GB2171139A

GB2171139A - Apparatus for making a soffit for a feed-through ducting arrangement in a concrete wall

Info

Publication number: GB2171139A
Application number: GB08605637A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Werner Hauff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-05-20
Filing date: 1986-03-07
Publication date: 1986-08-20
Also published as: NL8400173A; IT1179677B; GB2171139B; DK118484D0; GB8605637D0; GB8407625D0; NO840840L; DK118484A; ES285592U; SE8402704L; IT8467502A0; ES285592Y; AT384692B; GB2140114A; ES282981Y; FR2546215B1; IT8467502A1; ATA2684A; FR2546215A1; CH663262A5

Abstract

Apparatus is described for making a shaped hole (5) in a concrete wall for conduits or pipes that pass through the wall in elastic fitting members. The shaped hole is formed by a form tube (14) screwed onto a liner tube (13.1), (13.2) and an anchor ring (7). Removable clamping caps (17) and shuttering (160) initially close the ends of the assembly. After the concrete has set the form tube (14) is unscrewed leaving the liner tube and anchoring ring in situ. <IMAGE>

Description

1 GB 2 171 139 A 1

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for making a soffit for a feed-through ducting arrangement in a concrete wall

This invention relates to apparatus for making a soff it in a concrete wall for mounting a feed-through ducting arrangement for feeding conduits such as cables, pipes or the like th rough an opening in the wall, the feed-through ducting comprising partially or entirely elastic fitting members which fill the empty space of the opening in the wall and which seal on the one hand against the conduits and on the other hand against the soffit of the wall opening to be filled, for which purpose the fitting members form conduit receiving means which are adapted in respect of shape and size to the individual conduit cross-sections. A pressing device is provided for elastically pressing the fitting members into the wall opening.

Feed-through ducting arrangements of the kind setforth above are disclosed in German Patent Specification No. 958,671 and DE-OS No. 26 54 806. They are generally used to form a fire proofing closure or termination by means of which conduit runs between different fire interception sectors which are separated from each other by the wall are partitioned off in a fire-resistant manner. Besides affording the maximum fire-resistant period of time, the ducting arrangement should also have the property of providing the best possible sea[ for the conduit ducting arrangements, in respect of water, gas and smoke.

The known arrangements include a frame assembly which encloses a substantially box- shaped space which is open in the direction of the ducting arrangement, and which, with its inwardly directed peripheral surface, forms the soff it against which the fitting members bear and are pressed. The pressing device which serves to produce the pressing action, like the fitting members themselves, is arranged within the empty space defined by the frame assembly, and can be spread by means of screw bolts in the plane of the frame assembly. More particularly, in the ducting arrangement disclosed in German Patent 110 Specification No. 958,671, the frame assembly is a metal frame assembly which is fitted into the wall by being cast, welded or built thereinto and which must be built into the wall when the wall is being built, while the conduits are generally only laid at a later date, or alternatively sufficiently large openings have to be left in the wall for the metal frame, into which the frame is subsequently cast or built, which must be done with a great deal of care so that, in the finished installed condition, the frame ensures 120 sufficient fire-proofing and an adequate seal in respect of gas and water, with respect to the wall.

The pressing device fills a part of the space within the frame and comprises on the one hand a screw which is anchored in the metal frame and which applies pressure to the fitting members by way of a metal plate which lies thereon, and thus presses the fitting members together, and on the other hand, a pressing member which fills the empty space above the metal plate and which can be spread by means of screw bolts in the plane of the frame assembly so that the pressing member seals against the metal plate and against the soff it portion of the frame assembly on the side of the metal plate which is remote from the fitting members. The considerable amount of expenditure which is involved in casting, welding or building the frame arrangement into the opening in the wall is avoided in the case of the assembly disclosed.in DE-OS No. 26 54 806, in that the frame is in the form of an extruded section and comprises a material which is capable of limited elastic deformation such as for example natural or synthetic rubber, and the extruded section has a steadily curved outside peripheral surface which is cylindrical or which approximates to a cylindrical form. The pressing device comprises at leastfour components which are of a wedge-shaped profile and which, in the assembled condition, also fill up a part of the empty space within the frame, wherein two wedge members which are directed in the direction of the feedthrough ducting arrangement have, passing therethrough, one or more screw bolts provided with support plates or washers, and two further wedge members act on two oppositely disposed surface portions of the soff it of the frame assembly. As the frame comprises a material which is capable of limited elastic deformation, under the action of the pressing device, it is automatically sealed against a suitably shaped opening in the wall or may be sealing ly.fitted into a pipe or into a core drilling which is subsequently formed in the wall.

