GB1600872A

GB1600872A - Supporting of a pipe or cucting

Info

Publication number: GB1600872A
Application number: GB35620/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1975-01-29
Filing date: 1977-08-25
Publication date: 1981-10-21

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE SUPPORTING OF A PIPE OR DUCTING (71) I, GEORGE ALFRED FORBES, a British subject, of "Kennesaw", Highfield Road, West Byfleet, Surrey, England, formerly of 75 Ellerby Street, London, S.W.6., England, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to the supporting of a pipe or ducting, such as air ducting in an air-conditioning system.

The present invention is an improvement in, or modification of, the method of supporting ducting described in the complete specification of my British Patent Specification No.

1514332 and 1514333 which are concerned with supporting rectangular-section ducting whereas the present invention is concerned principally with a method of supporting "modified" rectangular ducting but could, if desired, be applied to the support of circular section pipe or ducting. The term "modified" rectangular ducting is used herein to mean ducting having substantially flat upper and lower walls joined by rounded longitudinal side walls. Such ducting is preferably produced by spirally wrapping a long length of sheet metal around a mandrel, which is subsequently withdrawn, with successive turns in sealed overlapping relationship.

Modified rectangular ducting has the advantage of longer length sections and providing a cross sectional area that can be accommodated in a false ceiling of less depth than that required by circular ducting.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of suspending a pipe or ducting having curved longitudinal side walls from a fixed structure, wherein the pipe or ducting is supported by a pair of opposed support elements provided at each of a number of spaced positions along its length, wherein each support element comprises a relatively rigid backing part lined with an isolating element or elements located therein and providing a curved seating surface, at least lower portions of the opposite curved side walls of the pipe or ducting being located on the seating surfaces of a pair of the opposed support elements at each of said spaced positions, and the support elements of each pair are suspended from said fixed structure and are located with respect to one another so as to maintain the ducting seated as aforesaid.

Each support element is a composite member comprising a relatively rigid, usually metallic, backing part, lined with an isolating element or elements, e.g. made of a thermal and/or sound insulating material, the curved seating surface being formed in the insulating material. It is also preferred that the insulating material is substantially incompressible under the weight of the ducting. It is also preferred that the composite member is fabricated as a unitary member in order to reduce assembly work on site. Conveniently, the backing part may be wider, measured along the length of the ducting, than the insulating material to facilitate tailoring of insulating lagging to the ducting around its support means.

Each pair of support elements can be suspended from said structure by means including at least one drop rod. In some arrangements each support element may be connected directly to the lower end of a respective drop rod. In such arrangements said locating means may comprise a tensioning device extending between such drop rods.

In other embodiments a tie rod may extend beneath the pipe or ducting at each of said positions along the length thereof to be secured to the backing parts of the opposed support elements at the respective position in order to locate said support elements as aforesaid. In order to minimize heat loss by conduction and to reduce noise transmission, the tie rods are preferably spaced from the bottom of the ducting. The drop rods, when provided to support the support elements as aforesaid, are preferably spaced from the side walls of the ducting. For these purposes, the backing parts may be provided with flanges to which the tie rod and/or drop rods are secured. In such arrangements, the backing parts may be provided with flanges directed outwardly of the side walls of the ducting and to which flanges the drop rods are secured. Furthermore, the backing parts of each pair of support elements may be provided with respective flanges directed upwardly or downwardly relative to the bottom of the ducting and to which the tie rod is secured. Conveniently the tie rod may be located between the lower edges of the respective pair of support elements and the bottom of the ducting so that it can be concealed by application of lagging to the bottom of the ducting.

In some methods according to the invention, the arcuate seating surface of each support element may support only a lower portion of a respective curved side wall of the ducting. In such methods, further pairs of supporting elements are preferably provided to locate the ducting at upper portions of its opposite curved side walls to prevent the ducting lifting during tightening of the tie rod between each pair of lower support elements. In such cases similar support members may be arranged in pairs at spaced locations along the length of the ducting with the members being inverted at a selected number of such locations, e.g. every 5th or 6th location, in order to provide upper support elements having seating surfaces engaging upper portions of the curved side edges of the ducting thereby to locate the ducting against lifting. Alternatively, at least at some of said support positions for the ducting, there may be provided at each such position and on each side of the ducting a pair of upper and lower support elements secured together and having curved seating surfaces engaging upper and lower portions, respectively, of a curved side wall of the ducting. The aforesaid upper support members are preferably secured together by a tie rod extending above the ducting. In some arrangements, each support element may comprise an arcuate backing part having insulating material on its internal surface, such material being formed with said curved seating surface. In other arrangements, each support element may comprise an angle element, providing the backing part, and a block of insulating material disposed on the internal surface of such member, the block being formed with said curved seating surface.

