Patent Publication Number: US-2022213984-A1

Title: Piping and Conduit Support Rack

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/070,099, titled “Piping and Conduit Support Rack”, filed on Oct. 14, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/877,595, titled “Piping and Conduit Support Rack”, filed on May 19, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,844,978, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/653,169, titled “Piping and Conduit Support Rack”, filed on Oct. 15, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,697,562, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/939,246, titled “Piping and Conduit Support Rack”, filed on Mar. 28, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,495,237, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/478,464, titled “Piping and Conduit Support Rack”, filed on Mar. 29, 2017, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to racks used to support electrical conduits, cable tray, plumbing pipes and process piping in a sanitary manner. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In typical construction projects in the food processing, health, consumer goods, electronics and medical industries, the electrical and plumbing contractors are responsible for creating support racks for the plumbing, conduits, cable trays and wiring that will be installed. The process involved in creating and building these racks is one that involved manpower and time. Each construction project is different, and requires the contractors to custom build each rack system to fit the project. The time is spent measuring the length of the racks, measuring where the support posts or rod hangers will be installed, drilling holes for the support posts or rod hangers, welding the different pieces together, and other time consuming actions. 
     Additionally, in these types of projects the support racks need to be made so they can be cleaned frequently to remove dirt and moisture, and to avoid the growth of bacteria, mold and other hazards. In traditional and typical projects, the rack systems were not designed with those criteria in mind. Due to the need for on-site customization, the typical methods even increased the risk that contaminants could be introduced into the manufacturing processes. 
     Recently, new rack systems and structures have been introduced that are directed to address the problem of timely custom construction, and also the special needs of the food and health industries. These rack systems have pre-made openings allowing flexibility in installation. The racks are typically suspended from the ceilings by way of hanger rods, and the conduits and piping can be installed where it is most convenient for the job. Also, racks have been designed with angled side walls that make it more difficult for dirt and moisture to build, and are easier to clean. However, using conventional hardware can also present the risk of contamination. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,543,606, (the &#39;606 Patent) structures for supporting conduits in a sanitary manner are disclosed. The patent discloses a conduit support and a conduit receiving area in the support. The support is attached to conduits that can be square, round, hollow or solid, via bolts, welding, snap locks. The conventional hardware for securing the supports, as shown in the figures of the &#39;606 Patent all have edges and surfaces on which contaminants can collect. 
     In view of these disadvantages, there remains a need for a rack system that employs integrated hardware for reducing the risk of contaminant collection. Also, there remains a need to use these support racks from structures, such as pipes or poles or posts, that are installed from the floor up. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, this invention is a rack support system comprising a rack with a first side wall and a second side wall connected to form an inverted v shape with a top ridge. The rack further has a first opening in the ridge, defined between a first edge and second edge to provide a level surface between the first and second edge. The system further comprises a bolt with a head that has a beveled profile to match the angle formed by the v shape on an underside of the rack. The bolt further comprises a shank, and a threaded portion which extend through the opening in the rack and are exposed on the top side of the level surface of the rack ridge. The shank and threaded portion further extend through an opening in a standoff that allows the threaded portion to partially extend above the top surface of the standoff. The standoff further comprises leg portions extending over the first and second side walls, and at angles that match the angle formed by the two side walls. 
     In another aspect, this invention is a rack having a first side wall and second side wall connected to form an inverted v shape with a top ridge. The rack further has a first opening in the ridge, defined between a first edge and second edge to provide a level surface between the first and second edge. The side walls terminate at a first end and a second end. At these ends are attached a first plate and a second plate. The outer surfaces of the first plate and second plates have concave indentations. 
     In another aspect, this invention is a rack or support system comprising the rack described above secured to a first post at the first end, and a second post at the second end by fastening means. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a rack embodiment of this invention showing the inverted v shape. 
         FIG. 1B  is a view from one side of a rack embodiment of this invention. 
         FIG. 1C  is a top view of a rack embodiment of this invention showing the opening in the ridge on the top of the rack. 
         FIG. 1D  is an end view of a rack embodiment of this invention showing the inverted v shape, and the angle formed on the underside of the rack taken along line  1 D- 1 D of  FIG. 1C . 
         FIG. 2A  is a side view of a bolt embodiment of this invention showing the beveled head. 
         FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of a bolt embodiment of this invention. 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a standoff embodiment of this invention. 
         FIG. 3B  is a bottom view of a standoff embodiment of this invention viewed along line  3 B- 3 B of  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 3C  is a side view of a standoff embodiment of this invention viewed along line  3 C- 3 C of  FIG. 3B . 
         FIG. 3D  is a second side view of a standoff embodiment of this invention viewed along line  3 D- 3 D in  FIG. 3B . 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of an embodiment of the rack system of this invention showing how the rack, bolt, standoff, and conduit support member are cooperatively constructed. 
         FIG. 5A  shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the rack showing the inverted v shape and with attached end plates. 
         FIG. 5B  shows a top view of the embodiment showing the opening in the ridge on the top of the rack. 
         FIG. 5C  shows an end view of the embodiment of the rack showing two openings viewed along line  5 C- 5 C of  FIG. 5B . 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded viewing showing the rack embodiment of this invention with end plates attached to posts. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings for the purposes of illustrating embodiments of the invention only, and not for the purposes of limiting the same.  FIGS. 1A-D  show an embodiment of a rack of this invention with an inverted V shape. Rack  100 , has first side wall  101 , and second side wall  102  terminating in end  103  and end  104 . Ridge  105  is formed at the juncture of side wall  101  and side wall  102 , and has elongated opening  106  formed between edge  107  and edge  108 . Rack  100  is shown with a single opening, but other embodiments can have two or more openings depending on the length of the rack, and its purpose. Opening  106  has width  112  as shown in  FIG. 1C . The surface is flat between edge  107  and edge  108 . The rack further comprises first circular opening  109  toward end  103 , and second circular opening  110  toward end  104  which provide means for attaching rack  100  to hanger rods (not shown) extending down from an upper stationary structure such as a ceiling or beam, which will be shown and discussed further in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 1D  shows rack  100  with side wall  101  and side wall  102  forming an inverted V with top ridge  105 . On the inner surface of rack  100 , angle  111  is formed by the juncture of side wall  101  and side wall  102 . In a preferred embodiment, ridge  105  can be milled down to provide a flat surface along the entire ridge of the rack. 
       FIGS. 2A-B  show a beveled bolt  200  embodiment of this invention. Bolt  200  comprises head  201  with beveled shoulder  202 . Bolt  200  also comprises shank  203  and threaded end portion  204 . The bevel in shoulder  202  is designed to match, and preferably fit flush with angle  111  formed on the inner surface of rack  100 . 
       FIGS. 3A-C  show a standoff  300  embodiment of this invention. Standoff  300  comprises body  301  with legs  302  extending from the bottom portion  305  of body  301 . Preferably, bottom portion  106  has a width  308  (shown in  FIG. 3C ) that is substantially equal to the width  112  of the outer edges of opening  106  in rack  100 . Legs  302  have a slope that substantially matches the slope and angle formed by the inverted V of rack  100 . The angle  307  that would be formed if legs  302  met is substantially matches angle  111 . The top of body  301  comprises tapered shoulder  303 , and top surface  304 . Throughout body  301  of standoff  300  extends an opening  305 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a rack system  400  embodiment of this invention combining elements rack  100 , bolt  200 , and standoff  300 . System  400  also comprises hanger rods  401  for securing rack  100  to a support, such as a ceiling (not shown) through threaded ends  404 . 
     Hanger rod  401  has threaded end  402  for extending through openings  109  and  110  in rack  100 . Hanger rod  401  is secured to rack  100  with nut  403  covering threaded end  402 , which nut  403  preferably has a beveled shoulder matching angle  111  on the inner surface of rack  100 . It is preferred, that nut  403  has the same beveling as the shoulder of bolt  200 . 
     By beveling to fit angle  111 , contaminants are prevented from collecting on the surface of head  201 . It is also preferred that nut  403  completely covers threaded ends  402  to avoid contaminants from collecting on the threaded ends  402 . Hanger rod  401  can be any form for supporting the rack, such as a rod of steel with threaded ends. Preferably, the hanger rod is threaded on its entire length and covered with a plastic sheath. The sheath is readily removed by cutting to expose the length of thread need for the particular application. By sheathing the threaded rod in plastic, contaminants are prevented from forming on the threads. The rack system  400  can further comprise spacer  405  that has end  406  designed to fit in openings  109  and  110 . This prevents contaminants from collecting in openings  109  and  110 . Preferably, spacer  405  has smooth sloped edges to reduce the surface on which dirt, debris, and contaminants can collect. 
