U.S. patent number 3,733,761 [Application Number 05/217,898] was granted by the patent office on 1973-05-22 for trench duct end closure.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Textron Inc.. Invention is credited to John P. Casto.
United States Patent |
3,733,761 |
Casto |
May 22, 1973 |
TRENCH DUCT END CLOSURE
Abstract
A member which extends across the end of a trench duct and
closes off the same so as to secure the interior against the entry
of concrete during a pour, the top of the member having a pocket
which carries alternatively a filler piece during shipment or tile
or carpet trim when the trench is installed.
Inventors: |
Casto; John P. (Vienna,
WV) |
Assignee: |
Textron Inc. (Providence,
RI)
|
Family
ID: |
22812934 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/217,898 |
Filed: |
January 14, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/220.5;
174/486; 220/3.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B
5/48 (20130101); H02G 3/283 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04B
5/48 (20060101); E04b 005/48 (); E04f 017/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/220,221,127
;220/3.3,3.5,3.7,3.8 ;174/48,49,101 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Murtagh; John E.
Claims
I claim:
1. Trench duct end closure means for a trench duct which has a
horizontally oriented bottom, a pair of side walls extending
vertically upwardly from opposite edges of the bottom and disposed
on the top portion of each side wall a horizontally oriented cover
support flange and a vertically oriented screed flange, the trench
duct end closure comprising:
closure plate means to be mounted on the end of the trench duct to
close off the same and secure the interior against the entry of
concrete during a pour, the plate means including a vertically
oriented lower section and a horizontally oriented trim support
flange and a vertically oriented screed flange both last said
flanges being disposed on the top of the lower section, the screed
flange having its opposite ends turned inwardly over the trim
support flange so as to be in alignment with the trench screed
flange when the plate means is installed and the trim support
flange and the plate screed flange forming a pocket;
holder means mounted on the pocket and including support means for
supporting the holder on the trim support flange;
trim piece means connected to the holder means and extending along
the plate screed flange so as to be disposed between the plate
screed flange and the cover of the trench when the closure plate
means is mounted on the trench; and
horizontally oriented cover support arm connected to the holder
means for extending underneath the cover of the trench for
supporting the same when the closure plate means is mounted on the
trench.
2. In combination trench duct end closure means and a trench duct
which has a horizontally oriented bottom, a pair of side walls
extending vertically upwardly from opposite edges of the bottom and
disposed on the top portion of each said wall a horizontally
oriented cover support flange and a vertically oriented screed
flange, the end closure means comprising:
closure plate means mounted on the end of the trench duct to close
off the same and to secure the interior from entry of concrete
during a pour, the plate means including a vertically oriented
lower section and a horizontally oriented trim support flange and a
vertically oriented screed flange both last said flanges being
disposed on top of the lower section, the screed flange having its
opposite ends turned inwardly over the trim support flange in
alignment with the trench screed flange and the trim support flange
and the plate screed flange forming a pocket;
a throw-away filler piece mounted in said pocket and including a
support leg, a shipping head and a cover support arm, the support
leg supporting the filler piece on said trim support flange, the
shipping head extending along between the plate screed flange and
the edge of the cover with its top surface flush with the cover
surface and the cover support arm extending underneath the cover
and supporting the same;
a trim holder for use in being mounted in said pocket when the
throw-away piece is removed, the holder including a support leg, a
trim head and a cover support arm and when the holder is mounted in
said pocket the support leg extending over the plate screed flange,
the trim head extending between the plate screed flange and the
edge of the cover with its top surface above the cover surface and
the cover support arm extending underneath the cover and supporting
the same; and
a pair of retainers vertically, adjustably mounted on the closure
plate means for engaging alternatively either the throw-away filler
piece or the trim holder whichever is installed in the pocket, the
retainers being vertically adjustable for vertically positioning
the trim holder in the pocket and retaining the holder in such
position.
3. In combination, trench duct end closure means and a trench duct
which has a horizontally oriented bottom, a pair of side walls
extending vertically upwardly from opposite edges of the bottom and
disposed on the top portion of each side wall a horizontally
oriented cover support flange and a vertically oriented screed
flange,the end closure means comprising:
closure plate means mounted on the end of the trench duct to close
off the same and secure the interior from entry of concrete during
a pour, the plate including a vertically oriented lower section and
a horizontally oriented trim support flange and a vertically
oriented screed flange both last said flanges being disposed on top
of the lower section, the screed flange having its opposite ends
turned inwardly over the support flange so as to be in alignment
with the trench screed flange and the trim support flange and the
plate screed flange forming a pocket;
a throw-away filler piece mounted in said pocket and including a
support leg, a shipping head and a cover support arm, the support
leg supporting the filler piece on said trim support flange, the
shipping head extending along between the plate screed flange and
the edge of the cover with its top surface flush with the cover
surface and the cover support arm extending underneath the cover
and supporting the same;
an inner trim holder for use in being connected to the cover when
the throw-away piece is removed, the inner trim holder including an
inner trim head and a cover support arm and when the inner trim
holder is connected to the cover, the inner trim head extending
along the edge of the cover with its top surface above the cover
surface and the cover support arm extending underneath the cover
and fastened thereto;
an outer trim holder for use in being mounted in said pocket when
the throw-away piece is removed, the outer holder including a
support leg, an outer trim head and a cover support arm and when
the outer trim holder is mounted in said pocket the support leg
extending over the plate screed flange, the outer trim head
extending between the plate screed flange and inner trim head with
its top surface flush with the inner trim top surface and the cover
support arm extending underneath the inner trim cover support arm
and supporting the same; and
a pair of retainers vertically, adjustably mounted on the closure
plate means for engaging alternatively either the throw-away filler
piece or the outer trim holder whichever is installed in the
pocket, the retainers being vertically adjustable for vertically
positioning the trim holder in the pocket and retaining the holder
in such position.
4. In combination, trench duct end closure means and a trench duct
which has a horizontally oriented bottom, a pair of side walls
extending vertically upwardly from opposite edges of the bottom and
disposed on the top portion of each side wall a horizontally
oriented cover support flange and a vertically oriented screed
flange, the end closure comprising:
closure plate means mounted on the end of the trench duct to close
off the same and secure the interior against the entry of concrete
during a pour, the plate including a vertically oriented lower
section and a horizontally oriented trim support flange and a
vertically oriented screed flange both last said flanges being
disposed on the top of the lower section, the screed flange having
its opposite ends turned inwardly over the trim support flange so
as to be in alignment with the trench screed flange and the trim
support flange and the plate screed flange forming a pocket;
trim holder means mounted in said pocket and having a shipping
head, a trim head and a cover support arm, the trim head supporting
the holder on the trim support flange and the shipping head
extending between the closure plate screed flange and the edge of
the trench cover with its top surface flush with the cover surface
and the cover support arm extending underneath the trench cover and
supporting the same; a slot formed in the trim head;
a flexible trim piece having a trim head for use in being inserted
in the slot, the trim holder means being reversible in position in
the pocket and when in the reversed position the shipping head
extending over the trim support flange, the trim head extending
between the closure plate screed flange and the edge of the cover
with the flexible trim being inserted in said slot with its trim
head extending above the cover surface and the cover support arm
extending underneath the trench cover and supporting the same;
and
retainer means vertically, adjustably mounted on the closure plate
means and engaging said cover support arm when the holder is in
either of said positions in the pocket, the retainers being
vertically adjustable for vertically positioning the trim holder
means in the pocket and retaining the holder in such position.
Description
This invention relates to improvements in trench duct for use in
electrical underfloor distribution systems and in particular
relates to a closure device to close off the end of the duct and
secure the interior against entry of concrete during a pour.
The principle object of the invention is to provide a trench duct
end closure which, with slight modifications, is applicable for use
with the various kinds of commonly used trenches such as
single-adjust and double-adjust, double trim and the like.
Another object of the invention is to provide a trench duct end
closure which can be installed on the end of a trench without
modifying or cutting back the trench cover or the divider
partition.
Another object of the invention is to provide a trench duct end
closure of the kind in question which is easy and economical to
fabricate and which requires only minimal skills for
installation.
