GB2096565A - Protective pipe sleeves and bungs - Google Patents

Abstract

A pipe protector 10 is in the form of a sleeve with a closed end 12 or in the form of a bung for fitting on or in an open end of a projecting pipe forming part of a central heating and/or water system in a building to prevent the open-ended pipe from being filled with plaster, rubble or other materials during building or decorating operations and to protect the end portion of the pipe against dirt or corrosion. Various forms of the protector are illustrated. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Protective pipe sleeves and bungs This invention relates to pipe protectors for fitting on or in the ends of projecting pipes forming part of a central heating and/or water system in buildings, the aim of the invention being to prevent the openended pipes from being filled with plaster, rubble or other materials during building or decorating operations.

When a building is being constructed or extensive alterations are being carried out to an existing building, some of the pipe-work for the central heating and/or water supply systems has to be run under the floors, above the ceilings, or in the walls.

When the plumber has completed the carcassing (i.e., putting in gas and water pipes but prior to attaching radiators, baths, basins and other such fittings) othertradesmenthen generally put down the floor boards, put up plasterboard, plaster the walls and ceilings, lay concrete and render outside walls. During this stage, the pipes installed by the plumber are left poking up from the floor, down from the ceiling or out from the walls. These pipes can easily be damaged while the building operations continue by being squashed, covered with plaster or bent, or filled with cement, plaster and rubble. To prevent this, a good plumber either bends the ends of the pipes over, squeezes them shut with pliers, or tapes them to prevent rubbish falling into the pipes through their open ends.Then, when the other work on the building has been completed, the plumber returns and has to cut off the end of the pipe if he has previously bent the end over or squeezed it, or remove the tape if he has used taping to close the end of the pipe. Only when he has done that can he attach the pipe to radiators, boilers and other such fittings. Cutting off the end of the pipe or removal of the tape are time-consuming and wasteful operations, especially as the pipe end has to be cleaned thoroughly in order that it might be soldered to another length of pipe or to one of the fittings mentioned above.

The present invention is accordingly directed to a sleeve with a closed end orto a bung made preferably of synthetic plastics material which is adapted to fit over or into the end of a pipe so as to block the pipe end and to protect the end portion of the pipe against dirt or corrosion.

The invention is based on the premise that gas and water pipes used in buildings are of standard diameters so that it is a simple operation to produce a range of sleeves or bungs in accordance with the invention which are so shaped as to be appropriate for a particular pipe diameter. Where therefore a plumber is fitting gas or water pipes in a building and is using a particular diameter of pipe, he will take along with him a batch of sleeves or bungs of a size appropriate to that particular pipe diameter. It is then a simple operation for him to fit a sleeve or bung on to or into each exposed pipe end throughout the building. There is then no chance of rubble or other foreign matter getting into the pipe while other workmen carry outtheirwork in the building, and there is less chance of actual damage to the pipe ends.When the plumber comes back to resume his work, no time is lost in attaching the pipe ends to fittings or other lengths of pipe as all he has to do is to remove the sleeves or bungs without the use of any tools.

In order that the invention may be thoroughly understood, some examples of sleeves and bungs in accordance with it are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which comprise Figures 1 to 11, each of which consists of a vertical section and an end view of one particular sleeve or bung.

Figure 1 shows a protective pipe sleeve having a cylindrical portion 10 and a flat circular wall 12 at one end.

Figure2shows a protective pipe sleeve similarto Figure 1 but in this case the end wall 12 is of larger diameter than the outer diameter of the cylindrical wall 10 so as to form a gripping flange 14.

Figure 3 shows a pipe protector in the form of a bung comprising afrusto-conical main portion 16 having a flange end 18. Although this particular bung is solid, it could also be made hollow.

The protective pipe sleeve shown in Figure 4 is identical to that shown in Figure 1 except that the end wall 12 has an eyelet lug 20 integrally formed on it so as to ease removal of the sleeve from a pipe end.

Figure 5 shows a protective pipe sleeve in which the sleeve portion 22 has a flared outer surface 24, again to assist in removal of the sleeve from a pipe end.

The protective pipe sleeve shown in Figure 6 is designed for use with two different sizes of pipe. For this purpose, sleeve 26 is provided with an annular internal step 28 approximately midway between its ends so that the internal diameter of the portion 30 of the sleeve is less than the internal diameter of the portion 32.

The protective pipe sleeve shown in Figure 7 is similar to that shown in Figure 1 but in this case a bung or spigot 34 is formed internally on the end wall 12 so that the extreme end of the pipe to be protected enters an annular gap 36 formed between the cylindrical portion of the fitting or spigot 34 and the internal cylindrical surface of the sleeve 10.

The protective pipe sleeve shown in Figure 8 is similar to that shown in Figure 5 except that the taper or flared outer surface 24 extends in the reverse direction as compared with that shown in Figure 5.

