Grate grounding device

1 . A grounding device, comprising:

a top plate including a central portion and a plurality of curved ends, the central portion of said top plate having a hole extending therethrough;

a bottom plate including a central portion and a plurality of curved ends, the central portion of said bottom plate having a hole extending therethrough;

a cap including a hole and a curved end adapted to retain a grounding wire; and

a fastener extending through the holes of said top plate, said bottom plate, and said cap,

wherein the plurality of curved ends of said top plate includes two first curved ends opposite one another to engage the grounding device at least partially around top surfaces of two adjacent bearing bars of a grate.

2 . The grounding device of claim 1 , wherein each of the curved ends of said top plate curves in an axial direction at least partially toward said bottom plate, and wherein each of the curved ends of said bottom plate curves in an axial direction at least partially toward said top plate.

3 . The grounding device of claim 1 , wherein each of the curved ends of said top plate has a width less than an overall width of said top plate.

4 . The grounding device of claim 3 , wherein each of the curved ends of said top plate tapers in width from the central portion to a distal surface.

5 . The grounding device of claim 3 , wherein each of the curved ends of said bottom plate has a width less than the overall width of said bottom plate.

6 . The grounding device of claim 1 , further comprising a nut secured on a distal end of the fastener and adjacent to said cap.

7 . The grounding device of claim 6 , wherein said fastener is a carriage bolt.

8 . The grounding device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of curved ends of said top plate further includes two second curved ends opposite one another.

9 . The grounding device of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the two second curved ends extends between interior side surfaces of the two adjacent bearing bars of the grate.

10 . The grounding device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of curved ends of said bottom plate includes two first curved ends opposite one another to engage the grounding device at least partially around bottom surfaces of the two adjacent bearing bars of the grate.

11 . A method of grounding a grate, comprising steps of:

providing the grounding device of claim 1 ;

positioning the top plate on the grate with the two first curved ends extending at least partially around the top surfaces of the two adjacent bearing bars of the grate;

positioning the bottom plate on a bottom surface of the grate extending at least partially under the two adjacent bearing bars of the grate;

positioning the cap below the bottom plate;

positioning a grounding wire between the cap and the bottom plate; and

engaging the fastener to secure the top and bottom plates to the adjacent bearing bars and the cap to the bottom plate.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the bottom plate is positioned below a portion of a structure surrounding the grate thereby securing the grate to the structure.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of positioning the bottom plate on the bottom surface of the grate includes extending at least one of the curved ends of the bottom plate between the two adjacent bearing bars of the grate.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the fastener includes a nut secured on a distal end of the fastener and adjacent to the cap.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the fastener is a carriage bolt.