CONTROL CENTER WITH EXPANDABLE FRAME CABINET

• US 3,725,746 A
• Filed: 06/22/1972
• Issued: 04/03/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John T. Carroll
• Original Assignee: John T. Carroll
• Inventors: Carroll, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaffer, Robert K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US05/265,152
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• Field of Search: 317/117,119-122 312/199,223,257A,257SM,257SK,309,320
• US Class Current: 361/624
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/30 Cabinet-type casings; Parts thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/308 Mounting of cabinets together

Abstract

A control center comprising an integral die cast base and an integral die cast top which are rigidly joined together by structural upright members that provide modular expansability and convenience without sacrificing strength, safety or economy. Inherent with the arrangement is the unitized compartment for electrical control equipment which may be varied to suit a variety of sizes of controls. Included in the compartment is the provision of a wire raceway providing protection and affording ready accessability for servicing. A bus bar compartment is formed as an integral part of the structural unit with convenient access being provided to easily and readily connect the controls to the busses.

Claims

1. A control center comprising identical top and bottom castings;

individual vertical corner members secured to complimentary opposite corners of said top and bottom castings;

individual right and left side members extending between said top and bottom castings and being secured thereto to provide front, center and rear sections;

individual front and rear vertical members extending between said top and bottom castings and being secured thereto to divide said front and rear sections into two vertical compartments each, one larger than the other;

vertical bus bars disposed in said center section between said front and rear sections;

a plurality of horizontal dividers supported by said vertical members in vertical spaced relationship in each of said larger compartments to divide said compartments into a plurality of vertically spaced control unit compartments, each of said horizontal dividers having depending horizontally extending side rails, the free edges of which are bent inwardly and backwardly to form a horizontally extending slideway;

control unit pan members removably disposed in at least one of said vertical control unit compartments and having connectors releasably engaging said vertical bus bars in said center section, said control unit pan members each comprising a Uframe open at the top, bottom and front, the upper edges of the sides of said U-frame being bent outwardly and downwardly to provide a slide member engageable in the slideways depending from a horizontal divider to slidably support said control unit pan member in said control unit compartment.

2. A control center comprising a top casting having four substantially equal length rail members each of which are L-shaped in cross section, said top casting defining a horizontally disposed top frame;

four corner projections integrally formed with and extending downwardly from said top frame;

first projections integrally formed with each of two diametrically disposed rail members, said first projections being formed on their respective rail members in position to divide their respective rail members into a short portion and a relatively longer portion with respect to one end of their associated rail members;

second projection integrally formed with each of said two diametrically disposed rail members, said second projections being located in a position to divide their respective rail members into a short portion and into a relatively long portion with respect to the opposite ends of their respective rail members, said diametrically opposed rail portions thereby presenting identical configurations dIvided into two outer short portions of substantially the same length and a longer midportion of a length equal to the length of both of said short portions;

third projections integrally formed with each of the other diametrically disposed rail members of said top casting said third projections on each of said other rail members being located midway between the ends of the respective rail members and extending in a direction parallel to the direction in which said first and second projections extend;

a bottom casting of identical configuration to said top casting and defining a horizontally disposed bottom frame arranged in opposing relationship to said top frame;

individual vertical corner members extending between said top and bottom frames and engaged on and secured to associated ones of said corner projections to define said control center;

vertical front and rear members extending between said top and bottom frames and engaged on and secured to selected ones of said first and second projections of said first mentioned diametrically disposed rail members to define a wire way compartment and a control unit compartment;

vertical side members extending between said top and bottom frames and engaged and secured to said midway located third projections of said other pair of diametrically opposed rail members to divide said wire way and said control unit compartments into two identical front and rear sections and a center section;

a plurality of horizontally disposed dividers supported by said vertical side members and arranged in predetermined spaced relationship to define individual control unit compartments; and

, control unit pan assemblies in said individual compartments and slidably supported from said horizontal dividers immediately adjacent the top of a control unit pan assembly for movement into and out of said compartment.

