CA2373906A1 - Tool for insertion of duct corner clips - Google Patents
Tool for insertion of duct corner clips Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2373906A1 CA2373906A1 CA002373906A CA2373906A CA2373906A1 CA 2373906 A1 CA2373906 A1 CA 2373906A1 CA 002373906 A CA002373906 A CA 002373906A CA 2373906 A CA2373906 A CA 2373906A CA 2373906 A1 CA2373906 A1 CA 2373906A1
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- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- corner
- clip
- section
- tool
- retention section
- 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.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
- B25B—TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING OR HOLDING
- B25B9/00—Hand-held gripping tools other than those covered by group B25B7/00
Abstract
A corner clip installation tool is provided which comprises a cavity within a corner-clip retention section which is adapted to receive and retain a corner clip. The corner clip can than be easily held in the proper position to be inserted over the corner piece of the flanges of adjacent, abutting sections of HVAC ducting. An easier, more reliable method for insertion of duct corner clips is provided.
Description
,1088-01 Tool for Insertion of Duct Corner Clips BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tool especially adapted for use in fastening together sections of heating, ventilation and air conditioning ducts.
1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tool especially adapted for use in fastening together sections of heating, ventilation and air conditioning ducts.
2. Description of the Prior Art Conventional heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) ducts in residential, commercial and industrial buildings are assembled from a number of separate duct sections which are manufactured in lengths small enough to be transported to a job site. The duct sections are typically form of galvanized, cold-rolled sheet steel of 16 to 30 gauge thickness. The duct sections are manufactured in the shape of hollow, rectangular boxes, open at both ends. Some varieties of ducting also include having flanges which extend transversely outward a short distance at the open ends of the ducting, perpendicular to the sides of the duct sections.
The flanges can then be used in various fashions to connect one section of ducting to a abutting section of ducting in order to provide a complete duct system for transportation of air within the building structure, or the like.
In one known system, commonly available under the trade name of "Ductmate"
from Ductmate Industries Inc, a flange is sometimes available as part of the ducting as purchased, or more typically, is established, particularly on sections of cut ducting, using rail and corner pieces which are connected together to provide a flange that can then be placed on the end of the ducting. As such, flanges are thus provided on the abutting ends of two adjacent pieces of ducting, and the flanges can then be used to connect the various pieces of ducting.
In the Ductmate system, the corner pieces have a pre-established shape and size.
The rail sections are cut to length depending on the height and width of the duct.
In order to "lock" each section together, the flanges created using the corner .1088-0l pieces and rail sections, are sometimes bolted together or crimped together to join the abutting sections of ducting. More typically however, the two flanges are joined using a C-shaped, or triangular shaped "corner clip" which slip over the two adjacent corner pieces of the two adjacent flanges. The corner clips are typically 3 cm in length and 2 cm wide but can vary, and typically the clips have a base section with two leg sections of about 0.5 to 1 cm in length, on each side of the base section, and extending transversely away from the base section.
The corner clips are made of a resilient metal and thus, when inserted over the two abutting corner pieces on the flanges of the ducting, they provide a locking force which keeps the abutting pieces of the ducting operatively connected. In a preferred arrangement, one end of the base of the corner clip contains a tab which extends vertically away from the base. The tab is provided in order to seat into a corresponding notch on the corner clip, and thus prevent the corner clip from sliding off the corner pieces.
Installation of the corner clip requires that the clip be placed in an aligned position with respect to the end of the corner piece, and then hammering one end of the clip with a hammer or similar tool, to force the corner clip over the two adjacent corner pieces. The clip is positioned so that it will slide over both sides of the flanges, and the tab provided on the corner clip will slip into the notches on the corner pieces. This operation is usually repeated on each side of each corner of the flange in order to provide an effective connection between the duct sections. The insertion of the 8 corner clips normally required can usually thus be quickly performed, and often is sufficient for holding the duct sections together.