     Rack system  400  shows bolt  200  on the underside of rack  100  with end  204  extending through opening  106  in rack  100  and opening  306  in standoff  300 . Threaded end  204  secures conduit support member  407  through end  408 . Once assembled, standoff  300  fits with legs  301  and  302  (not shown) fully integrated with side walls  101  and  102  (not shown) of rack  100 . Because of the smooth sloped or slanted surfaces of standoff  300 , and because legs  301  and  302  fit flush on surfaces  101  and  102 , there are few flat surfaces or edges for contaminants to collect. 
       FIGS. 5A-C , show an embodiment of rack  500  of this invention with an inverted V shape formed by sides  501  and  502 , and with attached end plates  503  and  504 . As this embodiment is suitable for installation on floor posts, it does not have openings in the ridge to allow hanging via hanging rods. Rack  500  has opening  505  formed between edges  507  and  508 , and opening  509  formed between edges  510  and  511 . Openings  506  and  509  are separated by surface  505 , which is milled down to be level with openings  506  and  509 . Ridge  514  extends above openings  506  and  509 . Plate  503  is attached to end  515 , and plate  504  is attached to end  516 . Openings  512  are in plates  503  and  504  for receiving fastening means or securing members. On the outer surface of plates  503  and  504  are concave indentations  513 . 
     In  FIG. 5B , side wall  502  can be seen along with side wall  501 . Concave indentations  513  are shown, as are openings  506  and  509  formed between edges  507  and  508 , and  510  and  511 , respectively.  FIG. 5C  is an end view showing plate  503  with openings  512  and indentations  513 . 
     The rack system embodiment of this invention attached to support posts  520  is shown in  FIG. 6 . Rack  500  is secured to posts  602  and  603  via fasteners in the form of U-bolts  522  and securing members  523 . Other fastening means are suitable based on the installation, and examples are welding and adhesives. The ends of U-bolt  522  are threaded and pass through holes  512  and  513 . They are secured with securing members in the form of nuts  523 . Once secured, the posts  602  and  603  are seated in indentations  513  of ends  503  and  504 . Conduit support member  407  is spaced above rack  500  by standoff  300 , and secured by bolt  200  which extends up from the underside of rack  500  through opening  506 , then through standoff  300 . Support member  407  is threaded onto threaded portion  204  of bolt  200 . 
     Once assembled, the rack system can accommodate a variety of conduits, pipes, wiring, cable trays, and other items (not shown). Because the top surface of the ridge is level, and because the openings extend substantially the entire length of the ridge, the conduits, pipes etc. can be efficiently placed anywhere along the surface of the ridge. This results in quicker installation of the conduits, etc. as the need to drill precisely located openings is avoided. The inverted V is desirable in installations with sanitation concerns, such as food, health, consumer goods, electronics, and drug manufacturing, as the slope surfaces do not collect dust, dirt, and debris as readily as flat surfaces, and are easier to clean. 
     The racks of this invention can be made from materials typically used in the construction industry for electrical and plumbing conduit support systems. These materials include stainless steel, aluminum, hot-dipped galvanized or mild steel angle, channel or flat bar. Preferred materials include 304 and 316 Stainless Steel, 606 T6 Extruded Aluminum angle, channel or flat bar. 
     The racks can be formed into the inverted V shape by conventional means. For stainless steel, the angle is rolled out of a steel mill. For aluminum, the angle is extruded. The constructed rack can have any desired angle, with 90° being preferred. Once the material is mill-rolled or extruded to the desired shape, it is cut to various lengths. It is desirable to cut openings into the top ridge by waterjet, CNC Milling machine, plasma or laser cutter. There are two types of openings made in the ridge. One type is formed by cutting a channel or slot in the ridge. This channel/slot gives a user the flexibility to install piping, conduits, cable trays, and wiring readily along any part of the rack. The other type of opening is a support opening. This opening is used to attach the rack to a ceiling or other support structure. It is through this opening that the hanger rod of this invention will be passed through. In  FIG. 1 , the edges of the opening are shown extending above the flat areas formed from the openings. Optionally, the edges could be machined down to provide a level surface all along the top ridge of the rack. 
