Equipment cabinet
An equipment cabinet having a corrugation in the side panels is disclosed. The panels are affixed to a base by bolting or welding so as to be disposed opposite each other. Holes are provided in opposing surfaces the so that cross members may be secured in a position between the opposing side panels of the cabinet to form a support structure for equipment, such as batteries. Equipment may also be attached using mounting brackets. An equipment retaining bracket includes a retaining cross member, an L-shaped bracket and a bolt to joint the retaining cross member and the L-shaped bracket so as to secure the battery in two dimensions. Retaining brackets may be provided at the front and the rear surfaces of the equipment and, in cooperation with the cross members, retain the equipment in the cabinet.
1. A cabinet comprising:
a base portion having a front, a rear and two sides, the sides spaced by a width dimension;
a pair of opposing vertical panels each of the pair of opposing vertical panels having a vertical corrugation, the pair of opposing vertical panels spaced apart by the width dimension of the base portion; and
a support shelf, the support shelf comprising:
a horizontal plate having opposing edges orthogonal to a plane of the plate and a plurality of horizontally disposed mounting holes in the pairs of opposing edges compatible with an aperture pattern in the opposing pair of vertical panels,
wherein the support shelf is directly fastenable to the aperture pattern in each vertical panel of the pair of opposing vertical panels at at least two horizontaly spaced locations of each of the opposing edges of the support shelf, the locations spaced horizontally apart from a vertical edge of the corresponding opposing vertical panel
storage batteries operably arranged on support shelves in plurality of ranks; and
a restraining lip associated with the support shelf and positioned such that the storage batteries on the support shelf are restrained from motion towards a front of the cabinet,
wherein a front surface of storage batteries of a first rank of storage batteries is spaced at a different distance from the front of the cabinet than the front surface of storage batteries of a second rank of storage batteries.
2. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the horizontal plate has a continuous surface.
3. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein a retaining bracket is fastened to the horizontal plate and disposed on a surface thereof opposite to a surface adapted for supporting a battery, and dimensioned to restrain the vertical motion of a battery mounted in another support shelf disposed beneath the support shelf.
4. The cabinet of claim 3 , wherein a first and a second restraining lip is fastened to the support shelf and disposed along another pair of opposing edges of the horizontal plate.
5. The cabinet of claim 4 , wherein the restraining lip is fabricated from a plastic material.
6. The cabinet of claim 5 , wherein the plastic material is a polycarbonate resin thermoplastic.
7. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein a retaining bracket is directly fastened to the opposing vertical panels and disposable so as to restrain the vertical motion of a battery supported by a support shelf.
8. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the apertures in the support shelf have a square cross section.
9. The cabinet of claim 8 , wherein the support shelf is fastened to the vertical panels using a carriage bolt.
10. The cabinet of claim 1 , further comprising a fairing panel, sized, dimensioned and attachable to at least one of the pair of opposing vertical panels so as to cover the region of the at least one of the pair of opposing vertical panels to which the support shelf is fastenable.
11. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the vertical spacing between adjacent ranks of storage batteries is substantially equal to a height of a storage battery of the storage batteries.
12. The cabinet of claim 11 , wherein the storage batteries are connected in a series string.
13. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the restraining lip is attached to the support shelf.
14. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the restraining lip on a first and a second support shelf has a same fixed distance relationship with respect to the front of the batteries on a first and a second rank of storage batteries, respectively.
15. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein at least two of a plurality of horizontal support shelves are disposed such that a front portion of a first horizontal support shelf is positioned at a first horizontal distance from a front of the base portion and a front portion of a second horizontal support shelf is positioned at a second horizontal distance from the front of the base portion.
16. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein when another vertical panel is disposed at the rear of the base portion, the another vertical panel disposed at the rear of the base portion is not directly fastenable to the support shelf.