CA1117318A - Gas meter installation set and support hanger therefor - Google Patents
Gas meter installation set and support hanger thereforInfo
- Publication number
- CA1117318A CA1117318A CA000313239A CA313239A CA1117318A CA 1117318 A CA1117318 A CA 1117318A CA 000313239 A CA000313239 A CA 000313239A CA 313239 A CA313239 A CA 313239A CA 1117318 A CA1117318 A CA 1117318A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- support plate
- gas
- gas meter
- supply pipe
- pipe
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- G01F15/00—Details of, or accessories for, apparatus of groups G01F1/00 - G01F13/00 insofar as such details or appliances are not adapted to particular types of such apparatus
- G01F15/18—Supports or connecting means for meters
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Measuring Volume Flow (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A gas meter installation set comprising a gas meter, inlet and outlet piping, and optionally a regulator, utilizes a support hanger comprising mounting means for securing the hanger to a structure, and a support plate provided with openings through which pass the inlet and outlet piping, the piping being secured to the support plate, preferably by imprisonment of portions of the mounting plate between threaded piping elements and lock nuts.
A gas meter installation set comprising a gas meter, inlet and outlet piping, and optionally a regulator, utilizes a support hanger comprising mounting means for securing the hanger to a structure, and a support plate provided with openings through which pass the inlet and outlet piping, the piping being secured to the support plate, preferably by imprisonment of portions of the mounting plate between threaded piping elements and lock nuts.
Description
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!GAS METER INSTALLATION SET AND SUPPORT
HANGER THEREFOR
,''': .
Background of the Invention ., ~~This invention relates to gas meter installation .;~
sets, and in particular -to sets comprising support hangers suitable for mounting on a substantially vertical surface, -~
e.g. the exterior wall of a building.
Gas meter installations are commonly located on the exterior of a building, so that a utility employee may read the meter without entering the building. Typically, a gas supply pipe emerges from the ground, a second pipe leads into the building, and the meter is connected between the two pipes. The installation may also include a regulator.
An installation supported only by the gas pipes themselves without attachment to the wall of the building has been found to lack strength and rigidity, and accordingly ~arious forms of brac~et or hanger ~or attaching the installation to the wall ~f the building have been used or proposed. Such known forms of hanger typically have had limited strength and rigidity, or have been unduly cumbersome, complex and expensive. Some have also lacked the desirable attributes of ease of installation, and flexibility i.e. the ability to be used with gas meters of varying type or size.
~ n example of a prior art device is shown in Canadian Patent No. 991,441 (Bizecki) which discloses a C-shaped pipe having a pair of mounting plates tangentially welded thereto for attachment to the wall of a building. This structure has the drawback of using a special pipe section with permanently attached mounting means, rather .
73~
.~ than providing a hanger usable with conventional piping elements.
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Another type of installation is shown in Canadian ~- Patent No. 796,176 and United States Reissue Patent No. Re.
26,191 (McDowell), which discloses a mounting bracket comprising two vertically oriented interlocking channel .. ~' .
members, the upper one being provided with two channel-type cross-members, each of which is provided with clamps near each end suitable for securing gas pipe. As is apparent from the drawings of this patent, this device is cumbersome, .~r' complex, and appears expensive.
A further type of known installation is shown in United States Patent No. 3,506,299 (McDowell), which discloses a prefabricated welded structure comprising two formed gas pipe elements welded to a vertically oriented channel member which in turn is connected to a second, interlocking, vertically oriented channel member. This form of installation appears to be not only costly and cumbersome, but also lacks flexibility since the relative positions of the pipe elements cannot be ;20 varied to accommodate different types of gas meter, or different relative locations of the gas pipe to which the unit is to be connected.
It is also known to secure a gas meter installation ~;
set to the wall of a building by means of two or more -~ separate pipe support brackets each comprising a clamping portion adapted to be clamped around the gas pipe element and tightened by means of a bolt, and two support legs of suitable length terminating in flanges adapted to be secured ~ to the wall by means of lag screws, hollow wall fasteners, ; 30 or the like. However, in practice such installations have been found to be cumbersome and expensive in comparison with an installation according to the present invention.
