Channel Support for Forming Concrete Trench Drain

The present disclosure relates to channel supports and, more particularly, to a channel support assembly that can accommodate different nominal channel widths.

When pouring concrete to form trench drains, channel supports are used to keep the channels in place and prevent being pushed up (floating) by the pressure of the poured concrete. Current channel supports are made of steel and have fixed widths and thus cannot be adjusted to accommodate different width channels. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a channel support that is easy to manufacture and that can be easily adjusted to wide range of channel nominal widths.

The present invention is a channel support assembly formed from a pair of supports. Each of the supports has a base supporting a pair of latches extending therefrom, wherein each of the pair of latches includes a series of crenelations along an intermediate portion thereof and a hook positioned at an end of the latch. Each of the pair of supports further includes a strut extending between the pair of latches and the base includes a boss formed therethrough with a throughbore that is dimensioned to accommodate a rod of rebar. The pair of supports may be interlocked into one of several positions based on interlocking between the pair of latches from a fully extended position, one of several intermediate positions, and a fully collapsed position. The stepless height adjustment is carried out using the side adjusting screws, which are clamped to the round rods of the support. The channel is secured with two locking screws on each of the support sides.

Referring to the figures, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in, a channel support assemblyfor rebar positioning that can accommodate different nominal widths. Channel support assemblyis comprises of a pair of identical supportsthat can be interlocked together. As seen in, each of the pair of interlocking supportshas a basesupporting a pair of latchesextending therefrom. Latchesare spaced apart from each other and each latchincludes a series of crenelationsalong an intermediate portion thereof and a hookpositioned at the end of each latch. Each of the pair of interlocking supportsalso includes a strutextending between the pair of latches. Strutis L-shaped and is slightly offset from the central axis of each of the pair of supports. Baseincludes a bossformed therethrough that has a throughborethat is dimensioned to accommodate a rod of rebar. A stepless height adjustment may be carried out by using a side adjusting screwthat is clamped to bossof support. Channel support assemblymay be fixed in its desired installation position by two locking screwson each side of the end to prevent the drainage channel from floating. Side, end, top and bottom views may be seen in.

As seen in, the pair of supportsmay be interlocked with central memberof each of the pair of supports in sliding engagement. Each of the pair of latchesof one of the pair of supportsinterlocks with one of the pair of latchesof the other of the pair of supports. Hookof one latchof one of the pair of supportsis positioned to protrude outwardly to extend into one of the series of crenelationsof the corresponding latchof the other of the pair of supports. The pair of supportsmay thus be interlocked into one of several positions based on interlocking between hookof the pair of latchesof both of the pair of supports interlocking with one of the series of crenelationsof the corresponding latchso that channel support assemblycan be locked into one of several positions from the fully extended position where hooksare positioned in the crenelationthat is at the end of latchesas seen in, to one of several intermediate positions as seen in, and to a fully collapsed position as seen in.

Supportsare identical so channel support assemblymay be formed from two copies of single component and then interlocked to accommodate different nominal widths. Supportsof channel support assemblyare preferably manufactured from plastic, and can be easily fitted into each other and then adjusted to the desired nominal width using the incorporated grid structure. Holeenables the drainage channel to be aligned to the correct height. The two identical supports are pushed into one another. Hooksprotruding laterally at the end latch into the desired recess for the respective nominal diameter (NW100-300).

Due to the mirror-image arrangement of the two supports, a positive connection is created that transfers the horizontal load through the channel to the outside of the side stands. The middle strutsserve to avoid torque as long as there is only one side of the load (channel). Two locking screws may be fitted on both sides to prevent the drainage channel from floating.