Spacer bar with tube sleeve and tab

Details Spacer bar with tube sleeve and tab Spacer bar with tube sleeve and tab

2000-10-06

2001-08-14

Wilson, Gregory (Department: 3749)

Liquid heaters and vaporizers

Tubes and connections

C110S325000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06273030

ABSTRACT:

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to boilers and, in particular, to a new and useful arrangement for fixing the spacing between tubes in a superheater or reheater section or in other parts of a boiler where the tubes extend through the volume of the boiler.
Superheater and reheater sections of boilers have side-to-side ties to maintain spacing. As illustrated in
FIG. 1
, there have been several designs that utilize a metal bar
10
, strung between the superheater or reheater tubes
12
of each section. The means by which the metal bar
10
has been attached to the tubes
12
has varied, but usually involves a strap
14
as illustrated in
FIG. 1
around the tube
12
or a lug
16
as illustrated in
FIG. 2
welded to the tubes
12
. These attachments to the tubes
12
require welding behind the spacer bar
18
shown in
FIG. 2
, which is difficult. The lugs
16
sit in grooves at the bottom of bar
18
and are held in the grooves by retainers
20
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a cast sleeve with an integral tab is slipped on the boiler tubes during shop section fabrication. For field installation, the casting is in two halves. A lug is welded to the tube to support the casting. During field erection of the sections, a spacer bar with properly located rectangular holes is positioned horizontally between (in the front or the rear) of the sections. The tabs are inserted into the holes in the spacer bar. Fillet welds attach the bar to the tab. This allows welding from the front. The new spacer bar with tube sleeve and tab is more readily installed. More importantly, the location of the bar to tab weld allows easy access to uncouple the sections for field maintenance access to the sections.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is drawn to a spacing arrangement for tubes of a boiler which comprises a spacer bar that is sufficiently long to span a space across a plurality of tubes in a superheater or reheater section. The bar has a plurality of holes therein which are spaced apart by a selected spacing corresponding to a desired spacing between the plurality of tubes in the section. A plurality of sleeves is provided with one sleeve fixed to each tube in the section. A tab is fixed to each sleeve and extends outwardly from the sleeve to which it is fixed so that the tabs of all the sleeves extend outwardly from a common plane containing all the tubes in section. The tabs extend into respective holes in the spacer bar and fillet welds are used for fixing the tabs to the spacer bar adjacent the holes and at a location spaced from the sleeves.
An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a spacing arrangement for superheater and reheater tube banks which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific benefits attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4030540 (1977-06-01), Roma
patent: 4480594 (1984-11-01), Sullivan et al.
patent: 5136985 (1992-08-01), Krowech
patent: 5404941 (1995-04-01), Jacksits

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