GB2159871A - Pipe clamp - Google Patents

Abstract

A pipe clamp is formed from complementary halves (1), (2) which couple together encircling a pipe (6). The side edge regions of each are shaped to define projections and recesses (7), (8) which enable coupling by axial displacement, to engage projections and recesses (7), (8), whereupon disconnection radially is prevented. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Pipe clamp The present invention relates to a clamp for fastening pipes.

One type of clamp for fastening pipes to surfaces such as walls or the like consists basically of one half provided with means of fastening it to the wall and another, complementary half joined to the first-mentioned half with the aid of screws. In other types, with which the pipes are supported directly against the wall or other surface on which they are mounted, the clamps consist of a single piece surrounding the pipe and fastened to the wall with the aid of screws or other similar fastening means.

With these known clamps the installation of pipes is slow and laborious, firstly because of the number of screws or other fastening means which have to be fitted and secondly because of the difficulty of supporting the pipe during the mounting of the clamp.

The object of the present invention is to ameliorate the disadvantages mentioned, and provide a pipe clamp which is easily installed.

Preferred forms of the clamp are shaped to permit the provisional supporting of the pipe once one of the components of the clamp has been fastened in place.

The clamp of this invention is of the type comprising two co-operating parts which couple together surrounding the pipe, one of them being provided with means for fastening it to the surface, such as a wall on which the pipe is to be fixed.

According to the present invention the longitudinal (i.e. side) edge regions of the two parts are provided with co-operating recesses and projections for coupling them together.

These are shaped and arranged so as to permit the interengagement of the two parts by axial displacement on one part relative to the other, these interengagement means preventing the radial separation of the two halves once they have been coupled together. Preferably each said side edge region of each channel piece incorporates both an axially extending projection and a recess extending in the reciprocal axial direction, said projection and recess being dispersed intermediately between axial ends of said channel piece.

In preferred forms the projections are flush with surrounding areas, so that when the clamp has been fitted, and hence is in the coupled-together position, it will have no projections, the entire exterior surface of the clamp smoothly surrounding the pipe supported by it.

Provision is advantageously made for that part of the clamp which is provided with means for fastening it on the wall to have an inside cross-section extending circumferentially over an arc of slightly more than 1 80' and to possess a certain elasticity enabling a pipe to be inserted radially, by spreading apart the side edges of this part of the clamp.

If the diameter of the pipe is appropriate it can be held by the pressure of the material of the clamp part resiliently springing back against it.

One embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings where Figure 1 is a view in perspective of one of the two halves of a clamp, shown detached; Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the clamp, with one half fixed to the wall and the other in a facing position awaiting coupling to the first-mentioned half; Figure 3 is a view similar to the preceding Figure, showing the clamp in the working i.e.

coupled-together position; and Figure 4 is a view in front elevation of the clamp in this position.

The clamp for fastening pipes which is here described consists, as shown in the drawings, of two symmetrical halves 1 and 2, the part 1 being provided with a radial boss or sleeve 3 for the passage of a screw 4 for fastening to surface, such as a wall 5 or the like.

As can be seen from the drawings, each half is a channel piece, and is part of a cylinder. Towards one axial end the channel is deeper, and the inside cross-section extends circumferentially for more than 1 80'. As seen in Fig. 2 this is the left-hand part of half 1 and the right hand part of half 2. The remainder of each half is a shallower channel extending circumferentially for less than 1 80' Thus the symmetrical halves 1, 2 are complementary. They can be coupled together around a pipe as shown, and are matched to the exterior size of the pipe 6.

The longitudinal side edge regions of the two halves 1, 2 are each provided with a projection and recess. Those in one side edge complement those in the neighbouring side edge. Moreover, those in one of the two halves 1, 2 face those in the opposite half.

These recesses enable the two halves 1, 2 to be coupled together by axial displacement of one half relative to the other (Fig. 2).

More specifically, each projection is a tongue projecting axially from the deeper channel of a half 1, 2. This tongue is spaced from the shallower channel, so that an axially extending cut out recess is formed between the tongue and the channel. As shown by Fig. 3 the projection on one half's side edge region engages the recess on the other half's neighbouring side edge region, and vice-versa.

In the position in which the two parts are coupled together, they can be separated only by axial displacement and are locked in the radial direction, i.e. lateral or radial separation is blocked by the engagement.

As seen from Figs. 1 and 4 the projecting tongues are part of the common cylinder, and the coupled halves form this cylinder, with the tongues lying flush with adjacent areas.

The installation of the clamps and the pipes is very simple. Once the path to be followed by the pipe has been determined, the halves 1 of the clamps are fixed at suitable intervals with the aid of screws 4 or other conventional fastening means.

The lengths of piping are then attached by pressing them radially into the halves 1 which, as mentioned, include a deeper channel whose inside cross-section is slightly greater than 180 . The material of the channel pieces has a certain elasticity to enable the pipe 6 to be pressed in while temporarily spreading apart the side edge regions of the deeper channel. The pipe is thus provisionally fastened in the halves 1. The side edge regions may spring back sufficiently to apply a friction grip to the pipe.

The halves 2 are thereupon placed over the pipe, by pressing them on, and moved into position by axial displacement, so that the recesses 7 and 8 in the halves 1 and 2 are coupled together. Once the two halves 1 and 2 have been coupled, they can be separated only by displacing the half 2 in the axial direction.

It will be apparent that both the manner of coupling of the clamps and the fitting of the pipes in the halves 1 for provision fastening substantially facilitates the installation of piping. The pipe clamp shown is of very simple construction and to an extraordinary extent facilitates the installation of pipes, as compared with other clamps of known construction.

Claims (11)

1. A clamp for fastening a pipe to a supporting surface, comprising a pair of channel pieces for coupling together around a pipe with the channels thereof facing each other, and side edge regions of each piece neighbouring respective side edge regions of the other, one of the channel pieces being provided with means for fastening the supporting surface, the side edge regions of the channel pieces incorporating sets of complementary recesses and projections for coupling the channel pieces together, the sets being such that each pair of neighbouring side edge regions has at least a projection on one side edge region and at least a co-operating recess in the neighbouring side edge region, the projections and their co-operating recesses extending in reciprocal axial directions, thereby permitting coupling by axial displacement of one channel piece relative to the other, to engage the projections into the recesses, which engagement blocks radial disconnection of the coupled channel pieces.

2. Clamps according to claim 1 wherein at least part of the length of the channel piece which has means for fastening to a surface has a cross-section with a mouth between the side edge regions, which mouth is narrower than the channel interior width inwardly of the mouth, the channel piece being of resiliently deformable material, enabling insertion of a pipe laterally through the mouth by spreading apart the side edge regions, whereafter the side edge regions retain the pipe.

3. Clamp according to claim 1 wherein the channel pieces have a cross-section which is part circular.

4. Clamp according to claim 2 wherein the channel pieces have a cross-section which is part circular, and wherein over at least part of the length of the channel piece which has means for fastening to a surface, the crosssection of the channel piece extends circumferentially through more than 1 80 C.

5. Clamp according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the projections and recesses are disposed intermediately between axial ends of the channel pieces.

6. Clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein each side edge region of each channel piece incorporates both an axially extending projection and a recess extending in the reciprocal axial direction, the projection and recess being disposed intermediately between axial ends of the channel piece.

7. Clamp according to any of the preceding claims wherein each channel piece defines a relatively deeper channel for part of its length extending from one axial end of the channel piece, and a relatively shallower channel for the remainder of its length to the opposite axial end thereof, the projections and recesses being disposed at the transition between the shallower and deeper channels.

8. Clamp according to claim 7 wherein each side edge region of each channel piece incorporates a projection which is a tongue projecting axially from the relatively deeper channel alongside the relatively shallower channel, and spaced therefrom so as to define a recess between the shallow channel and the tongue.

9. Clamp according to claim 1 wherein each channel piece is of part circular crosssection, and comprises:~ a deeper portion extending from the first axial end of the channel piece for part of the length thereof, the deeper portion being part of a cylinder and extending circumferentially through more than 1 80' a shallower portion extending for the remainder of the length of the channel piece to the second axial end thereof the shallower portion also being part of the cylinder, but extending circumferentially through less than 180" each side edge region of each channel piece comprising a projection which is a tongue extending from the deeper portion axially towards the second axial end, but circumferenti ally spaced from the shallower portion, thereby defining a cut-out recess between the tongue and the shallower portion which recess extends towards the first axial end, each tongue also being part of the cylinder, whereby the channel pieces couple together with the deeper portion of each one opposite the shallower portion of the other, and with the projections of each one engaged in the recesses of the other, and flush with the other channel piece, so that the coupled channel pieces form a generally smooth cylinder around a pipe, each channel piece being of resiliently deformable material enabling radial insertion of a pipe into the deeper portions, by spreading apart the side edge regions thereof.

10. A clamp according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for fastening to a surface is a projecting hollow boss.

11. Clamp substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.