The above-indicated known ducting arrangements have been successful in practice, but they suffer from the disadvantage that they require a frame which is completely closed in the peripheral direction, and a considerable part of the space within the frame assembly is not available for passing conduits therethrough, as that part of the space is taken up by the pressing device.

The invention is based on the problem of so designing apparatus for making a soff it in a concrete wall for mounting a feed-through ducting arrangement of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, that the pressing device is arranged outside the empty space of the opening of the wall, and therefore the wall opening is available in its entirety for passing conduits therethrough.

A very important requirement for successful use of the ducting arrangement in relation to concrete walls is the provision of a smooth and hole-free soff it surface on the wall opening, as a sealing seat for the fitting members which are to be pressed thereagainst when the ducting arrangement is in the fully assembled condition.

According to the invention, apparatus for making a soffit in a concrete wall for mounting a feedthrough ducting arrangement for feeding conduits or pipes through the wall in entirely or partially elastic fitting members in an empty space within the soffit comprises a liner tube, a form tube which is releasably screwed thereto and which moulds the required soffit, the form tube having an outside wall which converges in accordance with a desired shape of the soffit for receiving the said members, the convergence being towards the liner tube onto 2 GB 2 171 139 A 2 which the form tube is screwed, an anchor ring which surrounds the end of the form tube which is remote from the liner tube and which is arranged for the form tube to be released from the anchor ring after concrete poured round the liner tube, form tube and anchor ring to form the wall has hardened while the form tube is unscrewed f rom the liner tube to expose the moulded soffit and to leave the anchor ring in position to receive a pressing device for pressing the said members into the soffit.

Accordingly, the liner tube and the anchor ring form what might be called lost shuttering or form portions which remain in the wall, while the form tube, after the concrete has set, is screwed out of the wall opening to expose the soffit in order to make the soff it freely accessible so that it can be inspected for holes or other defects and, if required, subsequently made good. Then, after the conduits have been introduced through the wall opening, the fitting members only have to be fitted into the soffit and subjected to pressure by means of a clamping ring which in turn is braced with respect to the anchor ring. Moreover, in an advantageous embodiment, the form tube is also screwed to the anchor ring, in addition to being screwed to the liner 90 tube, and both screwthreads have the same direction and pitch so that, when the form tube is unscrewed, it is released at the same time both from the liner tube and from the anchor ring. In addition, as viewed from the form tube, on the other side of the screwthread which serves to screw together with the liner tube and the form tube, the liner tube - may be provided with outwardly directed projections for anchoring the linertube in the concrete wall. Likewise, the anchor ring may be provided at its edge with outwardly projecting projections which are provided both for fitting a plurality of anchor rings together in juxtaposition and also for anchoring the anchor ring in the wall.

Moreover, there is the possibility, which is highly advantageous in regard to fitting a plurality of anchor rings together in that way, of the outside configuration of the anchor ring being square or rectangular.

The invention is described in greater detail 110 hereinafter with reference to examples of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-.

