Cooling tower support grid

Abstract

A cooling tower support grid includes a lattice frame having a first series of bars which intersect a second series of bars to form a plurality of openings. Splash bar retaining clips are integrally formed as part of the lattice frame extending in opposed relation into each of the openings. This eliminates the need to handle separate retaining clips and, thereby, simplifies the installation process.

1. A cooling tower support grid, comprising:
 a lattice frame having a first series of bars which intersect a second series of bars to form a plurality of openings;    splash bar retaining clips integrally formed as part of the lattice frame extending in opposed relation into each of the openings.    
     
     
       2. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first series of bars are in parallel spaced relation and the second series of bars are in parallel spaced relation. 
     
     
       3. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the clips have a lower retainer. 
     
     
       4. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the lower retainer is a lip. 
     
     
       5. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each of the clips extends from one of the first series of bars above and immediately adjacent to one of the second series of bars. 
     
     
       6. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 1 , wherein an upper peripheral edge of the lattice frame has an integrally formed hook whereby the lattice frame is suspended. 
     
     
       7. A cooling tower support grid, comprising:
 a lattice frame having a first series of parallel bars which intersect a second series of parallel bars to form a plurality of openings;  
 splash bar retaining clips integrally formed as part of the lattice frame extending in opposed relation into each of the openings  two laterally adjacent openings of the lattice frame, each of the clips extending from one of the first series of bars above and immediately adjacent to one of the second series of bars, each of the clips having a lower retainer lip and a resilient finger which is angled upwardly and terminates in a downwardly bent portion.  
 
     
     
       8. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 7 , wherein an upper peripheral edge of the lattice frame has an integrally formed hook whereby the lattice frame is suspended. 
     
     
       9. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 7 , wherein a lower peripheral edge of the lattice frame has depending tabs with openings whereby the lattice frame is secured in position by extending fasteners through the openings. 
     
     
       10. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the lattice frame is combined with a plurality of cooling tower splash bars, each of the splash bars comprising:
 an elongate channel-form body having a first end, a second end, and a plurality of flow-through apertures;  
 the downwardly bent portion of the resilient finger engaging one of the plurality of flow-through apertures.  
 
     
     
       11. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the body has a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, both the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge having outwardly protruding engagement lips. 
     
     
       12. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the engagement lips are positioned between opposed ones of the lower retainer lips and the one of the second series of bars immediately adjacent to the clips. 
     
     
       13. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the body is a “C” channel. 
     
     
       14. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the first end of each body has male members and the second end of each body has female members adapted to receive in mating relation the male members whereby several of the bodies can be joined in end to end relation. 
     
     
       15. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 14 , wherein each of the male members terminates in an engagement member and each of the female members terminates in a locking recess adapted to receive the engagement member, whereby each of the male members remain engaged with the female members until sufficient force is applied to cause the engagement member to be released from the locking recess. 
     
     
       16. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 11 , wherein several male members are positioned along the first longitudinal edge and several female receptacles are positioned along the second longitudinal edge, whereby a pair of bodies can be secured in face to face relation by inserting the male members of each of the pair of bodies into the female receptacles of the other of the pair of bodies. 
     
     
       17. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the lattice frame is combined with a plurality of cooling tower splash bars, each of the splash bars comprising:
 an elongate “C” channel body having a first end, a second end, a first longitudinal edge, a second longitudinal edge and a plurality of flow-through apertures, both the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge having outwardly protruding engagement lips;  
 the engagement lips being positioned between opposed ones of the lower retainer lips and the one of the second series of bars immediately adjacent to the clips, with the downwardly bent portion of each of the resilient fingers engaging one of the plurality of flow-through apertures.  
 
     
     
       18. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the lattice frame is combined with a plurality of cooling tower splash bars, each of the splash bars comprising:
 an elongate “C” channel body having a first end, a second end, a first longitudinal edge, a second longitudinal edge and a plurality of flow-through apertures, several male members being positioned along the first longitudinal edge and several female members being positioned along the second longitudinal edge;  
 a pair of bodies secured in face to face relation by inserting the male members of each of the pair of bodies into the female receptacles of the other of the pair of bodies, the downwardly bent portion of each of the resilient fingers engaging one of the plurality of flow-through apertures to hold the pair of bodies in position.  
 