     The underside head of the bolts used in this invention have a beveled surface to match the angle formed on the inner surface of the rack. The bolts can be made from 304 or 316 Stainless Hex Stock machined into the shape of a bolt. The hex stock is cut to any length suitable for the project, and threads cut into a portion of the shank leaving the shoulder (unthreaded portion) and then beveling the underside of the bolt head to match the angle of the underside of the rack. In the preferred embodiment, the angle of the inner surface is 90°, and the angle of the beveled shoulder is substantially 45°. This process is completed on a threading machine, CNC milling machine &amp; lathe. 
     Because the bevel has the same angle as the inner surface of the walls of the rack, when fully assembled the beveled head of the bolt will preferably lie flush with the inner surfaces of the rack walls. The flush connection significantly reduces the space dirt, moisture, and other contaminants can cling, thus reducing the potential for mold and bacterial growth on the surface of the bolt. Hanging the support rack from the ceiling is done by securing hanger rods from above and passing them through mounting hardware such as spacer # 405  through the hole in the rack, and secured with a nut, which is preferably beveled to match the angle of the inner surface of the rack. 
     The standoff used in this invention is shown in  FIG. 3 , and is designed to straddle the top of the inverted V rack. The legs have inner angled surfaces that match the angle formed on the upper surface of the walls of the rack. Thus, the legs preferably lie flush on the upper surface of the rack. This flush connection significantly reduces the sites where contaminants, dirt and moisture can collect, and thereby, reduce the potential for mold and bacterial growth on the surface of the rack. The standoff with beveled bolt of this invention can be used with various sanitary pipe clamps installed over the opening slot to support the conduit, such as shown in  FIG. 4 . When used with such clamps, the need for an installer to weld a separate steel spacer to rack is eliminated. The standoff and beveled bolt allow for adjustability to help ensure that the clamp is perfectly level as opposed to the more permanent/stationary weld in traditional rack systems. The standoff is a piece of 304S (or 316S) round stock that is cut to length, machined to conform seamlessly to the shape of the inverted V rack. An opening is bored through the length of the standoff and then the top is machined preferably with sloping shoulders, again to limit the space for dirt, etc. to collect. The beveled bolt ( FIG. 2 ) is a 304S (or 316S) bolt whose head has been machined in a bevel so as to preferably perfectly fit into the web of the angle of the inverted V rack. 
     Machined mounting hardware, for example, spacer # 405 , is preferably used in this invention to space the support rod from the rack. The mounting hardware can be made from 304 or 316 hex stock. The mounting hardware is tapered as shown in # 406  to fit into the hole in the rack. The spacer also has an opening through which the threaded portion of the hanger rod extends. The purpose of the mounting hardware is designed to cover any exposed thread portion of the installation support hanger rods. The hanger rod is secured from underneath by means of a nut, which is preferably beveled, to fit into the web of the angle of the inverted V rack. By covering the exposed threaded portion, the areas on which mold and bacteria can grow are reduced. 
     The end plates are made of the same materials as used for the racks of this invention. The outside surface of the end plates are machined out to form an indentation to sit flush to circular support poles or posts. This machining can be done by milling (CNC milling machine) the precise radius groove to match the radius of the support poles. The flat side (non-indented side) of the end plates are attached to the inverted V racks of this invention by a Tungsten Inert Gas Weld or TIG weld. Once the end plates are attached, the racks can be installed to support poles using suitable U-bolts, as is shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     The end supports  520  and  521  can be made of any material capable of supporting the racks, and the conduits, piping, or other materials supported on the racks. Preferably, they are circular to fit snugly with indentations  514 , and are made of steel, although any material of suitable strength are suitable. The fasteners can be of any form suitable for enclosing the end supports, and can be in the form of U-bolts, or similar shapes. The ends of the fasteners can be threaded so they can be secured with nuts, or they can be secured by snap fasteners as well. These can be made of any material typically used for making fasteners and nuts. The plates can also be fastened or secured to the posts using other fastening means, such as welding, adhesives, or other means known to those skilled in the art.