GB2189414A - Mounting structure - Google Patents

Abstract

The structure has two pairs of spaced apart parallel rails with a longitudinal slot separating each of said pair. Each rail has a depending J-shaped portion 16, 18 forming a partial L-shaped trackway for a slider 24 L-shape. The slider is connected to a third rail 30 orthogonally mounted on said pairs of rails, by means of a bolt 52 passing through the slider 24 and engaging a nut 48 in a T-shaped slot in the third rail. A console 6 is mounted on the third rail along with a parallel rail, and carries T-slots on its top for equipment items, the slots accepting headless bolts engageable with elongate nuts. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Universal equipm-ent-mounting structure Background of the invention This invention relates to a universal equipment mounting structurewherebyvariousequipmentcomponents can be secured togetherfor easy movement in the X-Y directions.

Although the invention is not restricted to any particulartypes of equipment, it will be specifically described with reference to a console repair system used to repair electronic components.

LJ.S. Patent-No. 4,471,898 discloses a modular power supply having a case made up oftop, bottom and side plates. Each plate has either a male or female portion atthe edge which is slidably interconnectable with the edge of an adjacent plate. In addition, male and/orfemale portions located onthetop, bottom and side plates matingly engage with similarfemale and/or male portions on a handle, output device receptacle, and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, a base has two pairs of spaced parallel rails with longitudinal slots separating each of the rails of a pair. A J-shaped portion depends from each rail of each pair and forms an L-shaped partial trackway under each of the rails. A C-shaped slider having an aperture therein in alignment with the slot is slidable in a complete trackwayformed by two L-shaped partial trackways under each pair of rails.

At least one third rail having a T-shgped longitudinal slot therein is orthogonally mounted on the two pairs of rails and a securing means, i.e., a bolt, passes through the aperture in the slider and isthreaded into a nut in the T-shaped slot inthethird rail in orderto secure the structure together.

Generally, the third rail will be secured by two bolts each passing through one aperture and one slider, with one slider being mounted in each pair of rails.

The third rail may be be part of female adaptor to contain various controls or other equipment and the pairs of rails are mounted at the top sides of a cabinet which supports the console. Aworktable also may be mounted adjacent the console by being bolted to the pairs of rails at each side.

Further,theconsole may have one or morel- shaped slots in the top thereof to receive a nut which is of such a shape that it may be inserted into the T-shaped slot from the front thereof and then turned and locked bythreading a headless bolttherein. The nut is elongated and thus, when turned so that when the longitudinal axis of the nut is at about 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the T-shaped slotitcan be secured against movement byturning a headless bolt therein. Other equipment items then may be secured to the other end of the headless bolt by means of a nut.Of course, a plurality of elongated nuts and headless bolts may be employed in T-shaped slots in the top of the console in ordersecure equipment items ata number of points BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA WINGS The invention will be further illustrated by reference tothe accompanying drawings in which: Figures TAand fB taken together are a front view in elevation, partially broken away, showing a supporting cabinet, a worktable and a console mounted on the cabinet.

Figure 2 is a side view of the console and partial view oftheworktabletaken on line 2-2 ofFigure3, and looking in the direction of the arrows, Figures 3A and 3B taken together are a fragmentary plan view of part of the console and a partial view of theworktabletaken on line 3-3 of Figure 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows, Figure 4 is a detailed view showing the mounting of the consoleto the cabinet, Figure 5 is a plan view of an elongated nut employed to secure equipment components in a T-shaped slot at the top ofthe console, and Figure 6 showsthe elongated nut of Figure 5 secured in place by means of a headless bolt.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to Figures 1A and 1 B, the assembly includes the cabinet 2, which is shown partly broken away at Figure 1A, having an optional worktable 4 secured thereto and the console 6 secured to the cabinet 2 behind the worktable 4. As shown at the left-hand side of Figure 1,the pairof rails 8 and 10 longitudinally extend into and out ofthe plane ofthe drawing, the length ofthe rails being approximately equal to the depth of the work table and the console in this embodiment are secured to the worktable 4 by means of a threaded bolt 12 which engages the internal threads of a sleeve 14, which sleeve is received in a circular aperture in the worktable 4 by means of a press fit orthe like.The worktable 4 may be made of wood or other similar material or of metal and, if of metal, the sleeve 14 is externally threaded into a threaded aperture in the worktable 4.

Each ofthe rails 8 and 10 has a substantially J-shaped depending portion 16and 18forming a substantially L-shaped partial trackway 20 and 22 therein which receives a substantially C-shaped slider 24 having a central aperture 26therein through which the bolt 12 passes.

Referringto Figure 2, the console 6 is shown having a pair ofl-shaped slots 28 and 30 in the bottom thereof as well as the I-shaped slots 32 and 34, which latter slots are in thetop of a pairof extrusions 36 and 38, respectively, forming the bottom of the console and where slits 28, 30, 32 and 34 extend the lengths of their respective extrusions.