Figure 1 shows a view in axial section through a feed-through ducting arrangement, in the finished conditior! of being fitted in a concrete wall; - Figure 2 shows a front view of the ducting arrangement shown in Figure 1, viewing in the direction of the arrow 11 shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a view in axial section, corresponding to that shown in Figure 1, of an apparatus for making a soffitforthe ducting arrangement shown in Figure 1 in a concrete wall; Figure 4 shows a view in axial section through yet another embodiment of a ducting arrangement also in the finished condition of being fitted in a concrete wall; Figure 5 shows a perspective view only of fitting members in the ducting arrangement shown in Figure4;and Figures 6 to 11 show perspective views similar to Figure 5 respectively of further forms of fitting member.

For the sake of greater clarity, the respective Figures of drawings show only individual conduits 1, or a small number thereof. The conduits 1 extend through an opening 2 in a concrete wall 3. 1, as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4. The feed-through ducting arrangement itself comprises completely or partially elastic fitting members 4 and 4', for example of neoprene, which fill up the empty space formed by the wall opening 2. The fitting members 4 and 4' are sealed on the one hand against the conduits 1 and on the other hand against the soffit 5 of the wall opening 2 which is to be filled, and obviously also against each other. The sealing effect is essentially produced by the fitting members which are denoted by reference numeral 4 forming conduit receiving means 120 which are adapted in respect of shape and size to the individual conduit cross-sections, thereby affording the possibility of bearing sealingly under pressure against the conduits 1. In addition, if the fitting members 4 extend as far as the soffit 5, as shown in Figures 4 to 11, the fitting members 4 may finally also bear sealingly against the soff it 5, under the sealing pressure. However, there is also the possibility, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, of providing particular fitting members 4' atthe edges, which provide the sea[ against the.soffit 5. At any event, the sealing pressure required is applied by a pressing device for elastically pressing the fitting members 4 and 4' into the opening 2 in the wall.

More particularly, the internal cross-section of the wall opening 2 reduces from one side of the wall to the other, being therefore from left to right in the section views shown in the drawings, for which purpose the soffit surfaces extend in a pyramid-like or frustoconical configuration. The external peripheral surfaces of the fitting members 4 and 4', which bear against the soff it 5, are adapted to the above-indicated shape and inclination of the soffit surface. The pressing device essentially comprises a clamping flange 6 which extends along the periphery of the opening 2 on the side of the wall at which the opening 2 is of larger cross-section. The clamping flange 6 at least partially engages over the fitting members 4 and 4', on the front end thereof, from the edge of the opening in the wall, and presses them axially into the opening 2 in the wall when the clamping flange 6 is tightened axially towards the wall 3.1 or 3.2.

The soffit 5 is formed directly at least by a portion of the wall opening 2 itself. The edge of the soffit which is at the side of the wall at which the opening 2 is of larger cross-section faces towards an anchor ring 7 which is let into the wall opening 2 f lush with the outside of the wall, and towards which the clamping flange 6 can be urged for applying pressure to the fitting members 4 and 4'. For that purpose, in the illustrated embodiments, the anchor ring 7 is provided at its inward peripheral surface with a female screwthread 8 into which fits a male screwthread 9 on the clamping flange 6. At its face, the clamping flange 6 has holes 10forfitting a key or 3 GB 2 171 139 A 3 tool (not shown) for turning the clamping flange 6.

The male screwthread 9 is disposed on a collar portion 11 of the clamping flange 6. Rabbet-like recesses 12 are provided in the fitting members 4 and 4'for receiving the collar portion 11 so that the collar portion 11, engaging into the recesses 12, embraces the fitting members 4 and 4' in an annular configuration and also holds them together at the location where they project axially out of the opening 2 in the wall. When the clamping ring 6 is rotated in the tightening direction in the anchor ring 7, then the clamping ring 6 urges the fitting members 4 and 4' axially deeper into the reducing wall opening 2 whereby the fitting members 4 and 4' are more firmly pressed together and a higher sealing pressure is produced between the fitting members 4 and 4'themselves, the fitting members 4,4' and the conduits 1 and finally between the fitting members 4 and ' respectively and the soffit 5 of the opening 2 in the wall.

