted to be secured by screw 161 to surface Sl and thereby retain the spacer sleeve 168 and ajusting screw 158 .
in prope~ assembled relatio? within hole 156. Flange 166'a is provided with a cut-out 166'b through which the upper end of sleeve 160' extends when the connector is in a non-elevated position, see Fig. 19.
5 ~ Figs. 22-24 disclose one form of an elbow 103 which / is embodied in the system 100 of Fig. 1. The elbow functions / as a means of feeding cables and/or wiring in a vertical plane.
As seen in Fig.22, the elbow 103 includes a horizontally disposed i mounting plate 172 ~Jhich is adapted to span the distance between the side rails 110 and 111 of a duct section 102, see Fig. 1.
The opposite side marginal portions 172a are supported by the side rails and the plate 172 is secured to the side rails by suitable threaded fasteners 173; The leading ends of the fasteners 173 are adapted to threadably engage grooves 114 formed in the si2e rails. Preformed holes 174 may be formed in the marginal portions 172a of the plate to accommodate the fasteners 173.
The elbow 1~3 is normally positione-d at the end of a run and is frequently connected to a cabinet, box or closet, none of which is shown. In other instances, the elbow may be connected to a vertical riser, not shown.
Secured to mounting plate 172 and extending upwardly therefrom is a hollow rectangularly shaped member 175, which in the illustrated embodiment is formed from a channel-shaped piece 176 and a flat piece 177, the latter spanning the distance between the sides 176a of~piece 176 and being fixedly secured to the offset edges 176b of the sides.
The upper edge of the ~eb 176c of piece 176 which interconnects the sides 176a thereof and the upper edge of piece 177 are provided with suitable slots 176d and 177a, respectively, -~ 30 which are utilized when the elbow is to be connected to a cabinet, .~. I
~'' ' ' ~0;~6i960 ', bo~, closet or riser in a manner well known in the art.
In order ~o facilitate securement of member 175 to the mounting plate 172, the latter is provided with a cut-out 172b shaped to closely conform to the exterior cross-sectior.al 5 . configuration of the channel-shaped piece 176. The lower end of piece 176 is provided with an outwardly projecting flange 176_ which, in turn, is secured to the underside of mounting plate 172 by welding or the like.
The lower edge 177b of flat piece 177 is provided with a protector element 178, see Fig. 25, which is fixedly secured to the concealed surface of the piece. The lower portion of element 178 is chrled inwardly and upwardly so as to form a roll-shape bumper 178a. Thus, the bumper 178a alleviates any abrasion of the bent cable or wiring occurring when same is being fed to or from the duct section through the elbow member 175. If desired, a similar protector, not shown, may be secured to the lower edge of web 176c of member 176.
One form of an end closure 104 is shown more clearly ., .
. in Figs. 26-28 and is adapted to be positioned at the end of a run 20 of duct sections, see Fig. 1. Closure 104 includes a pair of sub-J stantially flat cover pieces 180 and 181 which are disposed trans-versely of the cover plate 112 and cooperate with one another to I close off the end of the compartment 128 formed within the duct sec-, tion. Cover piece 180 is provided with a pair of laterally extendirg ¦ 25 protube~ances 180a and b formed on the opposite narrow sides of the ¦ plate. Projecting transversely in the same direction from the ¦ protuberances 180a and 180b are elongated fittings 182, see Fig.
~ 28. Each fitting 182 has a cross-sectional configuration (see ¦ Fig. 29) which is like that of splicer piece 131, and thus, ; 30 corresponding portions of the fitting and splicer piece are identified by the same number. Fitting 182 is secured by threaded fasteners 183 to a tab 180c formed on the protuberance 180a or 180b.
In assembling the cover pieces 180 and 181 on the end S of a duct section, the fittings 182 extending from protuber-ances 180a and 180b are inserted endwise into the cavities 132 ;
formed in the tongue-like elements 130 of the side rails. Once ~i the fittings have been fully inserted into the respective cavities 132, the locking screw 184 carried by each fitting is manually adjusted so as to tightly engage the accommodated element 130 and thus retain the fittings and side rails in assembled relatlon. - ~ ~
To compensate for any vertical adjustment of the side rails to which the cover pieces 180 and 181 are connected, the cover piece 181 can be slidably adjusted relative to piece 180 by loosening a pair of nut and bolt assemblies 185 which connec~
-the two cover pieces together. The shank 185a of each bolt of the assembly 185 extends through an elongated vertically disposed slot 181a formed in the upper portion of piece 181, see Figs.
26-28. The lower edge 181b of piece 181 will normally rest upon the subflooring 101, see Fig. 26.
In Fig. 33, the compartment 128 within the duct section 102 has been formed into two auxiliary compartments 128d and 128e instead of three as shown in Fig. 4 by member 135. The member ' 25 135 in Flg. 33 has been modified slightly by having one of the l, upper sections 136a thereof removed so that the section 136b, ¦ from which section 136a was removed, can be positioned bencath the nose-lik~ projection 134 and in face-to-face contact with the depending s~irt 127 of the side rail 110. The remaining upper section 136a is adjusted vertically so that the pad 140 will positively en~age the underside of the cover plate.
In certain instances the interior compartment 128 of the duct section may be partitioned by one or more Z-shaped 5 members, not shown, which are substituted for the channel-~shaped member 135. With a Z-shaped member, the vertical web portion would be in sections similar to the sections 136a and 136b of member 13S. The lower section of the Z-shaped member, ~-however, would be fixedly secured to the bottom plate 106 of the base pan 105.
Where the span between the side rails of a duct section is substantial and where the anticipated load traffic over the cover plate might be heavy, it is oftentimes desirable to utilize a support post-assembly 186, one form of which is shown more lS clearly in Fig. 36. Assembly 186 includes a stationary, upright tubular member 1~7 having tne lower end thereof affixed to a mounting bracket 188. The bracket 188 is riveted or otherwise secured to the bottom plate 106. Projecting upwardly from the internally threaded upper end of member 187 is an adjusting screw - 20 190. The screw 190 is adjusted relative to member 187 so that the head 191 of the screw will engage the underside of the cover plate ~hen the latter is assembled on the side rails of the duct section. Preferably the support post-assembly 186 is positioned substantially equidistant from the side railsO The number of ass~blies utilized and their relative locations within the com-partment may be varied as desired.
Figs. 37 and 38 disclose a support strip and gas~;et assembly 192 which may be carried on the cover plate 112 and is positioned along one edge 112b of the cover plate ~:hich will abut an edge of an adjacent cover plate in a run, see Fig. 38. The .. .. .. ... ., . _ _ ~036960 assembly 192 includes an elongated bracket or strip 193 having a first flange 193a which projects beyond the edge 112b of the cover plate and is spaced downwardly from the plane defined by the underside of the cover plate. Mounted on the upper surface of bracket flange 193a is an elongated gasket 194 which will positively engage the underside of an adjacent cover plate when the plates are installed in abutting relation.
Bracket 193 includes a second flange 193b which is welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the underside of the cover plate adjacent the edge 112b thereof. The two flanges 193a and 193b are joined by an offsetting segment 193c. The length of the brac~et 193 is substantially the same as the width of the compartment 128 which is covere over by the cover plate.
As previously mentioned, the side rails 110 and 111 may be secured directly to the subfloor member 101 rather than to the bottom plate 106. In such an install~ticn, however, it is desirable that the side rails be disposed at a right angle to the valleys lOla formed in the cellular subfloor member and that suitable plate-like members, not shown, having peripheral shapes corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the valley extend down from the side rails and function as concrete barriers.
It should be noted that because all of the side rails utilized in the system have a uniform cross-sectional configura-tion and that there is no problem of aligning the hold-down screw holes in the cover plates with preformed holes in the side rails, shipment to the job site of the duct sections in either assembled or disassembled condition is optional and thus, mini-mizes any problems associated with transporting products of this type. Furthcrmore, because the cover plate sup?ortin~
~036'~60 portion of the conne~ctor can be used in either an inside corner mode or outsi.de corner mode, inventory of the connectors ~y the manufacturer is simplified and therefore the cost of manu ac-turing the connector is subc;tantially recluced. Warehousing in S various geographical locations of the cover plates, side rails, connectors, and various accessories utilized in the improved system is readily possible and economically feasible because such components are of uniform configuration and can be utilized i.n a wide variety of layout designs.
~e claim:
Claims (8)
1. A connector for use as an inside connector in one position and as an outside corner in an inverted position in a trench duct system of a type including spaced apart elongated generally parallel side rails and removable cover plates spanning the distance between the side rails to engage correlative surfaces of the side rails, said connector com-prising:
two angularly disposed leg segments forming a first generally planar surface and a second generally planar surface on a side opposite the first surface with both sur-faces adapted to engage a cover plate, an acute angle side surface and an obtuse angle side surface, and two distal end surfaces;
a first rib-like elongated portion located on and pro truding above the first surface, extending alongside the acute angle side, and having a top surface generally parallel to the upper surface and raised above the first surface a height selected to form a surface coplanar with the cover plates when assembled;
a second rib-like elongated portion located on and protruding above the second surface, extending alongside the obtuse angle side, and having a surface generally parallel to the second surface and raised above the second surface a height selected to form a surface coplanar with the cover plates when assembled; and a means for fastening the connector to adjoining side rails of the trench duct sections.
two angularly disposed leg segments forming a first generally planar surface and a second generally planar surface on a side opposite the first surface with both sur-faces adapted to engage a cover plate, an acute angle side surface and an obtuse angle side surface, and two distal end surfaces;
a first rib-like elongated portion located on and pro truding above the first surface, extending alongside the acute angle side, and having a top surface generally parallel to the upper surface and raised above the first surface a height selected to form a surface coplanar with the cover plates when assembled;
a second rib-like elongated portion located on and protruding above the second surface, extending alongside the obtuse angle side, and having a surface generally parallel to the second surface and raised above the second surface a height selected to form a surface coplanar with the cover plates when assembled; and a means for fastening the connector to adjoining side rails of the trench duct sections.
2. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said side rails have elongated grooves formed in an upper surface adapted to receive fasteners extending downwardly from the cover, and wherein said first and second surfaces of the connector each have a groove running substantially parallel to and spaced apart from its correlative rib-like portion by the same dis-tance with said distance selected to align said connector grooves with the side rail grooves when the trench duet system is assembled.
3. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said means for fastening comprises generally inflexible fingers extend-ing from the distal ends of the leg segments and positioned to overlap and engage selected portions of the trench duct side rails, and screw fasteners attached to one of the fingers and positioned to clasp said portions of the duet sections between at least two of said fingers by the engagement of the screw to thereby connect the adjoining sections and the con-nectors to form the trench duct system.
4. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said con-nector and said side rails each comprise a means for inde-pendently vertically adjusting the respective height of the connectors and the side rails prior to being embedded in the hardenable material.
5. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said means for fastening comprises fingers extending from the distal ends of the leg segments and positioned to overlap and engage selected portions of the trench duet side rails.
6. A connector according to claim 5 wherein said means for fastening also comprises engaging means attachable to one of the fingers for clasping the portions of the duct sections between at least two of said fingers to thereby securely con-nect the adjoining sections and the connectors to inter-connect the sections of the trench duct system.
7. A connector according to claim 5 wherein said side rails have elongated grooves formed in an upper surface adapted to receive fasteners extending downwardly from the cover, and wherein said first and second surfaces of the con-nector each have a groove running substantially parallel to and spaced apart from its correlative rib-like portion by the same distance with said distance selected to align said connector grooves with the side rail grooves when the trench duct system is assembled.
