Method of building an expandable wiring distribution frame

A method of building an expandable distribution frame, of a type having a plurality of self closing shelves each having a surface for providing travel of interconnections between external conductors and a plurality of support members connected to the shelves, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a total number of external conductors which will be terminated on the distribution frame at a maximum designed expansion thereof;
• determining an average number of external conductors to be terminated per foot of outside perimeter length of the self closing shelves;
• selecting an average shelf spacing;
• determining a fixed outside perimeter length for each of the self closing shelves as a function of the total number of external conductors which will be terminated at the maximum designed expansion, the average number of external conductors to be terminated per foot of outside perimeter length of self closing shelf at the maximum designed expansion and the average shelf spacing at the maximum designed expansion in accordance with the formula
• P=1.15*(TCT*S/CPF).sup.1/2
• where P is the fixed outside perimeter length of each self closing shelf, TCT is the total number of external conductors which will be terminated on the distribution frame at the maximum designed expansion thereof, S is the average shelf spacing and CPF is the average number of external conductors to be terminated per foot of outside perimeter length of the self closing shelves;
• building an initial distribution frame using only self closing shelves having the fixed outside perimeter length, the initial distribution frame having enough shelves to accommodate an initial number of external conductors to be terminated;
• and
• expanding the distribution frame vertically over time as the number of external conductors to be terminated increases above the initial number of external conductors by adding additional self closing shelves having the fixed outside perimeter length.

A method of building an expandable distribution frame, of a type having a plurality of shelves each having a surface for providing travel of interconnections between external conductors and a plurality of support members connected to the shelves, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a maximum number of external conductors which will be terminated on the distribution frame at maximum expansion thereof;
• designing a distribution frame at maximum expansion thereof, said designed distribution frame having a designed shelf size, a designed average shelf spacing and a designed number of shelves, said designed distribution frame allowing said maximum number of external conductors to be terminated on said distribution frame at the maximum expansion thereof while minimizing a total length of interconnections at the maximum expansion thereof;
• building an initial distribution frame using a sufficient number of shelves of the designed shelf size to allow an initial number of external conductors to be terminated on said distribution frame;
• and
• expanding the initial distribution frame over time as the number of external conductors to be terminated on said distribution frame increases above the initial number of external conductors by adding to the initial distribution frame additional shelves having the designed shelf size.