Ductmate supply a tool for aligning the flanges in a suitable position for connection using a locking pair of pliers with pins adapted to fit into holes in the corner pieces. When the pins are inserted through corresponding holes in the adjacent flange corner pieces, the pliers can be locked in position, and the corner clip installed.
Commonly, however, the locking pliers are not used in order to reduce installation time, and instead, the installer merely visually aligns the duct pieces and holds them in position prior to inserting the corner clip.
While holding the ducting in place, it can be difficult to hold the corner clip in the correct position for insertion of the clip. This can lead to "off centre"
hits which do not effectively position the corner clip. Further, hammering the corner clip can accidentally cause injuries to the fingers of the user if due care is not taken to avoid striking the users fingers. In a cramped installation, or when the duct work is being rapidly installed, striking the fingers is a common occurrence.
Further, in an cold environment, gloves are commonly worn, which can make proper alignment and installation of the corner clip more difficult.
Accordingly, it would be of benefit to the users of the Ductmate, or similar systems, to provide a tool which would facilitate the correct insertion of the corner clips while avoiding accidental injury to the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a HVAC duct corner-clip installation tool for placing a corner clip over the adjacent flange sections of two abutting pieces of HVAC ducting at least one corner of said flange sections, said tool comprising:
i. a handle section comprising a first end having a portion adapted to be struck by a hammer-like tool;
ii. a corner-clip retention section, which is open at a first end for receiving a corner clip, and having an open slot at a top end of the retention section which slot is connected to said opening at said first end, and having a second end connected to a second end of said handle section, which corner-clip retention section additionally comprises an opening adapted to receive and hold a corner-clip to be installed; and iii a force transmittal member located at a second end of said corner-clip retention section which transfers the force of a blow from a hammer-like tool on said handle section to a corner clip located within said corner-clip retention section.
In an additional aspect, the present invention also provides a method for joining two adjacent pieces of HVAC ducting comprising:
establishing a flange section on the adjacent, abutting ends of the two pieces of ducting, which flange section includes a corner piece adapted to receive a corner clip;
inserting a corner clip into a corner clip installation tool, as claimed in Claim 1;
and hammering one end of said corner clip installation tool so as to force said corner clip over at least part of the corner piece of said flange section.
.1U88-01 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The flanges on the ducting may be pre-existing, such as in the case where the ducting as purchased, includes a flange on one or both open ends of the duct.
More typically, in the case of the present invention, the flanges are established using the rail sections and corner pieces as described hereinabove.
Typically a hammer would be used to strike the corner-clip installation tool of the present invention, but any readily available device would be acceptable provided it was able to supply a sufficient blow to the tool.
The handle section can be manufactured from a wide variety of materials including metals such as steel or the like, wood, plastics or combinations thereof or therebetween, and the like. The handle section should be designed, however, to be able to withstand the striking force of the hammer-like device, while being suitable to holding by the user.
In one embodiment, the handle section can be manufactured by merely bending a piece of duct material over onto itself in order to provide a handle section, as will be described hereinbelow.
The corner-clip retention section is preferably merely an open cavity which is approximately equal in size and shape to the corner clip. As such, the corner-clip retention section is typically C-shaped, or triangular in shape in cross-section, and is shaped so that the corner clip can be readily inserted into the corner-clip retention section. Preferably, the cavity of the corner-clip retention section has at least a portion thereof that provides a snug-fit in order to retain the corner clip within the corner-clip retention section. The snug-fit, however, should preferably be not so tight as to hinder insertion or removal of the corner clip.
The open slot on the corner-clip retention section is provided so that the corner clip can be slid over the corner pieces of the flanges on the ends of the duct pieces. This would preferably occur while the corner-clip was still held within the corner-clip retention section. After the corner clip was hammered into place, the tool of the present invention would be slid off of the corner clip so as to remove the corner clip from the corner-clip retention section.
The open slot preferably runs the entire length of the corner-clip retention 188-0l section. As such, the open slot is adapted to receive the two end flange sections from the ends of two duct pieces, and will not interfere with the installation of the corner clip onto the corner pieces of the duct flanges.
