GB2375577A

GB2375577A - Boss for fitting to a central heating tank.

Info

Publication number: GB2375577A
Application number: GB0208463A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony William Ward
Original assignee: WARDTEC Ltd
Current assignee: WARDTEC Ltd
Priority date: 2001-04-12
Filing date: 2002-04-12
Publication date: 2002-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 2022-04-12
Also published as: GB0208463D0; GB0109229D0; GB2375577B

Abstract

A boss 10 for fitting to a tank such as a central heating tank has a spigot, 11 provided with a through bore 12 which defines communication between the interior and exterior of the tank and the though bore has a tapered end part. The end part has a first frusto-conical 18 part of 60{ included angle and a second 20 frusto-conical part of 18{ include angle.

Description

Title: Boss Description of Invention This invention relates to a component of the type which is usually known, and which will be referred to herein, for convenience, as a boss. The boss may be for securement by a nut to a tank.

A boss is used to enable a fitting to be attached thereto. For example the boss may be applied to a tank, for example, a hot water storage tank to enable a fitting to be provided in the tank.

However, such fittings require the boss to have a taper appropriate for a particular fitting. Consequently a range of bosses of different taper are required.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a boss of improved construction to overcome or reduce this disadvantage.

According to one aspect of the invention, we provide a boss comprising a spigot, the spigot having a through bore defining an opening for communication between the interior and the exterior of the tank and the through bore having a tapered end part, said end part having a first part having a first configuration and a second part of a second, different configuration.

The spigot may have a flange.

The first part may be at the termination of said end part and the second part may be disposed between the first part and the remainder of the through bore.

The remainder of the through bore may be cylindrical.

The first part may be frusto-conical and/or the second part may be frusto-conical.

Where both parts are frusto-conical the angle of the cone of the first part may be a greater included angle than the included angle of the cone of the second part.

The angle of the cone of the first part may lie in the range 550 to 650 and is preferably 60 The angle of the cone of the second part may lie in the range 13 to 23 and is preferably 18 .

The boss may be adapted for securement by a threaded nut to a tank and the spigot may extend through an aperture in the tank and the flange merely adapted to face a surface of the tank around the aperture therein.

The flange may be provided with a recess on the same side of the flange spigot, the flange surrounding the spigot and being adjacent thereto.

The boss may be adapted to receive a first fitting disposed in the tank and a second fitting disposed externally to the tank wherein the flange is provided with an upstanding rib on the opposite side of the flange to the spigot, the rib surrounding the bore and being adjacent thereto.

The rib may define a socket to receive a fitting.

The socket may be concentric with, and of greater diameter than, the bore.

The spigot may be externally threaded.

The boss may be made as a pressing from a flat blank or from a tubular blank.

The boss may be made in copper.

The first fitting may be a heating coil and the second fitting may be a connection to pipework.

The spigot, flange, recess and socket may be circular in cross-section.

According to a second aspect of the invention, we provide a tank having a boss according to the first aspect of the invention fitted thereto.

The tank may have a heating coil disposed therein, the heating coil having an entry end and exit end, the entry and exit ends each providing a first fitting connected to a respective boss and the bosses being secured in respective openings in the tank by nuts and a second fitting being engaged with each boss comprising a connection to pipework.

The tank may be a hot water tank in a central heating system comprising a heat exchanger to heat water which may be circulated through said coil and the tank having an inlet for water to be heated and an exit for heated water.

The central heating system may also include at least one heating radiator and/or may include a pump fort circulating water from the heat exchanger to at least one of said coils and said at least one heating radiator.

The invention will not be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a section through a boss according to the invention, Figure 2 is a section through the boss of Figure 1 shown assembled to a fitting, Figure 3 is a fragmentary section through an alternative form of boss, Figure 4 is a section through an alternative form of adaptor, and Figure 5 shows diagrammatically a tank and a pair of bosses according to the first aspect of the invention fitted thereto.

Referring now particular to Figure 1, a boss 10 comprises a spigot 11 having a through bore 12 which defines an opening for communication, for example, between the interior and the exterior of a tank.

At one end, the spigot 11 is provided with an outwardly extending circumferentially continuous flange 13 which may be adapted to engage the internal surface of the tank.

The flange 13 is provided with a circumferentially extending recess 16 on the same side of the flange as the spigot 11, the recess 16 surrounding the

spigot and being adjacent thereto. The recess 16 is adapted to receive and retain sealant therein.

The spigot 11 at the end thereof opposite to the flange 13 provided with an end part 17.

The end part 17 has a first part 18 which comprises a terminal part adjacent to the end 19 of the spigot 11 and a second part 20 which is disposed between the first part 18 and the remainder of the through bore 12 which is of cylindrical configuration.

Both the part 18 and the part 20 are of frusto-conical configuration and the included angle of the cone of the first part 18 is a greater angle than the included angle of the second part 20. In the example illustrated the included angle of the first part 18 is 60 i. e. a semi-angle 30 , whilst the included angle of the second part 20 is 18 i. e. a semi-angle of 90. If desired the angles may vary from these, for example they may lie in a range of 100 or 200 centred on the alone figures.

The external surface of the spigot 11 is provided with a screw threaded part 21 for receiving a nut 22, see Figure 2.

