GB1599321A - Gas rails - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO GAS RAILS (71) We, VALOR NEWHOME LI MITED, a British Company, of Riverside House, Corney Road, Chiswick, London, W4 2SL 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 present invention relates to gas rails for use in gas appliances such as domestic cookers.

According to the present invention there is provided a gas rail, for use in gas appliances, having at least one substantially flat surface portion with at least one gas aperture formed therein, and mounting means for use in mounting a gas tap on the rail, the gas tap, in use, controlling gas flow through said aperture, the mounting means including a portion engaged in a hole in the rail and deformed to provide a gas-tight seal with the hole.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of providing a gas tap mounting on a gas rail comprising the steps of forming a hole in a flat surface portion of the rail at a location relative to a gas outlet aperture of the rail, mounting the gas tap in register with said gas outlet aperture, inserting a gas tap mounting member in the hole and deforming a portion of the member to sealingly locate the member in the hole.

The present invention is further described hereinafter, by way of example, with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification, in which: Figure 1 is a typical gas rail; Figures 2 and 5 are partial sections through a gas tap mounted on the rail; Figure 3 is a section through the mounting insert shown in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a section through a different form of insert in the gas rail.

In the drawings the gas rail 10 comprises a length of tubing which may be formed for example, by casting, by extrusion or profile rolling sheet metal to the desired sectional shape and welding the thus formed seam.

The illustrated tubing is of rectangular cross-section but the sectional shape and other dimensions of the rail will depend to some extent on particular requirements.

One of the sides 12 of the rail forms a flat surface portion which is punched or drilled or otherwise provided with one or more gas outlet apertures 14, each for a respective gas tap such as the tap 16 illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The latter has a base mounting flange 18 which has a lateral gas inlet aperture 20 and two mounting holes 22 preferably aligned with the gas inlet aperture 20.

In addition, the gas tap 16 may be conventional or otherwise in construction and includes an outlet aperture 24 which communicates with the lateral gas inlet aperture 20 internally of the tap body 26 and through a valve closure member (not shown) which can be operated by rotation of a spindle 28 to which a knob 30 is attached.

The rail 10 is punched or drilled or otherwise provided with a pair of substantially circular holes 32 for each gas tap, the holes of each pair being arranged in relation to the gas outlet aperture 14 to register with the mounting holes 22 on the gas tap such that the gas outlet and inlet apertures 14, 20 are also in register when the gas tap is mounted on the rail.

As is best seen in Figure 2. the tap 16 is secured to the rail 10 by two bolts 34 (only one of which is shown) screwed into screwthreaded mounting members in the form of inserts 36 clinched in the holes 32.

An undistorted insert 36 is shown in Figure 3. The insert 36 is substantially cylindrical, hollow and closed at one end with a screw-threaded interior portion 38 and a shank 40 extending to a flange head 42 at the open end of the insert. A typical insert is marketed under the trade name "Clufix" by Instrument Screw Co. Ltd.

The mounting of an insert 36 in a hole 32 is described below.

The insert 36 is secured in the hole 32 in the rail side 12 by means of a clinching tool (not shown) basically comprising an externally screw-threaded mandrel which can be drawn into a body. The insert 36 is screwed onto the mandrel until the flange head 42 abuts against a complementary shoulder formed on the tool body, and is then located in the hole 32 supported on the side 12 by its flange head 42.

The mandrel is then drawn into the tool body (the mandrel body and side 12 are maintained stationary relative to one another) causing the shank 40 to bulge and clinch the insert 36 securely in place, as shown in Figure 2. to provide a gas-tight seal between the rail 10 and the insert 36. The mandrel can then be unscrewed from the insert 36.

The insert illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 is a blind insert, that is the end which locates internally of the gas rail is closed. Figure 4 shows an open insert 44 clinched in the gas ral 10. This insert 44 also has a shank 46 and a screw threaded portion 48 and is secured in the rail 10 using the above described clinching tool. However, the insert 44 is so designed that as the mandrel is withdrawn into the tool body the screw-threaded portion 48 is torn away from the shank 46 and telescoped inside the latter. Since the insert 44 is an open insert it must be mounted in a substantially cup-shaped sleeve 50.

A third form of the insert (not shown in the drawings) similar to the above described inserts 36 and 44 has a screw-threaded portion in which a stud is clinched. The stud projects out of the insert and in mounting the latter in the gas rail the stud is screwed into an internally threaded mandrel sleeve of a clinching tool. In other respects the insert is secured in place in the same manner as insert 36 with the stud projecting to take a nut for securing the gas tap in position.

The shank of each insert is weaker than its screw-threaded portion, generally being thinner walled, to allow preferential distortion of the shank during clinching. The inserts themselves are made of an easily deformable material, preferably a metal such as aluminium or alternatively a heat resistant plastics material.

Where an open insert is used the surrounding sleeve may be of heat resistant plastics material (e.g. nylon). In addition, blind inserts may be located in plastics material sleeves to assist in the easy production of a gas tight seal. Although unnecessary a jointing compound may be smeared around the edges of the holes 32 for added security.

The heads of the inserts may be flat or countersunk, the holes 32 being correspondingly shaped.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A gas rail, for use in gas appliances, having at least one substantially flat surface portion with at least one gas aperture formed therein, and mounting means for use in mounting a gas tap on the rail, the gas tap, in use, controlling gas flow through said aperture, the mounting means including a portion engaged in a hole in the rail and deformed to provide a gas-tight seal with the hole.

2. A gas rail as claimed in claim 1, in which the gas rail has a rectangular crosssection.

3. A gas rail as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which a gas tap is mounted on the rail, the gas tap having a gas inlet aperture and two mounting holes, the gas inlet aperture being aligned with a gas aperture in the rail and the mounting holes being aligned with corresponding holes in the rail, said mounting means comprising bolts which extend through the mounting holes and are screwed into screw-threaded inserts in the holes in the rail, a thinner walled portion of the inserts deforming to produce a gas-tight seal.

4. A gas rail as claimed in claim 3, in which each insert is substantially cylindrical, hollow and closed at one end with a screwthreaded interior portion and a shank extending to a flange head at the open end of the insert.

5. A method of providing a gas tap mounting on a gas rail comprising the steps of forming a hole in a flat surface portion of the rail at a location relative to a gas outlet aperture of the rail, mounting the gas tap in register with said gas outlet aperture, inserting a gas tap mounting member in the hole and deforming a portion of the member to sealingly locate the member in the hole.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, in which the mounting member is a generally cylindrical hollow member having an internal screw threaded portion, the mounting member being deformed by the use of a mandrel which is screwed into the mounting member and moved axially relative to the mounting member whilst the mounting member is within the hole in the gas rail.

7. A method of providing a gas tap mounting on a gas rail, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. "Clufix" by Instrument Screw Co. Ltd. The mounting of an insert 36 in a hole 32 is described below. The insert 36 is secured in the hole 32 in the rail side 12 by means of a clinching tool (not shown) basically comprising an externally screw-threaded mandrel which can be drawn into a body. The insert 36 is screwed onto the mandrel until the flange head 42 abuts against a complementary shoulder formed on the tool body, and is then located in the hole 32 supported on the side 12 by its flange head 42. The mandrel is then drawn into the tool body (the mandrel body and side 12 are maintained stationary relative to one another) causing the shank 40 to bulge and clinch the insert 36 securely in place, as shown in Figure 2. to provide a gas-tight seal between the rail 10 and the insert 36. The mandrel can then be unscrewed from the insert 36. The insert illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 is a blind insert, that is the end which locates internally of the gas rail is closed. Figure 4 shows an open insert 44 clinched in the gas ral 10. This insert 44 also has a shank 46 and a screw threaded portion 48 and is secured in the rail 10 using the above described clinching tool. However, the insert 44 is so designed that as the mandrel is withdrawn into the tool body the screw-threaded portion 48 is torn away from the shank 46 and telescoped inside the latter. Since the insert 44 is an open insert it must be mounted in a substantially cup-shaped sleeve 50. A third form of the insert (not shown in the drawings) similar to the above described inserts 36 and 44 has a screw-threaded portion in which a stud is clinched. The stud projects out of the insert and in mounting the latter in the gas rail the stud is screwed into an internally threaded mandrel sleeve of a clinching tool. In other respects the insert is secured in place in the same manner as insert 36 with the stud projecting to take a nut for securing the gas tap in position. The shank of each insert is weaker than its screw-threaded portion, generally being thinner walled, to allow preferential distortion of the shank during clinching. The inserts themselves are made of an easily deformable material, preferably a metal such as aluminium or alternatively a heat resistant plastics material. Where an open insert is used the surrounding sleeve may be of heat resistant plastics material (e.g. nylon). In addition, blind inserts may be located in plastics material sleeves to assist in the easy production of a gas tight seal. Although unnecessary a jointing compound may be smeared around the edges of the holes 32 for added security. The heads of the inserts may be flat or countersunk, the holes 32 being correspondingly shaped. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A gas rail, for use in gas appliances, having at least one substantially flat surface portion with at least one gas aperture formed therein, and mounting means for use in mounting a gas tap on the rail, the gas tap, in use, controlling gas flow through said aperture, the mounting means including a portion engaged in a hole in the rail and deformed to provide a gas-tight seal with the hole.

2. A gas rail as claimed in claim 1, in which the gas rail has a rectangular crosssection.

3. A gas rail as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which a gas tap is mounted on the rail, the gas tap having a gas inlet aperture and two mounting holes, the gas inlet aperture being aligned with a gas aperture in the rail and the mounting holes being aligned with corresponding holes in the rail, said mounting means comprising bolts which extend through the mounting holes and are screwed into screw-threaded inserts in the holes in the rail, a thinner walled portion of the inserts deforming to produce a gas-tight seal.

4. A gas rail as claimed in claim 3, in which each insert is substantially cylindrical, hollow and closed at one end with a screwthreaded interior portion and a shank extending to a flange head at the open end of the insert.

5. A method of providing a gas tap mounting on a gas rail comprising the steps of forming a hole in a flat surface portion of the rail at a location relative to a gas outlet aperture of the rail, mounting the gas tap in register with said gas outlet aperture, inserting a gas tap mounting member in the hole and deforming a portion of the member to sealingly locate the member in the hole.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, in which the mounting member is a generally cylindrical hollow member having an internal screw threaded portion, the mounting member being deformed by the use of a mandrel which is screwed into the mounting member and moved axially relative to the mounting member whilst the mounting member is within the hole in the gas rail.

7. A method of providing a gas tap mounting on a gas rail, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.

8. A gas rail for use in gas appliances, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.