Supports – Pipe or cable – Extending through plate
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-28
2002-04-23
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Pipe or cable
Extending through plate
Reexamination Certificate
active
06375128
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
When water pipes are installed in buildings the pipes often extend along a wall (upwards, downward, or sideways) and then bend and extend horizontally toward the inside of a room, away from the wall. Various connectors fasten to the ends of these pipes in order to hook up sinks, bathtubs, toilets, and other plumbing fixtures. Similar constructions occur with gas lines, electrical lines and tubes carrying other items.
In order to hold these various tubes at predetermined locations relative to structural supports, plumbing straps are used. These straps are typically elongated strips of metal that have large holes in them to accommodate plumbing pipes, with smaller holes to accommodate nails or screws to fasten the straps to building studs.
These straps are typically thin so they can fit between a stud and the adjacent wall covering, such as drywall. That results in a plumbing pipe being supported by a thin metal strip that can abrade the pipe and that can produce an undesirably concentrated area of loading when counteracting any lateral force applied on the pipe. These effects can be exacerbated because the holes for the pipes are typically punched out, which can leave a sharp edge on the hole. Additionally, some pipes are soldered or glued to the strap, and the thin strip of metal provides a narrow area of support for the solder or adhesive. Further, it is usually desirable to retain the pipe in a perpendicular reltionship to the strap while it is being bonded or soldered in place, and the installer may rely on the strap to retain the pipe. A thin strap, with a simple round opening having suitable clearances for tolerances and adhesive or solder, may not adequately and steadily support the pipe in this perpendicular relationship, therby resulting in inconvenience to the installer or resulting in compromised results. Similar problems occur if the tubes are something other than plumbing pipes.
There is thus a need for an improved support for tubes that provides an increased area for supporting a tube held by the support, and for providing an increased area for bonding to the tube carried by the support. There is a further need for providing such an improved support at a low cost.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Holes are formed in an elongated strap. The holes have an undulating edge around the periphery of the hole which causes the edge to extend on both sides of a plane containing the strap. The undulations are achieved by forming a plurality of bends that extend outward, preferably radially outward, from the periphery of the hole.
In particular, a support is provided for tubular members where the support has at least one opening sized to receive and support the tubular member. The opening has a periphery forming an edge to support the tubular member. The support has an undulation on the edge of the opening causing the edge to extend on opposing sides of the support. Advantageously the support comprises an elongated, flat strap having a plurality of openings with the defined undulating edges. The support preferably comprises one of a T-shaped support, an L-shaped support, an elongated strap, and a strap long enough to extend between adjacent studs of a house.
Advantageously the support has a plurality of holes sized to receive a fastener to fasten the support to a structural support. Preferably, the undulations are formed by a plurality of flutes having an apex outward of the periphery of the opening and an enlarged base forming a portion of the opening. Ideally, the undulations are formed by predominantly curved segments to reduce stress concentrations in the support, but the undulations could be formed by triangular shaped flutes having an apex outward of the periphery of the opening with an enlarged end forming a portion of the opening. Preferably, the undulations are formed by at least six flutes each having an apex outward of the periphery and a base forming part of the periphery, the bases of the flutes having distal ends that abut each other.
There is also preferably provided a plumbing strap having a strip of material with a flat portion in which is placed at least one fluted opening having a periphery that undulates onto opposing sides of the flat portion, with at least four undulations. The fluted openings are advantageously formed by flutes having a triangular shape when viewed along an axis orthogonal to the strap. More preferably, there are an even number of flutes with adjacent flutes extending on opposing sides of the strap. Additionally, the flutes preferably have a longitudinal axis that is not perpendicular to an edge of the strap.
The present invention includes not only the strap, but the strap used in connection with tubing or pipes. Thus, the above embodiments are used with plumbing pipes, electrical conduit, or other elongated tubular members extending through the opening. Advantageously, there is a soldered connection between the pipe and undulating periphery of the strap or support. Further, at least one end, and preferably both ends of the support or strap are fastened to a building support, such as a stud.
The present invention also provides a plumbing strap for supporting a pipe, where the strap has a peripheral edge defining an opening in the strap with the opening configured to support the pipe extending through the opening during use of the strap. The opening has a first diameter, comprising: a circumference of the opening, which circumference is less than a length of the peripheral edge of the support defining the opening. The peripheral edge is preferably formed by an undulating edge, and ideally the undulating edge extends on opposing sides of the strap.
The undulations strengthen the periphery of the opening. There is thus advantageously provided undulating means cooperating with the periphery for increasing the stiffness of the support at the opening and increasing the length of the peripheral edge contacting the tubing.
The present invention also includes the method of supporting a pipe or tubular member using the features of the apparatus of this invention. There is thus provided a method of holding a pipe, comprising several non-sequential steps. The steps are non-sequential because the order can be changed. The steps include fastening at least one end of a support to a building structure, and placing the pipe through an opening in the support, with the opening having an undulating peripheral edge defining the opening. These steps can be further varied by soldering the pipe to the periphery, with the periphery extending on opposing sides of the strap. The further step of fastening an opposing end of the support to a building structure can also be performed, preferably before the soldering step.
The invention also includes the steps of manufacturing the support or strap described herein. The manufacturing sequence punches out one or more openings for the pipe and preferably one or more holes for fastening the support or strap to a building structure. The undulations are formed next by stamping the periphery of the opening or openings. Next, the opening(s) with the undulations is punched out to define a circular opening and to also preferably make the edge of the undulating opening be parallel to the axis of the tubing that will extend through the opening. The punching step is preferably done while supporting the undulations to prevent deformation of the undulations, although the supporting step could be omitted. The holes for fasteners could be formed after the fluted opening(s) is formed.
Other objects and features of the invention will be come apparent from consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout.
REFERENCES:
patent: 967902 (1910-08-01), Griffiths
patent: 2140441 (1938-12-01), Clark
patent: 2140442 (1938-12-01), Clark
patent: 2140443 (1938-12-01), Clark
patent: 2773708 (1956-12-01), Beyerle
patent: 2843363 (1958-07-01), Mailander
patent: 3021103 (1962-02-01), Beyerle
patent: 3097843 (1963-07-01), Morrow
patent: 3481571 (1969-12-01
Condon Duane R.
Kendall Thomas L.
Ramirez Ramon O.
Securus Inc.
Setina Brunda Garred & Brucker
Sy Holly N.
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