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`Summary of the Invention ,; _ "
,The present invention provides a novel form of gas meter installation set utilizing a novel support hanger. The novel support hanger is simpla and economical in design and ~ r has resulted in reduced cost of materials and manufacture time as cornpared with previous designs. The gas me-ter installation set utili2ing the hanger is more rigid than previous designs, and is also more compact and hence more acceptable to the consumer. It is easy to install and its inherent flexibility permits it to be used with various makes of domestic gas meters and even with small commercial meters. A gas meter support hanger according to -the present invention comprises a support plate having a first opening through which a vertical gas supply pipe may pass, a second opening through which a vertical gas demand pipe may pass, wherein one of the openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole, and the other of the openings is a substantially U-shaped notch in one edge of the support plate, and mounting means for securing the hanger to a structure. The mounting means may comprise a mounting plate extending subs-tantially perpendicularly from the support plate for securing the hanger to a substantially vertical supporting surface of the structure, such as an exterior wall. Preferably, the mounting plate may be integral with the support plate, which plate together may form a structure having an L-shaped cross-section. The mounting plate may be provided with one or more mounting apertures.
A gas meter installation set according to the present invention is for use with a substantially vertical gas supply pipe, a substantially vertical gas demand pipe parallel to and spaced apart from the gas supply pipe, and a meter .. ," ~,~,~,!7;~ a ~
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having spaced inlet and outlet ports. The set comprises supply pipe coupling and spacing means having spaced coupling terminals for coupling the inlet port of the gas meter to the gas supply pipe and for spacing the meter outwardly Erom the gas supply pipe, demand pipe coupling and spacing means having .~ spaced coupling terminals for coupling the outlet port of the : ~
gas meter to the gas demand pipe and for spacing the meter outwardly from the gas supply pipe, a support hanger as described above, which may include any of the optional ;.~ 10 features mentioned above, first securing means for securing :
; the gas supply pipe to the support plate, and second securing means for securing the gas demand pipe to the support plateO
Preferably, the supply and demand pipe coupling and spacing means may be substantially inverse-U configured. The first ~; securing means may comprise lock nut means threadably engaging .. . .
the vertical gas supply pipe, and the second securing means may comprise lock nut means threadably engaging the vertical gas demand pipe. The vertically oriented gas supply pipe may ;
pass through the first opening in the support plate, with its upper end portion fitting within and t:hreadably engaging the lower end portion of an elbow component of the supply pipe coupling and spacing means, which lower end portion may have an annular bottom face bearing against the upper surface of the support plate adjacent to the first opening therein. The first securing means may comprise lock nut means threadably engaging the gas supply pipe and pressing against the lower surface of the support plate whereby the gas supply pipe is secured to the support plate by imprisonment of a portion of the support plate between the lock nut means and the bottom face of an elbow component of the supply pipe coupling and ,. ~
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''':' .~ spacing means. Similarly, the general vertically oriented gas .. demand pipe may pass through the second opening in the support plate, its upper end portion fitting within and threadably .~: engaging the lower end portion of an elbow component of the :
; demand pipe coupling and spacing means, which lower end -. portion may have an annular bottom face bearing against the , .. .
upper surface of the support plate ad~acent the second opening therein. The second securing means may compri6e lock nut means threadably engaging -the gas demand pipe and pressing against the :Lower surface of the support plate whereby the gas demand pipe is secured to the support plate by imprisonment of a portion of the support plate between the lock nut means and the bottom face of the lower end portion of an elbow component of the demand pipe coupling and spacing means. The installation set may addi-tionally comprise a regulator installed on or connected to the gas supply pipe.
Brief Description of the Drawings ~ . .... _ . The invention may best be understood fro~ the .. :
description of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a support hanger according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the support hanger ~.
:~ of Figure 1:
. . .
.:..................... Figure 3 is an end elevation of the support hanger of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of one of the apertures in the support plate of the hanger cf Figure 1, showing gas piping means installed therein;
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,','' ' ,. , . Figure 5 is a side elevation of a gas meter .^ installation set according to the present invention; and ~:, ., Figure 6 is a front elevation of the installation set of Figure 5.
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- 5a -~.t', 3~3 "~ , Description of the Preferred Embodiment ,~
As may be seen from Figures 1, 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment of a support hanger according to the present invention comprises a support plate 2 having openings 4 and 5, rigidly attached to a mounting plate 3, the two plates together forming an L-shaped structure, as best seen in Figure 3. Mounting plate 3 is provided with mounting apertures in the form of slots 6, 7 and 8. The hanger may conveniently be fabricated from a single workpiece of suitable material by first forming openings and apertures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and then bending the workpiece into the configuration shown in the drawings. Various materials having suitable structural strength may be used: 12 gauge ASTM-A7 steel has been found both economic and effective for use in the type of installation set shown in Figures 5 and 6~
A variety of configurations of mounting apertures in plate 3 are of course possible. The configuration shown in Figure 2, comprising three vertical slots, the center slot being displaced downward relative to the other two, has been found to b~ satisfactory with respect both to simplicity : .
