Telescoping Outdoor Switchboard And Aisle Sections

Abstract

The aisle section of outdoor walk-in type switchgear is telescoped over the front of the switchboard during shipment and is telescoped outwardly and is assembled with an aisle floor when delivered to its site of installation. Lifting and shipping members are provided as integral parts of the telescoping assembly.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to outdoor walk-in type switchgear, and more specifically relates to a novel construction for such switchgear in which the aisle section is movable to a telescoping position over the front of the switchboard in order to reduce volume and increase strength of the assembly during shipping.

Outdoor walk-in switchgear is well known, and is typically shown for example in the U.S. Pat. to Wortman et al. No. 2,952,799. Such switchgear generally consists of a switchboard section and an aisle section. The aisle section forms a waterproof enclosure located in front of a single-row switchboard or between the fronts of a double-row switchboard. Conventionally, the aisle may be constructed of unitary switchboard-frame width sections which are fastened together with end panels at both ends of the aisle containing doors providing access to the aisles.

Conventionally, the aisle section of outdoor switchgear is disassembled from the switchboard frame when the unit is shipped. The complete device is then reassembled in the field, at the installation site. The field erection costs are relatively high due to the necessary labor involved in the reassembly and because of loss and damage of the many loose parts which are involved.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, the switchgear is so constructed that the aisle section and switchboard section may be telescoped over one another during shipment, thereby to reduce volume and shipping costs while simplifying erection in the field. Thus, in accordance with the invention, there is provided a factory-assembled aisle section designed to nest over or telescope over the switchboard assembly during shipment. The roof and sides of the aisle section and switchboard section are designed to permit lifting and shipping as a unit by the provision of suitable hardware for receiving lifting hooks and the like. When a floor is required for the aisle section, the floor is shipped separately and assembled while the switchgear is being installed.

Among the numerous advantages provided by the invention are:

The bulk of the assembly has been factory assembled rather than field assembled, and shipping damages and losses are minimized.

Field assembly time is reduced to a minimum, and the user is assured that the aisle and switchboard components will arrive at the site together.

There is good control of the weatherproofing between the aisle and the switchboard, since weatherproofing occurs in factory-assembled seal housings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top elevation view of a switchboard having a telescoping aisle frame member telescoping thereover for shipping purposes.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 which shows the telescoped aisle pulled out and placed in position to form an aisle in front of the switchboard. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the elevation of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 3 to illustrate the aisle which is formed in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a view of the rear of the switchboard of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the switchgear of the invention in a position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the elevation of FIG. 6 to show the telescoping components in their with-drawn position.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to the view of FIG. 7 and shows the telescoping aisle section in its collapsed position as in FIGS. 1 and 3, and in position for shipping.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the telescoped arrangement of the FIGS. 1, 3 and 8 shown in lifted position while being moved to a foundation.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 9 after being seated on its foundation with the lifting cables connected to the aisle enclosure preparatory to moving the aisle enclosure to its withdrawn position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a switchboard 20 which is of a conventional type and is shown herein as containing five identical frame units 21 to 25. Each of the frame units 21 to 25 are of the conventional type for receiving circuit protection equipment, such as a circuit breaker which can be racked in and out of the enclosure. Bus and cable compartments, along with metering equipment compartments, may also be provided. Each of the individual enclosures 21 to 25 may further contain openable doors, such as doors 26 to 30 (FIGS. 3 and 4).

All of the cubicles share a common rear wall 31 which is defined by the continuation of each of the individual rear walls of the individual frame assemblies. A floor 32 (FIGS. 7 and 8) is formed by a continuation of the individual floors of each of the individual framed units 21 to 25. In a similar manner, the switchboard 20 has a roof 33 (FIGS. 5, 7 and 9), again formed by the individual roof elements of the individual frame units. Note in FIGS. 7 and 8 the roof 33 may slope downwardly to permit drainage of rain and snow.

The individual frames 21 to 25 are then suitably connected to one another in any desired manner, and are conventionally supported as by support I-beams shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 as the I-beams 40, 41 and 42. The I-beams 40 and 41 have lifting brackets 50-51 and 52-53 respectively extending therefrom, as best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 9.

In order to form a weatherproof aisle for the switchboard 20, an aisle enclosure 60 is provided where the aisle enclosure 60 may be formed of individual frame sections identical in width to the width of frame sections 21 to 25 of the switchboard 20. By way of example, individual frame sections 61 to 65 may be bolted together in any desired manner to form the body of the aisle enclosure 60. Two end sections 66 and 67 are then bolted to the ends of the aisle enclosure with these end sections carrying doors 68 and 69 respectively, which allow entrance to the center aisle 70 formed by the aisle enclosure 60. As in the case of the switchboard construction, the individual frame member elements 61 to 69, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, define a side wall 80, a top wall 81, and the side walls 68 and 69, previously mentioned.

It should be noted that the frame units forming the telescoping aisle enclosure 60 do not contain floor elements. Thus, if a floor is required in the aisle, the floor 82 is formed separately and consists of separate floor panels shown in FIG. 7.

The combination of the switchboard enclosure and aisle section shown, for example, in FIG. 7, is of a type well known to the art, with the assembly previously having been made in the field from individually shipped components. In accordance with the present invention, however, the aisle enclosure is adapted to telescope to a collapsed position as shown in FIGS 1, 3, 8, 9 and 10 during shipping, so that a relatively low-volume package is handled. Moreover, the package shipped has increased strength, and is less likely to undergo distortion from a rectangular shape to a trapezoidal shape during shipping, since the switchboard section and aisle section tend to reinforce one another.