Another object of the invention is to provide an end closure which
will eliminate the use of special trench sections on the end of
trench runs.
Another object of the invention is to provide a trench duct end
closure of the kind in question which permits utmost flexibility in
making changes in the location of the ends of the trench runs
either as necessitated by the construction conditions or as last
minute changes specified by the contractor or by the architect.
The invention will be described below in connection with the
following drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the end of a
conventional single-adjust trench duct embedded in a concrete
floor;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an end closure of the
invention which is particularly suitable for closing off the end of
the trench of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the end
closure of FIG. 1 as mounted on the end of a trench when the same
is shipped;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the end
closure of FIG. 1 as mounted on the end of a trench embedded in
concrete with the tile protective means in position;
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an end closure of the
invention which is especially adaptable for a double-trim type
trench;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the end
closure of FIG. 5 as mounted on the end of a trench when the same
is shipped;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the end
closure of FIG. 5 mounted on the end of a trench embedded in
concrete with the tile protective means in position;
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of an end closure of the
invention and especially adaptable for a trench used on floors
having carpeting;
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the end
closure of FIG. 8 installed on the end of the trench for shipping;
and
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of the closure of FIG. 8
mounted on end of the trench embedded in concrete with the trim
protecting the carpet edges.
In FIG. 1 the trench T has a horizontal bottom 1, vertically
extending side walls 2 and 3 respectively carrying the horizontal
cover support flanges 4 and 5 and the vertically extending screed
flanges 6 and 7. The tile trim pieces 10 and 11 are mounted on
adjusting screws (not shown) and respectively carry the cover 12.
The foregoing structure is conventional. The apertured clips 13 and
14 are respectively mounted on the side walls for use in securing
the end closure to the trench. In lieu of the clips the trench may
be provided with devices such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Ser. No.
3,577,863.
The closure plate 15 has a vertically oriented lower section 16 and
a top section 17 comprising the horizontally oriented trim support
flange 20 and vertically oriented screed flange 21. When mounted on
the end of the trench, the lower section 16 extends between the
side walls 2 and 3 with the trim support flange 20 being aligned
with the cover support flanges 4 and 5 on the trench. The ends of
the screed flange 17 are turned in as indicated as 22 and 23 so as
to be in alignment with the trench screed flanges 6 and 7. The trim
support flange 20, the screed support flange 21 and the turned in
sections 22 and 23 form a pocket. The lower section 16 has
apertures 24 and 25 which are aligned with the apertures 13a and
14a in the trench clips 13 and 14 and nut and bolt arrangements
(not shown) fasten the same together.
When the trench is shipped from the factory the end closure is
secured to the end of the trench and the pocket carries a flush
mounted holder. The pocket being off-set from the lower section,
eliminates the necessity of cutting back the trench cover to make
room for the holder. This is explained below.
The trim holder 26 is in the form of a throw-away piece the general
shape of which is seen in FIG. 2. The holder includes a support
means or leg 27 which extends over and supports the holder on the
flange 20, a trim piece or shipping head 30 and a horizontally
oriented cover support arm 31. The support arm extends underneath
and supports the cover 12 by way of the gasket 32. The shipping
head 30 extends between the screed flange 21 and the edge of the
cover with the top of the shipping head being flush with the top
surface of the cover. This prevents debris from getting inside the
trench through the space between the screed flange and the cover
edge.
The retainer means 33 and 34 have bent ends 35 and 36 which receive
the free ends 40 and 41 of the support arm 31. The retainers 33 and
34 are secured to the lower section 16 by the respective Riv-Nut
assemblies 42 and 43. Each assembly comprises the nut 44, the screw
45 and the plastic thread protector 46. The Riv-Nut assembled and
secured to the lower section 16 is shown in FIG. 4.
After the installation has been completed and the floor is ready
for tile, the trench cover is taken off and the filler piece or
trim holder 26 removed and trim holder 50 is substituted. The
holder 26 can be thrown away. The holder 50 has means for
protecting the tile as will be explained below.