In order to force the corner clip onto the corner piece, a force transmittal member is provided at one end of the corner-clip retention section. In this fashion, when the handle section is struck with a hammer, the force is transmitted to the corner clip in order to force it onto the corner pieces of the duct flanges.
The force transmittal member may be a closed, solid section at one end of the corner-clip retention section, but may also merely be a tab or small protrusion which acts to transmit the force from the hammer blow to the corner clip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various embodiments of the corner clip installation tool of the present invention will now be described by reference to the following drawings wherein:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a corner clip installation tool according to the present invention; and an example of a corner clip; .
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the of the tool shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the tool shown in Fig. 2, shown along the line 3-3;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional end view of the tool shown in Fig. 2, shown along the line 4-4;
Fig. 5 is a side view of a corner pieces of use in the present invention;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a corner piece and rail piece used to produce a flange section;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a one corner of a ducting section showing the -details of two duct sections which have been joined together with corner clips; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
,188-0l DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Various features of the present invention, as well as other objects and advantages attendant thereto, are set forth in the following description and the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals depict like elements.
In Figure 1, a corner-clip installation tool according to the present invention, and generally depicted as item 10 is shown in combination with a corner clip, generally depicted as item 100.
Corner clip 100 is fashioned from steel, and consists of a base section 102, and two side sections 104 and 106. Side sections 104 and 106 are angled towards each other to provide a C-shaped clip, with a slight triangular shape. At one end of base section 102 is tab 108.
Corner-clip installation tool 10 comprises a handle section 12, and a corner-clip retention section 14, which has a base section 16, and two side sections 18 and 20. The cross-sectional shape of corner-clip retention section 14 is roughly equivalent to the cross-sectional shape of corner clip 100.
Tool 10 is made of 16 gauge galvanized metal. The handle section is conveniently manufactured by essentially completely bending over the edges of a piece of metal so that they form a two-Iayer section. The upper layer of handle section 12 therefore comprises two sections 22 and 24, while the lower layer of handle section 12 comprises a flat section 26. The corner-clip retention section 14 of tool 10 can then be formed by bending sides 18 and 20 to an angle approximately equal to the angles of the sides 104 and 106 of corner clip 100.
As such, the tool 10 of the present invention can be conveniently made from one piece of galvanized metal.
Handle section 12 is typically on the order of 10 to 15 cm long, and corner-clip retention section 14 is typically on the order of 2 to 4 cm. The tool has a typically overall width of about 3 to 5 cm. However, these dimensions can vary depending on the size of the corner clips to be installed, and the preferred handle size of the user.
Additional details of construction can be seen in Figures 2, 3 and 4. In particular, it should be noted that base section 16 is an extension of flat section 26.
Also, in Figure 4 of the embodiment shown, it should be noted that ends 28 and 30 of sections 24 and 26, adjacent to corner-clip retention section 14, together provide a force .188-0l transmittal member. As such, when a hammer, or the like, is used to strike the end of handle section 12, the force of the blow is transferred to the corner clip 100 (when held within corner-clip retention section 14) through ends 28 and 30.
For reference, a corner piece of use in the practice of the present invention is shown in Figure 5. Corner piece 40 is shown having section 42 which are adapted for friction fit within the rails used to manufacture a flange for the ducting.
Section 42 has a ridge 43 for limiting the depth to which section 40 can be inserted into the rail.
Section 44 is shown and comprises the area over which a corner clip would be inserted.
Notch 46 is shown, and tab 108 of the corner clip would slide into notch 46 to lock the corner clip in place. A bolt hole 48 is shown which can optionally be used to add additional support for attachment of the duct flanges.
In Figure 6, a slightly modified corner piece 70 is shown with the end portions of two rail sections 72A and 72B shown. Corner piece 70 has been inserted into rail 72A, and is ready for insertion into rail 72B. Similar to corner piece 40 described in Figure 5, corner piece 70 has a ridge 73 for limiting travel of the corner piece within an open section of rail 72A or 72B. An additional ridge 74 is also positioned to assist in preventing the corner piece 70 from being inserted too far into rails 72A and 72B. The corner clip (not shown) would be inserted over ridge 75 and would also extend over a similar ridge 75 of an adjacent corner piece.