The console also includes an extrusion 55 (Fig. 2) forming the top thereof. Side plates 50 and 51 are secured to the ends of extrusions 55,36 and 38 via screws 53 which are threaded into tubular portions 57 on the extrusions, which portions also extend the length oftheirextrusions.

A pairof bars 40 and 42, as shown in Figure 3, may be secu red to theextrusions 36 and 38 by means of the bolts 44which engagethenuts46inthel-shaped slots 32 and 34. The bars 40 and 42 are optionally employed to raise the level of the bed ofthe console to thereby support equipment items in an elevated position with respect to the extrusions 36 and 38.

Referring to Figure 4, the mounting ofthe console 6 on the cabinet2 is shown in detail.

Similarlyto Figure 1, the substantially C-shaped slider 24 has the depending arms 20 and 22 received in the substantially J-shaped portions 16 and 18 of the rails 8 and 10where the length of the slider perpen dicularto the plane ofthe paper may be about 1 inch andthewidth about 11/4inch in the planeofthe paper.

A nut 48 is inserted within the T-shaped slot 30 either priorto attaching the end plate 50 to the console 6orsubsequentto removing ittherefrom. The nut is then slid into the T-shaped slot until it is positioned overthe aperture in slider 24. The nut 48 is threadably engaged with the bolt 52 which bolt 52, when turned down, will engage the nut 48 against the bottom side 54 ofthel-shaped slot 30 and thereby securethe C-shaped slider in position.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that inasmuch as the C-shaped slider 24 having the arms 20 and 22 may be moved longitudinally into and out ofthe plane of the drawing by releasing the bolt 52 and the console 6 may be moved transversely in the plane of the paper along the slots 28 and 30 with respectto the cabinet 2 when the bolt 52 is released, the console 6 may be moved in two orthogonal directions with respectto the cabinet 2. Generally speaking, the console 6 will IIbe secured to the cabinet 2 byfoursliders 24 and four bolts 52 and nuts 48, although only one is shown in Figure4.

Referring to Figure 2, the extrusion 55 has a pair of longitudinal slots 56 and 58 therein which also extend the length ofthe extrusion. Various equipment items may be secured to the top ofthe console 6 in the slots 56 and 58 by using the nut shown in Figure 5 and the nut and headless bolt assembly shown in Figure 6.

Referring to Figure 5, the nut 60 has an elongated shape and a threaded central aperture 62therein. The width ofthe nut 60 is such that the nut may be dropped into slot 56 or 58 from the top and then turned to an approximately 45 angle such that it cannot be removed from theT-shaped slotthrough the top.

The nut 60 is shown in its secured position in the T-shaped groove 58 in Figure 6 where the headless bolt 64 is threaded into the aperture 62 in the nut 60, thereby pulling the nut 60 upwardly to engage with the upper portions 66 ofthel-shaped slot 58. A nut 68 threaded onto the headless bolt 64 will thus force the washer 70 against an equipment item 72 to be secured in place. Alternatively, an ordinary headed bolt may be employed instead ofthe headless bolt 64, if desired.

From theforegoing itis apparentthatthe present invention provides a method of connecting equip ment components which is easy to use and permits rapid orthogonal movement of equipment componentswith respect to each other. Further, additional equipment components may be secu red to the top of the console by means ofthe elongated nut and headless bolt disclosed herein whereby it is unnecessaryto remove the end plates from the console to remove the elongated nut from the T-shaped slot in the top ofthe console, thereby facilitating rapid attachment and detachment of equipment items to the top of the console.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the artthat many modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.

Claims (9)

1. A mounting structure comprising two pairs of spaced parallel rails, a longitudinal slot separating each of said pair, a J-shaped portion depending from each rail of each pair and forming an L-shaped partial trackay under each of said rails, a C-shaped slider having an aperture therein in alignmentwith said slot, in a completetrackway, formed by said two partial L-shapedtrackways, under each pair of rails, atleastonethird rail, having aT-shaped longitudinal slot therein, orthogonally mounted on said pairs of rails, and securing means in said T-shaped slot and said aperture for connecting said structure together.

2. A mounted structure according to claim 1 in which said securing means is a bolt passing through said aperture and engaging a nut in said T-shaped slot.

3. A mounting structure according to claim 1, including a plurality of third rails, each having a T-shaped longitudinal slot therein, orthogonally mounted on said pairs of rails.

4. A mounting structure according to claim 1 including a worktable mounted on said pairs of spaced parallel rails.

5. A mounting structure according to claim 4 including a control console secured to said third rail adjacent said worktable.

6. A mounting structure according to claim 5 including a longitudinal T-shaped slot in the top of said control console.

7. A mounting structure according to claim 6 including a headless bolt in said T-shaped slot in the top of said control console, said headless bolt having nuts at each end, at least one of said nuts being of a size and shape such that it can be inserted through the front of said sl ot, tu rn ed, and secured against movement byturning said headless bolt.

8. A mounting structure according to claim 1 in which said rails are extrusions.

9. A mounting structure substantially as herein be- fore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.