3. A control center according to claim 2 wherein there is provided a plurality of vertically spaced support members secured to said vertical side members associated with the other diametrically disposed rail members to define a center compartment;

vertical bus bars disposed between the front and rear control unit compartments in said center compartment and supported in position by said vertically spaced support members; and

, stab connectors operatively carried by said individual control unit pan assemblies in position to releasably engage said vertical busses when said control unit pan assemblies are slidably inserted into said control unit compartments.

4. A control center according to claim 3 wherein there is provided a barrier carried by said vertical side members and extending vertically from the lowermost control unit compartment to the uppermost divider defining the top of the uppermost control unit compartment, said barrier being provided with preformed openings therein to permit the passage of said stab connectors of said control unit pan assemblies into engagement with the vertically supported busses.

5. A control center according to claim 4 wherein there is provided a clear horizontal compartment at both the top and the bottom of said control center which is defined by the uppermost control unit compartment and the lowermost control unit compartment to thereby provide an upper and lower horizontal auxiliary compartments.

6. A control center according to claim 5 wherein there is provided individual doors for said control unit compartments, said control unit compartment doors being hinged from one of said vertical corner members and constructed and arranged so as to overlap a portion of said vertical corner member to which it is hinged and the vertical member which defines the front portion of the control unit compartment and the wire way compartment to thereby seal the opening of each of said control unit compartments;

and, said wire way compartment being provided with a door which is hinged from the opposite vertical corner member and which is constructed and arranged to overlap a portIon of the corner member to which it is hinged and the vertical member against which said control unit compartment doors are engaged to thereby seal the opening of said wire way compartment.

7. A control center according to claim 4 wherein said horizontal dividers are provided with downwardly extending side flanges the lower edges of which are turned inwardly and upwardly to define a supporting slideway;

and, said control unit pan assemblies have side members the top edges of which extend outwardly and downwardly to form slide hangers, said control unit pan assemblies being slidably supported in said compartments by the interengagement of the pan assembly slide hangers with the downwardly extending slideway of said dividers.

8. A control center according to claim 7 wherein each of said control unit pan assemblies are provided with releasably latching means engageable with said depending side tracks of an associated divider to lock said pan assemblies in operative position within an associated one of said control unit compartments.

9. A control center according to claim 6 wherein said compartment door hinges comprises a first support having a horizontal body portion adapted to engage flatly against the inner side surface of said vertical corner member, said body portion having an inner terminal end bent in a direction so as to engage flatly against a surface of said vertical corner member in a manner to prevent movement of said body portion in a vertical plane, said body portion having an outer terminal end portion bent in a direction to extend parallel with and in the same direction as the inner terminal end portion extends, said outer terminal end portion having a free end bent inwardly towards said inner terminal end portion to form an elongated circular hinge pin opening;

a second support having a horizontal body portion adapted to engage flat against the inner surface of said door and being secured thereto, said second body portion having one end thereof bent in a manner to form an elongated circular hinge pin opening similar to the hinge pin opening formed on said first body portion; and

, an elongated circular hinge pin engageable in said hinge pin openings of said first and second body portions, whereby said second support is disposed when in a closed condition in a manner that said circular hinge opening of said second body portion overlays said circular hinge opening of said first support in coaxial relationship therewith and the bracketing engagement of said first body support with the surfaces of said vertical corner member prevents said door from moving in a vertical plane.

10. A control center according to claim 2 wherein said vertical members present a hollow box shaped configuration in cross section, one of the sides of said vertical member being grooved longitudinally to form opposed longitudinally extending short leg portions, said vertical front and rear members having a first end from which a portion of the opposed short leg portion are removed, and a second end from which a portion of the opposed short leg portion are removed, whereby said vertical front and rear members are engageable on associated ones of the projections of said top and bottom castings by sliding said vertical member laterally thereon, and said vertical corner member by operation of the longitudinally extending groove resiliently engaging on their respective upper and lower corner projections.