;~ of installing the hanger on the supporting surface, and rigidity of the resulting installationO
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a typical installation set according to the invention, utilizing the hanger described above, shown mounted on the exterior wall of a building. It will be noted that the mounting plate 3 of hanger 1 is secured by means of fasteners 24 and 25 to -the substantially vertical surface of auxiliary support member 22 which is a piece of wood or metal of suitable size attached to the exterior wall 20 of a building. If the construction of the wall itself makes it suitable, mounting plate 3 may be secured directly to the wall 20, and the auxiliary support member 22 may be dispensed with.
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; Fasteners 24 and 25 may be any conven-tional v fasteners providing the necessary degree of strength and ~ rigidity; for example, if the fasteners are being inserted -~ into wood or plywood, lag screws would be suitable.
As illustrated in Figure 5, gas meter 15 is connected to a gas supply pipe shown generally as 30, whose -upper end portion 31 is provided with threads 3~. Threaded end portion 31 passes through lock nut 33 and opening 4 in support plate 2, and fits within and threadably engages the ~' 10 lower end of elbow 34, which has an annular bottom face 50 bearing against the upper surface of plate 2 adjacent to ;~
opening 4, as shown more clearly in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, lock nut 33 is tightened so as to press against the lower surface of support plate 2, whereby a portion of plate 2 ; is imprisoned between lock nut 33 and the bottom face 50 of elbow 34, thereby securing the gas :inlet piping means 30 to the plate 2.
~s an example, the threaded upper end of gas supply pipe 31 may be a standard one inch American Standard Taper . 20 Pipe Thread, which when inserted into elbow 34 is gas-tight between the 6th and 7th threads. Lock nut 33 should be capable of being turned by hand as far as the 11th thread to ~;
provide clearance for installation. Experimentally, a conventional one-inch galvanized steel conduit lock nut has been used with this arrangement, but a lock nut with greater tolerance, i.e. capable of being screwed further down the pipe thread, would be preferable to facilitate installation. Also, the galvanized steel nut is somewhat brittle, and might be liable to split if harnmer-tightened especially in cold ~ - 7 -,:
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. . . . ~. ~ , , weather. Accordingly, it is believed that a loc~ nut of malleable black iron would be preferable.
As shown in Figure 5, gas inlet piping means 30 further comprises a supply pipe coupling and spacing means consisting of elbow 34, threaded horizontal nipple 35, elbow 36 and meter spud 37. ~ipple 35 connects elbow 34 to elbow 36, which in turn is connected to the inlet port 38 of meter 15 by meter spud 37.
A gas meter installation may optionally include a regulator. Figure 5 and 6 show such a regulator 16 installed on gas inlet piping means 30 below gas supply pipe 31. That is, gas supply pipe 31 has a threaded nipple connected at its lower end to regulator 16, which in turn is connected by conventional piping means to a source of gas supply.
As indicated in Figure 6, gas meter 15 is connected to a source of gas demand by a gas demand pipe shown generally as 40. No regulator is installed on the outlet piping means, but otherwise it is similar to the gas supply pipe described above. It has a threaded upper end portion which passes through a lock nut and through opening 5 in support plate 2, and ~its within and threadably engages the lower end of an elbow similar to elbow 34. This elbow is connected by a ~hreaded nipple to elbow 46, which is connected by spud 47 to outlet port 48 of gas meter 15. The demand pipe coupling and spacing means comprises first elbow, threaded nipple, elbow 46 and spud 47, which components are similar to the corresponding components 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the supply pipe coupling and spacing means. The method whereby gas outlet piping means 40 is secured to support plate 2 is the same as illustrated in Figure 4 for -the gas inlet piping .
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means, and the same comments apply with respect to the lock nut used.
Besides connecting the supply pipe to the inlet port and the demand pipe to the outlet port respectively, the supply and demand pipe coupling and spacing means also space the meter outwardly froln the supply and demand pipes respectively. Both pipe coupling means are preferably - substantially inverse~U configured. Bulky meters can be accommodat~d by increasing the length of the horizontal nipple of each coupling and spacing means. Meters of various port spacings can be accommodated by angling the nipples either towards or away from each other when installing the meter.
- It will be noted that opening 5 in support plate 2 is shown as a U-shaped notch in the end of the plate, rather than as a circular hole~ It frequently happens that a substantial portion of gas outlet piping means 40 is installed !
~' ' ' .
,~ 73:~3 by a plumbing contractor previous to the installation of the meter set. The illustrated open-ended configuration of opening 5 permits support plate 2 to be installed on the prevlously installed outlet piping means from the side, by : sliding it into place between the lock nut and the first elbow, and then tightening the lock nut, without disassembling any part of the outlet piping means provided by the contractor.
A configuration of support plate 3 having a circular hole similar to opening 4, in place of open-ended notch 5, would of course provide the same compactness and rigidity of the finished installation, but for the reasons stated above, the configuration shown in Figure 1 is preferred, since it permits simpler and speedier installation of the meter set in many cases.
