Title: Communication cable support structure and apparatus and method for making
Abstract: A digital voice and/or data communication cable hanger provides a saddle support on a shaft fastened to a ceiling or beams or side wall by an integral fastening loop at one end. The other end of the hanger is shaped into a support loop for the cable. A saddle having the support shaft running through it closes the support loop to prevent cable from slipping out. The cable hanger is made by a tool using a rotating spool designed to shape the rigid shaft into a fastening loop at one end and a support loop at the other end. A second support loop can be selectively attached to the shaft between its ends.
Patent Number: 6,945,501 Issued on 09/20/2005 to Thompson
| Inventors:
|
Thompson; William J. (2120 Mendocino, Fullerton, CA 92831)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
663511 |
| Filed:
|
September 16, 2003 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
248/58; 248/304; 248/916 |
| Intern'l Class: |
E21F 017/02; F16L 003/00 |
| Field of Search: |
248/58,60,62,63,304,301,339,681,916
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 350209 | Oct., 1886 | Parmelee.
| |
| 411307 | Sep., 1889 | Turner.
| |
| 810004 | Jan., 1906 | Tabler.
| |
| 934255 | Sep., 1909 | Wilson.
| |
| 1308869 | Jul., 1919 | Rohmer.
| |
| 1331524 | Feb., 1920 | Pleister.
| |
| 1365060 | Jan., 1921 | Pleister et al.
| |
| 1365354 | Jan., 1921 | Thayer.
| |
| 1554740 | Sep., 1925 | Licht.
| |
| 1623792 | Apr., 1927 | Karitzky.
| |
| 1750694 | Mar., 1930 | John.
| |
| 2642242 | Jun., 1953 | Karitzky.
| |
| 2846174 | Aug., 1958 | Sewell.
| |
| 2862368 | Dec., 1958 | Dempsey.
| |
| 2891752 | Jun., 1959 | Genter.
| |
| 3194524 | Jul., 1965 | Trumbull.
| |
| 3204908 | Sep., 1965 | Brown.
| |
| 3263026 | Jul., 1966 | Kihs.
| |
| 3504108 | Mar., 1970 | Kihs.
| |
| 3532312 | Oct., 1970 | Kopf.
| |
| 3995823 | Dec., 1976 | Hensel.
| |
| 4438894 | Mar., 1984 | Yaotani et al.
| |
| 4736923 | Apr., 1988 | Losada.
| |
| 4903920 | Feb., 1990 | Merritt.
| |
| 4979715 | Dec., 1990 | Rancourt.
| |
| 4991801 | Feb., 1991 | Trumbull.
| |
| 5005789 | Apr., 1991 | Jones.
| |
| 5029788 | Jul., 1991 | Hoskinson et al.
| |
| 5178503 | Jan., 1993 | Losada.
| |
| 5385320 | Jan., 1995 | Ismert et al.
| |
| 5624220 | Apr., 1997 | Janssen et al.
| |
| 5634756 | Jun., 1997 | Losada.
| |
| 5740994 | Apr., 1998 | Laughlin.
| |
| 5788444 | Aug., 1998 | Losada.
| |
| 5897082 | Apr., 1999 | Losada.
| |
| 5957416 | Sep., 1999 | Sellati.
| |
| 6325338 | Dec., 2001 | Del Re et al.
| |
| 6364266 | Apr., 2002 | Garvin.
| |
| 6565048 | May., 2003 | Meyer.
| |
| 2003/0102412 | Jun., 2003 | Miescher.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 2923893 | Jan., 1981 | DE.
| |
Primary Examiner: Ramirez; Ramon O
Claims
1. A cable support structure comprising:
a shaft having a first and second end, the second end of the shaft being bent
into a cable support loop, the first end of the shaft being bent into a fastening
loop;
a fastener held by the fastening loop at the first end of the shaft; and
a saddle of flat stock with an integral sleeve, the sleeve encasing at least
a portion of the support loop at the second end of the shaft, the flat stock of
the saddle flexing to open and close the support loop at the second end of the
shaft.
