Cable tray

A cable tray comprising a plurality of like sections interconnected in end-to-end abutting relation;

• each section having a sheet metal side rail at each side, a plurality of sheet metal rungs substantially square in cross section, each rung bottom comprising horizontal flanges spaced on either side of an opening to the rung interior;
• a plurality of rung joiners;
• and a plurality of hangers;
• the side rails each having an upstanding web, the web being formed along its top edge about three sides of a keystone-shaped, outwardly opening, upper groove having a bottom extending inward, a closed side extending upward, and a top extending outward of the rail, the upper groove being narrower across its open side than across its inward, closed side;
• the web having an inwardly offset hollow flange formed adjacent to and along its bottom edge, the hollow flange having three sides bent about a keystone-shaped, outwardly opening lower groove;
• the lower groove being narrower across its open side than across its inward, closed side;
• the hollow flange having spaced pairs of vertically extending slots thereacross at selected spaced intervals along each rail, whereby each rung-end is adapted to have its sides engaged in the flange paired-slots and the rung-ends abutting the upstanding rail webs above and below the hollow flange;
• each joiner being longer than the width of the rung and substantially rectangular in cross section;
• each rung-end having at least one pair of horizontally aligned rectangular joiner slots through its sides receiving a joiner, each joiner having a tapered end adapted to be inserted in a rung-end slot, and the rung-end slots being spaced from the rung ends a selected distance so as to receive a joiner between the outer end of the rung-end slot and the closed inner side of the side rail hollow flange with a drive fit when the rung sides are received in the paired flange slots, the joiners being driven through the rung-end slots securing the rungs to the side rails;
• each hanger being received in an outwardly opening lower groove and having a rail-engaging portion at one end and a flat, normally horizontally disposed projecting portion at the other end;
• the projecting portion having a hole therethrough, the rail-engaging portion having a length and a normally horizontal width for insertion in the outwardly opening lower groove when the projecting portion is vertically disposed, the normally upper and lower surfaces of the rail engaging portion being arcuately curved from side to side and being outwardly tapered lengthwise of the hanger to conform to the keystone shape of the lower groove when the projecting portion is horizontally disposed;
• whereby the rungs are first secured to the side rails and the hangers thereafter secured between selected rungs.