GB2123867A

GB2123867A - Conduit supports

Info

Publication number: GB2123867A
Application number: GB08220726A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Bombeke
Original assignee: Bekaert NV SA
Current assignee: Bekaert NV SA
Priority date: 1982-07-16
Filing date: 1982-07-16
Publication date: 1984-02-08

Abstract

There is provided a welded mesh structure (3) for locatingly supporting a plurality of conduits (5) (Fig. 1 not shown) prior to embedment in a cast floor (6) comprising a criss-cross lattice of wires (7,8) in which at least some of the wires (7) running in at least one direction are arranged in pairs, the wires of each pair having spaced along their length conduit engagement means (9) extending outwardly of the plane of the lattice and wherebetween a said conduit (5) may be snugly and locatingly supported against lateral movement. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Conduit supports This invention relates to improvements in and relating to a heating or cooling system for buildings in which a heating or cooling fluid, such as water, is passed through an arrangement of conduits embed ded in the material forming the floor or the like of the building. In particular,the invention relates to a mesh structureforsupportingsuch conduitsandwhich serves also to reinforce the material in which the conduits are embedded.

Itis known to embed conduits, such as pipes or tubes of plastics material, in the form of loops orthe like in the material forming the floors or walls of a building. Such conduits may be connected to the flow and return pipes of a heating or cooling system and to assist in laying out the conduits they may be held by a supportwhich is also embedded in the floor or wall material. Such supports ifthermally conductive may also serve to improve thermal diffusion in the floor or wall material reducing localized hot or cold spots on thefloororwall surface.

In British PatentSpecification No. 1462157 (Feist) is described a support system which comprises an array of wooden laths in the upper surfaces of which are transverse notches in which flexible pipes may sit. The spacing ofthe notches dictates the spacing apart of adjacent lengths ofconduit and is calculated to result in the desired heating or cooling level for each area of floor surface. The depth ofthe notches is generally greater than the external diameter of the pipes.

An alternative conduit support is described in U.S.

PatentSpecification No. 3802492 (CTC GmbH) in which the conduits are laid upon planar steel mesh which is provided with distancing portions, noses or projections on the mesh directed out ofthe plane of the mesh, which serve to space the mesh from a floor base on which the mesh itself lies. The support and the conduits are embedded in situ in a hardenable material, such as concrete which on hardening forms the floor ofthe building.

A further conduit support is described in Dutch Published Patent Application No. 7906510 (Feist). This supportcomprisesan array of blocks which may be attached to a wall, the block surface remote from the wall being provided with cylindrical projections.

Conduits may be laid against the surfaces of the blocks abutting the projections which are so spaced as to restrict lateral movement of the conduits. Once the conduits have been positioned, a covering surface may be placed against the outer faces of the cylindrical projections thus enclosing the conduits within the wall.

It is an object ofthis invention to provide a novel form of su pport fo r embedded conduits on which conduits may be positioned accurately in a simple and speedy manner before embedding and which may further serve to increase thermal diffusion in the material in which the conduits are embedded and to reinforce that material.

Viewed from one aspect the invention provides a welded mesh structure for locatingly supporting a plurality of conduits prior to embedment in a cast floor comprising a criss-cross lattice ofwires in which at least some ofthe wires running in at least one direction are arranged in pairs,thewires of each pair having spaced along their length conduit engagement means extending outwardly ofthe plane of the lattice and wherebetween a said conduit may be snugly and locatingly supported against lateral movement.

In generai the pairs of wires between which conduits may be placed and there have their lateral movement restricted will be pairs of adjacent wires, and conveniently a majority ofthe wires running in at least one direction will be arranged in such pairs.

Theterm wires is used herein not only to designate elongate elements of circular cross-section but also other elongate elements from which a mesh may be formed, e.g. strips, tapes, tubes and rods. The wires are suitably of steel although otherweldable materials may be used.

The conduit engagement means may take various forms. In one preferred embodimentthe conduit engagement means comprise wire loops bent out of the plane ofthe lattice and formed by deformation of the wires in the pairs of wires. Alternativelythe engagement means may comprise projections attached to the wires and extending out of the plane of the lattice. Such loops or projections extending up on either side of a conduit from the pair ofwires, serve to restrict lateral movement of the conduit and, if the wires in the pairs of wires are suitably spaced apart or the loops or projections suitably shaped or angled, the conduitwill be snugly and locatingly supported against lateral movement.Conveniently, the wires in the pairs of wired are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to or slightly greaterthan the external diameterofthe conduit.