2. The cable support structure of claim 1 wherein the shaft is bent at a right
angle at the first end before the fastening loop.
3. The cable support structure of claim 1, further comprising:
a second saddle fastened to the shaft at a point between the fastening loop at
the first end and the saddle at the second end.
4. The cable support structure of claim 3 wherein the second saddle comprises:
flat stock with an integral sleeve; and
a shaft encased by the integral sleeve of the flat stock, the shaft being bent
into a second cable support loop.
5. The cable support structure of claim 4 wherein the second saddle is fastened
to the shaft by a grasping mechanism formed out of spring steel and fixedly attached
to the second saddle.
6. The cable support structure of claim 5 wherein the grasping mechanism comprises:
at least one inside arm and one outside arm for grasping the shaft between them
and thereby holding the saddle fast to the shaft.
7. The cable support structure of claim 1 wherein the fastener comprises:
a concrete nail or concrete anchor; and
a bushing held by the small loop for holding the concrete nail.
8. The cable support structure of claim 1 wherein the flat stock of the saddle
is plastic with an integral plastic sleeve, the support loop of the shaft being
held within the sleeve along the length of the support loop.
9. The cable support structure of claim 8 wherein the plastic flat stock of the
saddle flexes at a point beyond the second end to open and close the support loop.
10. The cable support structure of claim 1 wherein the fastener comprises:
a wood nail or wood screw; and
a bushing held by the small loop for holding the nail.
11. The cable support structure of claim 1, formed at least by:
a) obtaining a straight shaft having a first and second end and a desired length;
b) bending the first end of the shaft into a small closed loop;
c) attaching a flat stock of a predetermined length to the second end of the
shaft; and
d) bending the second end of the shaft along a portion of the length of flat
stock into a support loop.
12. The cable support structure of claim 11 further formed at least by bending
the first end of the shaft at a right angle just before the fastening loop.
13. The cable support structure of claim 12 further formed at least by bending
the first end of the shaft at a right angle just before the fastening loop.
14. The cable support structure of claim 11 wherein the flat stock is attached
to the shaft by pushing the shaft into the sleeve integral with the flat stock,
the sleeve being sized to fit the shaft.
15. The cable support structure of claim 1 wherein the fastener comprises:
a metal screw; and
a bushing held by the small loop for holding the metal screw.
16. A cable support structure, comprising:
a first shaft having a first and a second end, the second end being bent into
a cable support loop, the first end being bent into a fastening loop; a fastener
held by the fastening loop at the first end of the first shaft;
a saddle encasing at least a portion of the support loop at the second end of
the first shaft;
a second shaft bent into a second cable support loop, fastened to the first shaft
at a point between the fastening loop at the first end and the saddle at the second
end of the first shaft; and
a second saddle of flat stock with an integral sleeve, the integral sleeve encasing
at least a portion of the second cable support loop, the flat stock of the second
saddle flexing to open and close the second cable support loop.
17. The A cable support structure comprising:
a shaft having a first and second end, the second end of the shaft being bent
into a cable support loop; and
a saddle encasing at least a portion of the support loop at the second end wherein
the saddle includes an elongated shaft coupling member fastened to an elongated
cable support member, the elongated shaft coupling member including a receiving
cavity having at least two open ends; the shaft passing through the receiving cavity
of the shaft coupling member and extending outward from both of the open ends.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the coupling member and support member
are part of a one piece saddle.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the saddle is injection molded plastic.
20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the coupling member projects outward from
a side of the support member.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the coupling member extends along a centerline
of a surface of the support member.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the support member is rectangular.
23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the saddle is flexible.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates generally to improvements in cable support structures
and more particularly pertains to new and improved apparatus for suspending digital
voice and data cables in office buildings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital voice and data communication cables used to interconnect computers
and related digital equipment in office buildings, for the most, part require straight
unconvoluted runs with the cables separated from power lines and other interference
generating structures in order to avoid band-width deterioration.
