U.S. patent number 3,697,667 [Application Number 05/157,976] was granted by the patent office on 1972-10-10 for installation channel.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Firm Tehalit Kunststofoffwerk G.m.b.H. Invention is credited to Peter Kolb, Gottfried Pollak.
United States Patent |
3,697,667 |
Pollak , et al. |
October 10, 1972 |
INSTALLATION CHANNEL
Abstract
Installation channel to be mounted on building walls which is of
rectangular cross-section and has an open side opposite the
mounting wall which can be closed by a cover, where spacing bars
are provided for subdividing the channel into a plurality of
electrically separated chambers. Means defining grooves are
opposite the open side of the channel on the mounting wall for
supporting the spacing bars, the side walls of the channel as well
as the separating bars have free edges with elongated slots for
cooperation clamps to be mounted therein. Clamps having ends to be
introduced in the slots at the free edges of the channel side walls
are provided with an angularly offset portion of rectangular
cross-section and an angularly offset area portion of arrow-shaped
cross-section on one side with an undercut, which portions are
separated from one another by a longitudinal slot, the portion of
rectangular cross-section has an inner edge which registers with
the undercut portion of the area that is of arrow-shaped
cross-section on one side, and the portion of rectangular
cross-section is of a width corresponding to the width of the slots
in the free edges of the side walls of the channel and projects
beyond the portion of arrow-shaped cross-section on one side by an
amount corresponding to the depth of the undercut.
Inventors: |
Pollak; Gottfried
(Waldfischbach-Burgalben, DT), Kolb; Peter
(Pirmasens, DT) |
Assignee: |
Firm Tehalit Kunststofoffwerk
G.m.b.H (Heltersberg/Pfalz, DT)
|
Family
ID: |
22566163 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/157,976 |
Filed: |
June 29, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
174/68.3;
108/110; 52/220.3; 138/108; 138/157; 174/101; 220/3.94 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02G
3/0431 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H02G
3/04 (20060101); H01b 007/00 (); F16l 055/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;211/90,134
;138/115,108,117,155,157 ;174/49,48,72C,72A,72R,66C,101 ;52/221
;220/3.94,3.8,6R,59 ;248/68,65,49 ;312/350 ;24/21C,224,230 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,009,092 |
|
Nov 1965 |
|
GB |
|
1,524,271 |
|
Apr 1968 |
|
FR |
|
1,159,189 |
|
Jul 1969 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Britts; Ramon S.
Claims
Having now described the invention with reference to the embodiment
illustrated, what we desire to protect by letters patent is set
forth in the appended claims.
1. Installation channel for mounting on building walls for
supporting electric cables or the like said channel being of
rectangular cross-section and having a mounting wall, side walls
including means for receiving a cover, an open side opposite said
mounting wall adapted to be closed by said cover, separating bars
for subdividing said channel into a plurality of electrically
separated chambers, means defining grooves opposite said open side
of said channel on said mounting wall for supporting said spacing
bars, said channel side walls as well as said separating bars
having free edges provided with elongated slots for cooperation
with clamps to be mounted therein, clamps having ends to be
introduced in said slots at the free edges of said channel side
walls provided with an angularly offset portion of rectangular
cross-section and an angularly offset area portion of arrow-shaped
cross-section on one side with an undercut, said portions being
separated from one another by a longitudinal slot therebetween,
where the portion of rectangular cross-section has an inner edge
which registers with the undercut portion of the area that is of
arrow-shaped cross-section on one side, and where said portion of
rectangular cross-section is of a width corresponding to the width
of the slots in the free edges of the side walls of the channel and
projects beyond the portion of arrow-shaped cross-section on one
side by an amount corresponding to the depth of its undercut, said
clamps further including means received within said slots in the
free edges of said separating bars.
2. Installation channel in accordance with claim 1, where said
slots in the free edges of said separating bars comprise a narrow
portion and a wider portion and said means on said clamps present
inwardly projecting ribs having arrow-shaped cross-section at the
level of the slots in the separating bars cooperating with said
slots, and a groove separating said ribs into portions of
arrow-shaped cross-section of mirror image likeness on one side.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns an installation duct or channel based on
known embodiments of substantially rectangular cross-section
affording the possibility of providing separating bars to make it
possible to subdivide the channel into several areas and clamp
members which essentially serve first for supporting the free front
edge of the separating bar and furthermore for fixing cables that
have already been installed.
Based on this known installation channel and connecting means
between clamp members and channel walls or separating bars, the
invention is concerned with the problem of mounting and also
releasing the clamp members in a simple manner so that they can be
adapted in their length to the existing subdivision of the chambers
and can, in spite of this requirement, be produced in a simple
manner.
In accordance with the invention, this problem is met by an
installation channel to be mounted on building walls and having
rectangular cross-section and an open side opposite the mounting
walls that may be closed with a cover, with separating bars for
subdividing the channel into several electrically separated
chambers that can be mounted in grooves on the mounting wall
opposite the open side of the channel, where furthermore slots
extending longitudinally of the channel are provided in the free
edges of the side walls longitudinally of the channel as well as
also of the separating bars, where in accordance with the invention
the clamp members are provided at their ends that are to be
introduced in the slots at the free edges of the side walls of the
channels with a portion of angularly offset rectangular
cross-section and an angular area that is of arrow-shaped
cross-section on one side with an undercut, which are separated
from one another by a longitudinal slot and where the area of
rectangular cross-section registers with its inner edge with the
undercut of the area on one side of arrow-shaped cross-section, and
where finally the area of rectangular cross-section corresponds in
width to the width of the slots in the free edges of the side walls
of the channel and projects beyond the area of arrow-shaped
cross-section on one side by the depth of the undercut thereof.
By means of this embodiment it is accomplished that the clamp
elements can be engaged and again released in simple fashion
without the use of tools and without destroying the clamp element
or the slots in the free edge of the side wall of the channel. For
this it is merely necessary to hang in the portion of the one-sided
arrow-shaped cross-section into the slot and drawing up in the
longitudinal direction of the clamp until the area of the
rectangular cross-section is likewise engaged by the slot and thus
unintentional release of the undercut of the one-sided arrow-shaped
portion out of the clamp of the slots is prevented. If the clamp
member is to be released from the slot, it is merely necessary to
slightly bend the portion of the rectangular cross-section out of
the slot so that the latch effect thereof is eliminated. Thereupon,
the one-sided arrow-shaped portion can be readily released from its
hooked position in the slot. This latching and release operation
can be repeated practically without limits.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
For the further development of the present invention, the free
edges of the separating bars are provided with slots which comprise
a narrow and a broad portion. With these slots on the separating
bars, ribs of arrow shape project inwardly from the clamp member at
a corresponding height which are separated by a narrow and deep
central groove into two parts of mirror image likeness that are
one-sidedly arrow-shaped. If a clamp is now to be fixed not only in
the two longitudinal slots coordinated with it at the free edges of
the side walls of the channel, but must simultaneously support the
separating bar, it is sufficient to perforate the clamp in the area
of the rib that cooperates with the separating bar which, in turn,
is possible without difficulties and without any special tool. Then
the clamp part is first slid into the broader area of the slot in
the separating bar and then into the narrower portion. Thereupon
the second partial clamp element is inserted into the broader area
of the slot and the first partial clamping element is pushed back
into this broader area. The two partial clamp elements now again
form a clamp covering the entire width of the channel which then is
correctly fixed also to the separating bar. The releasing of the
partial clamp element is effected in reversed order. First one is
pushed into the narrowed area of the elongated slot, then the other
one is removed, and then the first is pushed back again and
removed.
If only one chamber of the two chambers formed in the channel by
the separating bar is to be covered by a clamp element, it is also
possible by breaking a complete clamp element to form a suitable
partial element.
The ribs described can be distributed in the same parted condition
on the clamp elements as the grooves in the wall of the assembly of
the channel for mounting the separating bars. In order to simplify
the production of a clamping element with really very small grooves
in the arrow-shaped ribs, the mold for forming the clamp elements
can be nicked in the area of the particular ribs so that the
forming core necessary for forming the grooves may be of triangular
cross-section. If the clamp elements arrive out of the form on a
plane support while still in plastic condition, they assume their
final even shape while closing the heretofore triangular slots
between the rib portions to constitute deep and very narrow
grooves.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further features and details of the invention and of the advantages
obtained thereby will become apparent from the following
description of an embodiment of the subject of the invention
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a section of the installation
channel or conduit in accordance with the invention,
FIG. 2 shows the clamping means in accordance with the invention,
and
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the central clamping section in two stages
of construction.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The installation channel has a mounting wall 1 and two side walls 2
and 3 which define a channel having a rectangular cross-section
that at first is open along the fourth side. This open side can be
closed by means of a covering, which is not illustrated, and which
can be engaged, for example, with the outer longitudinal grooves 4
in the side walls 2 and 3.
The free edge members 5 of the walls 2 and 3 are provided with
slots 6 that extend at equal distances longitudinally of the
channel. These slots 6 can, in turn, be releasably engaged by clamp
elements 7 whose engaging and release mechanism will be described
more in detail hereinafter.
The installation channel is furthermore provided on the inside of
its mounting wall 1 with longitudinally extending groove members 8
in which separating bars 9 can be placed which serve to form
electrically separated chambers in the channel.
Also these separating bars are provided at their free front edge 10
with longitudinal slots 11 which have a wide portion 12 and a
narrower portion 13. The cooperation between these elongated slots
11 with the clamp elements 7 will be explained more in detail
hereinafter. The clamp elements 7 are of essentially flat shape and
define at both ends areas 15 and 16 that are separated by
longitudinal slots 14. The areas 15 are angularly offset at their
ends and their angularly offset end areas 17 are of rectangular
cross-section. The areas 16 are likewise angularly offset at their
ends. However, the angularly offset areas 18 are on one side of
arrow-shaped cross-section and define an undercut 19. This undercut
19 registers with the inner surface 20 of the angular offset 17.
Furthermore, the angularly offset portion 17 extends beyond the
offset portion 18 by approximately the amount of the depth of the
undercut 19 and is of a width corresponding to that of the
elongated slots 6 in the free edges 5 of the side walls 2 and 3 of
the installation channel.
The shaping of the end portions 17 above described makes it
possible that they can be hooked or hung in a simple manner in the
elongated slots 6 and without it being necessary to use tools, and
that they can be released in the same manner, i.e., without
destroying any part thereof, they may in practice frequently be
released as desired.
As the clamping elements are installed, they are first hung with
their one angularly offset portion 18 in an elongated slot 6. As
soon as it rests with its undercut 19 at the lateral edge of the
slot 6, portion 17 engages the slot and there latches the clamp
member, so that it can no longer be readily released from the slot
6. Subsequently the same operation is performed at the opposite end
of the clamping element in a slot of the opposite side wall of the
channel. In order to release the clamping element, it is sufficient
to bend the portion 15 slightly out of the plane of the clamping
element so that its latching effect in the slot is eliminated. It
is then possible to readily withdraw the portion 18 from the
slot.
The clamping member 7 is furthermore provided with ribs 21 that may
be provided in a plurality of numbers that correspond to the
subdivision of grooves 8 on the mounting walls 1, and thus
correspond to the possible number of the arrangement of the
separating bars 9 in the channel. These ribs 21 are coordinated to
the slots 11 in the free edge 10 of the separating bars 9. The ribs
21 are of generally arrow-shaped cross-section and have very small
and deep grooves 22.
If a clamp member 7 is not only to be inserted into the slots 6 of
the side walls 2 and 3, but is also to be utilized for supporting
one or several separating bars 9, it is sufficient to simply cut
through the clamp member at the particular rib 21 in accordance
with groove 22. Then the clamp member, for example the upper clamp
part 23, can first be introduced in the slot 6 in the manner
described above, and then reaches with its half rib 21' the broad
area 12 of the slot 11 of separating bar 9. The clamp portion 23 is
tHen slid longitudinally of the channel until it is latched with
the rib 21' in the small part 13 of the slot 11. Then the lower
clamp part 24 is inserted in the same manner and the upper clamp
portion is slid back so that the clamp member constitutes a whole.
It is accurately fixed by means of the partial ribs 21' which are
then again brought together as a rib 21, in the wide area 12 of the
slots 11 and thus forms the desired support for the intermediate
bar 9.
In order to make it possible to constitute the desired very narrow
and deep groove 22 in a simple manner, one proceeds preferably in a
manner that the clamp member is produced in a folded shape as
indicated in FIG. 3. In this manner the grooves 22 define broad
grooves 22' of triangular cross-section that favor the formation of
corresponding form cores. The completed clamp member then arrives
in still plastic condition out of the production mold on a plane
base and then assumes the position in accordance with FIG. 4, i.e.,
the broad grooves 22' of triangular cross-section close, to form
the desired very small grooves 22. These grooves 22 reach in the
ribs 21 at least to the area in which the clamp member 7 extends
essentially evenly. They may also be introduced into this area as
indicated in FIG. 3.
The shape of clamp in accordance witH the invention together with
the coordinated slots at the free edges of the side walls of the
channel and of the separating bar provides the possibility of
mounting the retaining and supporting clamps at practically any
desired position in accordance with the division of the slots
longitudinally of the channel and also to release them again.
Furthermore it affords the possibility of hanging the clamp only on
one side so that when inclined obliquely outwardly the locating of
the cables is not impeded before it is latched in its final
position. The insertion as well as also the releasing of the clamp
can take place in a simple manner without the use of tools or
substantial force.
* * * * *