GB2390753A

GB2390753A - Cable tray support

Info

Publication number: GB2390753A
Application number: GB0310725A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Davids Bottomley; David Thompson
Original assignee: WEB
Current assignee: WEB
Priority date: 2002-05-11
Filing date: 2003-05-12
Publication date: 2004-01-14
Also published as: GB0210818D0; GB0310725D0

Abstract

A cable tray support apparatus includes a support bracket 2, a pillar 21 for attachment to the support bracket 2 and a cable tray support 26 for attachment to the pillar 21. The pillar 21 includes a series of spaced apertures (19, Fig 3) along the length thereof, for selective location therein of lugs (12, 14, 16, 18, Fig 2) provided on the support bracket 2 and lugs provided on the cable tray support 26. The pillar 21, when attached to the support bracket 2, lies within the envelope (23, Fig 2) defined by the support bracket 2 and may depend downwardly from the centre point of the support bracket 2 when attached to a ceiling or support beam.

Description

Cable Support System The invention to which this application relates is to

apparatus for use, when constructed, to provide support for cable trays and the like. "Cable trays" is a name given to a form of channel or tray along which cables pass and are supported throughout buildings and other installations so as to allow the cables to be held, for example, near the ceiling, or walls and generally out of reach, and ensuring that the cables are passed safely between start and end points to allow transfer of electricity, data and the like.

There are many known forms of cable tray systems, which all have their own variations and peculiarities, but typically, the cable tray systems comprise a means for location with the cable tray itself, extension means to allow the same to be spaced from the support surface and a supporting bracket for connection with the extension means to contact the support surface.

Suppo rting brackets can typically be fitted to the wall or ceiling.

The invention of this application is particularly directed towards the provision of support for cable trays from a ceiling of a building. In one known conventional system' the support comprises a cable tray support suspended between two members which, in turn are secured to the ceiling. The cable is required to be threaded through the channel defined by the cable tray support which can be difficult and the members are difficult to attach to the ceiling due to the number of components and nuts and bolts required to be used.

Another known system utilises a series of components bolted together to form a bracke t depending downwardly from the ceiling but, once more, a significant number of components are

required to be joined together by nuts and bolts in situ on or at the ceiling.

third known system utilises an 'I'' beam or "pendant drop" but once again various compo nents are required to be bolted together in situ at the ceiling.

A problem with each of these known types of systems is that they incorporate a relatively large number of components which are required to be assembled on site and which, when one considers that the same are being fitted at or near a ceiling, can be awkward for a person to assemble especially using nuts and bolts. There is also a risk of danger to the person as they work at a considerable height above the floor.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a ceiling cable tray sup port system which is relatively easy to assemble, provides improved load distribution and can be formed from a reduced number of components.

In a firs t aspect of the invention, there is provided support apparatus for a cable tray, said apparatus comprising a support bracket for attachment to a ceiling or beam, a pillar connected to and depending from the support bracket and a cable tray support located on the pillar and wherein the pillar extends below the support bracket in a plane within the envelope of the support bracket when mounted on the ceiling, and is located with the support bracket via the engagement of matching male and female location means.

In one embodiment the cable tray support can be selectively positioned with respect to a number of spaced locators provided on the pillar.

In one embodiment the pillar is connected with the support bracket by the selective engagement of location means with a series of spaced location means on the support bracket.

In a preferred embodiment, the pillar depends from the support bracket in a plane located at or adjacent to the centre of said support bracket.

Typically' the support bracket has a number of sets of the said location me ens thereon onto which the pillar can be mounted.

In one embodiment the location means comprise a series of lugs, the spacing and configuration of the same being defined by the particular cable tray system with which the support bracket is to be used. It is therefore envisaged that the lugs can be used with the components of a number of different conventional systems to provide the advantage s as herein described, and, in each case, allow the engagement of the pillar with the support bracket without the need for nuts and bolts to be used.

Typically, the various components can be manufactured from any suitable material with sheet metal found to be particularly appropriate in a preferred embodiment, the support bracket includes a locking means which can be moved by the assembler to lock the pillar in position with respect to the support bracket.

Typically the cable tray support extends from the pillar in a horizontal plane and has location means, typically lugs, which can be selectively located on the pillar locators to suit the particular level required for the cable tray support. The pillar typically includes a series of apertures at spaced locations, said apertures acting as location means for the support bracket location means and also the cable tray support with the cable

tray support selectively engaged at the required location and height on the pillar.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a cable tray ceiling support system, said system comprising a plurality of support assemblies at spaced intervals, each of said assemblies comprising a s upport bracket for attachment to the ceiling or beam, a pillar connected to and depending from the support bracket, and a cable tray support located on the pillar, and said cable tray pass es between and is supported by a series of said assemblies and wherein in the assembly, the pillar extends below the support b racket in a plane within the envelope of the support bracket when mounted on the ceiling, and is located with the support bracket via the engagement of male and female location means.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 illustrates a prior art ceiling cable tray support system

in one embodiment; Figure 2 illustrates a ceiling support bracket in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 illustrates the ceiling support bracket of Figure 2 with a pillar attached thereto; and Figure 4 illustrates a cable tray support system assembled in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is illustrated one conventional, prior art, cable tray support system. In this

embodiment, the support system comprises two spaced support

means (b) (c) attached to ceiling (a) and between which is suspended a member (d). The cable tray (e) is then threaded through the channel defined as shown. Thus, in the first instance, it is clearly shown how a number of components are required to be fitted together correctly before the cable tray support system of the prior art is usable and the need to use

bolts and nuts to do so, increases the chance of faults or errors in the assembl\ of the same and also, when one considers that the person fitting the same is a considerable height above the floor, can add to the danger to the assembler and difficulty in threading the cable tray between successive spaced members (d).

Support apparatus and system in accordance with the invention is illustrated in Figure 2. The support bracket 2, for attachment to ceiling 4, is provided with apertures 6, 8, for location of securing bolts therethrough into the ceiling or beam.

Depending downwardly is provided a location portion 10, said location portion having a series of sets of location means in the form of locating lugs sets 12, 14,16, 18. These locating lugs are provided for selective location in location means in the form offsets of apertures 19 provided at the same spacings on a pillar 21 as illustrated in Figure 3. The sets of locating lugs are provided to lie within the envelope 2 3 (illustrated in broken lines in Figure 2) of the supporting bracket 2 thereby ensuring, as shown in Figure 3, that the pillar, contrary to the prior art,

lies in a vertical plane 22 within the envelope of the support bracket and which, in this embodiment, is located in line with the centre point 24 of the support bracket.

Figure 4 illustrates a completely ass embled ceiling support system in accordance with the inventio n and illustrates a cable tray; support bracket 26 selectively' located with apertures 19 on the pillar at the required height to support the cable tray 28 and, in turn, cables 29 as illustrated.

Once assembled, the pillar can be locked with the support bracket using locking means 32 which, when the pillar 21 is located with the support bracket, can be deformed to thereby lock the pillar in position by preventing the removal of the lugs from the apertures in the pillar. The locking formation is illustrated in Figure 2 prior to deformation. The provision of the locking assembly ensures the provision of a secure and safe cable tray support system.

With reference to Figure 4, it will be seen how the cable tray support system of this invention can be formed using only three main components, the support bracket 2, the pillar 21 and the support bracket 2G. The reduction in components improves the safety to the assembler and reduces the risk of assembler error causing failure of the support system. Furthermore, the location of the pillar to depend downwardly in a plane 22 which lies within the envelope 23 of the support bracket 2 and preferably from the centre point 24 of the support bracket, improves the load characteristics of the bracket and thereby reduces the risk of failure of the support system.

The provision of the location means in the form of lugs and apertures, as shown, overcomes the conventional use of nuts and bolts to assemble the components and therefore improves the safety to the assembler as the fitting of the components is simplified and also re duces the time required to assemble the support assembly.

Thus the provision of a plurality of the support assemblies in accordance with the invention, said assemblies provided at spaced locations to give the required supp ort and define the path of the cable trays, provides an effective and safely installed cable tray support s,!stem.

Claims

Claims

1 Support apparatus for a cable tray, said apparatus comprising a sup port bracket for attachment to a ceiling o r beam, a pillar connected tO and depending from the support bracket and a cable tray support located on the pillar and wherein the pillar extends below the support bracket in a plane within the envelope of the support bracket when mounted on the ceiling, and is located with the support bracket via the engagement of matching male and female location means.

2 Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the pillar is connected with the support bracket by the selective engagement of location means on the pillar with a series of spaced location means on the support bracket.

3 Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the location means comprise a series of lugs.

4 Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cable tray support can be selectively positioned with respect to a number of spaced location means provided on the pillar.

5 Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the pillar depends from the support bracket in a plane located at or adjacent to the centre of said support bracket.

-\pparatus according to claim 1 wherein the support bracket includes a locking means which can be moved to lock the pillar in an engaged position with respect to the support bracket.

7 Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cable tray support extends from the pillar in a horizontal plane

8 Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the cable tray support location means can be selectively engaged on the pillar location means to provide the particular level required for the cable tray suppor t.

9 Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the pillar includes a series of apertures formed therein at spaced lo cations, said apertures acting as location means for both the support bracket location means and the cable tray support location means.

10 A cable tray ceiling support system, said system comprising a plurality of support assemblies at spaced intervals, each of said assemblies comprising a support bracket for attachment to the ceiling or beam, a pillar connected to and depending from the support bracket, and a cable tray support located on the pillar, and said cable tray passes between and is supported by a series of said assemblies and wherein in the assembly, the pillar extend s below the support bracket in a plane within the envelope of the support bracket when mounted on the ceiling, and is located with the support bracket via the engagement of male and female location means.

11 Cable tray support apparatus and support system as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawirgs.