Drainage grate assembly

1. A drainage grate assembly comprising:

a) an elongate drainage grate having a substantially planar drainage surface including a plurality of apertures therethrough and a pair of longitudinally extending side portions, each side portion extending orthogonally below an underside of said drainage surface and including a bottom flange extending toward the opposing one of said side portions;

b) a first reinforcement retaining rail disposed between a first of said bottom flanges and said underside of said drainage surface adjacent a first of said side portions, and a second reinforcement retaining rail disposed between the other of said bottom flanges and said underside of said drainage surface adjacent the opposing said side portion;

c) each said retaining rail being an elongate member comprising a back surface adjacent a side portion, a bottom surface adjacent a bottom flange, a top surface adjacent said underside of said drainage surface, and a front surface facing an opposing said retaining rail; each said front surface including a plurality of slots adapted to receive an end of a reinforcing strip; whereby when opposing ends of a reinforcing strip are disposed within slots in opposing retaining rails, an upper edge of said reinforcing strip abuts at least a portion of said underside of said drainage surface.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 including a plurality of reinforcing strips having opposed ends disposed within slots in said opposed retaining rails.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein at least one said slot comprises a recess disposed in said front surface and extending through said bottom surface.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of said slots comprise recesses disposed in said front surface and extending through said bottom surface.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein a portion of said upper surface adjacent at least one said slot includes an aperture extending from said upper surface into said slot, and adapted to receive a portion of an upper edge of a reinforcing strip therein, whereby said portion of said upper edge abuts said underside of said drainage surface when said reinforcing strip is disposed in said slot.

6. The assembly according to claim 3 wherein a portion of said upper surface adjacent said at least one said slot includes an aperture extending from said upper surface into said slot, and adapted to receive a portion of an upper edge of a reinforcing strip therein, whereby said portion of said upper edge abuts said underside of said drainage surface when said reinforcing strip is disposed in said slot.

7. The assembly according to claim 2 wherein portions of said upper surfaces of said retaining rails adjacent a plurality of said slots include apertures extending from said upper surface into said slot, and wherein portions of said upper edges of said reinforcing strips are disposed within said apertures so that said portions of said upper edges abut said underside of said drainage surface through said apertures.

8. The assembly according to claim 2 comprising reinforcing strips having at least two different configurations.

9. The assembly according to claim 8 wherein in one said configuration said reinforcing strip comprises a substantially flat strip of sheet metal and in another said configuration said reinforcing strip comprises a strip of sheet metal shaped to form a substantially sinusoidal configuration when viewed on edge.

10. The assembly according to claim 1 further including an elongate fastening member secured between said retaining rails and oriented substantially orthogonally from said underside of said drainage surface, said elongate fastening member including an enlarged distal end portion.

11. The assembly according to claim 10 wherein said elongate fastening member includes an upper portion adjacent said underside of said drainage surface and is secured between said retaining rails by abutment of said upper portion against upper edge portions of at least one said reinforcing strip.