Mega-Coupler Ground Device

The Mega-Coupler® Grounder™ solves problems you didn’t even know you had! Just think of all the electrical items that are fastened to a pipe or truss rig. Many trusses are suspended with polymetric materials, that do not conduct electricity, such as nylon or polyester slings. Some pipe or truss assemblies are suspended from a wooden structure. If there is an electrical wiring failure, what is the path to ground? What might happen to anyone who comes in contact with an energized truss/pipe assembly? The new patent pending Mega-Coupler® Grounder™ is ETL listed to UL standard 467 in both the USA and Canada as a grounding clamp for pipe and truss structures. The Mega-Coupler® Grounder™ was ETL tested by carrying over 5,000 amps to ground without failure! Properly installed with a grounding conductor connected to the electrical system ground, the Mega-Coupler® Grounder™ solves these hazardous problems!

The Mega-Coupler® Grounder™ is intended to provide a ground connection for additional electrical safety for any mechanical structure fabricated from truss, pipe or round tubing ranging from 1 5/8” OD to 2” OD. The Mega-Coupler® Grounder™ can be used with either copper or aluminum grounding conductors ranging from 14 gauge to 1/0. The grounding conductor should be sized for the maximum electrical power utilized on the total electrical equipment connected to the pipe/truss assembly. The Mega-Coupler® Grounder™ device employs 6061 aluminum and stainless-steel corrosion resistant materials of construction to accommodate both indoor and outdoor above grade installations. Installation in the field must be in accordance to NFPA NEC 70.

Installation is easy. Simply wrap the Mega-Coupler® Grounder™’s base and link around the pipe or truss tube, swing the swivel bolt assembly into the notch in the link and tighten the clamping wing nut to 40-foot pounds of force (480-inch pounds of force) [54.2 N m] maximum. Fasten the grounding conductors by tightening the hex bolts to 12.5-foot pounds of force, (150-inch pounds of force) [16.9 N m]. The Mega-Coupler® Grounder™’s two slots and hex bolts may be used to carry the grounding conductors back to the building ground system, or on to another structure. Grounding conductors may be inserted mid length without cutting the conductors to provide continuous grounding paths. For your convenience, the torque values for field installation are marked on the Mega-Coupler® Grounder™.

The Mega-Coupler® Grounder™’s base, link and wingnut are made of 6061T6 aluminum, all other hardware is made of stainless-steel and therefore requires no additional corrosion protection for both indoor and outdoor above ground use.

It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that the all grounding procedures meet the provisions of the National Electrical Code (NEC) or other relevant prevailing codes.

The user should note that various sections or components of a temporary structure may not have a proper electrical grounding connection between adjacent components. Therefore, consideration must be given to ground bonding all parts of the temporary structure. For example, sections of a self-climbing truss assembly may be isolated by non-conductive elements such as nylon wheels, round slings or wood. Pipes, trussing and clamps may all have coatings that insulate them from a proper ground.