The sleeve shown in Figure 9 corresponds in some respects to that shown in Figure 6 in that it can be used on two different sizes of pipe. In this case, however, the end wall 12 in Figure 6 is removed and is replaced by a transverse wall 38 extending across the sleeve approximately midway between its ends, i.e., approximately at the location of the annular step 28 shown in Figure 6.

The sleeve shown in Figure 10 is similar to that shown in Figure 7 except that the cylindrical bung or spigot 34 in Figure 7 is replaced by a conical projection 40 which likewise enters the end portion of the pipe to be protected.

Finally, Figure 11 shows a pipe protector similar to Figure 1 but with a cylindrical bung 42 formed on the outer wall of the end 12 for insertion into a fitting to be attached to the pipe-end.

All the sleeves or bungs illustrated above are preferably made from a synthetic plastics material by an injection moulding or vacuum extraction process. A suitable material would be low-density polyethylene, although high-density polyethylene, which is more rigid, might be preferable for some of the larger sizes of pipe protector. There are however many other synthetic plastics materials which could be used instead.

If desired, the sleeves or bungs can be made of different colours according to a predetermined code.

For example, red sleeves or bungs can be used for hot water pipes and flow pipes, blue sleeves or bungs for cold water pipes and return pipes, green sleeves or bungs for gas pipes, and so on.

The above-described pipe protectors can be used with all kinds of pipe in normal use - i.e., copper, steel, stainless steel or synthetic plastics pipes.

Besides being used inside buildings, they can also be used in the laying of underground gas and water pipes by gas and water boards where the ends of pipes are quite often sealed temporarily to prevent waste matter entering them by rags which are tried over the ends.

The range of sleeves and bungs necessary to meet normal everyday requirements will be based on the following external diameters of pipes in general use at the present time: Copper and stainless steel pipes - 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 15mm, 22mm, 28mm, 35mm, 42mm, 54mm, 76.1 mm, 108mm, 133mm, 159mm.

Alkathene pipes - 3/8", 1/2", 3/4", 11/2,2", 21/4(1, 21/2".

Synthetic plastics waste pipes - 11/4", 1", 2".

Other pipes made of synthetic plastics and steel for use in gas supplies - " to Sin 1/4" increments.

Sleeves or bungs in accordance with the invention will generally be about 1.5" long for pipes having external diameters of 6mm-28mm and 3/8"-1.0", and from 1.75"-4.0" long for pipes having external dia meters of 35mm-159mm and 1.25"-6.0". The wall and base thickness of the sleeves will usually be about 2.0mm but this can be widely varied in practice.

Claims (15)

1. A pipe protector in the form of a sleeve with a closed end or in the form of a bung, the pipe protector being adapted to fit over or into the end of a pipe so as to block the pipe end and protect the end portion of the pipe against dirt or corrosion.

2. A pipe protector according to claim 1 compris ing a cylindrical sleeve having a smooth inner surface so as to be slidable overthe end of a pipe, the sleeve having a circular wall at one end.

3. A pipe protector according to claim 2, in which the end wall is of larger diameter than the outer diameter of the cylindrical sleeve so as to form a gripping flange.

4. A pipe protector according to claim 2 or claim 3, in which the end wall has an eyelet or lug integrally formed on it so as to ease removal of the sleeve from a pipe end.

5. A pipe protector according to claim 2, in which the sleeve has an outer surface which is flared outwardly towards one end of the pipe protector so as to assist removal of the sleeve from a pipe end.

6. A pipe protector according to any one of claims 2-5, in which the sleeve is provided with an annular internal step between its ends.

7. A pipe protector according to claim 6 for use with pipes of two different outer diameters, the annular internal step being formed on the sleeve substantially mid-way between its ends so that the internal diameter of one portion of the sleeve is less than the internal diameter of another portion of the sleeve.

8. A pipe protector according to any one of claims 2-7, in which a spigot or projection is formed internally on the end wall so that the extreme end of a pipe to be protected is able to enter an annular gap formed between the spigot or projection and the internal cylindrical surface of the sleeve.

9. A pipe protector according to claim 1 comprising a cylindrical sleeve which is open at both ends and has a transverse internal wall extending across the sleeve between its ends, the internal diameter of the sleeve on one side of the transverse wall being different from that on the other side of the transverse wall so that the pipe protector is usable with pipes of two different outer diameters.

10. A pipe protector according to any one of claims 2-7, in which a cylindrical bung is formed on the outer surface of the end wall for insertion into a fitting to be attached to a pipe-end.

11. A pipe protector according to claim 1 in the form of a bung having afrusto-conical main portion and a flanged end.

12. A pipe protector according to any preceding claim made from a synthetic plastics material.

13. A pipe protector according to claim 12 made from polyethylene.

14. A pipe protector according to any preceding claim made from a material which is coloured according to a predetermined code.

15. A pipe protector substantially as described herein with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 11.