Such conduitengagement means as described above conveniently may be provided along the length of the pairs of wires in a configuration inwhich the means on adjacentwires are in registry or are staggered.

Alternatively, the conduit engagement means may comprise downward deformations in each wire crossing the pair of wired between which the conduit is supported, the deformations being between the pair ofwires and providing a cradle in which the conduit may rest.

For the mesh structures of the invention to fulfil the function of reinforcing the material in which the conduits are embedded, they should also be embedded within that material and therefore preferably are provided with ground engagement means extending out ofthe plane of the lattice on the side remote from that on which the conduits are laid. Such ground engagement means ensures that, where the mesh is placed in a substrate and the conduits on the mesh, the lattice is distanced from the substrate and subsequent embedding ofthe conduits in a hardenable material such as concrete, plastics orthe like from which the buildingfloororwall isto be formed will also embed the body ofthe lattice.

The ground engagement means may either be formed integrally to the lattice or may be attached thereto. Conveniently the ground engagement means comprise wire loops bent out of the plane ofthe lattice by deformation ofwires ofthe lattice. It is particularly preferred thatthese loops be contiguous with loops which serve as conduit engagement means.

The mesh structures ofthe invention are advan tageousforat Ieastthefollowing reasons: conduits can be laid upon the mesh structure in the desired configuration simply and rapidly; as conduits laid on the mesh contact a large number of wires along their length, the heating or cooling effect of the conduits is distributed by the mesh; as each conduit is supported between a pair ofwires, these wires have the effect of providing a casing or protection for the conduits when hardenable material is poured overto form the floor material orthe like; and the mesh reinforces the flooring or the like material in which it is embedded.

Itwill of course be realised thatwhile it may be preferred to laythe mesh structures of the invention overthe entire floor or wall orthe like surface on which heating or cooling conduits areto be laid, it is also possible to lay the mesh structures over only part of the surface with the conduits subsequently laid bridging the gaps between. In this case however such gaps should not be so great asto cause undesired hot or cold spots in the finished surface orto allowthe conduitsto deform between mesh structures through the effects of gravity orfol lowing the addition of the hardenable material from which thefloororthe like surface is formed.

Preferred embodiments ofthe mesh structures of the invention will now be described byway of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa cross sectional viewthrough a floor or wall in which a mesh structure ofthe invention supporting a conduit system is embedded; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment ofthe mesh structure ofthe invention; and Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a further embodiment ofthe mesh structure ofthe invention.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a base or substrate 1, for example a foundation layer of concrete on top of which is laid a thermally insulating layer 2 of for example a plastics material, suitably a layer of insulating foam. Distancedfromthethermallyinsulat- ing layer2 by distancing portions 4 is a structure 3 of welded mesh.

Laid on structure 3 are pipes 5 forming the conduit pipes of a heating or cooling system. The pipes 5 and structure3 are embedded in a hardenable material to form a top layer 6.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3 the construction of the mesh structures of the invention may be seen. The structure 3 is comprised ofwires 7 and 8 running in two directions and welded together to form a lattice.

At leastthe wires 7 running in at least one direction comprise pairs the distance between which is conve niently substantially equal to or somewhat greater than the external diameter of the conduit pipes 5 which areto be supported. Preferablythe wires 8 running in the other direction are situated in a plane beneath that of wires 7. Where, as is generally the case, pipes 5have an external diameter of about lotto 20mm the distance between the pairs of adjacent wires 7 is suitably about 10 to 25mm. The distance between adjacent pairs, i.e. between adjacent conduit support positions and between adjacent wires running perpendicularto the conduits is generally about 1 00to 150 mm for such conduit diameters.Similarly, the lattice structure 3, comprised of wires of 2to 5mm thickness, will suitably be spaced about 5 to 1Bmm above the thermally insulating layer 2 by the ground engagement means 4. The ground engagement means 4 can be known base supports attached to the lattice, e.g. made from steel wire or plastics material, or may be loops of wires 7 or 8 deformed out ofthe plane ofthe lattice.