In other methods according to the invention, each support element may have a seating surface which extends around upper and lower portions of curved side wall of the ducting. In such constructions, each pair of support elements may be secured together by a pair of tie rods which extend one above and one beneath the ducting or by a single tie rod extending beneath the ducting. Each support element may comprise a C-shaped backing part having said insulating material provided on its internal surface and formed with the aforesaid curved seating surface. The Cshaped backing part is preferably provided with a flange at its lower end or at each end thereof to which is secured a tie rod which connects such part to a similar part on the opposite side of the ducting. In addition to or instead of such flanges, a flange may be provided on the C-shaped backing part intermediate its length to which flange a drop rod is secured.

The aforesaid flanges provided on the backing parts are conveniently pre-drilled to receive the ends of the drop rods and the tie rod, which can be threaded to receive a nut which is tightened against the corresponding flange.

In any of the above methods in which support members are provided which are connected by a tie rod extending above the ducting, the ducting may be suspended by suspension means including a drop rod or a suspension bracket located centrally of the ducting.

Methods for supporting a ducting according to the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through the ducting showing support elements locating opposite lower corners of the ducting; Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view through the ducting showing the use of support elements for locating upper corners of the ducting which is shown used in conjunction with the lower seating and supporting elements in Fig. 1 to provide an anchoring device for ducting.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through the ducting showing the use of another form of support elements; Figure 3a shows a detail of a modification of the Figure 3 arrangement in which an upturned flange is provided on the support element to reduce overall depth of support system; Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through the ducting showing the use of a further form of support elements; Figures 5a and 5b show cross sectional details of alternative means for suspending the ducting; and Figures 6a and 6b show details of modified forms of the arrangement in Fig. 4; in Fig:6a no upper and lower flanges and tie rods are used but a tensioning device is directly applied to each of the supporting drop rods, and in Fig. 6b a lower flange only incorporating a single tie rod is provided in similar fashion to the Fig. 4 arrangement.

Referring to Figure 1, a modified rectangular-sectioned air ducting 10 is supported at spaced intervals along its length. The lower portions of the rounded side walls of the ducting are seated in a pair of opposed support elements 11. Each support element 11 comprises an arcuate backing part 12 made of a bent flat metal strip which is formed at each end with outwardly directed flanges 13 and 14. Drop rods 15 pass through apertures in flanges 13 ofthe elements 11 and are secured thereto by nuts which co-operate with screw threaded ends of the rods. The flanges 14 are secured together by a horizontal tie rod 16 which similarly extends through apertures in the flanges and is secured by nuts screwed onto ends of the rod. The drop rods 15 extend downwardly from a suitable support structure above the ducting, for example a structure forming part of the building in which the ducting is installed or a suspension means suspended from the building structure. It will be appreciated that this arrangement permits the spacing of rods 15 and 16 from the walls of the ducting thereby minimising heat loss by conduction and reducing noise transmission to the support structure.

On the internal surface of backing parts 12 of each element 11 is located insulating pads 17 of high density cork or other suitable heat and/or sound insulating material, preferably of sufficient rigidity to be substantially incompressible under the weight of the ducting 10. In some constructions, an outer skin of an elastomeric material, e.g. bituminous rubber sheet, may be provided between the insulating pads 17 and the duct, or may be provided instead of such pads with side walls of the ducting seating directly on the curved exposed surface of such skin. Plastics sheet material having sound isolating properties may be substituted for such skin in some instances.

The curved internal surface of the insulating pads 17 provide a seating surface complementary to the external surface of the rounded ends of the ducting 10. The composite support elements are preferably fabricated as an integral structure to reduce assembly work on site.

The insulating pads 17 preferably have a thickness equal to that of an insulating lagging material 18 applied generally around the ducting which material can be relatively easily tailored to and around the backing part 12. If desired the pads 17 may be of smaller width than the backing parts 12 in order to facilitate further the tailoring of the insulating material around the support by permitting edge portions of the lagging material to be received in the space between the ducting and the backing parts 12 provided by the set back portions of the pads 17.

In other arrangements, the flanges 14 of the backing parts 12 may extend upwardly towards the bottom of the ducting so that the tie rod 16 can be concealed within the lagging material 18 thereby providing a neater external appearance and a reduction in the vertical space required to accommodate the ducting.

At a selected number of suspension locations, for example every 5th or 6th location, further support elements 11 are additionally disposed in an inverted position (as shewn in Figure 2) with respect to the remainder of the support elements, in order to locate the ducting 10 against lifting when the pairs of lower support elements 11 are clamped together by the tie rods 16. The vertical flanges 14 of the inverted support members may be secured together by a tie rod which extends above the ducting 10 but in many applications this upper tie rod will not be required.