To allow telescoping, the aisle section 60 is made without a permanent floor, with the floor being installed at the installation site. In addition, the width of the aisle enclosure 60 is made sufficiently larger than the width of the switchboard 20 that the side sections 66 and 67 can telescope over the sides of the switchboard 20. The top of aisle enclosure 60 is then further provided with lifting brackets 90 to 93 (FIGS. 1 to 8 and 10) to enable movement of the aisle 60 as will be described in connection with FIG. 10.

In the telescoped position, the enclosure 60 is supported on the switchboard 20 with the assistance of shipping support blocks, such as blocks 100 and 101 between the top of enclosure 60 and the roof 33 in FIG. 8, along with a further shipping member 102 disposed below the bottom of the wall 80 of shipping enclosure 60. Any suitable clamp arrangement (not shown) could also be provided to hold the aisle enclosure 60 in position during the shipping of the switchgear.

When the assembly reaches the installation site, a suitable foundation will have been prepared, which could include, for example, poured foundation piers such as the piers 110, 111 and 112 of FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, which are arranged to receive I-beams 40, 41 and 42. Further I-beams 43 and 44 support the bottom floor 82 and the main aisle enclosure 60.

In order to lift the telescoped or collapsed assembly of FIG. 9 from the carrying vehicle, a pair of pressure timbers 120 and 121 are placed on either side of aisle enclosure 60, and lifting cables are guided over the pressure timbers 120 and 121 by the spreader timber frame 122 and the spreader timbers 123 and 124. Lifting cables are then connected to the lifting brackets 50 to 53, and the entire assemblage may be lifted on to the piers 111 and 112 of FIG. 7. Thereafter, and as shown in FIG. 10, the lifting cables are connected to brackets 90 to 93, and the entire aisle enclosure 60 is moved from the position of FIG. 8 to the position of FIG. 7, with the aisle 60 deposited on the floor 82 and piers 110 and 111. At the same time, a weatherproof sealing gasket 130 (FIG. 7) is connected between the peripheries of aisle enclosure 60 and switchboard 20 to form a good weather seal.

Although this invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, it should be understood that many variations and modifications will now be obvious to those skilled in the art and, therefore, the scope of this invention is to be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims. The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilege or property is claimed are defined as follows:

Claims

1. An outdoor switchgear assemblage adapted for economical shipment comprising, in combination:

a switchboard comprising a generally rectangular metal housing having a front, rear, top and first and second side sections; said front section having a door therein for defining at least one cubicle adapted for the reception of circuit protective apparatus; and

an aisle enclosure comprising a generally rectangular metal housing having a rear, top and first and second side sections; said first side section having a door therein; and

means connecting said aisle enclosure to said switchboard, whereby said top of said aisle enclosure is connected to said top of said switchboard to form therewith a generally continuous roof, and whereby said first and second side sections of said aisle enclosure are connected to said first and second side sections respectively of said switchboard, to form therewith generally continuous side sections, and whereby said rear section of said aisle enclosure is spaced from said front section of said switchboard to form therewith a weatherproof aisle in front of said front section of said switchboard, with said door in said side section of said aisle enclosure communicating with said weatherproof aisle; and

said aisle enclosure being collapsible in telescoping relation over said switchboard for shipping said switchgear assemblage, wherein said top section of said aisle enclosure is disposed above said top section of said switchboard; said side sections of said aisle enclosure are spaced apart by a distance greater than the spacing between said side sections of said switchboard, and said first and second side sections of said aisle enclosure are over and alongside of said first and second side sections of said switchboard, whereby said aisle is substantially collapsed.

2. The switchgear assemblage of claim 1 wherein said switchboard includes a plurality of identical frame sections fastened together to define a plurality of individual cubicles, and wherein said aisle enclosure includes a similar plurality of identical frame sections connected together.

3. The switchgear assemblage of claim 1 which includes metal floor members for said switchboard and for said aisle enclosure; said aisle enclosure floor member is separable from and of a size not to fit in said aisle enclosure when it is collapsed but of a size to fit in said aisle enclosure when said assemblage is assembled open.

4. The switchgear assemblage of claim 1 which includes lifting apparatus connectors connected to the rear of said switchboard to enable lifting of said switchboard with said aisle enclosure telescoped thereover, and which further includes lifting apparatus connectors connected to said top section of said aisle enclosure to enable the lifting thereof off of said switchboard and to an extended position to receive said connection means.

5. The switchgear assemblage of claim 4 which includes metal floor members for said switchboard and for said aisle enclosure; said aisle enclosure floor member is separable from and is of a size not to fit in said aisle enclosure when it is collapsed but of a size to fit in said aisle enclosure when said assemblage is assembled open.

6. The switchgear assemblage of claim 1 which further includes a second switchboard spaced from said first switchboard; the front surface of said second switchboard defining said rear surface of said aisle enclosure.

7. The switchgear assemblage of claim 1 which further includes a plurality of elongated steel beam supports disposed beneath said switchboard and said switchgear for supporting said switchgear at its assembly site.

8. The switchgear assemblage of claim 1 which further includes weather seal means disposed between the adjacent portions of said aisle enclosure and said switchboard when connected by said connection means.