Cable tray

Abstract

A cable tray constructed of longitudinal members welded to U-shaped transverse members that are made from wires having an arcuate but non-circular cross section that are oriented to allow electromagnetic conductors to rest upon an arcuate surface that does not include angular vertices that might damage the electromagnetic conductors residing within the cable tray.

1 . The process of manufacturing a wire tray for supporting electromagnetic conductors comprising the steps of:
 manufacturing a wire cable tray for supporting a plurality of electromagnetic conductors comprising a plurality of wires welded together to form a trellis that is substantially in the shape of channel, wherein the channel shape comprises a plurality of U-shaped transverse cross members arranged substantially perpendicular to a plurality of longitudinal members;   producing each of the plurality of U-shaped transverse members such that each of the U-shaped transverses is made from a first wire having a cross-section that is non-circular, but which is generally arcuate without any angular vertices;   orienting the first wire of each of the plurality of U-shaped transverse members such that the cross-section of the first wire presents the lowest point load stress on the electromagnetic conductor that is available from the cross-sectional of each of the first set of wires.   
     
     
         2 . The process of manufacturing a wire tray of  claim 1  wherein the first wire has an elliptical cross section oriented such that when the plurality of electromagnetic conductor is placed within the channel shape of the wire tray the plurality of electromagnetic conductor rests substantially on the short axis of the elliptical cross section of the wire. 
     
     
         3 . The process of manufacturing a wire tray of  claim 2  wherein the cable tray is assembled such that the plurality of U-shaped transverse members is disposed within the inside of the plurality of longitudinal members such that some of the plurality of longitudinal members are welded to an outside surface of each of the plurality of U-shaped transverse members and one of the longitudinal members is welded at an end of each of the wires that form the U-shaped transverse members. 
     
     
         4 . The process of manufacturing a wire tray of  claim 3  wherein each of the U-shaped transverse members consists of the first wire that is generally U-shaped. 
     
     
         5 . The process of manufacturing a wire tray of  claim 4  wherein the longitudinal members are made from a second wire having a circular cross section. 
     
     
         6 . The process of manufacturing a wire tray of  claim 4  wherein the longitudinal members are made from a second wire having a non-circular arcuate cross section. 
     
     
         7 . The process of manufacturing a wire tray for supporting electromagnetic conductors comprising the steps of:
 manufacturing a plurality of U-shaped transverse members from a single non-circular first wire having an arcuate, but non-circular shape having no angular vertices, wherein the first wire is oriented to subject an electromagnetic conductor disposed within the cable tray to the minimum amount of point load stress available from the cross sectional shape of the first wire when the electromagnetic conductor rests upon the first wire;   manufacturing a plurality of longitudinal members wherein each of the plurality of longitudinal members is manufactured from a single second wire;   assembling the plurality of U-shaped transverse members and the plurality of longitudinal members into the general shape of a channel having an inside surface and an outside surface wherein the U-shaped transverse members are oriented substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of longitudinal members, wherein one longitudinal member is positioned at each end of the first wire of the each of the plurality of U-shaped transverse members, and wherein a remainder of the plurality of longitudinal members is positioned on a surface of each of the U-shaped transverse members that form the outside surface of the channel shape of the wire tray;   welding each of the plurality of U-shaped transverse members to each of the longitudinal members where the plurality of U-shaped transverse members are disposed adjacent to a longitudinal member to produce a wire cable tray for supporting a plurality of electromagnetic conductors.   
     
     
         8 . The process of manufacturing a wire tray of  claim 7  wherein the first wire has a substantially elliptical cross section. 
     
     
         9 . The process of manufacturing a wire tray of  claim 7  wherein the first wire has a substantially obround cross section. 
     
     
         10 . The process of manufacturing a wire tray of  claim 7  wherein the longitudinal members are made from a second wire having a circular cross section. 
     
     
         11 . The process of manufacturing a wire tray of  claim 7  wherein the longitudinal members are made from a second wire having a non-circular arcuate cross section.