     
     
       19. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 17 , wherein the first end of each body has male members and the second end of each body has female members adapted to receive in mating relation the male members whereby several of the bodies can be joined in end to end relation. 
     
     
       20. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 19 , wherein each of the male members terminates in an engagement member and each of the female members terminates in a locking recess adapted to receive the engagement member, whereby each of the male members remain engaged with the female members until sufficient force is applied to cause the engagement member to be released from the locking recess. 
     
     
       21. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the body has a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge and there are three male members: a first male member protruding from the first longitudinal edge, a second male member protruding from the second longitudinal edge and a third male member positioned intermediate the first male member and the second male member. 
     
     
       22. The cooling tower support grid as defined in  claim 21 , wherein each of the male members terminates in an engagement member and each of the female members terminates in a locking recess adapted to receive the engagement member, whereby each of the male members remain engaged with the female members until sufficient force is applied to cause the engagement member to be released from the locking recess. 
     
     
       23. A cooling tower support grid, comprising:
   a lattice frame having a first series of bars which intersect a second series of bars to form a plurality of openings;        splash bar retaining clips integrally formed as part of the lattice frame, the retaining clips being placed into at least two laterally spaced openings of the lattice frame; and        each of the retaining clips having an engaging portion extended from the lattice frame, the engaging portion adapted to engage the splash bar to selectively secure the splash bar against the lattice frame,        in which the engaging portion is extended from the lattice frame by an extending member to extend the engaging portion from one of the second series of bars,        in which the engaging portion comprises a resilient finger angled upwardly.     
     
     
       24. The cooling tower support grid of  claim 23  or  28 , in which the resilient finger further comprises a downwardly bent portion. 
     
     
       25. A cooling tower support grid, comprising:
   a lattice frame having a first series of bars which at least substantially perpendicularly intersect a second series of bars to form a plurality of openings; and        splash bar retaining clips integrally formed as part of the lattice frame, the retaining clips being placed into two laterally adjacent openings of the lattice frame,        each of the retaining clips having a downward portion, the downward portion adapted to engage the splash bar to selectively secure the splash bar against the lattice frame,        in which each of the splash bar retaining clips further comprises a resilient finger angled upwardly and terminating in the downward portion.     
     
     
       26. The cooling tower support grid of  claim 25  in which each of the splash bar retaining clips is bent to form the downward portion. 
     
     
       27. A cooling tower support grid for supporting at least one splash bar, comprising:
   a lattice frame having a plurality of substantially rectangular openings formed between a first series of parallel bars and a second series of parallel bars; and        a splash bar retaining clip within one of the openings, the splash bar retaining clip having a first portion and a second downwardly - angled portion, the second downwardly - angled portion being positioned away from the lattice frame by the first portion, the second downwardly - angled portion adapted to engage the splash bar to selectively secure the splash bar against one of the second series of parallel bars within the lattice frame,        wherein the retaining clip is integrally formed with the frame to eliminate a need to handle the clip during operation,      
       
         in which the first portion of the retaining clip is resilient,  
       
       
         in which the first portion comprises a resilient finger angled upwardly, and the downwardly angled portion is a downwardly bent portion. 
       
     
     
       28. A cooling tower support grid, comprising:
   a lattice frame having a first series of bars which intersect a second series of bars to form a plurality of openings;        splash bar retaining clips integrally formed as part of the lattice frame the retaining clips being placed into at least two laterally spaced openings of the lattice frame, and;        each of the retaining clips having an engaging portion extended from the lattice frame, the engaging portion adapted to engage the splash bar to selectively secure the splash bar against the lattice frame,      
       
         in which the engaging portion includes a downwardly facing portion, and  
       
       
         in which the engaging portion comprises a resilient finger angled upwardly.