As a result, the prior art has developed separate digital cable hangers. An example
of several different types of cable hangers utilized in the prior art is shown
in FIGS. 1,
2 and
3.
FIG. 1 illustrates a cable hanger
11 which is adapted for attachment
to a metal support beam
13. The operative end of the cable hanger is a bridle
ring
15 that threads into a U-shaped fastening block
23 that is held
to a steel beam
13 by a fastening screw
25 threaded through fastening
block
23. The bridle ring
15 has a plastic saddle
17 attached
to the loop portion of bridle ring
15 by bosses
19 located on the
underside of saddle
17, that squeeze the curved portion of the saddle ring
15. A digital cable bundle
21 is placed within the loop of saddle
ring
15 on saddle
17.
FIG. 2 illustrates another prior art cable hanger
27 which is designed
to fasten into a ceiling or horizontal support by way of a nail
33. The
cable hanger
27 utilizes a straight length of wire rod
29 which is
attached at one end to a clip
31 that also holds nail
33 and attached
at the other end to a clip
35 which has a wire holding hook
38. The
hook
38 is fastened by way of rivets
39 to a metal saddle
37.
A bundle of wires or single digital communication cable would be placed within
the saddle
37.
Yet another digital communication cable holder prior art device is illustrated
in FIG. 3. A clip
41 cut out of flat metal has an upstanding portion
47
bent at a right angle into which a closed loop hook
45 is threaded. The
clip
41 is held fast to a wire rod
29 by way of the pressure applied
between the flat part of clip
41 and tabs
43 and the upstanding portion
47.
The prior art digital voice and data communication cable hanging device
11
of FIG. 1 is not completely satisfactory in that the bridle ring is open, and the
length or support height at which the digital communication cable
21 is
suspended from the support is not adjustable.
The prior art digital communication cable hangers of FIGS. 2 and 3 have an adjustability
feature. FIG. 2, for example, shows a book attached to wire
29 which can
be moved up and down, and a bracket
31 holding nail
33, which can
be moved up and down. The prior art device of FIG. 3 shows a closed loop
45
attached to a bracket
41 which can be moved up and down rod
29.
A shortcoming of the two prior art devices shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is that the
multiple
parts used in the construction of the brackets that provide the adjustability,
tend to create a structure that is flimsy, not capable of withstanding building
movement caused by an earthquake, for example, and do not have a smooth, non-metallic
wide surface loop or saddle that prevents kink and sags.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A digital voice/data communication cable hanger made of wire rod is shaped to
be
fastened to a concrete, wood, or metal overhead deck or side wall by an integral
fastening loop at one end that provides a stabilizing footprint on the substrate.
A cable support loop at the other end of the wire rod has a saddle integrally attached,
for cradling the digital cable. The saddle is designed to close the cable support
loop with a latch arm, after the cable is run through, to prevent the cable from
slipping out. The hanger is preferably made from rigid wire rod by a double functioning
spool which forms the fastening loop at one end and the support loop at the other
end. The support loop is formed with the saddle attached to the wire rod. A second
saddle designed to be selectively attached to the wire rod between its two ends
may be used as needed for running additional digital cable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The exact nature of this invention, as well as its objects and advantages, will
become readily apparent upon consideration of the following description of a preferred
embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings
in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a prior art device.
FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of an alternate prior art device.
FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of yet another prior art device.
FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective illustration of a section of an alternate structure
for the fastening loop.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing how the fastening loop is attached
to an overhead deck.
FIG. 7 is a side view showing how the fastening loop of FIG. 5 is attached to
a side wall.
FIG. 8 is a side view of the cable support loop portion of the invention, for
holding a digital communication cable.
FIG. 9 is an end plan view of an apparatus for making the fastening loop on
a communication cable support structure according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a side plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 9 for making the support
loop on a communication cable support structure according the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a perspective illustration showing the apparatus of FIGS. 9 and 10
forming a right angle bend in the fastening loop portion of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a side plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 9 showing use of the apparatus
for forming the support loop at the other end of the shaft.
