GB1578522A

GB1578522A - Pipe clips

Info

Publication number: GB1578522A
Application number: GB1136/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: ANTOROY Ltd
Current assignee: ANTOROY Ltd
Priority date: 1977-04-12
Filing date: 1977-04-12
Publication date: 1980-11-05

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE CLIPS (71) We, ANTOROY LIMITED, a British Company of 389 Uttoxeter Road, Blythe Bridge, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to clips for use in attaching pipes, rods, tubes and the like to supporting surfaces, referred to hereinafter simply as pipe clips.

One of the requirements of pipe clips is that they should be provided with a temporary hold facility enabling the pipe or the like to be held in position before the clip is finally secured. This enables pipes to be correctly aligned and adjusted prior to final assembly.

In order to achieve this temporary hold facility, pipe clips have been proposed having a base for attachment to a wall or other supporting structure and having a pair of arcuate arms subtending an angle in excess of 1800, the clip being completed by a separate cap member engageable with the free ends of the arms by a snap action. This arrangement suffers from the disadvantage that the cap member, being separate from the remainder of the clip, is liable to be mislaid or to become detached after fixing.

It has also been proposed to provide a clip in which the cap member is hingedly connected to one arm of the clip and engageable with the other arm by a snap action. Such clips suffer from the disadvantage that the hinged connection is liable to break in use and when this occurs the clip springs open.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these advantages of previously proposed pipe clips.

The invention provides a pipe clip having a base adapted for attachment to a supporting surface and an arcuate seating provided by the base and a single arm and extending through an arc in excess of 1800 such that a ipe is receivable therein, and, a cap member being hingedly attached to the clip at one side and being adapted for snap action engagement with the clip at both sides of said seating.

Said cap member is preferably hingedly connected to one side of the base by an integral flexible hinge. The entire clip member is preferably formed from a synthetic plastics material by injection moulding or other technique.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of pipe clip; Fig. 2 is an end view of the clip shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an underneath plan view of the clip shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the clip comprises a base 5 the undersurface of which is flat for engagement with a wall or other supporting surface and the upper surface of which is of arcuate shape to form, in conjunction with an upwardly extending arm 7, an acruate seating subtending an angle in excess of 1800. An opening 8 extends through the base between its upper and lower surfaces and is countersunk at the upper surface to receive a screw or other fastener by means of which the clip may be secured in its desired position of use.

Recesses 9 are formed in the opposed side faces of the base in order to reduce the material used in its construction.

The arm 7 extends upwardly from one end of the base and is provided adjacent its outer free end with a recess 10 having a hook formation 10a for engagement with a cap member to be described hereafter. A further recess 11 having a hook formation 1 lea is formed at the end of the base 5 opposite to that to which the arm 7 is attached, for engagement with the opposite end of the cap member.

The cap member 12 is of arcuate form subtending an angle of less than 1800 and is connected to the base 5 at one end by means of a flexible web 13 forming an integral hingc. Hook formations 14 and 15 are formed at opposite ends of the inner surface of the cap member for engagement with hook formations 10a, 1 la of the recesses 10 and 11 on the arm 7 and the base 5 respectively. In this way the cap member may be moved from the disengaged position shown in Fig. 1 into an engaged position, shown in Fig. 2, in which it cooperates with the seating formed by the base 5 and arm 7 to completely surround the pipe and is securely connected to the base and arm by the snap action fasteners at both ends. A projection 16 is formed on the inner surface of the cap member between its ends and serves, in the closed position, to prcss against the pipe and hold same firmly in the seating.

It should be noted that the arm 7 terminates at a point less than 1800 from the centre of the base so that is does not extend ovcr the opening 6 when viewed from above.

This enables a screwdriver or the like to be inserted for screwing or otherwise attaching the clip to a supporting structurc.

It will be appreciated that the fact that the arcuate seating subtends an angle in excess of 1800 enables pipes to be pushed into engagement with the clip and to be retained thereby before the cap member is snapped into position. Before engagement, the cap member is hingedly connected to the main body of the clip and cannot, therefore, become detached and mislaid. After engagement with the clip the cap member is securely connected thereto at both ends by virtuc of the snap action fasteners and is thus retained in position even in the event of breakage of the hinged connection with the base.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto. For example, the construction of the base and the manner in which the arcuate seating is provided may be altered and the cap member could be attached to the base and the seating by means other than those described.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: I. A pipe clip having a base adapted for attachment to a supporting surface and an arcuate seating provided by the base and a single arm and extending through an arc in excess of I 1800 such that a pipe is receivable therein, and a cap member hingedly attached to the clip at one side and being adapted for snap-action engagement with the clip at both sides of said seating.

2. A pipe clip as claimed in claim 1 in which the cap member is hingedly connected to one side of the base by an inteRral flexible hinge.

3. A pipe clip as claimed in claims 1 or claim 2, formed from a synthetic plastics material by injection moulding or other technique.

4. A pipe clip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which said cap member includes hook formations at each end thereof engageable with corresponding hook formations on said clip to provide said snap action engagement between said member and said clip.

5. A pipe clip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which said cap member is provided with at least one inwarldy directed projection adapted to engage a pipe located in the clip.

6. A pipe clip substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

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Claims

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member.

The cap member 12 is of arcuate form subtending an angle of less than 1800 and is connected to the base 5 at one end by means of a flexible web 13 forming an integral hingc. Hook formations 14 and 15 are formed at opposite ends of the inner surface of the cap member for engagement with hook formations 10a, 1 la of the recesses 10 and 11 on the arm 7 and the base 5 respectively. In this way the cap member may be moved from the disengaged position shown in Fig. 1 into an engaged position, shown in Fig. 2, in which it cooperates with the seating formed by the base 5 and arm 7 to completely surround the pipe and is securely connected to the base and arm by the snap action fasteners at both ends. A projection 16 is formed on the inner surface of the cap member between its ends and serves, in the closed position, to prcss against the pipe and hold same firmly in the seating.

It should be noted that the arm 7 terminates at a point less than 1800 from the centre of the base so that is does not extend ovcr the opening 6 when viewed from above.

This enables a screwdriver or the like to be inserted for screwing or otherwise attaching the clip to a supporting structurc.

It will be appreciated that the fact that the arcuate seating subtends an angle in excess of 1800 enables pipes to be pushed into engagement with the clip and to be retained thereby before the cap member is snapped into position. Before engagement, the cap member is hingedly connected to the main body of the clip and cannot, therefore, become detached and mislaid. After engagement with the clip the cap member is securely connected thereto at both ends by virtuc of the snap action fasteners and is thus retained in position even in the event of breakage of the hinged connection with the base.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto. For example, the construction of the base and the manner in which the arcuate seating is provided may be altered and the cap member could be attached to the base and the seating by means other than those described.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: I. A pipe clip having a base adapted for attachment to a supporting surface and an arcuate seating provided by the base and a single arm and extending through an arc in excess of I 1800 such that a pipe is receivable therein, and a cap member hingedly attached to the clip at one side and being adapted for snap-action engagement with the clip at both sides of said seating.
2. A pipe clip as claimed in claim 1 in which the cap member is hingedly connected to one side of the base by an inteRral flexible hinge.
3. A pipe clip as claimed in claims 1 or claim 2, formed from a synthetic plastics material by injection moulding or other technique.
4. A pipe clip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which said cap member includes hook formations at each end thereof engageable with corresponding hook formations on said clip to provide said snap action engagement between said member and said clip.
5. A pipe clip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which said cap member is provided with at least one inwarldy directed projection adapted to engage a pipe located in the clip.
6. A pipe clip substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.