Rails 72A and 72B each have a slot 77 for receiving the end of a length of ducting, and contained a mastic material 78 for providing a seal between the rail and the ducting.
In Figure 7, a portion of a section of ducting is shown having two duct sections 80 and 82 which have flanges 84 and 86. Flanges 84 and 86 have been prepared by combining rail sections 92 and corner pieces 94 on the end of each duct section 80 and 82. Corner clips 88 and 89 have been inserted onto the corner pieces of flanges 84 and 86 using the tool of the present invention as shown in Figure 1. Additional corner clips would be present on all of the other corners of the duct work shown in the figure.
In operation, the installer would insert corner clip 100 in the corner-clip retention section 14 of tool 10 such that the tab 108 end of the corner clip was inserted first into tool 10. Ducts 80 and 82 would be brought into alignment so that flanges 84 and 86 would be aligned, and more particularly, so that the corner pieces of flanges 84 and 86, would be aligned. Tool 10 would then be positioned so that the base 102 of . 1 X88-~ 1 . g .
corner clip 100 would be parallel to the one surface or ridge of flanges 84 and 86, and so that the side sections 104 and 106 would extend down over the sides of the corner pieces of flanges 84 and 86. A hammer would then be used to strike the end of tool 10, and thus drive the corner clip over the corner pieces of flanges 84 and 86 until the tab 108 was in position to hold flanges 84 and 86 together. Preferably, corner pieces with notches 46 would be used so that tab 108 would fall within notches 46 and hold the corner clip in postion. This operation would be repeated on each side of all four corners of the duct connection. As a result, the two section of duct, 80 and 82 would be held together. Additional support could be provided by additional bolts (not shown) or cleats crimped over the flanges (not shown), if required.
In Fig. 8, an alternative design for the corner-clip installation tool of the present invention is shown and generally designated as 110. Tool 110 also has a handle section 112 and a corner-clip retention section 114. In this embodiment, section 114 is made of steel, but is generally similar in shape to section 14 described hereinabove.
However, section 114 includes a solid piece 120, which acts as a force transmittal member.
The outside 115 of handle section 112 could be made of wood, plastic, metal or some other material, but in a preferred feature, a metal core of steel 116 would be used.
A stiking plate I 18 made of steel is positioned at the end of handle 1 I2, so that when striking plate 118 is struck with a hammer, the force is transmitted along core 116 to corner-clip-retention section 114, and thus acts upon the corner clip through solid piece 120.
Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the present invention, a corner-clip installation tool which fully satisfies the means, objects, and advantages set forth hereinbefore. Therefore, having described specific embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that alternatives, modifications and variations thereof may be suggested to those skilled in the art, and that it is intended that the present specification embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims.
Additionally, for clarity and unless otherwise stated, the word "comprise" and variations of the word such as "comprising" and "comprises", when used in the description and claims of the present specification, is not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.
The flanges can then be used in various fashions to connect one section of ducting to a abutting section of ducting in order to provide a complete duct system for transportation of air within the building structure, or the like.
In one known system, commonly available under the trade name of "Ductmate"
from Ductmate Industries Inc, a flange is sometimes available as part of the ducting as purchased, or more typically, is established, particularly on sections of cut ducting, using rail and corner pieces which are connected together to provide a flange that can then be placed on the end of the ducting. As such, flanges are thus provided on the abutting ends of two adjacent pieces of ducting, and the flanges can then be used to connect the various pieces of ducting.
In the Ductmate system, the corner pieces have a pre-established shape and size.
The rail sections are cut to length depending on the height and width of the duct.
