GB2237614A

GB2237614A - Safety device for protecting concealed wires and pipes

Info

Publication number: GB2237614A
Application number: GB9012528A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William V Bernson
Original assignee: ANGLO BUILDING Co SUPPLIE
Current assignee: ANGLO BUILDING Co SUPPLIE
Priority date: 1989-10-17
Filing date: 1990-06-05
Publication date: 1991-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 2010-06-05
Also published as: GB2237614B; GB8923388D0; GB9012528D0

Abstract

A safety device for protecting concealed wires and pipes comprises a galvanised steel plate (10) with four triangularly shaped, pointed prongs (14) stamped outwardly therefrom to project perpendicularly to the plane of the plate. <IMAGE>

Description

Safety Device for Protecting Concealed Wires and Pipes This invention relates to a safety device for protecting concealed wires and pipes.

It is generally known that accidents can occur when wires and/or pipes which are hidden in wall, ceiling and floor structures are penetrated by nails or the like, during cladding of the wall or ceiling structure or subsequently when wall, ceiling and floor fittings are fixed in place, because the exact locations of the wires and/or pipes are unknown.

When such an accident occurs, the cost of repair is substantial and time is lost waiting for the repair to be effected. There is also a risk of injury, especially if an electrical wire is penetrated by a nail, whilst major damage to a building and its furnishings can occur if a water pipe is penetrated, especially if the accident is not initially detected and prolonged leakage occurs.

It is an object of this invention to provide a safety device which can be used to minimise the risks of accidents of the above-described kind.

According to the invention, there is provided a safety device for protecting concealed wires and pipes, comprising a flat steel plate having, distributed on opposite sides of a centre line.across the plate, a plurality of pointed prongs projecting perpendicularly to the plane of the plate on one side of said plate, each prong being of isosceles triangular shape with a shorter side in the plane of the plate and two longer sides leading to the point.

A preferred device is a generally rectangular, galvanised steel plate with rounded corners, and four pointed prongs stamped outwards from the plate adjacent but inwardly of the four corners, so that the prongs are symmetrically arranged with respect to the longitudinal and transverse centre lines across the plate.

Pointed prongs, say about 1 cm or slightly less in length tapering over their entire lengths7 are important to avoid splitting the timber wall, ceiling or floor structure to which the device will be fixed over a wire or pipe.

In the preferred device, the short sides of the prongs where said prongs are joined to the plate preferably lie parallel to the transverse centre line across the plate and the points of the triangular apertures left in the plate are all directed away from this transverse centre line.

The latter feature is important to reduce risk of the prongs bending and flattening down behind the plate when the device is fixed in position, i.e. by hammering the plate to drive the prongs into the timber.

A practical embodiment of safety device in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the device in underplan view; Figure 2 shows the device in longitudinal side view; Figure 3 shows the device in end view; and Figure 4 shows a series of devices in use as wire and pipe guards.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the device comprises a generally rectangular, galvanised steel, flat plate 10 with rounded corners 12 having stamped outwardly therefrom four pointed prongs 14, say just under 1 cm in length, which project from one side of the plate perpendicularly to the plane of the plate.

The prongs 14 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal and transverse centre lines across the plate, just inwardly of the plate corners 12.

Each prong has the shape of an isosceles triangle, with a shorter side in the plane of the plate where the prong adjoins said plate, and two longer sides leading to the point. The stamping outwardly of the prongs leaves corresponding triangular apertures 16 in the plate which have their short sides parallel to the transverse centre line across the plate and their points also directed away from said centre line.

Figure 4 shows a series of the devices 18 in use at a timber wall structure to cover a wire 20 and a pipe 22 which will be concealed during and after cladding.

It will be appreciated that the relative dimensions of the plate are not necessarily as illustrated. For example, if in Figure 4 the wire and the pipe were to be located more closely together, longer devices could be employed to span both the wire and the pipe with a single fixing.

Various other modifications of the device are also possible within the scope of the invention hereinbefore defined.

Claims

1. A safety device for protecting concealed wires and pipes, comprising a flat steel plate having, distributed on opposite sides of a centre line across the plate, a plurality of pointed prongs projecting perpendicularly to the plane of the plate on one side of said plate, each prong being of isosceles triangular shape with a shorter side in the plane of the plate and two longer sides leading to the point.

2. A safety device according to claim 1, having a pair of prongs on each side of the first mentioned centre line across the plate, and wherein the prongs of each pair lie on opposite sides of a second centre line across the plate perpendicular to the first mentioned centre line.

3. A safety device according to claim 2, wherein the prongs are symmetrically arranged with respect to both the first and second centre lines.

4. A safety device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the prongs are stamped out of the area of the plate, leaving triangular apertures therein.

5. A safety device according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plate is generally rectangular with rounded corners.

6. A safety device according to claim 5 when appendant to claim 2, wherein the prongs are symmetrically positioned adjacent but inwardly of the four corners of the plate.

7. A safety device according to claim 6, wherein the first mentioned centre line is perpendicular to the length of the plate and the short sides of all the prongs extend parallel to said centre line.

8. A safety device according to claim 7 when appendant to claim 4, wherein the points of the triangular apertures left in the plate are all directed away from said centre line.

9. A safety device according to any of claims 1 to 8, having a prong length of approximately 1 cm or slightly less.

10. A safety device according to any of claims 1 to 9, wholly made of galvanised steel.

11. A safety device for protecting concealed wires and pipes substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.