In some applications it may be considered desirable to provide upper and lower support elements 11 at each or a selected number of support positions of the ducting as shown in Figure 2. In such cases the flanges 13 of cooperating pairs of elements 13 on each side of the ducting will be in abutment or closely adjacent one another and secured together by a drop rod 15. Alternatively such abutting flanges 13 could be secured together by a relatively short threaded element with a pair of co-operating nuts, and the assembly may be suspended by a single central drop rod cooperating with the upper tie rod 18 as described below in connection with Figures 5a and 5b.

Figure 3 shows modified support elements 20 each comprising an angle member 21 having outwardly directed flanges at the free ends of its limbs and a block of insulating material 22 located on the inner surfaces of the member 21. Each block 22 of insulating material is formed with an arcuate seating surface 23 to co-operate with a lower portion of a respective rounded edge of the ducting 10. At selected locations along the ducting, pairs of members 20 can be disposed in an inverted position, as described above in relation to support elements 11, in order to locate the ducting 10 against lifting. Moreover, pairs of upper and lower support elements 20 may be provided at each or a selected number of support positions. Figure 3a shows this method alternatively provided with an upturned lower flange 23 to reduce overall depth of support means. In this arrangement the tie rod extends through the insulating material 22 and is secured to the vertical limb 24 of the backing part by a nut 25 tightened against such limb.

Referring to Figure 4, support elements are provided which embrace substantially the entire outer periphery of the rounded walls of the ducting 10. Each support element comprises a C-shaped backing strip 31 having outwardly projecting flanges 32 and 33 at its remote ends and a C-shaped insulating pad the inner surface of which provides a curved seating surface for a side wall of the ducting. The flanges 32 and 33 of each pair of elements 30 are, as shown, secured together by tie rod 34 which extends above the ducting, and a tie rod 35 which extends beneath the ducting, respectively.

However in many applications the upper tie rod 34 will not be required. The strips 31 are provided with further outwardly projecting flanges in the form of lugs 35 welded to the strip 31 centrally thereof. Drop rods 36 are secured to the lugs 35. Figures 6a and 6b show similar arrangements in which Cshaped support elements are used. In Figure 6a the backing part 50 has a single flange provided by lug 51 which is secured to the lower end of a drop rod. In this arrangement pairs of support elements are held clamped against the ducting by a wire tensioning device 52 which extends between drop rods supporting the elements and can be tightened, e.g. by a screw threaded tensioning device provided between lengths of wire connected to respective drop rods. The Figure 6b arrangement corresponds to the Figure 4 arrangement except that the upper flanges of the support elements and the upper tie rod are omitted.

Figures Sa and Sb illustrate alternative methods of suspending the ducting at support locations where an upper tie rod is provided (Figures 2 and 4). The upper tie rod is surrounded by a sleeve 40 or a small bore pipe having a central Tjunction 41 providing a socket which is internally screw threaded to receive a single drop rod 42. Alternatively as shown in Figure Sb the upwardly projecting flanges of the opposed support elements may be tied together by a suspension bar 43 adapted to receive a single drop rod 42.

In other cases, for example where the ducting is used in a ship, the drop rods of the above described arrangements may be carried by lateral brackets fixed to a central supporting structure.

In any of the above described constructions the backing part of each support element may be formed as an extrusion, for example of aluminium, rather than being fabricated by bending a metal strip.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A method of suspending a pipe or ducting having curved longitudinal side walls from a fixed structure, wherein the pipe of ducting is supported by a pair of opposed support elements provided at each of a number of spaced positions along its length, wherein each support element comprises a relatively rigid backing part lined with an isolating element or elements located therein and providing a curved seating surface, at least lower portions of the opposite curved side walls of the pipe or ducting being located on the seating surfaces of a pair of the opposed support elements at each of said spaced positions, and the support elements of each pair are suspended from said fixed structure and are located with respect to one another zoo so a to rnaintain the ducting seated as aforesa d.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the iso:czlng element(s) having a thickness sebstantially the same as that of lagging material applied to the ducting.

3. A method as claimed in claim I or claim 2 wherein the isolating e!ement(s) is made of a heat and/or sound insulating material.

4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the isolating element(s) is substantially incompressible under the weight of the ducting.

5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each support element is fabricated as a unitary member.

6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the backing part is wider, measured along the length of the pipe or ducting than the insulating material to facilitate tailoring of insulating lagging to the pipe or ducting around the support elements.

7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each of the support elements is suspended from said structure by means including at least one drop rod.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein each support element is connected directly to the lower end of a respective drop rod.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said means by which the support elements are located comprise a tensioning device extending between such drop rods.

10. A method as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein the drop rods are spaced from the side walls of the pipe or ducting.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the backing parts are provided with flanges directed outwardly of the side walls of the pipe or ducting and to which the drop rods are secured.

pair of support elements with respect to one another as aforesaid.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the backing parts are provided with flanges directed doutwardly of the side walls of the pipe or ducting and to which the drop rods are secured.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12 wherein the backing parts of each pair of support elements are provided with respective flanges directed upwardly or downwardly relative to the bottom of the pipe or ducting and to which the tie rod is secured.