While the invention has been clescribed with particular reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings, it is to ~ ;
be understood that this represents only the preferred embodiment of the present invention. It will be apparent to any person skilled in the art that many modifications of this embodiment ~20 may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is defined in the appended claims.
.;
!GAS METER INSTALLATION SET AND SUPPORT
HANGER THEREFOR
,''': .
Background of the Invention ., ~~This invention relates to gas meter installation .;~
sets, and in particular -to sets comprising support hangers suitable for mounting on a substantially vertical surface, -~
e.g. the exterior wall of a building.
Gas meter installations are commonly located on the exterior of a building, so that a utility employee may read the meter without entering the building. Typically, a gas supply pipe emerges from the ground, a second pipe leads into the building, and the meter is connected between the two pipes. The installation may also include a regulator.
An installation supported only by the gas pipes themselves without attachment to the wall of the building has been found to lack strength and rigidity, and accordingly ~arious forms of brac~et or hanger ~or attaching the installation to the wall ~f the building have been used or proposed. Such known forms of hanger typically have had limited strength and rigidity, or have been unduly cumbersome, complex and expensive. Some have also lacked the desirable attributes of ease of installation, and flexibility i.e. the ability to be used with gas meters of varying type or size.
~ n example of a prior art device is shown in Canadian Patent No. 991,441 (Bizecki) which discloses a C-shaped pipe having a pair of mounting plates tangentially welded thereto for attachment to the wall of a building. This structure has the drawback of using a special pipe section with permanently attached mounting means, rather .
73~
.~ than providing a hanger usable with conventional piping elements.
"`
Another type of installation is shown in Canadian ~- Patent No. 796,176 and United States Reissue Patent No. Re.
26,191 (McDowell), which discloses a mounting bracket comprising two vertically oriented interlocking channel .. ~' .
members, the upper one being provided with two channel-type cross-members, each of which is provided with clamps near each end suitable for securing gas pipe. As is apparent from the drawings of this patent, this device is cumbersome, .~r' complex, and appears expensive.
A further type of known installation is shown in United States Patent No. 3,506,299 (McDowell), which discloses a prefabricated welded structure comprising two formed gas pipe elements welded to a vertically oriented channel member which in turn is connected to a second, interlocking, vertically oriented channel member. This form of installation appears to be not only costly and cumbersome, but also lacks flexibility since the relative positions of the pipe elements cannot be ;20 varied to accommodate different types of gas meter, or different relative locations of the gas pipe to which the unit is to be connected.
It is also known to secure a gas meter installation ~;
set to the wall of a building by means of two or more -~ separate pipe support brackets each comprising a clamping portion adapted to be clamped around the gas pipe element and tightened by means of a bolt, and two support legs of suitable length terminating in flanges adapted to be secured ~ to the wall by means of lag screws, hollow wall fasteners, ; 30 or the like. However, in practice such installations have been found to be cumbersome and expensive in comparison with an installation according to the present invention.
.
:
`Summary of the Invention ,; _ "
,The present invention provides a novel form of gas meter installation set utilizing a novel support hanger. The novel support hanger is simpla and economical in design and ~ r has resulted in reduced cost of materials and manufacture time as cornpared with previous designs. The gas me-ter installation set utili2ing the hanger is more rigid than previous designs, and is also more compact and hence more acceptable to the consumer. It is easy to install and its inherent flexibility permits it to be used with various makes of domestic gas meters and even with small commercial meters. A gas meter support hanger according to -the present invention comprises a support plate having a first opening through which a vertical gas supply pipe may pass, a second opening through which a vertical gas demand pipe may pass, wherein one of the openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole, and the other of the openings is a substantially U-shaped notch in one edge of the support plate, and mounting means for securing the hanger to a structure. The mounting means may comprise a mounting plate extending subs-tantially perpendicularly from the support plate for securing the hanger to a substantially vertical supporting surface of the structure, such as an exterior wall. Preferably, the mounting plate may be integral with the support plate, which plate together may form a structure having an L-shaped cross-section. The mounting plate may be provided with one or more mounting apertures.
A gas meter installation set according to the present invention is for use with a substantially vertical gas supply pipe, a substantially vertical gas demand pipe parallel to and spaced apart from the gas supply pipe, and a meter .. ," ~,~,~,!7;~ a ~
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....
having spaced inlet and outlet ports. The set comprises supply pipe coupling and spacing means having spaced coupling terminals for coupling the inlet port of the gas meter to the gas supply pipe and for spacing the meter outwardly Erom the gas supply pipe, demand pipe coupling and spacing means having .~ spaced coupling terminals for coupling the outlet port of the : ~
gas meter to the gas demand pipe and for spacing the meter outwardly from the gas supply pipe, a support hanger as described above, which may include any of the optional ;.~ 10 features mentioned above, first securing means for securing :
; the gas supply pipe to the support plate, and second securing means for securing the gas demand pipe to the support plateO
Preferably, the supply and demand pipe coupling and spacing means may be substantially inverse-U configured. The first ~; securing means may comprise lock nut means threadably engaging .. . .
the vertical gas supply pipe, and the second securing means may comprise lock nut means threadably engaging the vertical gas demand pipe. The vertically oriented gas supply pipe may ;
pass through the first opening in the support plate, with its upper end portion fitting within and t:hreadably engaging the lower end portion of an elbow component of the supply pipe coupling and spacing means, which lower end portion may have an annular bottom face bearing against the upper surface of the support plate adjacent to the first opening therein. The first securing means may comprise lock nut means threadably engaging the gas supply pipe and pressing against the lower surface of the support plate whereby the gas supply pipe is secured to the support plate by imprisonment of a portion of the support plate between the lock nut means and the bottom face of an elbow component of the supply pipe coupling and ,. ~
7~
''':' .~ spacing means. Similarly, the general vertically oriented gas .. demand pipe may pass through the second opening in the support plate, its upper end portion fitting within and threadably .~: engaging the lower end portion of an elbow component of the :
; demand pipe coupling and spacing means, which lower end -. portion may have an annular bottom face bearing against the , .. .
upper surface of the support plate ad~acent the second opening therein. The second securing means may compri6e lock nut means threadably engaging -the gas demand pipe and pressing against the :Lower surface of the support plate whereby the gas demand pipe is secured to the support plate by imprisonment of a portion of the support plate between the lock nut means and the bottom face of the lower end portion of an elbow component of the demand pipe coupling and spacing means. The installation set may addi-tionally comprise a regulator installed on or connected to the gas supply pipe.
Brief Description of the Drawings ~ . .... _ . The invention may best be understood fro~ the .. :
description of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a support hanger according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the support hanger ~.
:~ of Figure 1:
. . .
.:..................... Figure 3 is an end elevation of the support hanger of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of one of the apertures in the support plate of the hanger cf Figure 1, showing gas piping means installed therein;
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,','' ' ,. , . Figure 5 is a side elevation of a gas meter .^ installation set according to the present invention; and ~:, ., Figure 6 is a front elevation of the installation set of Figure 5.
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- 5a -~.t', 3~3 "~ , Description of the Preferred Embodiment ,~
As may be seen from Figures 1, 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment of a support hanger according to the present invention comprises a support plate 2 having openings 4 and 5, rigidly attached to a mounting plate 3, the two plates together forming an L-shaped structure, as best seen in Figure 3. Mounting plate 3 is provided with mounting apertures in the form of slots 6, 7 and 8. The hanger may conveniently be fabricated from a single workpiece of suitable material by first forming openings and apertures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and then bending the workpiece into the configuration shown in the drawings. Various materials having suitable structural strength may be used: 12 gauge ASTM-A7 steel has been found both economic and effective for use in the type of installation set shown in Figures 5 and 6~
A variety of configurations of mounting apertures in plate 3 are of course possible. The configuration shown in Figure 2, comprising three vertical slots, the center slot being displaced downward relative to the other two, has been found to b~ satisfactory with respect both to simplicity : .
;~ of installing the hanger on the supporting surface, and rigidity of the resulting installationO
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a typical installation set according to the invention, utilizing the hanger described above, shown mounted on the exterior wall of a building. It will be noted that the mounting plate 3 of hanger 1 is secured by means of fasteners 24 and 25 to -the substantially vertical surface of auxiliary support member 22 which is a piece of wood or metal of suitable size attached to the exterior wall 20 of a building. If the construction of the wall itself makes it suitable, mounting plate 3 may be secured directly to the wall 20, and the auxiliary support member 22 may be dispensed with.
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; Fasteners 24 and 25 may be any conven-tional v fasteners providing the necessary degree of strength and ~ rigidity; for example, if the fasteners are being inserted -~ into wood or plywood, lag screws would be suitable.
As illustrated in Figure 5, gas meter 15 is connected to a gas supply pipe shown generally as 30, whose -upper end portion 31 is provided with threads 3~. Threaded end portion 31 passes through lock nut 33 and opening 4 in support plate 2, and fits within and threadably engages the ~' 10 lower end of elbow 34, which has an annular bottom face 50 bearing against the upper surface of plate 2 adjacent to ;~
opening 4, as shown more clearly in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, lock nut 33 is tightened so as to press against the lower surface of support plate 2, whereby a portion of plate 2 ; is imprisoned between lock nut 33 and the bottom face 50 of elbow 34, thereby securing the gas :inlet piping means 30 to the plate 2.