In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 4 to 10, the fitting members 4, being of a one-piece construction throughout in a radial direction, fill the cross-section of the wall opening by a sector-like or sector portion-like configuration. For that purpose, 90 the fitting members 4 have joint or separating surfaces 16.1 and 16.3 which, from the surface 114 which bears against the soffit 5, extend inwardly towards the axis 115 of the wall opening 2. The conduit receiving means 120 are disposed at the surfaces 16.1 and 16.3; the joint surfaces, as in the case of the surfaces 16.3, may terminate in the respective conduit receiving means 120 or, as in the case of the surfaces 16.1, may cut through the conduit receiving means 120. The latter case is shown in the embodiments illustrated in Figures 4 to 10, while the former situation is shown in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 11.

In that arrangement, a plurality of conduit receiving means 120 may be disposed along a joint surface 16.1, being cut thereby, as shown in Figures 8 and 10. It will be appreciated that the cross sections of such conduit receiving means 120 are naturally smaller, for reasons of space, than in the case of a joint surface 16.1 which has only a single conduit receiving means. In particular, the arrangement may have only joint surfaces 16.1 which intersect conduit receiving means 120, as shown in Figure 6, but generally, in addition, there are also joint surfaces 16.2 at which there are no conduit receiving means 120 at all, as shown in Figures 5 and 7 to 10.

The joint surfaces 16.1 and 16.2 may extend as far as the axis 115 of the wall opening, as shown in Figures 5 to 8. It is also possible however for the surfaces 16.1 and 16.2 to extend only as far as a central aperture 117 which is enclosed by the fitting members 4, as shown in Figure 9. The central aperture 117 may also serve as a conduit receiving means atwhich the joint surfaces 16.1 and 16.2 terminate. However, the central aperture 117 may also accommodate a clamping tie member or anchor member 119 which seals against the inward peripheral surfaces 118 of the fitting members 4, that form the central aperture 117, and which 130 connects two clamping flanges 200 which, disposed on both sides of the fitting members 4 in the axial direction of the arrangement, engage radially outwardly over the fitting members 4 at their edges which form the central aperture 117, and thereby prevent axial displacement of the radially inward ends of the sector-shaped fitting members 4 relative to each other, which has a highly advantageous effect in stabilising the overall assembly of the fitting members 4, particularly when the crosssection of the wall opening 2 which is to be closed by the fitting members 4 and/or the pressure difference which is to be sealed off by the ducting arrangement is large.

Finally, there is the possibility which is shown in Figure 11 of all joint surfaces 16.3 terminating at a respective one of the conduit receiving means 120, with the fitting members 4 being formed in one piece with each other in the central region 210 between the conduit receiving means 120. The onepiece nature of the assembly in the central region 210 thereof provides a similarly stabilising effect as the tie member 119 described with reference to Figure 10. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 11, the elasticity of the material used permits the joint surfaces 16.3 which open into the conduit receiving means 120 to be spread apart elastically as far as is required for inserting the conduits 1 radially inwardly into the conduit receiving means 120.

The apparatus shown in Figure 3, for making the soffit 5 for a ducting arrangement as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4 in the concrete wall 3.1 includes a liner tube 13, a form tube 14 which is releasably screwed thereto and which forms the subsequent soffit 5, the form tube 14 having an outside wall which converges in accordance with the desired soff it towards the liner tube 13, to form a narrower outer cross-section, and finally, the anchor ring 7 which is carried on the end of the form tube 14 which is remote from the liner tube 13, and which is released from the form tube 13 when, with the apparatus being cast in the concrete wall 3.1, after the concrete has set, the form tube 14 is unscrewed from the liner tube 13 in order to expose the soff it 5, to inspect the soff it and if necessary to make the soff it 5 good as a sealing seat for the fitting members 4 or 4'. The form tube 14 is also screwed to the anchof ring 7, besides being screwed to the liner tube 13. Both screwthreads 8 and 15 have the same direction and thread pitch so that, on being screwed out, the form tube 14 is released simultaneously both from the liner tube 13 and from the anchor ring 7 which both remain in the concrete wall 3.1. In particular, as in the embodiment illustrated, the liner tube 13 may comprise two telescopically movable members 13.1 and 13.2 which are secured together by adhesive means at a length which is defined by the thickness of the wall, so that the overall length of the apparatus including the form tube 14 and the anchor ring 7 precisely corresponds to the subsequent wall thickness, and the apparatus can therefore be fitted between two wall forms or shutterings 160, without requiring apertures therethrough. The openings at the ends of both the form tube 14 and the liner tube 13 may be 4 GB 2 171 139 A 4 temporarily closed by clamping caps 17 in order to 45 prevent concrete from penetrating into the empty space formed by the form and liner tubes 13 and 14.

The screwthread 15 on the liner tube 13, which carries the form tube 14, is disposed on the part 13.2 of the liner tube 13, which is on the inside. In addition, disposed on the part 13.2 of the liner tube 13, on the far side of the screwthread 15, as viewed from the form tube 14, are outwardly directed projections 18, for example in the form of a collar, which permit the liner tube 13 to be anchored in the 55 concrete wall 3.1. In the position of the form tube 14 shown in Figure 3, in which it is screwed on to the linertube 13, the form tube 14 may be sealed with respect to the linertube 13 by means of a sealing ring 19 in orderto prevent concrete from penetrating into the screwthread 15 between the liner tube 13 and the form tube 14. Similarly, a seal may also be provided between the form tube 14 and the anchor ring 7. The form tube 14 also has recesses 21 at its end, for fitting a key ortool. Finally, 65 as Figures 1 to 3 also show, the anchor ring 7 may be provided at its edge with outwardly projecting projections 22 which on the one hand serve to anchor it in the wall 3.1 and which on the other hand can be formed so that a plurality of anchor rings 7 can be fitted together in juxtaposition, which is particularly simple when, as shown in Figure 2, the external configuration of the anchor ring 7 is rectangular or square.

It will be seen directly from Figure 2 and Figures 4 to 11 that, except for small wedge portions remaining at the edge, which in Figure 2 are formed by the fitting members 4', the entire area of the opening of the ducting arrangement is available for fitting conduits 1 therein, and the ducting arrangement according to the invention therefore has a useful area of optimum size, while at the same time requiring only a small area in the building structure.

The present specification is divided from the 85 specification of GB 2140114 in which the claims are directed specifically to the feed-through ducting arrangement.

Claims

1. Apparatus for making a soffit in a concrete wall for mounting a feedthrough ducting arrangement for feeding conduits or pipes through the wall in entirely or partially elastic fitting members in an empty space within the soffit, the apparatus comprising a liner tube, a form tube which is releasably screwed thereto and which moulds the required soffit, the form tube having an outside wall which converges in accordance with a desired shape of the soffit for receiving the said members, the convergence being towards the liner tube onto which the form tube is screwed, an anchor ring which surrounds the end of the form tube which is remote from the liner tube and which is arranged for the form tube to be released from the anchor ring after concrete poured round the liner tube, form tube and anchor ring to form the wall has hardened while the form tube is unscrewed from the liner tube to expose the moulded soffit and to leave the anchor ring in position to receive a pressing device for pressing the said members into the soffit.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, in which the form tube is also screwed to the anchor ring, in addition to being screwed to the liner tube, and both screwthreads have the same direction and pitch.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which as viewed from the form tube beyond the screwthread which serves to screw together the liner tube and the form tube, the liner tube is provided with outwardly directed projections for anchoring the liner tube in the concrete wall when the concrete has hardened.

4. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the anchor ring is provided at its outer edge with outwardly projecting projections which are provided forfitting a plurality of anchor rings together in juxtaposition and.for anchoring in the wall.

5. Apparatus for making a soffit in a connecting wall for mounting a ducting arrangement according to Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Courier Press, Leamington Spa, 811986. Demand No. 8817356. Published by the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A lAY, from which copies may be obtained.