GB2365941A

GB2365941A - Protective sleeving

Info

Publication number: GB2365941A
Application number: GB0020188A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ewan George Lawrence Reid
Original assignee: Balmoral Group Ltd
Current assignee: Balmoral Group Ltd
Priority date: 2000-08-16
Filing date: 2000-08-16
Publication date: 2002-02-27
Also published as: GB0020188D0

Abstract

Protective sleeving 10 for protecting elongated objects, such as a pipe or cable, from impact and damage comprises a series of cylindrical elongated synthetic plastic components 10 arranged end to end around the object to be protected. Normally the protected object would be of circular cross section so as to engage a longitudinal inner bore surface 20 throughout the length of each component. The components 10 are joined to one another by the interengagement of complementary spigot portions 14 and bores 17 at the ends of adjacent components 10. Each sleeving component is composed of individual sections 11, 12 which are connected to one another by means of elongated projections 27 snugly fitted in complementary openings 30 and disposed in longitudinal sets or rows spaced apart in a radial sense from one another.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> PROTECTIVE SLEEVING The present invention is concerned with protective sleeving for surrounding and protecting elongate objects such as hoses, pipes and cables.

In many applications, particularly in marine installations, it is desirable to provide a means of protecting such elongate objects from impact and damage.

An object of the invention is to provide protective sleeving of versatile design easily fitted to the elongate object to be protected, yet capable of being released to provide access to the object from time to time.

In accordance with the invention, protective sleeving is composed of a series of cylindrical elongate synthetic plastics components arranged end-to-end and surrounding an elongate object to be protected. The components are joined to one another by interengagement of complementary spigot portions and bores at the ends of adjacent components and by bands fitted in external grooves to surround the interengaged spigot portions and bores. Preferably, the spigot portions and bores have a grooved and ribbed configuration or undulations to interlock with one another in the 63-al sense. Each component is itself composed of a number of sections separable along a diametric plane relative to the protected object therein or the axis of the component. The individual sections are connected to one another by means of projections snugly fitted in openings. In a preferred design, the projections and openings are elongate and orientated axially of the protected object or the ceripoiien:. The projections and openings may be provided in sets or rows which are offset in a radial sense from one another.

Two such sections may make up one component of the sleeving so each section is then a half-section. Normally the elongate object protected by the components making up the sleeving would have a circular cross-section. The components and the sections making up the components would then define an inner bore surface of circular configuration to match the outer diameter of the elongate object. It is however possible for the elongate object to have cross-sections which are non-circular. The inner bore surface of the components and the sections would then have some other configuration to match that of the object.

The invention may be understood more readily, and various other features of the invention may become apparent, from consideration of the following description. Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete sleeving component constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the sections of the component shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of another complete sleeving component constructed in accordance with the invention; and . . Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the sections of the component shown in Figure 3.

As shown in Figure 1, a sleeving component 10 is of elongate cylindrical form and is composed of two complementary sections 11,12 joined together and separable from one another along a central axial plane 13. One end of the component 10 is

provided with a cylindrical spigot portion 14 of reduced diameter. The spigot portion 14 has external circular grooves 15 separated by ribs 16.

As shown best in Figure 2, at the opposite end of the component 10 there is a complementary bore 17 which is also provided with circular grooves 18 separated by ribs 19. The spigot portion 14 of the component 10 as depicted is designed to fit within the bore 17 at the end of another component 10, while the bore 17 of the component 10 as depicted is designed to receive the spigot portion 14 of a further component 10. The provision of the grooves and ribs 15, 16, 18, 19 enable the spigot portion 14 to be locked as a force fit within the bore 17. The components 10 are thus connected axially and continuously in end-to-end relationship surrounding an object such as a pipe or cable to be protected (not shown). The protected object would be of circular cross-section so as to engage with a longitudinal inner bore surface 20 throughout the length of each component 10. The surface 20 extends through the spigot portion 14, but terminates adjacent the bore 17. The outer surface 21 of the component 10 is smooth and continuous throughout the length of the component except for a circular groove 22 surrounding the bore 17, the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter.

As can also be seen in Figure 2, one of the sections 12 of the component 10 has one half of the spigot portion 14, one half of the bore 17 and one half of the inner bore surface 20 of the complete component 10. The section 12 has a semicircular wall 23 defining the associated part of the inner bore surface 20 and of the outer surface 21 of the section 12. The wall 23 also defines one half of the spigot portion 14 and one half of the bore 17, as shown. The wall 23 has longitudinal terminal

surfaces 24,25 lying on a diametric plane defining the axial plane 13. The surface 24 is provided with two longitudinal rows 25,26 of elongate projections 27 offset from one another in a radial sense. The surface 25 is provided with two longitudinal rows 28,29 of elongate openings 30 likewise offset from one another in a radial sense. The radial offset between the rows 25, 26 and 28, 29 is the same as is the longitudinal spacing between the individual projections 27 and openings 30. The other section 11 is formed in a complementary manner so that the surface 24 with the projections 27 mates with the surface 25 with the openings 30 and vice versa. The dimensions of the individual openings 30 and projections 27 are substantially identical to the extent that the projections 27 fit snugly into the openings 30. The sections 11,12 can thus be joined together to engage the projections 27 in the openings 30. Bands (not shown) are fitted into the grooves 22 of the assembled components so the spigot portions 14 and the bores 17 are releasably clamped together along the object to be protected.

In a modified design, the castellated projections 27 on the surface 24 and the corresponding openings 30 may be interspersed so that a projection 27 in one row 25,26 lies between two openings 30 in that row 25,26. The surface 25 then has a matching configuration with interspersed projections 27 and openings 30 in the rows 28,29, but offset axially so the projections 27 on the surfaces 24,25 match up with openings 30 on the opposite surfaces 25,26.