In order to "lock" each section together, the flanges created using the corner .1088-0l pieces and rail sections, are sometimes bolted together or crimped together to join the abutting sections of ducting. More typically however, the two flanges are joined using a C-shaped, or triangular shaped "corner clip" which slip over the two adjacent corner pieces of the two adjacent flanges. The corner clips are typically 3 cm in length and 2 cm wide but can vary, and typically the clips have a base section with two leg sections of about 0.5 to 1 cm in length, on each side of the base section, and extending transversely away from the base section.
The corner clips are made of a resilient metal and thus, when inserted over the two abutting corner pieces on the flanges of the ducting, they provide a locking force which keeps the abutting pieces of the ducting operatively connected. In a preferred arrangement, one end of the base of the corner clip contains a tab which extends vertically away from the base. The tab is provided in order to seat into a corresponding notch on the corner clip, and thus prevent the corner clip from sliding off the corner pieces.
Installation of the corner clip requires that the clip be placed in an aligned position with respect to the end of the corner piece, and then hammering one end of the clip with a hammer or similar tool, to force the corner clip over the two adjacent corner pieces. The clip is positioned so that it will slide over both sides of the flanges, and the tab provided on the corner clip will slip into the notches on the corner pieces. This operation is usually repeated on each side of each corner of the flange in order to provide an effective connection between the duct sections. The insertion of the 8 corner clips normally required can usually thus be quickly performed, and often is sufficient for holding the duct sections together.
Ductmate supply a tool for aligning the flanges in a suitable position for connection using a locking pair of pliers with pins adapted to fit into holes in the corner pieces. When the pins are inserted through corresponding holes in the adjacent flange corner pieces, the pliers can be locked in position, and the corner clip installed.
Commonly, however, the locking pliers are not used in order to reduce installation time, and instead, the installer merely visually aligns the duct pieces and holds them in position prior to inserting the corner clip.
While holding the ducting in place, it can be difficult to hold the corner clip in the correct position for insertion of the clip. This can lead to "off centre"
hits which do not effectively position the corner clip. Further, hammering the corner clip can accidentally cause injuries to the fingers of the user if due care is not taken to avoid striking the users fingers. In a cramped installation, or when the duct work is being rapidly installed, striking the fingers is a common occurrence.
Further, in an cold environment, gloves are commonly worn, which can make proper alignment and installation of the corner clip more difficult.
Accordingly, it would be of benefit to the users of the Ductmate, or similar systems, to provide a tool which would facilitate the correct insertion of the corner clips while avoiding accidental injury to the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a HVAC duct corner-clip installation tool for placing a corner clip over the adjacent flange sections of two abutting pieces of HVAC ducting at least one corner of said flange sections, said tool comprising:
i. a handle section comprising a first end having a portion adapted to be struck by a hammer-like tool;
ii. a corner-clip retention section, which is open at a first end for receiving a corner clip, and having an open slot at a top end of the retention section which slot is connected to said opening at said first end, and having a second end connected to a second end of said handle section, which corner-clip retention section additionally comprises an opening adapted to receive and hold a corner-clip to be installed; and iii a force transmittal member located at a second end of said corner-clip retention section which transfers the force of a blow from a hammer-like tool on said handle section to a corner clip located within said corner-clip retention section.
In an additional aspect, the present invention also provides a method for joining two adjacent pieces of HVAC ducting comprising:
establishing a flange section on the adjacent, abutting ends of the two pieces of ducting, which flange section includes a corner piece adapted to receive a corner clip;
inserting a corner clip into a corner clip installation tool, as claimed in Claim 1;
and hammering one end of said corner clip installation tool so as to force said corner clip over at least part of the corner piece of said flange section.
.1U88-01 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The flanges on the ducting may be pre-existing, such as in the case where the ducting as purchased, includes a flange on one or both open ends of the duct.
More typically, in the case of the present invention, the flanges are established using the rail sections and corner pieces as described hereinabove.
Typically a hammer would be used to strike the corner-clip installation tool of the present invention, but any readily available device would be acceptable provided it was able to supply a sufficient blow to the tool.
