GB2237371A

GB2237371A - Heated towel rails for radiators

Info

Publication number: GB2237371A
Application number: GB8918794A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith John Munro
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-08-17
Filing date: 1989-08-17
Publication date: 1991-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 2009-08-17
Also published as: GB8918794D0; GB2237371B

Abstract

A towel rail comprises a length of tubing (6) with portions at each of its ends turned through substantially 90 DEG , and a connecting means (1) for connecting the ends of the tube (6) in a water-tight manner to coupling sockets provided on the opposite top corners of a domestic central heating radiator 5. <IMAGE>

Description

Heated Towel Rail This invention relates to a heated towel rail.

It is common practice to drape damp towels cr items of clothing over the top of domestic central heating radiators, in order to dry or air these items. However, the practice greatly reduces the efficiency of the radiator in keeping the room warm, because the towels etc impede the flow of air over the radiator.

It is known to provide a towel rail in the form of 2 metal fitting which clips onto the top of the domestic central heating raciator. This is an inexpensive arrangement for providing a rail adjacent the radiator, on which rail towels etc can be hung, but the rail has the disadvantage that it is not directly heated.

It is known to provide a rail or rails as an integral part of a radiator. It s further known to provide a separate, purpose-built tubing arrangement which does not include a radiator but is exclusively for drying towels etc, and this tubing may be included in cr separate from the domestic central heating system. However, although both 2: these arrangements have the advantage of being directly heated, they are both expensive.

I have now devised a simple and inexpensive towel rail which can be assembled easily to a conventional radiator and will be directly heated by hot water from the radiator passing through it.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a towel rail which comprises a length of tubing with portions at each of its ends turned through substantially 9Oc, which end portions are short compared with the length of the intermediate portion, and connecting means for connecting the ends of the tube in water-tight manner to coupling sockets provided on a domestic central heating radiator at its opposite top corners.

Also in accordance with this invention, there is provided a towel rail when assembled to a domestic central heating radiator, the radiator having coupling sockets at its opposite top corners, the towel rail comprising a length of tubing connected at its opposite ends to the radiator in watertight manner via said coupling sockets.

Preferably the ends of the towel rail are fitted to the centre of respective tubular T-connectors, and a bolt exends through each of these and is screwed into the coupling socket of the radiator: each bolt has a blind bore extending longitudinally from its screw-threaded end and communicating with a transverse bore part way along its shank.

An embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference te the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a view of a radiator fitted with a towel rail in accordance with this invention and installed against a wall in a central heating system; FIGURE 2 is a side elevaion or one of two takeoff bolts of the towei-rail; FIGURE 3 is a sice elevation of the head end of the other take-off bolt; FIGURE 4 is an end elevation of the head end of the bolt shown in Figure 4; FIGURE 5 its a section through the connection of one end of the towel rail ts the radiator; and FIGURE 6 is a pian view of the towel rail fitted to the radiator.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a conventional radiator 5 installed in a central heating system.

The radiator includes four tubular coupling sockets, one in each corner and each directed outwardly towards the adjacent vertical edge of the radiator. The two couplings at the bottom of the radiator are connected to the pipes of the central heating system. The coupling sockets at the top of the radiator are normally closed off by means of screw threaded blanking plugs screwed into the internally threaded ends of the respective sockets.

In accordance with this invention, the blanking plugs are unscrewed from the two coupling sockets at the top of the radiator (afer the two valves at the bottom of the radiator have been closed, if the radiator is already installed), and a towel rail 6 is mounted to the radiator via these top coupling sockets as described below.

The towel rail 6 comprises a length of tubing (e.g. 22mm copper tube) with its ends bent through 900 and fitted into the centre of respective tubular T-connectors 1, which may comprise standard 22mm s-joints. The tubing may be secured and sealed to the T-connectors 1 by brazing, as shown at 10. Instead of bending the tubing, straight length may be joined to two short end lengths by elbow joints.

The opposite ends of the towel rail 6 are coupled to the radiator 5 using take-off bolts as shown in Figures 2 to 4, which are passed thorugh the T-connectors 1 and screwed into the tubular coupling sockets of the radiator 5. Each bolt comprises a single brass rod, which is formed with a longitudinal blind bore from one end, which end is formed with an external screw thread 8. The other end of the bolt is formed with a hexagonal head and intermediate its ends the bolt is formed with an annular groove through which a transverse 12 is drilled into the longitudinal bore of the bolt. One of the bolts has a tapped bore through its head, which receives a bleed nipple 9, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Each bolt 7 is a sliding fit through the T-connector land, in assembling the towel rail to the radiator, plastics washers 2,3 are fitted on the bolt either end of he T-connector 1 so that, when the bolt 7 is tightened, a water-tight seal is formed between one end of the connector 1 and the radiator and between the other end of the connector and the head of the bolt.

Claims

1) A towel rail comprising a length of tubing with portions at each of its ends turned through substantially 900, which end portions are short compared with the length of the intermediate portion, and connecting means for connecting tyhe ends of the tube in water-tight manner to coupling sockets provided on a domestic central heating radiator at its opposite corners.

2) A towel rail assembled to a domestic central heating radiator, the radiator having coupling sockets at its opposite top corners, the towel rail comprising a length of tubing connected at its opposite ends to ti radiator in watertight manner via said coupling sockets.

3) A towel rail as claimed in any preceding claim in which the ends of the towel rail are fitted to the centre of respective tubular T-connectors.

4) A towel rail as claimed in claim 3 in which a bolt extends through each of the tubular T-connectors and is screwed into the coupling socket of the radiator.

5) A towel rail as claimed in claim 4 in which the bolt has a blind bore extending longitudinally from its screwthreaded end and communicating with a transverse bore part way along its shank.

6) A towel rail as claimed in claim 5 in which the bolt has a tapped bore through its head for receiving a bleed nipple.

7) A towel rail as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6 in which plastics washers are fitted on the bolt at either end of the T-connector.

8) A towel rail substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.