14. A method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13 wherein the tie rod is located between the lower edges of the respective pair of support elements and the bottom of the pipe or ducting so that it can be

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. each pair of elements 30 are, as shown, secured together by tie rod 34 which extends above the ducting, and a tie rod 35 which extends beneath the ducting, respectively. However in many applications the upper tie rod 34 will not be required. The strips 31 are provided with further outwardly projecting flanges in the form of lugs 35 welded to the strip 31 centrally thereof. Drop rods 36 are secured to the lugs 35. Figures 6a and 6b show similar arrangements in which Cshaped support elements are used. In Figure 6a the backing part 50 has a single flange provided by lug 51 which is secured to the lower end of a drop rod. In this arrangement pairs of support elements are held clamped against the ducting by a wire tensioning device 52 which extends between drop rods supporting the elements and can be tightened, e.g. by a screw threaded tensioning device provided between lengths of wire connected to respective drop rods. The Figure 6b arrangement corresponds to the Figure 4 arrangement except that the upper flanges of the support elements and the upper tie rod are omitted. Figures Sa and Sb illustrate alternative methods of suspending the ducting at support locations where an upper tie rod is provided (Figures 2 and 4). The upper tie rod is surrounded by a sleeve 40 or a small bore pipe having a central Tjunction 41 providing a socket which is internally screw threaded to receive a single drop rod 42. Alternatively as shown in Figure Sb the upwardly projecting flanges of the opposed support elements may be tied together by a suspension bar 43 adapted to receive a single drop rod 42. In other cases, for example where the ducting is used in a ship, the drop rods of the above described arrangements may be carried by lateral brackets fixed to a central supporting structure. In any of the above described constructions the backing part of each support element may be formed as an extrusion, for example of aluminium, rather than being fabricated by bending a metal strip. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A method of suspending a pipe or ducting having curved longitudinal side walls from a fixed structure, wherein the pipe of ducting is supported by a pair of opposed support elements provided at each of a number of spaced positions along its length, wherein each support element comprises a relatively rigid backing part lined with an isolating element or elements located therein and providing a curved seating surface, at least lower portions of the opposite curved side walls of the pipe or ducting being located on the seating surfaces of a pair of the opposed support elements at each of said spaced positions, and the support elements of each pair are suspended from said fixed structure and are located with respect to one another zoo so a to rnaintain the ducting seated as aforesa d.

pair of support elements with respect to one another as aforesaid.

concealed by application of lagging to the bottom of the pipe or ducting.

15. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the curved seating surface of each support element supports only a lower portion of a respective curved side wall of the pipe or ducting.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein further pairs of supporting elements are provided to locate the pipe or ducting at upper portions of its opposite curved side walls to prevent the ducting lifting during tightening of the tie rod between each pair of lower support elements.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein similar support members are arranged in pairs at spaced locations along the length of the pipe or ducting with the members being inverted at a selected number of such locations in order to provide upper support elements having seating surfaces engaging upper portions of the curved side edges of the pipe or ducting thereby to locate the pipe or ducting against lifting.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein at least at some of said support positions for the pipe or ducting, there is provided at each such position and on each side of the ducting a pair of upper and lower support elements secured together and having curved seating surfaces engaging upper and lower portions, respectively, of a curved side wall of the pipe or ducting.

19. A method as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18 wherein the aforesaid upper support members are secured together by a tie rod extending above the pipe or ducking.

20. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each support element comprises an arcuate backing part having an isolating element or elements on its internal surface, such element(s) being formed with said curved seating surface.

21. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19 wherein each support element comprises an angle element, providing the backing part, and an isolating block disposed on the internal surface of such member, the block being formed with said curved seating surface.

22. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein each support element has a seating surface which extends around upper and lower portions of curved side wall of the pipe or ducting.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22 wherein each pair of support elements are secured together by a pair of tie rods which extend one above and one beneath the pipe or ducting or by a single tie rod extending beneath the pipe or ducting.

24. A method as claimed in claim 22 or claim 23 wherein each support element comprises a C-shaped backing part having an isolating element or elements provided on its internal surface and formed with the aforesaid curved seating surface.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the C-shaped backing part is provided with a flange at its lower end or at each end thereof to which is secured a tie rod which connects such part to a similar part on the opposite side of the pipe or ducting.

26. A method as claimed in claim 24 or claim 25 wherein a flange is provided on the C-shaped backing part intermediate its length to which flange a drop rod is secured.

27. A method of supporting a pipe or ducting having curved longitudinal side walls, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

28. A pipe or ducting having curved longitudinal side walls when supported by a method as claimed in any preceding claim.