~s an example, the threaded upper end of gas supply pipe 31 may be a standard one inch American Standard Taper . 20 Pipe Thread, which when inserted into elbow 34 is gas-tight between the 6th and 7th threads. Lock nut 33 should be capable of being turned by hand as far as the 11th thread to ~;
provide clearance for installation. Experimentally, a conventional one-inch galvanized steel conduit lock nut has been used with this arrangement, but a lock nut with greater tolerance, i.e. capable of being screwed further down the pipe thread, would be preferable to facilitate installation. Also, the galvanized steel nut is somewhat brittle, and might be liable to split if harnmer-tightened especially in cold ~ - 7 -,:
B
. . . . ~. ~ , , weather. Accordingly, it is believed that a loc~ nut of malleable black iron would be preferable.
As shown in Figure 5, gas inlet piping means 30 further comprises a supply pipe coupling and spacing means consisting of elbow 34, threaded horizontal nipple 35, elbow 36 and meter spud 37. ~ipple 35 connects elbow 34 to elbow 36, which in turn is connected to the inlet port 38 of meter 15 by meter spud 37.
A gas meter installation may optionally include a regulator. Figure 5 and 6 show such a regulator 16 installed on gas inlet piping means 30 below gas supply pipe 31. That is, gas supply pipe 31 has a threaded nipple connected at its lower end to regulator 16, which in turn is connected by conventional piping means to a source of gas supply.
As indicated in Figure 6, gas meter 15 is connected to a source of gas demand by a gas demand pipe shown generally as 40. No regulator is installed on the outlet piping means, but otherwise it is similar to the gas supply pipe described above. It has a threaded upper end portion which passes through a lock nut and through opening 5 in support plate 2, and ~its within and threadably engages the lower end of an elbow similar to elbow 34. This elbow is connected by a ~hreaded nipple to elbow 46, which is connected by spud 47 to outlet port 48 of gas meter 15. The demand pipe coupling and spacing means comprises first elbow, threaded nipple, elbow 46 and spud 47, which components are similar to the corresponding components 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the supply pipe coupling and spacing means. The method whereby gas outlet piping means 40 is secured to support plate 2 is the same as illustrated in Figure 4 for -the gas inlet piping .
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means, and the same comments apply with respect to the lock nut used.
Besides connecting the supply pipe to the inlet port and the demand pipe to the outlet port respectively, the supply and demand pipe coupling and spacing means also space the meter outwardly froln the supply and demand pipes respectively. Both pipe coupling means are preferably - substantially inverse~U configured. Bulky meters can be accommodat~d by increasing the length of the horizontal nipple of each coupling and spacing means. Meters of various port spacings can be accommodated by angling the nipples either towards or away from each other when installing the meter.
- It will be noted that opening 5 in support plate 2 is shown as a U-shaped notch in the end of the plate, rather than as a circular hole~ It frequently happens that a substantial portion of gas outlet piping means 40 is installed !
~' ' ' .
,~ 73:~3 by a plumbing contractor previous to the installation of the meter set. The illustrated open-ended configuration of opening 5 permits support plate 2 to be installed on the prevlously installed outlet piping means from the side, by : sliding it into place between the lock nut and the first elbow, and then tightening the lock nut, without disassembling any part of the outlet piping means provided by the contractor.
A configuration of support plate 3 having a circular hole similar to opening 4, in place of open-ended notch 5, would of course provide the same compactness and rigidity of the finished installation, but for the reasons stated above, the configuration shown in Figure 1 is preferred, since it permits simpler and speedier installation of the meter set in many cases.
While the invention has been clescribed with particular reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings, it is to ~ ;
be understood that this represents only the preferred embodiment of the present invention. It will be apparent to any person skilled in the art that many modifications of this embodiment ~20 may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is defined in the appended claims.
Claims (21)
1. A gas meter installation set for connecting a gas meter having spaced inlet and outlet ports to a substantially vertical gas supply pipe and a substantially vertical gas demand pipe parallel to and spaced apart from the gas supply pipe; said set comprising:
(a) supply pipe coupling and spacing means having spaced coupling terminals for coupling the inlet port of the gas meter to the gas supply pipe and for spacing the meter outwardly from the gas supply pipe;
(b) demand pipe coupling and spacing means having spaced coupling terminals for coupling the outlet port of the gas meter to the gas demand pipe and for spacing the meter outwardly from the gas demand pipe;
(c) a hanger for restraining movement of the gas meter and installation set in relation to a supporting structure, said hanger comprising:
(i) a support plate having:
A. a first opening through which said gas supply pipe passes; and, B. a second opening through which said gas demand pipe passes; and, (ii) mounting means for securing said hanger to said structure;
(d) first securing means for securing said gas supply pipe to said support plate; and, - Page 1 of Claims -(e) second securing means for securing said gas demand pipe to said support plate.
