Patent ID: 8733723

Claim:
A cable tray assembly comprising: a first cable tray section including two parallel rails forming sides of the first cable tray section and a first longitudinal end; a second cable tray section including two parallel rails forming sides of the second cable tray section and a second longitudinal end; and a cable tray expansion splice plate connecting the first and second cable tray sections end-to-end so that said first and second longitudinal ends of the respective first and second cable tray sections are adjacent one another, the splice plate including an elongate body having a length extending between opposite ends, and a generally planar central section, a first set of fastener openings in the central section of a first longitudinal portion of the body and a first set of fasteners received in the respective fastener openings of the first set of fastener openings fastening the central section of the first longitudinal portion of the body to the first cable tray section, each fastener opening of the first set of fastener openings comprising a slot having a major axis extending lengthwise of the body to permit movement of the cable tray sections relative to one another in a direction extending longitudinally of the cable tray sections, a second set of fastener openings in the central section of the first longitudinal portion of the body spaced apart from the first set of fastener openings along the length of the body and a second set of fasteners received in the respective fastener openings of the second set of fastener openings fastening the central section of the first longitudinal portion of the body to the first cable tray section, each fastener opening of the second set of fastener openings comprising a slot having a major axis extending lengthwise of the body to permit movement of the cable tray sections relative to one another in a direction extending longitudinally of the cable tray sections, a third set of fastener openings in the central section of a second longitudinal portion of the body and a third set of fasteners received in the respective fastener openings of the third set of fastener openings fastening the central section of the second longitudinal portion of the body to the second cable tray section, each fastener opening of the third set of fastener openings comprising a slot having a major axis extending lengthwise of the body to permit movement of the cable tray sections relative to one another in a direction extending longitudinally of the cable tray sections, wherein the central section of the first longitudinal portion of the body has a length that is greater than a length of the central section of the second longitudinal portion of the body, whereby the first longitudinal portion of the body provides sufficient support to the first longitudinal end of the first cable tray section so that a cable tray support does not need to be installed at the first longitudinal end of the first cable tray section.