The sections 11,12 are moulded front a polyurethan-_ prerably of HL1i performance quality, suitable for use in marine applications and the bands are made from titanium or Inconel 625. Typical sizes for the component 10 are a range of

internal diameters for the bore surface 20 from 12mm to 800mm and lengths of 1M 1.5M and 2M.

The component 10 shown in Figures 3 and 4 is essentially the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2 and, hence, like reference numerals are used to denote the same features. In contrast to the embodiment shown in Figures l and 2 which has a smooth exterior outer surface 21, the component 10 in Figures 3 and 4 has a plurality of longitudinal ribs 35 which enable the component 10 to be locked onto some other structure such as a buoyancy aid.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Protective sleeving for surrounding an elongate object to be protected; said sleeving being composed of a series of cylindrical elongate synthetic plastics components arranged end-to-end, the components being joined to one another by the interengagement of complementary spigot portions and bores at the ends of adjacent components and by bands fitted in external grooves to surround the interengaged spigot portions and bores; wherein each sleeving component is composed of individual sections separable along a radial or diametric plane relative to the axis of the component and the sections are connected to one another by means of elongate projections snugly fitted in complementary openings.
2. Protective sleeving for surrounding an elongate object to be protected; said sleeving being composed of a series of cylindrical elongate synthetic plastics components arranged end-to-end, the components being joined to one another by the interengagement of complementary spigot portions and bores at the ends of adjacent components and by bands fitted in external grooves to surround the interengaged spigot portions and bores; wherein each sleeving component is composed of individual sections separable along a radial or diametric plane relative to the axis of the component and the sections are connected to one another by means of projections snugly fitted in complementary openings and disposed in longitudinal sets or rows spaced apart from one another.

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3. Sleeving according to claim 1, wherein the projection and openings are in longitudinal sets or rows offset in a radial sense from one another.
4. Sleeving according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the projections and openings are orientated axially of the associated sleeving component. 5. Sleeving according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each component is composed of two half sections. 6. Sleeving according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the components and the sections making up the components collectively define an inner bore surface of circular configuration. 7. Sleeving according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the spigot portions and bores at the ends of the components have a grooved or ribbed configuration or Y undulations to interlock with one another in an axial sense. 8. Sleeving according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the exterior of each of the components is smooth. 9. Sleeving according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the exterior of each of the components is ribbed.

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10. An assemblable component for use in creating sleeving for surrounding an elongate object, said component being composed of a main body of elongate cylindrical form and made from synthetic plastics material, a spigot portion of reduced cross-section at one end of the main body, a cross-section bore at the other end of the main body adapted to receive a similar spigot portion of another components, an exterior groove or depression disposed around the bore for receiving a locking band wherein the component is of multi-part construction with individual sections separable or joinable together along radial or diametric planes and the individual sections are releasably joined together by means of elongate projections snugly fitting into complementary openings. 11. An assemblable component for use in creating sleeving for surrounding an elongate object, said component being composed of a main body of elongate cylindrical form and made from synthetic plastics material, a spigot portion of reduced cross-section at one end of the main body, a cross-section bore at the other end of the main body adapted to receive a similar spigot portion of another components, an exterior groove or depression disposed around the bore for receiving a locking band wherein the component is of multi-part construction with individual sections separable or joinable together along radial or diametric planes and the individual sections are releasably joined together by means of projections snugly fitting into complementary openings, the projections and openings being offset into longitudinal rows.

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12. A component according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the spigot portion and the bore have a grooved or ribbed configuration or undulations to interlock with one another in an axial sense. 13. Sleeving or multi-part or individual components thereof substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figure 1 or 2 of the accompanying drawings.

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Amendments to the claims have been riled as follows CLAIMS 1. Protective sleeving for surrounding an elongate object to be protected; said sleeving being composed of a series of cylindrical elongate synthetic plastics components arranged end-to-end, the components being joined to one another by the interengagement of complementary spigot portions and bores at the ends of adjacent components and by bands fitted in external grooves to surround the interengaged spigot portions and bores; wherein each sleeving component is composed of individual sections separable along a radial or diametric plane relative to the axis of the component and the sections are connected to one another by means of projections snugly fitted in complementary openings and disposed in longitudinal sets or rows spaced apart from one another. 2. Sleeving according to claim 1, wherein the projections and openings are orientated axially of the associated sleeving component. 3. Sleeving according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each component is composed of two half sections. 4. Sleeving according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the components and the sections making up the components collectively define an inner bore surface of circular configuration.

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5. Sleeving according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the spigot portions and bores at the ends of the components have a grooved or ribbed configuration or undulations to interlock with one another in an axial sense.
6. Sleeving according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the exterior of each of the components is smooth.
7. Sleeving according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the exterior of each of the components is ribbed.
8. An assemblable component for use in creating sleeving for surrounding an elongate object, said component being composed of a main body of elongate cylindrical form and made from synthetic plastics material, a spigot portion of reduced cross-section at one end of the main body, a cross-section bore at the other end of the main body adapted to receive a similar spigot portion of another components, an exterior groove or depression disposed around the bore for receiving a locking band wherein the component is of multi-part construction with individual sections separable or joinable together along radial or diametric planes and the individual sections are releasably joined together by means of projections snugly fitting into complementary openings, the projections and openings being offset into longitudinal rows.

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9. A component according to claim 8, wherein the spigot portion and the bore have a grooved or ribbed configuration or undulations to interlock with one another in an axial sense.
10. Sleeving or multi-part or individual components thereof substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figure 1 or 2 of the accompanying drawings.