The configuration of the holder 50 is very similar to that of the
holder 26. The holder 50 includes the support means or leg 51 which
supports the holder on the trim support flange 20, the trim piece
or head 52 and the horizontally oriented cover support arm 53. The
cover support arm extends underneath the cover and supports the
same via the gasket 54. The trim head 52 extends above the surface
of the cover 12 so that it is flush with the floor tile 55 when the
same is installed. The retainers 33 and 34 engage the free ends 56
and 57 of the support arm 53.
The end closure structure described above is suitable for use in a
double-adjust type trench such as shown in U.S. Pat. No.
3,550,336.
By means of change of holders in the pocket the end closure is
adapted for use with double-trim type trench. Such an arrangement
is shown in FIG. 5 through FIG. 7.
The closure plate and retainer means are identical to the
corresponding parts in FIGS. 2 through 4 and are identified by the
same numerals in FIGS. 5 through 7.
For shipping purposes, the holder or throw-away piece 60 is mounted
in the pocket and includes the support means or leg 61 which
supports the holder on the flange 20, the trim piece or shipping
head 62 and the cover support arm 63. The shipping head extends
between the screed flange 21 and the edge of the cover with the top
surface of the head being flush with the cover surface.
The cover support arm 63 extends horizontally underneath the cover
and supports the same via gasket 64. The free ends 65 and 66 are
engaged by the retainers 33 and 34.
For tile installation the filler 60 is removed and replaced by the
inner holder 70 and outer holder 71.
The inner holder 70 has an inner trim head 72 and a cover support
arm 73. The support arm is fastened to the cover by the screws 74.
The outer holder 71 has a support leg 75 and inner trim head 76 and
a cover support arm 77. The cover support arm 77 extends below the
arm 73 and engages the same via the gasket 80. The free ends 81 and
82 of the support arm 77 are engaged by the retainers 33 and
34.
The heads 72 and 76 extend above the surface of the cover 12 and
function to protect the tile 77 as noted in FIG. 7.
For trench installations in floors which are carpet covered the
invention provides the arrangement shown in FIGS. 8 through 10.
The closure plate and retainers are identical as previously
described and are identified by the same numbers.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 8 through 10 the invention contemplates
a single holder 84 which is reversible in the closure plate pocket
as between a shipping position and an installation position. The
shipping position is shown in FIG. 9 and the installation position
is shown in FIG. 10.
The holder 84 has a shipping head 85, a trim head 86 and a cover
support arm 87.
In the shipping position (FIG. 9) trim head 85 supports the holder
on the flange 20 while the support arm 87 extends underneath the
cover and supports the same via the gasket 90. The shipping head
extends along between the screed flange 21 and the edge of the
cover 12. The top of the head 85 is flush with the cover
surface.
For tile installation, the holder 84 is reversed in position in the
pocket as is shown in FIG. 10. In this position the head 85 extends
over and supports the holder on the flange 20 while the head 86
extends along between the flange 21 and the edge of the cover. The
support arm extends horizontally underneath the cover and supports
the same via the gasket 91.
The head 86 provided with a slot 92 having serrations 93 along its
opposite walls. The slot is adapted to receive a flexible trim
piece 94. The base 95 of the piece fits into the slot 92 and is
held by the serrations while the trim head 96 is upwardly oriented
so that its flanges 97 and 98 respectively cover the edge of the
carpet on the cover and the edge of carpet on the floor. The type
of flexible trim piece mentioned above is described in copending
application Ser. No. 228,838 filed Feb. 24, 1972, and entitled
CARPET AND TILE TRIM, said application being assigned to the same
assignee as the present application.
In cases where the tile trim pieces 10 and 11 are adjusted
vertically upwardly to accommodate floor conditions, the invention
provides that in each of the embodiments described, the holder can
also be adjusted vertically so that the top surface of its trim
head is flush with the top surface of the tile trim.
The retainer 33 and 34 provide for the holder to be vertically
positioned. The screws 45 are loosened and the retainers
approximately positioned to attain the flush condition. The screws
45 are tightened up to lock the retainers and the holder in
position. It will be understood, of course, that when a holder is
positioned upwardly, its support leg extends over the support
flange in spaced relation thereto.
* * * * *