The handle section can be manufactured from a wide variety of materials including metals such as steel or the like, wood, plastics or combinations thereof or therebetween, and the like. The handle section should be designed, however, to be able to withstand the striking force of the hammer-like device, while being suitable to holding by the user.
In one embodiment, the handle section can be manufactured by merely bending a piece of duct material over onto itself in order to provide a handle section, as will be described hereinbelow.
The corner-clip retention section is preferably merely an open cavity which is approximately equal in size and shape to the corner clip. As such, the corner-clip retention section is typically C-shaped, or triangular in shape in cross-section, and is shaped so that the corner clip can be readily inserted into the corner-clip retention section. Preferably, the cavity of the corner-clip retention section has at least a portion thereof that provides a snug-fit in order to retain the corner clip within the corner-clip retention section. The snug-fit, however, should preferably be not so tight as to hinder insertion or removal of the corner clip.
The open slot on the corner-clip retention section is provided so that the corner clip can be slid over the corner pieces of the flanges on the ends of the duct pieces. This would preferably occur while the corner-clip was still held within the corner-clip retention section. After the corner clip was hammered into place, the tool of the present invention would be slid off of the corner clip so as to remove the corner clip from the corner-clip retention section.
The open slot preferably runs the entire length of the corner-clip retention 188-0l section. As such, the open slot is adapted to receive the two end flange sections from the ends of two duct pieces, and will not interfere with the installation of the corner clip onto the corner pieces of the duct flanges.
In order to force the corner clip onto the corner piece, a force transmittal member is provided at one end of the corner-clip retention section. In this fashion, when the handle section is struck with a hammer, the force is transmitted to the corner clip in order to force it onto the corner pieces of the duct flanges.
The force transmittal member may be a closed, solid section at one end of the corner-clip retention section, but may also merely be a tab or small protrusion which acts to transmit the force from the hammer blow to the corner clip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various embodiments of the corner clip installation tool of the present invention will now be described by reference to the following drawings wherein:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a corner clip installation tool according to the present invention; and an example of a corner clip; .
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the of the tool shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the tool shown in Fig. 2, shown along the line 3-3;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional end view of the tool shown in Fig. 2, shown along the line 4-4;
Fig. 5 is a side view of a corner pieces of use in the present invention;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a corner piece and rail piece used to produce a flange section;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a one corner of a ducting section showing the -details of two duct sections which have been joined together with corner clips; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
,188-0l DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Various features of the present invention, as well as other objects and advantages attendant thereto, are set forth in the following description and the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals depict like elements.
In Figure 1, a corner-clip installation tool according to the present invention, and generally depicted as item 10 is shown in combination with a corner clip, generally depicted as item 100.
Corner clip 100 is fashioned from steel, and consists of a base section 102, and two side sections 104 and 106. Side sections 104 and 106 are angled towards each other to provide a C-shaped clip, with a slight triangular shape. At one end of base section 102 is tab 108.
Corner-clip installation tool 10 comprises a handle section 12, and a corner-clip retention section 14, which has a base section 16, and two side sections 18 and 20. The cross-sectional shape of corner-clip retention section 14 is roughly equivalent to the cross-sectional shape of corner clip 100.
Tool 10 is made of 16 gauge galvanized metal. The handle section is conveniently manufactured by essentially completely bending over the edges of a piece of metal so that they form a two-Iayer section. The upper layer of handle section 12 therefore comprises two sections 22 and 24, while the lower layer of handle section 12 comprises a flat section 26. The corner-clip retention section 14 of tool 10 can then be formed by bending sides 18 and 20 to an angle approximately equal to the angles of the sides 104 and 106 of corner clip 100.
As such, the tool 10 of the present invention can be conveniently made from one piece of galvanized metal.
Handle section 12 is typically on the order of 10 to 15 cm long, and corner-clip retention section 14 is typically on the order of 2 to 4 cm. The tool has a typically overall width of about 3 to 5 cm. However, these dimensions can vary depending on the size of the corner clips to be installed, and the preferred handle size of the user.
Additional details of construction can be seen in Figures 2, 3 and 4. In particular, it should be noted that base section 16 is an extension of flat section 26.
Also, in Figure 4 of the embodiment shown, it should be noted that ends 28 and 30 of sections 24 and 26, adjacent to corner-clip retention section 14, together provide a force .188-0l transmittal member. As such, when a hammer, or the like, is used to strike the end of handle section 12, the force of the blow is transferred to the corner clip 100 (when held within corner-clip retention section 14) through ends 28 and 30.
For reference, a corner piece of use in the practice of the present invention is shown in Figure 5. Corner piece 40 is shown having section 42 which are adapted for friction fit within the rails used to manufacture a flange for the ducting.
Section 42 has a ridge 43 for limiting the depth to which section 40 can be inserted into the rail.
Section 44 is shown and comprises the area over which a corner clip would be inserted.
Notch 46 is shown, and tab 108 of the corner clip would slide into notch 46 to lock the corner clip in place. A bolt hole 48 is shown which can optionally be used to add additional support for attachment of the duct flanges.
In Figure 6, a slightly modified corner piece 70 is shown with the end portions of two rail sections 72A and 72B shown. Corner piece 70 has been inserted into rail 72A, and is ready for insertion into rail 72B. Similar to corner piece 40 described in Figure 5, corner piece 70 has a ridge 73 for limiting travel of the corner piece within an open section of rail 72A or 72B. An additional ridge 74 is also positioned to assist in preventing the corner piece 70 from being inserted too far into rails 72A and 72B. The corner clip (not shown) would be inserted over ridge 75 and would also extend over a similar ridge 75 of an adjacent corner piece.
Rails 72A and 72B each have a slot 77 for receiving the end of a length of ducting, and contained a mastic material 78 for providing a seal between the rail and the ducting.
In Figure 7, a portion of a section of ducting is shown having two duct sections 80 and 82 which have flanges 84 and 86. Flanges 84 and 86 have been prepared by combining rail sections 92 and corner pieces 94 on the end of each duct section 80 and 82. Corner clips 88 and 89 have been inserted onto the corner pieces of flanges 84 and 86 using the tool of the present invention as shown in Figure 1. Additional corner clips would be present on all of the other corners of the duct work shown in the figure.
In operation, the installer would insert corner clip 100 in the corner-clip retention section 14 of tool 10 such that the tab 108 end of the corner clip was inserted first into tool 10. Ducts 80 and 82 would be brought into alignment so that flanges 84 and 86 would be aligned, and more particularly, so that the corner pieces of flanges 84 and 86, would be aligned. Tool 10 would then be positioned so that the base 102 of . 1 X88-~ 1 . g .
corner clip 100 would be parallel to the one surface or ridge of flanges 84 and 86, and so that the side sections 104 and 106 would extend down over the sides of the corner pieces of flanges 84 and 86. A hammer would then be used to strike the end of tool 10, and thus drive the corner clip over the corner pieces of flanges 84 and 86 until the tab 108 was in position to hold flanges 84 and 86 together. Preferably, corner pieces with notches 46 would be used so that tab 108 would fall within notches 46 and hold the corner clip in postion. This operation would be repeated on each side of all four corners of the duct connection. As a result, the two section of duct, 80 and 82 would be held together. Additional support could be provided by additional bolts (not shown) or cleats crimped over the flanges (not shown), if required.
In Fig. 8, an alternative design for the corner-clip installation tool of the present invention is shown and generally designated as 110. Tool 110 also has a handle section 112 and a corner-clip retention section 114. In this embodiment, section 114 is made of steel, but is generally similar in shape to section 14 described hereinabove.
However, section 114 includes a solid piece 120, which acts as a force transmittal member.
The outside 115 of handle section 112 could be made of wood, plastic, metal or some other material, but in a preferred feature, a metal core of steel 116 would be used.
A stiking plate I 18 made of steel is positioned at the end of handle 1 I2, so that when striking plate 118 is struck with a hammer, the force is transmitted along core 116 to corner-clip-retention section 114, and thus acts upon the corner clip through solid piece 120.
Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the present invention, a corner-clip installation tool which fully satisfies the means, objects, and advantages set forth hereinbefore. Therefore, having described specific embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that alternatives, modifications and variations thereof may be suggested to those skilled in the art, and that it is intended that the present specification embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims.
Additionally, for clarity and unless otherwise stated, the word "comprise" and variations of the word such as "comprising" and "comprises", when used in the description and claims of the present specification, is not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.
Claims (8)
1. A HVAC duct corner-clip installation tool for placing a corner clip over the adjacent flange sections of two abutting pieces of HVAC ducting at least one corner of said flange sections, said tool comprising:
i. a handle section comprising a first end having a portion adapted to be struck by a hammer-like tool;
ii. a corner-clip retention section, which is open at a first end for receiving a corner clip, and having an open slot at a top end of the retention section which slot is connected to said opening at said first end, and having a second end connected to a second end of said handle section, which corner-clip retention section additionally comprises an opening adapted to receive and hold a corner-clip to be installed; and iii a force transmittal member located at a second end of said corner-clip retention section which transfers the force of a blow from a hammer-like tool on said handle section to a corner clip located within said corner-clip retention section.
i. a handle section comprising a first end having a portion adapted to be struck by a hammer-like tool;
ii. a corner-clip retention section, which is open at a first end for receiving a corner clip, and having an open slot at a top end of the retention section which slot is connected to said opening at said first end, and having a second end connected to a second end of said handle section, which corner-clip retention section additionally comprises an opening adapted to receive and hold a corner-clip to be installed; and iii a force transmittal member located at a second end of said corner-clip retention section which transfers the force of a blow from a hammer-like tool on said handle section to a corner clip located within said corner-clip retention section.
2. A tool as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said corner-clip retention section is C-shaped or triangular in cross-section.
3. A tool as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said opening in said corner-clip retention section defines a cavity within said retention section which is equal to the size of the corner clip.
4. A tool as claimed in Claim 3 wherein said corner clip, when inserted into said corner-clip retention section, establishes a resilient fit within said cavity so as to retain said clip within the cavity until said clip is installed on said ducting.
5. A tool as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said handle is a closed C-shaped metal piece wherein an end of the C-shaped handle section also acts as said force transmittal member.
6. A tool as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said slot extends the entire length of said corner-clip retention section.
7. A tool as claimed in Claim 6 wherein said slot is adapted to receive the two end flange sections from the ends of two duct pieces.
8. A method for joining two adjacent pieces of HVAC ducting comprising:
establishing a flange section on the adjacent, abutting ends of the two pieces of ducting, which flange section includes a corner piece adapted to receive a corner clip;
inserting a corner clip into a corner clip installation tool, as claimed in Claim 1;
and hammering one end of said corner clip installation tool so as to force said corner clip over at least part of the corner piece of said flange section.
establishing a flange section on the adjacent, abutting ends of the two pieces of ducting, which flange section includes a corner piece adapted to receive a corner clip;
inserting a corner clip into a corner clip installation tool, as claimed in Claim 1;
and hammering one end of said corner clip installation tool so as to force said corner clip over at least part of the corner piece of said flange section.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002373906A CA2373906A1 (en) | 2002-02-28 | 2002-02-28 | Tool for insertion of duct corner clips |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002373906A CA2373906A1 (en) | 2002-02-28 | 2002-02-28 | Tool for insertion of duct corner clips |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2373906A1 true CA2373906A1 (en) | 2003-08-28 |
Family
ID=27792791
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002373906A Abandoned CA2373906A1 (en) | 2002-02-28 | 2002-02-28 | Tool for insertion of duct corner clips |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2373906A1 (en) |
-
2002
- 2002-02-28 CA CA002373906A patent/CA2373906A1/en not_active Abandoned
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |