# US 12,003,209 B2 · Pre-assembly based installation for a single axis solar tracker > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,209 B2 - Document ID: US12003209B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/738,511 - Filed: 2022-05-06 - Published: 2023-09-28 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-05-19 - Assignees: Gamechange Solar Corp. - Applicants: Gamechange Solar Corp. - Inventors: Scott Van Pelt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003209B2 ## CPC - H02S 20/32: specially adapted for solar tracking - F24S 30/425: Horizontal axis - H02S 30/00: Structural details of PV modules other than those related to light conversion (semiconductor device aspects of modules of electrolytic light sensitive devices H01G9/20, of inorganic PV modules H10F10/00, H10F19/00, of organic PV modules H10K30/00) - H02S 30/10: Frame structures - F24S 2025/014: {Methods for installing support elements} - F24S 2030/134: {in the form of gearings or rack-and-pinion transmissions} - F24S 2030/15: {Bearings} - Y02E 10/47: Mountings or tracking - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) - F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A method of installing a solar panel assembly that includes a first beam, a second beam and a third beam where the first and second beams are parallelly spaced and perpendicular to the third beam, and further includes a plurality of purlins, a semicircular ring fastened to the third beam, and a plurality of photovoltaic panels between adjacent ones of the plurality of purlins to form the solar panel assembly, the method comprising lifting the solar panel assembly and rotatably attaching it to a post by inserting a pin into a first bore in a flange extending from the third beam and into a second bore in the post, where the first and second bores are coaxial such that the solar panel assembly has a range of rotational motion about the pin, and fastening proximate and distal ends of the first and second beams to distal and proximate ends of adjacent solar panel assemblies. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of assembling and installing a solar panel assembly, comprising: positioning a first beam relative to a second beam, where the first beam and the second beam are parallelly spaced; fastening a third beam to and perpendicularly between the first beam and the second beam; fastening a plurality of purlins to and perpendicularly between the first beam and the second beam; fastening a semicircular ring to the third beam, where the semicircular ring includes teeth extending radially away from the third beam; attaching at least one photovoltaic panel between adjacent ones of the plurality of purlins to form the solar panel assembly formed by the first, second and third beams, the plurality of purlins, the semicircular ring and the at least one photovoltaic panel; transporting the solar panel assembly to an installation site; and lifting the solar panel assembly and rotatably attaching it to a post by inserting a pin into a first bore in a flange extending from the third beam and into a second bore in the post, where the first and second bores are coaxial such that the solar panel assembly has a range of rotational motion about the pin. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the fastening the semicircular ring to the third beam further comprises attaching a first end of the semicircular ring to the third beam and attaching a second end of the semicircular ring to the third beam, where the first end and the second end are separated by an interior diameter distance of the semicircular ring. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, where the fastening the semicircular ring to the third beam further comprises attaching a first support to a longitudinal mid-point of the third beam and to the semicircular ring. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, where the fastening the semicircular ring to the third beam further comprises attaching a second support to the semicircular ring and the third beam and attaching a third support to the semicircular ring and the third beam, where the second and third supports are separated by the first support. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the positioning first beam relative to the second beam comprises positioning the first beam and the second beam in a jig, and the method further comprises removing the solar panel assembly from the jig prior to transporting the solar panel assembly to the installation site. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising fastening proximate and distal longitudinal ends of the first beam and second beam of the solar panel assembly to a longitudinally adjacent solar panel assembly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, where the fastening the proximate and distal ends of the first and second beams comprises fastening with at least one bolt and nut pair. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, where one of the proximate or distal ends of the first beam has one of a male or female swaged connection, and the other one of the proximate or distal ends of the first beam has the other one of the male or female swaged connection. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the third beam comprises a first cooperating beam and a second cooperating beam, where the first and second cooperating beams are parallel extending and the flange is fastened to the third beam. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the post comprises a saddle bracket positioned atop the post, where the saddle bracket comprises first and second opposing sidewalls each with a coaxial sidewall bore, where the rotatably attaching comprises inserting the pin into the coaxial sidewall bores and the first bore to rotatably attach the solar panel assembly to the post. ### Claim 11 A method of installing a solar panel assembly that includes (i) a first beam and a second beam where the first and second beams are parallelly spaced and separated by and fastened to a third beam perpendicularly positioned between the first and second beams, (ii) a plurality of purlins fastened to and perpendicularly extending between the first beam and the second beam, (iii) a semicircular ring fastened to the third beam, where the semicircular ring includes teeth extending radially away from the third beam, and (iv) a plurality of photovoltaic panels between adjacent ones of the plurality of purlins to form the solar panel assembly, the method of installing the solar panel assembly comprising: lifting the solar panel assembly and rotatably attaching it to a post by inserting a pin into a first bore in a flange extending from the third beam and into a second bore in the post, where the first and second bores are coaxial such that the solar panel assembly has a range of rotational motion about the pin; and fastening proximate and distal ends of the first and second beams to distal and proximate ends of an adjacent solar panel assembly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, where the fastening proximate and distal ends of the first and second beams to the distal and proximate ends of the adjacent solar panel assembly comprises making a swaged connection between adjacent distal and proximate ends. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising transporting the solar panel assembly to an operating site where the lifting is performed. ### Claim 14 A method of installing a solar panel assembly that includes (i) a first beam and a second beam where the first and second beams are parallelly spaced and separated by and fastened to a third beam perpendicularly positioned between the first and second beam, (ii) a plurality of purlins fastened to and perpendicularly extending between the first beam and the second beam, (iii) a semicircular ring fastened to the third beam, where the semicircular ring includes teeth extending radially away from the third beam, and (iv) a plurality of photovoltaic panels between adjacent ones of the plurality of purlins to form the solar panel assembly, the method of installing the solar panel assembly comprising: rotatably attaching the solar panel assembly to a post by inserting a pin into a first bore in a flange extending from the third beam and into a second bore in the post, where the first and second bores are coaxial such that the solar panel assembly has a range of rotational motion about the pin; and fastening proximate and distal ends of the first and second beams to distal and proximate ends of an adjacent solar panel assembly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, where the fastening proximate and distal ends of the first and second beams to the distal and proximate ends of the adjacent solar panel assembly comprises making a swaged connection between adjacent distal and proximate ends. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising transporting the solar panel assembly to an operating site where the rotatably attaching and fastening is performed.