Raised floor with clamped panel support

Claim 2

A raised floor for supporting equipment above a subfloor and providing space underneath said equipment for cabling and ancillary apparatus comprising a plurality of beams in spaced parallel relation to each other running along one direction, a plurality of vertically adjustable pedestals for supporting each beam, a plurality of freely insertable and removable first rectangular floor panels each having planar edges and each spanning between a pair of adjacent beams and having opposite ends resting on portions of said adjacent beams, a plurality of second individually insertable and removable rectangular floor panels having planar edges underlying said equipment, each second panel spanning between a pair of adjacent beams and having opposite ends resting on portions of said adjacent beams, and means for fixedly supporting said beams in said spaced parallel relation comprising means for rigidly attaching each pair of adjacent second panels to the common beam on which said pair of adjacent second panels rest.

Claim 3

A raised floor according to claim 1 wherein said attaching means comprises means for rigidly clamping the underside of each second panel to each of the adjacent beams on which its rests.

Claim 4

A raised floor according to claim 2 wherein each beam comprises a rectangular cross-section channel having an upper web on which a pair of juxtaposed second panels rest and a pair of downwardly extending vertical flanges, and said clamping means comprises a clamp conformed around said flanges and including a horizontal extension underneath each of said juxtaposed second panels, each clamp horizontal extension being rigidly but removably connected to the underside of the overlying juxtaposed second panel.

Claim 5

A raised floor for supporting a plurality of equipment units above a subfloor comprising a plurality of uniform cross-section channels running in one direction in spaced parallel relation, a plurality of vertically adjustable pedestals resting on said subfloor for supporting each channel, a plurality of first rectangularly dimensioned individually insertable and removable floor panels having planar edges each spanning a pair of adjacent channels and having opposite ends resting on portions of said adjacent channels in equipment access sections, a plurality of second rectangularly dimensioned individually insertable and removable floor panels each having planar edges and each spanning a pair of adjacent channels and having opposite ends resting on a portion of each adjacent channel in sections underlying said equipment units, means for rigidly holding said channels in spaced parallel relation comprising means for rigidly but removably attaching the undersides of each pair of juxtaposed second panels to the channel on which said juXtaposed panels commonly rest.

Claim 6

A raised floor for supporting a plurality of equipment units above a subfloor comprising a plurality of uniform cross-section channels running in one direction in spaced parallel relation, a plurality of vertically adjustable pedestals resting on said subfloor for supporting each channel, a plurality of first rectangularly dimensioned individually insertable and removable floor panels having planar edges each spanning a pair of adjacent channels and having opposite ends resting on portions of said adjacent channels in equipment access sections, a plurality of second rectangularly dimensioned individually insertable and removable floor panels each having planar edges and each spanning a pair of adjacent channels and having opposite ends resting on a portion of each adjacent channel in sections underlying said equipment units, means for rigidly holding said channels in spaced parallel relation comprising means for rigidly but removably attaching the undersides of each pair of juxtaposed second panels to the channel on which said juXtaposed panels commonly rest.

Claim 7

A raised floor according to claim 4 further comprising means for rigidly attaching each equipment unit to the second panel underlying each equipment unit.

Claim 8

A raised floor according to claim 4 wherein said channel has a rectangular cross section comprising an upper web on which said floor panels rest and a pair of downwardly extending vertical flanges, and said attaching means comprises a hat-shaped clamp including a U-shaped section saddled around said channel flanges and a pair of horizontal extensions each underneath one of said juxtaposed second floor panels resting on said saddled channel, and means for rigidly but removably connecting the underside of each juxtaposed second panel to the underlying clamp horizontal extension.

Claim 9

A raised floor according to claim 6 wherein each horizontal extension includes an apertured section, each juxtaposed second panel includes a threaded insert overlying said apertured section of said clamp horizontal extension, and a cap screw threadily engaged with said panel threaded insert to rigidly connect said clamp to said overlying juxtaposed panel.

Claim 10

A raised floor for supporting a plurality of equipment units above a subfloor to provide space for cabling and ancillary apparatus beneath the equipment units comprising a plurality of spaced parallel beams, each beam running the length of said raised floor, a plurality of vertically adjustable pedestals attached to each beam and resting on said subfloor for supporting said beam, a group of first rectangularly dimensioned floor panels each having planar edges and sized to span between a pair of adjacent beams and having an opposite end resting on a portion of each adjacent beam, said first panels being individually insertable and removable and arranged side by side to form sections for accessing said equipment units, a group of second rectangularly dimensioned individually insertable and removable floor panels each having planar edges and each sized to span a pair of adjacent beams and having an opposite end resting on a portion of each adjacent beam, said second panels being placed side by side to form rows transverse to the direction of said beams, said equipment units being supported on said rows of second panels, and means for rigidly supporting said beams in said spaced parallel relation comprising means for clamping the undersides of each pair of adjacent second panels to the beam on which said adjacent panels commonly rest.

Claim 11

A raised floor for supporting a plurality of equipment units above a subfloor to provide space for cabling and ancillary apparatus beneath the equipment units comprising a plurality of spaced parallel beams, each beam running the length of said raised floor, a plurality of vertically adjustable pedestals attached to each beam and resting on said subfloor for supporting said beam, a group of first rectangularly dimensioned floor panels each having planar edges and sized to span between a pair of adjacent beams and having an opposite end resting on a portion of each adjacent beam, said first panels being individually insertable and removable and arranged side by side to form sections for accessing said equipment units, a group of second rectangularly dimensioned individually insertable and removable floor panels each having planar edges and each sized to span a pair of adjacent beams and having an opposite end resting on a portion of each adjacent beam, said second panels being placed side by side to form rows transverse to the direction of said beams, said equipment units being supported on said rows of second panels, and means for rigidly supporting said beams in said spaced parallel relation comprising means for clamping the undersides of each pair of adjacent second panels to the beam on which said adjacent panels commonly rest.

Claim 12

A raised floor according to claim 8 wherein each beam comprises an upper web section on which juxtaposed panels rest and a pair of vertical flanges extending downwardly from the edges of said web section, and said clamping means comprises a hat-shaped clamp including a U-shaped section saddling said flanges and a horizontal section extending underneath each juxtaposed second panel resting on said saddled beam, each juxtaposed second panel resting on said saddled beam including an internally threaded insert, each clamp horizontal section having an aperture aligned with said threaded insert and a cap screw for threadedly engaging said threaded insert to rigidly but removably affix said clamp to said juxtaposed second panel.

Claim 13

A raised floor according to claim 9 wherein said first panels and said second panels are arranged in alternating rows running transverse to the direction of said beams, each first panel being freely removable for accessing the underside of said adjacent second panels.

Claim 14

A raised floor for supporting rearrangeable equipment above a subfloor comprising a plurality of stringers each running the length of the raised floor in substantially uniform spaced parallel relation, a line of spaced vertically adjustable pedestals resting on said subfloor for supporting each stringer, a plurality of rectangularly dimensioned planar edged floor panels, each panel spanning adjacent stringers and having opposite ends resting on portions of said adjacent stringers, and means for rigidly fixiNg said stringers in said spaced parallel relation comprising means for rigidly but removably clamping the undersides of selected floor panels to the stringer on which said selected panels rest.

Claim 15

A raised floor for supporting rearrangeable equipment above a subfloor comprising a plurality of stringers each running the length of the raised floor in substantially uniform spaced parallel relation, a line of spaced vertically adjustable pedestals resting on said subfloor for supporting each stringer, a plurality of rectangularly dimensioned planar edged floor panels, each panel spanning adjacent stringers and having opposite ends resting on portions of said adjacent stringers, and means for rigidly fixiNg said stringers in said spaced parallel relation comprising means for rigidly but removably clamping the undersides of selected floor panels to the stringer on which said selected panels rest.