To restrict the lateral movement of conduit pipes 5 laid upon the structure 3 between pairs of wires 7 these wires may suitably beformed into protrusions 9 extending out ofthe panel ofthe lattice awayfrom base or substrate 1. These protrusions 9, provided in the pairs of wires 7 at various positions along their length, in use embracingly engage conduit pipes 5 removing the need to attach pipes 5to the structure 3 bytapes, wires orthe like.

In Figure 3 it is shown how a sinosoidal deformation of wires 7 can provide both ground engagement means 4 and projections 9 for restricting lateral movement of conduit pipes 5.

The projections 9for restricting lateral movement of the conduit pipes conveniently are adjacent in the pairofwires 7 as in Figure 2 or are staggered as in Figure 3. Where a mesh structure of low in-planedeformability is desired, the staggered configuration should be adopted as between adjacent wires 8 at least one ofthe pairofwires7 is substantially linear.

Viewed from a further aspect, it will be seen that the present invention provides, in a method of casting a floor having embedded therein an array of heating and/or cooling conduits, the step of locatingly sup porting a plurality of said conduits priorto casting by means of a welded mesh structure comprising a criss-cross lattice of wires in which at Ieastsomeofthewires running in at least one direction are arranged in pairs, the wires of each pair having spaced along their length conduit engagement means extending outwardly of the plane ofthe lattice and wherebetween a said conduit may be snugly and locatingly supported against lateral movement.

Claims

1. Awelded mesh structure for locatingly supporting a plurality of conduits priorto embedment in a cast floor comprising a criss-cross lattice of wires in which at least some ofthe wires running in at least one direction are arranged in pairs,thewires of each pair having spaced along their length conduit engagement means extending outwardly ofthe plane ofthe lattice and wherebetween a said conduit may be snugly and locating ly supported against lateral movement.

2. A structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said conduit engagement means comprise wire loops bent out ofthe plane ofthe lattice by deformation of the wires ofthe said pairs of wires.

3. A structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the said loops on adjacent wires are in registry.

4. Astructure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the said loops on adjacent wires are staggered.

5. A structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the said lattice is provided with ground engagement means extending out of the plane of the lattice and whereby the lattice may be supported at a distance above the substrate on which it is laid.

6 A structure as claimed in claim 5 wherein the said ground engagement means comprise wire loops bent out ofthe planeofthe lattice by deformation of wires of the lattice.

7. Astructureasclaimed in claim 6wherein the said ground engagement means loops are contiguous with loops which serve as conduit engagement means.

7. Astructure as claimed in claim 6 wherein the said ground engagement means loops are contiguous with loops which serve as conduit engagement means

8. Awelded mesh structure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. In a method of casting a floor having embedded therein an array of heating and/or cooling conduits, the step oflocatingly supporting a plurality of said conduits priorto casting by means of a welded mesh structure comprising a criss-cross lattice of wires in which at least some of the wires running in at least one direction are arranged in pairs, the wires of each pair having spaced along their length conduit engagement means extending outwardly of the plane ofthe lattice and wherebetween a said conduit may be snugly and locatingly supported against lateral movement.

New claims filed on 30 Dec 1982.

Superseded claims 1-7.

1. Awelded mesh structureforlocatinglysupporting a plurality of conduits priorto embedment in a cast floor comprising a criss-cross lattice of wires in which at least some of the wires running in at least one direction are arranged in pairs, the wires of each pair having spaced along their length conduit engagement means extending outwardly ofthe plane ofthe lattice and wherebetween a said conduit running in the direction of said pairs of wires may be snugly and locatingly supported against lateral movement.

2. Astructureasclaimed in claim 1 wherein the said conduit engagement means comprise wire loops bent out ofthe plane of the lattice by deformation of the wires ofthe said pairs of wires.

4. A structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the said loops on adjacent wires are staggered.

5. Astructure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the said lattice is provided with ground engagement means extending out of the plane of the latticeandwherebythe lattice may be supported ata distance above the substrate on which it is laid.

6. A structure as claimed in claim 5 wherein the said ground engagement means comprise wire loops bent out ofthe plane ofthe lattice by deformation of wires of the lattice.