(a) supply pipe coupling and spacing means having spaced coupling terminals for coupling the inlet port of the gas meter to the gas supply pipe and for spacing the meter outwardly from the gas supply pipe;
(b) demand pipe coupling and spacing means having spaced coupling terminals for coupling the outlet port of the gas meter to the gas demand pipe and for spacing the meter outwardly from the gas demand pipe;
(c) a hanger for restraining movement of the gas meter and installation set in relation to a supporting structure, said hanger comprising:
(i) a support plate having:
A. a first opening through which said gas supply pipe passes; and, B. a second opening through which said gas demand pipe passes; and, (ii) mounting means for securing said hanger to said structure;
(d) first securing means for securing said gas supply pipe to said support plate; and, - Page 1 of Claims -(e) second securing means for securing said gas demand pipe to said support plate.
2. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 1, wherein said mounting means comprises a mounting plate extending substantially perpendicular to said support plate for securing said hanger to a substantially vertical supporting surface of said structure.
3. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 2 wherein the mounting plate is integral with the support plate.
4. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the supply and demand pipe coupling and spacing means are substantially inverse-U configured.
5. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 2 wherein the mounting plate and the support plate together form a structure having an L-shaped cross-section.
6. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein:
(a) said first securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging said gas supply pipe; and, (b) said second securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging said gas demand pipe.
(a) said first securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging said gas supply pipe; and, (b) said second securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging said gas demand pipe.
7. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 5, wherein:
- Page 2 of Claims -(a) said first securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging said gas supply pipe; and, (b) said second securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging said gas demand pipe.
- Page 2 of Claims -(a) said first securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging said gas supply pipe; and, (b) said second securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging said gas demand pipe.
8. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein:
(a) one of said openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole; and (b) the other of said openings in the support plate is a substantially U-shaped notch in one edge of the support plate.
(a) one of said openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole; and (b) the other of said openings in the support plate is a substantially U-shaped notch in one edge of the support plate.
9. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein:
(a) one of said openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole;
(b) the other of said openings in the support plate is a substantially U-shaped notch in one edge of the support plate; and (c) the supply and demand pipe coupling and spacing means are substantially inverse-U configured.
(a) one of said openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole;
(b) the other of said openings in the support plate is a substantially U-shaped notch in one edge of the support plate; and (c) the supply and demand pipe coupling and spacing means are substantially inverse-U configured.
10. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein:
(a) one of said openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole;
(b) the other of said openings in the support plate is a substantially U shaped notch in one edge of the support plate;
- Page 3 of Claims -(c) said first securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging said gas supply pipe; and (d) said second securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging said gas demand pipe.
(a) one of said openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole;
(b) the other of said openings in the support plate is a substantially U shaped notch in one edge of the support plate;
- Page 3 of Claims -(c) said first securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging said gas supply pipe; and (d) said second securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging said gas demand pipe.
11. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 1, wherein:
(a) said vertically oriented gas supply pipe passes through said first opening, the upper end portion of said gas supply pipe fitting within and threadably engaging the lower end portion of an elbow component of said supply pipe coupling and spacing means, which lower end portion has an annular bottom face bearing against the upper surface of said support plate adjacent to said first opening;
(b) said vertically oriented gas demand pipe passes through said second opening, the upper end portion of said gas demand pipe fitting within and threadably engaging the lower end portion of an elbow component of said demand pipe coupling and spacing means, which lower end portion has an annular bottom face bearing against the upper surface of said support plate adjacent to said second opening; and (c) said first securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging the gas supply pipe and pressing against the lower surface of the support plate; and the second securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging the gas demand pipe and pressing against the lower surface of the support plate.
(a) said vertically oriented gas supply pipe passes through said first opening, the upper end portion of said gas supply pipe fitting within and threadably engaging the lower end portion of an elbow component of said supply pipe coupling and spacing means, which lower end portion has an annular bottom face bearing against the upper surface of said support plate adjacent to said first opening;
(b) said vertically oriented gas demand pipe passes through said second opening, the upper end portion of said gas demand pipe fitting within and threadably engaging the lower end portion of an elbow component of said demand pipe coupling and spacing means, which lower end portion has an annular bottom face bearing against the upper surface of said support plate adjacent to said second opening; and (c) said first securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging the gas supply pipe and pressing against the lower surface of the support plate; and the second securing means comprises lock nut means threadably engaging the gas demand pipe and pressing against the lower surface of the support plate.
12. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 11, wherein said mounting means comprises a mounting plate - Page 4 of Claims -extending substantially perpendicular to said support plate for securing said hanger to a substantially vertical supporting surface of said structure.
13. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 12, wherein the mounting plate is integral with the support plate.
14. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein the supply and demand pipe coupling and spacing means are substantially inverse-U configured.
15. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 12, wherein the mounting plate and the support plate together form a structure having an L-shaped cross-section.
16. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein:
(a) one of said openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole; and (b) the other of said openings in the support plate is a substantially U-shaped notch in one edge of the support plate.
(a) one of said openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole; and (b) the other of said openings in the support plate is a substantially U-shaped notch in one edge of the support plate.
17. A gas meter installation set as defined in claim 13 or 15 wherein:
(a) one of said openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole;
- Page 5 of Claims -(b) the other of said openings in the support plate is a substantially U-shaped notch in one edge of the support plate; and (c) the supply and demand pipe coupling and spacing means are substantially inverse-U configured.
(a) one of said openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole;
- Page 5 of Claims -(b) the other of said openings in the support plate is a substantially U-shaped notch in one edge of the support plate; and (c) the supply and demand pipe coupling and spacing means are substantially inverse-U configured.
18. A hanger for restraining movement of a gas meter installation in relation to a supporting structure, which installation includes a substantially vertical gas supply pipe, a substantially vertical gas demand pipe parallel to and spaced apart from said gas supply pipe, a gas meter having spaced inlet and outlet ports, supply pipe coupling and spacing means connecting the inlet port of the gas meter to the supply pipe and spacing the gas meter from the supply pipe and demand pipe coupling and spacing means connecting the outlet port of the gas meter to the demand pipe and spacing the gas meter from the demand pipe, said hanger comprising:
(a) a support plate for providing support for said installation, said support plate having:
(i) a first opening for said substantially vertical gas supply pipe to pass through; and (ii) a second opening for said substantially vertical gas demand pipe to pass through, wherein (iii) one of said openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole; and (iv) the other of said openings in the support plate is a substantially U-shaped notch in one edge of the support plate; and, (b) mounting means for securing said hanger to said structure.
- Page 6 of Claims -
(a) a support plate for providing support for said installation, said support plate having:
(i) a first opening for said substantially vertical gas supply pipe to pass through; and (ii) a second opening for said substantially vertical gas demand pipe to pass through, wherein (iii) one of said openings in the support plate is a substantially circular hole; and (iv) the other of said openings in the support plate is a substantially U-shaped notch in one edge of the support plate; and, (b) mounting means for securing said hanger to said structure.
- Page 6 of Claims -
19. A hanger as defined in claim 18, wherein said mounting means comprises a mounting plate extending substantially perpendicularly from said support plate for securing said hanger to a substantially vertical supporting surface of said structure.
20. A hanger as defined in claim 19, wherein -the mounting plate is integral with the support plate.
21. A hanger as defined in claim 19, wherein the mounting plate and the support plate together form a structure having an L-shaped cross-section.
- Page 7 of Claims -
- Page 7 of Claims -
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000313239A CA1117318A (en) | 1978-10-12 | 1978-10-12 | Gas meter installation set and support hanger therefor |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000313239A CA1117318A (en) | 1978-10-12 | 1978-10-12 | Gas meter installation set and support hanger therefor |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1117318A true CA1117318A (en) | 1982-02-02 |
Family
ID=4112589
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000313239A Expired CA1117318A (en) | 1978-10-12 | 1978-10-12 | Gas meter installation set and support hanger therefor |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1117318A (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2424934A (en) * | 2005-03-14 | 2006-10-11 | Continental Product Engineerin | Gas meter bracket |
| GB2508163A (en) * | 2012-11-21 | 2014-05-28 | Continental Product Engineering Ltd | A gas meter support bracket |
-
1978
- 1978-10-12 CA CA000313239A patent/CA1117318A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2424934A (en) * | 2005-03-14 | 2006-10-11 | Continental Product Engineerin | Gas meter bracket |
| GB2424934B (en) * | 2005-03-14 | 2009-01-14 | Continental Product Engineerin Ltd | A gas meter bracket |
| GB2508163A (en) * | 2012-11-21 | 2014-05-28 | Continental Product Engineering Ltd | A gas meter support bracket |
| GB2508163B (en) * | 2012-11-21 | 2016-04-20 | Continental Product Engineering Ltd | A gas meter bracket |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |