GB2511782A

GB2511782A - A cable installation device

Info

Publication number: GB2511782A
Application number: GB201304459A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Cawood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-03-13
Filing date: 2013-03-13
Publication date: 2014-09-17
Also published as: GB201304459D0

Abstract

A cable installation device for a building comprises at least two support arm Members and a friction reducing member. At least a portion of the at least two support arm members are spaced from each other and the friction reducing member is mountable between the spaced portions of the at least two support arm members. In use, the at least two support arm members are releasably secured to an edge of an aperture positioned in a building structure, this enables a part of a cable to pass through the aperture, with the cable in contact with the friction reducing member. The arrangement ensures that the cable does not come into contact with the edge of the aperture as it is dragged through the aperture, which can cause snagging of the cables at the aperture edge. The friction reducing member may be a roller.

Description

A gable Installation device This invention relates to a cable installation device, particularly for the installation of cables in ceiling caviUes.

It Is common in offices and Industrial sites to install cables in spaces above false ceilings to enable the provision of services, such as the internet, electricity and telecommunications, *hilst concealing the cables from view.

Ceilings in offices are. commonly formed of ceiling tiles placed on a thin aluminium grid structure positioned below the actual ceiling. An aperture in the false ceiling is created by removing one of the, ceiling tiles from the aluminium grid structure. The cable is then drawn through the aperture into the ceiling cavity and is placed into position. It is known, however, for cables to get snagged on the edges of the ceiling aperture, e.g. on the metal grid, on passage of the cable through the aperture. Such snaggIng of' the cable cart cause part of the ceiling to collapse as adjacent tiles are dislodged from position.

15' To prevent the snagging of the cable it is common to require the services of' two people for installation of the cable in the ceiling cavity. The first person is required to feed the cable up through the ceiling aperture and prevent the snagging of the cable and the second person is positioned within the ceiling cavity for placement of the cable However, clearly this is not an efficient use of' manpower and an alternative approath is to use a device that prevents the snagging effect at the aperture edge, so as to eliminate the need for the person to feed the, cable by hand.

It' is known to reduce the snagging effect by the use of a roller to provide a frictippless way of permitting cabling to be moved through the aperture, For example1 US 2011/0306179 shows use of a series of rofler members disposed along the edge of an opening' fØtm,ed in a panel to be positioned In place of the removed ceiling tile. The ceiling tile is placed on the ceding grkl and is maintained in position by attaching the corners of the panel to the beams above by means of hanger wke. However, this requires the additional steps of applying eye bolts to the beams and attachment of the hanger wire between the panel and beams. Further, an accurate calôulatiqn Qf the length of the hanger wire is required to provide the desired effect of maintaining the position of the panel on application of a horizontal or upwardly vertical force on tfle roller, Therefore attaching the device of US 2011/0308179 is time consuming.

The present invention is derived from the reallsation that there is a need for an alternative cable installation device in which the foregoing disadvantages are obviated.

According to the invention there is provided a cable installation device for IS a building comprising: at least two support arm members, wherein at least a portion of the at least two support arm members are spaced from, each other;' and a friction reducing member mountable beiiween the spaced portions of the at least two support arm members, wherein, in use, the at least two support arm members are releasably securable to an edge of an aperture positioned in a bullding structure enabling a part of a cable to pass through, the aperture whilst the cable is in corttact with the friction reducing member.

Preferably, the at least two arm members are disposed parallel to each other.

Beneficially,, Lb ertçls of the at least two arm members are aligned and the distance between the at least two arm members is equal to the length of the friction reducing member.

Desirably, the at least two arm members and the friction reducing member form a generally 1" shaped device.

Preferably, the friction reducIng member is a roller.

Beneficially, the at least two arm members comprise a recess for forming a substantially J-shaped' cross section of the arm member for receiving part Of an edge of the aperture.

Preferably1 the recesses are arranged to receive part of an aluminium gild structure for a ceiling.

Preferably, the at least two arm members fUrther comprise at least one IS securing means for attaching the arm members to respectively opposile sides of the aperture.

Beneficially, the securing means are retaining screws.

Whilst the invention has been dIsclosed above It extends to any inventive combination of the features set out above, or in the following description.

The invention Wifi now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;.-Figure 1 is a top plan view of the cable roUer tool.

Figure 2 is a side view of the cable roller tool, Figure 3 is a perspective viewof the cable roller tool, Figure 4 Is a sectional view of the cable roller toot, Figure 5 is a top plan view of th able roller tool when inserted into a ceihng grid.

In Fi9ure I there is shown a table installation deWe I comprising two support arm members 2a, 2b spaced apart and disposed parallel to each other.

The two support members 2a, 2b are formed of the same length and are arranged such that the ends are. aligned. A friction reducing member is disposed between the two support arm members 2a, 2b. The friction reducing member 3 Is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the two. arm members 2a, 2b and is mountable between the two support arm members 22) 2b to form a single unit to be retrofitted in a, for example, aluminium ceiling grid.

The single unit has the form of an generally 1" shaped device. The friction reducing member 3. when mounted, Is moveabty secured between the. two arm members 2a, 2b $ such that the two arm members 2a, 2b remain a distance IS apart equating to the length of the friction reducing member 3, whilst allowing rotation o the friction reducing member 3 which, in figure 1, is shown to be a roOer 3.

Figure 2 shows that the at least two arm members 2a, 2b comprise a longitudinal recess 4a,4b which forms a substantially.J-.shaped' cross section of each support arm member. The J-shaped' cross section comprises a first longer internal part 5a, Sb to which the end of the rolier 3 is moveably attached, a shorter external part 6a, b is arranged substantially parallel: to the longer internal part 5a, Sb and the internal and external parts are connected at top ends by a connection part ia, 7b tML is. arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the internal, and external parts of the arm. The recess 4a, 4b is formed to receive an edge of an aperture in a building, for,xarnple the metal frame of a ceiling when a ceiling tile has been removed. The relative distribution of the support arm members 2a, 2b permits the cable Insertion device I to tethe 5. opposite side edges of the building aperture. The roller S is then positioned across the aperture. The two support arm members 2a, 2b further compdse a means for securing the support arm, members when the unit is placed across the aperture. The securing means 8, of Figure 2, are retaining screws positioned through the internal part of the arm and positioned below the roller 3. The retaining screws 8 apply a force in the direction of the external pad of the.

support arm members Ga, fJb. Consequently, the end of the retaining screws 8 comes Into contact with a repectisIe aperture edge which is positioned within the recesses 4a, 4b and the force applied by the retaining screws 8 secures the aperture edge between the screw and the external part of the support arm members Sa,, Sb. This arrangement allows the support' arm members 2a, 2b to be retained in position at respective edges of the aperture.

The retaining screws 8 are provided with a knob 9 to allow the screws 8 to be adjusted with ease and two retaining scçew& are spaced apart along each support arm means a, 2k Figure 3, shows a hole 10 positioned through the external part of an arm m,ejiber 2a which is required to access a retaining, means 11 for the roller 3 The retaining means 11 is shown in Figure 4, wherein it is clear that the roller is secured to an arm member 2a by means of a bolt it. Alternatively the bolt fastens the shaft 12 of the roller into place. Access to the head of the bolt 11 is permitted by passing a screwdriver or other implement through the hate 10 in the sxtemal part 6a of the support arm member 2a. A, mfrror image of this arrangement is provided on the other arm member 2k Agure 5, shows the positioning of the cable installatiOn' device in use, whereby a ceiling tile is removed from a ceiling gild and the cable installation device 1 is arranged across the resulting aperture with the arm members 2a, 2b secured to opposing edges of the aluminium grid. The retaining screws 8 are then tightened to retain each arm member 2a, 2b to. respectively opposite ends of a ceiling tile frame. The roller'S then extends acrossthe aperture between the two Support arm members Za, 2b and a cable to be positioned within the ceiling space is drnwn along the roller 3 and up through. the aperture, thereby eliminating contact of the cable with the metal frame defining the aperture edge.

Various modifications to. the principles described' above would suggest themselves to the skilled person. For example, two ends of respective support arm members 2a, 2b may be brought into contact, with' the other end the respective, support arm members being spaced apart to provide an acute angle between the two support arm members, The friction reducing memberS is then disposed between the support arm members 2a, 2b at a position remote from the end where the support arm members 2a, 2b are in contact so as to form an A-shaped' device. The friction reducing member 3 need not be a rofler, but may instead be a cylinder with an exceptionally smooth surface, or a contoured surface, or a brush which also have the advantage of reducing the friction on contact. It is envisaged that the number of support arm members 2a, 2b may exceed two and that multiple friction reducing members S may be implemented If desired. The support ami members 2a, 2b are riot restricted to only two retaining screws 8 apd less or more retaining screws may be applIed as required. Further, the retaining screws 8 may be provided without the knob feature 9, for example could comprise a standard bolt head The retaining screws B need not be positioned below the roller and may instead be positioned above the roHer. Whilst the above describes the use of the cable installation device for insertion of cables in ceiling Qavffle5, the cable installation device may be applied to an aperture posftioned in other structures of a building, for example a wall or a raised floor so as to permit the installation of cable in spaces bated beyond these structures. To aid the attachment of the device to alternative structures fri a buflding the support arm members 2a, 2b may include a serIes of holes (not shown) that may be used in cooperation wfth attachment means, for example cable ties. to securely attach the device onto a structural rnmber of a building and to retain the device in the desired position. C1akn

Claims

1. A cable installation device tar a building comprising: at least two support arm members, wherein at least a portion of the at least two support arm members are spaced from each other; and a friction reducing member mountable between the spaced portions of the at, least two support arm members.wherein. in, use, the at least tSio support arm members are reléssably securable to an edge of an aperture positioned in a building structure enabling a part of a cable to pass through the aperture whUst the cable is in contact with the friction reducing member.

2. A cable installation device according to claim I, wherein the at least two arm members are disposed parallel to each other.15'

3. A cable'4nstaflatlon device according to claim 2, wherein the ends of the at least two arm. members are aligned.

4. A cable installation device according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the distance: between the at least two arm members is equal to the length of the friction reducIng member,

5. A cable installation device according to claim 2 to 4, wherein the at least two arm members and the friction reducing member to form an 1" shaped device.

6. A cable inst&latian device according t any preceding claim, wherein the friction reducing member is a roller.

7. A cable Installation device according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least two arm members comprise a recess for forming a substantiafly J-shaped' crqss sectiØn of the arm member for receiving part at an edge of the aperture.

8. A cable installation device according to claim 7 wherein the recesses are arranged to receive part of an aluminium grid structure for a ceiling.

9. A cable installation device according to any preceding claim, wherein the. at least two arm memben further comprise at least one securing means for attaching the respective arm members to respectiveht opposite sides of the aperture.

1O.A cable installation device according to claim 9, wherein the securing means are retaining screws.

11. A cable installation device, as hown in the acoornpanying figures with respact to the accompanying text.