FIG. 13 is a perspective illustration of the apparatus of FIG. 12 showing the
formation of the support loop with integral saddle on the shaft; and
FIG. 14 is a front plan view of a removable platform used to form the small
closed fastening loop.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 16 is a side plan view with a partial section of part of the structure
of FIG. 18.
FIG. 17 is a front plan view of the cable holding mechanism of FIGS. 15
and 16.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The preferred embodiment of a communication digital audio/video cable support
51, according to the present invention, is illustrated in FIG. 4 as comprising
a metal shaft
53 which may be 8-gauge or higher, zinc plated mild steel
rod, or similar shaft. The shaft
53 may be round, triangular or rectangular
in shape, although round is preferred. For drop lengths greater than one foot,
a 0.250 round steel rod having 65KSI tensile strength is preferred. The shaft
53
has a small loop
55 formed at its first end with a 90° bend just below
the loop
55 for fastening the communication cable support structure
51
to a ceiling. The small loop
55 is the fastening loop.
The other or second end of shaft
53 is formed into larger loop
59
which has a saddle
57 of a very specific construction integral with the
shaft
53. As is more clearly shown in FIG. 8, the saddle
57 has an
integral sleeve
60 formed in the saddle. The saddle is preferably made out
of plastic by an injection molded process. The sleeve
60 of saddle
57
extends from just before the shaft
53 starts to bend into a loop
59
and ends at the end
71 of the shaft
53. The remaining portion of
the material of saddle
61 has no sleeve thereon, is flat, and extends to
close the open space between the end
71 of shaft
59 and the straight
shaft
53. This flat part
61 of the saddle
57 has a notch
63
at its end to allow friction closure with shaft
53. The flat part
61
of the saddle
57 is sufficiently flexible to rotate away from shaft
53
and open the loop
59 as required to place or remove wires from the support
loop. The saddle is preferably a two inch to three and one-half inch closed loop
made out of polypropylene resin or similar material.
FIG. 5 illustrates a fastening loop
65 without a bend in it. This fastening
loop is utilized for attachment to overhead side walls
68 as shown in FIG.
7. A fastener
67 like a timber pin for wood, or a ramset for concrete or
a drill screw for a metal deck, for example, is held within the small fastening
loop
65 by a collapsible bushing
69 on one side of the loop
65
and a washer
70 on the other side. The fastener
67 is driven into
the vertical side wall surface
68 with a force sufficient to collapse bushing
69 so that the fastening loop
55 is flat against the vertical surface
68. Bushing
69 is preferably made out of a light-weight plastic,
nylon, or foam material.
For overhead attachments to horizontal decks, as shown in FIG. 6, the 90°
bend version of the cable support structure
51 is utilized. The fastener
67, which may be a ramset or drill screw, for example, is held to the small
fastening loop
55 by a bushing
69 on one side and a washer
70
on the other. Bushing
69 is made out of a plastic, nylon, or foam material
that will collapse when the fastener
67 is driven fully into the horizontal
surface
72.
The unitary structure of the cable support
51 is a significant advantage
when supporting digital video/audio cables in an environment where support sways
and sturdiness is an important consideration.
The unitary construction of the communication cable support structure
51
also is of significant advantage from the standpoint of its manufacture, in that
it can be made simply, quickly and cheaply by a simple hand-operated apparatus
as shown in FIGS. 9-14.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show the manufacturing apparatus
201 for making the cable
support structure
51 having a spindle
213 mounted for rotation about
its central axis
210. The spindle
213 is preferably made of steel
in a drum shape. A shaft
215 fixed to one end of the spool
213 is
a journal within a bearing casing
207. A long-handled lever
211 is
attached to the other end of shaft
215 by a pair of bolts
209. Rotation
of lever
211 causes spool
213 to rotate about its central axis
210.
Bearing casing
207 is held in position by a support wall
205 made
of steel which is fixed to a sturdy base
243.
Spool
213 has a steel arm
217 extending parallel to the central
axis
210 across the drum surface of spool
213. Arm
217 is
fastened by welding or an equivalent fastening means to spool
213 and rotates
with spool
213.