8. A connector for use as an inside corner connector in one position and as an outside corner connector in an inverted position in a trench duct system typically of the type installed in sections on a horizontal support and embed-ded in concrete poured over the support to form a floor with said sections including elongated generally parallel side rails having elongated grooves formed in an upper surface and adapted to receive screw fasteners extending downwardly from the cover and having independently vertically adjustable supports adjusted prior to pouring of the concrete, including removable cover plates spanning the distance between the side rails to engage correlative surfaces of the side rails and producing an upper surface coplanar with the floor when assembled, and including screw fasteners positioned to engage the elongated grooves and hold down the cover plate when assembled, said connector comprising:
two leg segments disposed at a right angle to each other forming a first generally planar surface on one side of the connector and a second generally planar surface par-allel to the first surface on a side opposite to the first side with each side adapted to engage cover plates, an acute angle side surface and an obtuse angle side surface, and two distal end surfaces;
a first rib-like elongated portion on the first surface extending alongside the acute angle side, and protruding above the first surface to form a planar surface parallel to the first surface and at a height selected to be coplanar with the top of the cover plates when the system is assembled;
a second rib-like portion on the second surface extending alongside the obtuse angle side, and protruding above the second surface to form a planar surface parallel to the second surface at a height selected to be coplanar with the top of the cover plates when the system is assembled;
said first and second surfaces each having grooves run-ning substantially parallel to and spaced apart from each of its correlative rib-like portions by the same distance with said distance selected to align said connector grooves with the side rail grooves when the trench duct system is assembled;
generally inflexible fingers extending from the distal ends of the leg segments and positioned to overlap and engage selected portions of the trench duct side rails; and a screw fastener attached to one of the fingers and positioned to clasp said portions of the duct sections between at least two of said fingers and the engaged screw to thereby secure the connectors to the sections of the trench duct system.
two leg segments disposed at a right angle to each other forming a first generally planar surface on one side of the connector and a second generally planar surface par-allel to the first surface on a side opposite to the first side with each side adapted to engage cover plates, an acute angle side surface and an obtuse angle side surface, and two distal end surfaces;
a first rib-like elongated portion on the first surface extending alongside the acute angle side, and protruding above the first surface to form a planar surface parallel to the first surface and at a height selected to be coplanar with the top of the cover plates when the system is assembled;
a second rib-like portion on the second surface extending alongside the obtuse angle side, and protruding above the second surface to form a planar surface parallel to the second surface at a height selected to be coplanar with the top of the cover plates when the system is assembled;
said first and second surfaces each having grooves run-ning substantially parallel to and spaced apart from each of its correlative rib-like portions by the same distance with said distance selected to align said connector grooves with the side rail grooves when the trench duct system is assembled;
generally inflexible fingers extending from the distal ends of the leg segments and positioned to overlap and engage selected portions of the trench duct side rails; and a screw fastener attached to one of the fingers and positioned to clasp said portions of the duct sections between at least two of said fingers and the engaged screw to thereby secure the connectors to the sections of the trench duct system.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US54510975A | 1975-01-29 | 1975-01-29 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1036960A true CA1036960A (en) | 1978-08-22 |
Family
ID=24174919
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA243,517A Expired CA1036960A (en) | 1975-01-29 | 1976-01-14 | Trench duct system |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1036960A (en) |
| GB (1) | GB1538574A (en) |
| MX (1) | MX4013E (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE3114225A1 (en) * | 1981-04-08 | 1982-11-04 | Siemens AG, 1000 Berlin und 8000 München | Corner connector for underfloor installation |
-
1976
- 1976-01-14 CA CA243,517A patent/CA1036960A/en not_active Expired
- 1976-01-23 MX MX10055376U patent/MX4013E/en unknown
- 1976-01-29 GB GB348376A patent/GB1538574A/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| MX4013E (en) | 1981-10-30 |
| GB1538574A (en) | 1979-01-24 |
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