A pair of pegs
219 and
221 are attached to the other end of spool
213. One peg
219 is on the central axis
210 of the spool
213.
The other peg
221 is displaced a short distance from the central axis peg
219. The distance between the two pegs is determined by the diameter of
the shaft or rod
229 to be manipulated by the manufacturing apparatus
201.
FIGS. 9,
10 and
11 show the manufacturing apparatus
201
being used to make the small fastening loop
233 at the first end of the
shaft
227. A platform
223 is mounted to the base
243 by a
pair of pegs
225 that insert into matching apertures in the base
243.
This allows the platform to be removed during other operations of the apparatus
201. Platform
223 allows the shaft
227 to be inserted between
the two pegs
219 and
221 on the end of the spool
213. As shown
in FIGS. 9 and 10, rotation of the long-handled lever
211 in a counterclockwise
direction
202 causes the straight shaft end
229 to be bent into the
closed loop
233.
In order to place the 90° bend
234 (FIG. 11) into the shaft
227,
the end of the shaft with a small fastening loop
233 is again inserted between
the pegs
219 and
221 with the flat side of the loop upwards. The
long-handled lever
211 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to a stop
225 which is threadably attached to the support wall
205. This limited
movement provides a 90° angle bend
234 in the shaft
227 as required
for attaching the cable support structure
51 to a horizontal overhead deck.
In order to form the large holding loop at the second end of the shaft
53,
the spool
213 is utilized as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.
Before the manufacturing apparatus
201 is utilized, the saddle
57
is slid on to the straight end of shaft
53 so that the support end
59
of shaft
53 slips into the entire length of the sleeve
60 that is
an integral part of saddle
57. The flat end
61 of the saddle continues
beyond the end
71 of the shaft
59 in the saddle
57. The still
flat saddle with the shaft
53 attached is then inserted between the arm
217 and the spool
213 as shown in FIG.
12.
Rotation of the long-handled lever
211 in a counterclockwise direction
202 (FIG. 13) causes the saddle
57 and the end
59 of the shaft
53 that is in the sleeve
60 of the saddle to bend into a loop as
shown in FIG.
13. The flat portion
61 of the saddle that extends
beyond the end
71 is of sufficient length to close the open loop formed.
This manufacturing process described above, although hand operated, is fast
and efficient, and produces a cable support structure
51 that is strong
and rigid, capable of withstanding the forces exerted on it by the pulling of cable
through the saddle supports and the forces exerted on it during overhead mounting
to horizontal decks or walls. The length of the shaft
53 from the small
fastening loop
55 to the large support loop in saddle
57 may vary
in length. Preferably the cable support
51 comes in a variety of standard
lengths to be used as needed for running the communication cable from an overhead support.
In those instances where additional cable needs to be run at some time after
installation
of the cable support structure
51 and at a different height than established
by the cable support structure
51, an additional saddle
227 may be
mounted to shaft
53 along its midsection as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. Saddle
227 is constructed in the same manner as saddle
57 with a integral
sleeve
229 formed in saddle
227 which contains a rod
230 that
shapes saddle
227 by being bent into a loop, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16.
The remaining portion of the saddle
231 which has no sleeve is flat and
extends to close the open space between the straight shaft
53 and the end
of the bent shaft
230. The flat portion
231 of the saddle engages
the flat side of the saddle
227 at the shaft
53 to provide complete
closure of the saddle loop.
The saddle
227 is held to shaft
53 by a rod grasping mechanism
233 that has a pair of outside arms
237 and a pair of inside arms
239. The rod grasping mechanism
233 as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 is
held fast to the saddle
227 by at least one rivet, or bolt or similar fastener
235. The grasping mechanism
233 is preferably made out of a spring
steel. It is shaped so that the rod
53 is grasped between an inside arm
239 and an outside arm
237 of the grasping mechanism
233.
Multiple arms are shown in the Figures because multiple arms are preferred to provide
the additional holding force required. Although two holding arms are illustrated,
more or less could be used, as needed.
*