In use, an adaptor 23 is disposed in the through bore 22 and has a cylindrical wall 24 with an in-turned flange 25 at one end and an out-turned flange 26 at the other end. Disposed with the bore provided by the wall 24 is a pipe 27 and a olive 28 is disposed between the out-turned part 26 of the adaptor 24 and a base part 29 of the nut 22. In use the first part 18 provides a seal and support to the adaptor 24 whilst the tapered second portion 20 provides a seal with the adaptor.

The bore 12 is machined to a desired diameter for a particular application.

In an alternative, the boss may be made of relatively thin material and have its thickness increased by being folded over as shown in Figure 3 by the parts A and B.

In the adaptor illustrated hereinbefore if desired the olive may be made integral with the adaptor as illustrated in Figure 4.

Although in the examples illustrated and referred to above the first and second parts are provided with surfaces of frusto-conical configuration. If desired they may be provided with surfaces of curvelinear configuration, for example surface which are part toroidal but in each case the radius of curvature of the first part is greater than that of the second part when the boss is of the configuration shown in Figures 1,2 and 3.

Figure 5 shows a tank 110 comprising hot water storage cylinder the top of the tank comprising a dome wall 116 joined to the remainder of the tank in conventional manner at 116a with a central pipe fitting 111 for hot water flow from the tank and a pipe fitting 112 for cold water supply to the tank.

In addition, the tank has a cylindrical wall part 114 and a generally circular base part 115. The wall 114 is provided with two apertures 113 in which bosses 10 are secured by nuts 22. Each boss 10 is adapted to receive a first fitting which comprises an inlet or an outlet part 117,118 respectively of a heating coil 119 disposed within the tank 110. Each boss 10 has a second fitting engaged therewith which comprises pipework 120 for connection to a heat exchanger, such as a central heating boiler whereby hot water is circulated through the heating coil 19 to heat water within the tank 10. If desired, at least one central heating radiator, not shown, may also be connected to the heat exchanger and a pump may be provided to circulate water through at least one of the heating coil and said at least one heating radiator.

The first parts 117,118 may be received directly in the bore 12 or may be received in a socket, concentric with the bore 12 and the circumferential wall of which is provided by a side wall of the rib 15. The end parts 11, 118 of the heating coil are received within their respective bore 12 or socket and secured thereto for example by brazing. The arrangement of the socket may be as illustrated by the socket 27 in our specification 2273324A GB.

If desired the spigot may have the flange omitted and be fastened in place by other means, such as welding or brazing.

In the present specification"comprise"means"includes or consists of and"comprising"means"including or consisting of.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A boss comprising a spigot having a through bore, defining an opening for communication between the interior and the exterior of the tank, and the through bore having a tapered end part, said end part having a first part having a first configuration and a second part of a second, different configuration.

2. A boss according to claim 1 wherein the spigot has a flange.

3. A boss according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the first part is at the termination of said end part and the second part is disposed between the first part and the remainder of the through bore.

4. A boss according to claim 3 wherein the remainder of the through bore is cylindrical.

5. A boss according to any one of the preceding claims the part is frusto-conical.

6. A boss according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second part is frusto-conical.

7. A boss according to claim 6 when dependent on claim 5 wherein the angle of the cone of the first part is a greater included angle than the included angle of the cone of the second part.

8. A boss according to claim 7 wherein the angle of the cone of the first part lies in the range 550 to 650 and preferably 600.

9. A boss according to claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the angle of the cone of the second part lies in the range 130 to 230 and preferably 18 .

10. A boss according to claim 2 or any one of claims 3 to 9 when dependant upon claim 2 wherein the boss is adapted for securement by a threaded nut to a tank and the spigot extends through an aperture in the tank and the flange is merely adapted to face a surface of the tank around the aperture therein.

11. A boss according to claim 10 wherein the flange is provided with a recess and the same side of the flange as spigot, the flange surround the spigot and being adjacent thereto.

12. A boss according to claim 11 wherein the boss is adapted to receive a first fitting disposed in the tank and a second fitting disposed externally to the tank wherein the flange is provided with an upstanding rib on the opposite side of the flange to the spigot, the rib surrounding the bore and being adjacent thereto.

13. A boss according to claim 12 wherein the rib defines a socket to receive a fitting.

14. A boss according to claim 13 wherein the socket is concentric with, and of greater diameter than, the bore.

15. A boss according to any of the preceding claims wherein the spigot is externally threaded.

16. A boss according to any of the preceding claims wherein the boss is made as a pressing from a flat blank or from a tubular blank.

17. A boss according to any of the preceding claims wherein the boss is made in copper.

18. A boss according to claim 12 or any one of claims 13 to 17 when dependent on claim 12 wherein a heating coil and the second fitting is a connection to pipework.

19. A Boss according to any of the preceding claims wherein the spigot, flange, recess and socket are circular in cross-section.

20. A boss substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A tank having a boss according to any of claims I to 20 fitted thereto.

22. A tank according to claim 21 wherein the tank has a heating coil disposed therein, the heating coil having an entry end and exit end, the entry and exit ends each providing a first fitting connected to a respective boss and the bosses being secured in respective openings in the tank by nuts and a second fitting being engaged with each boss comprising a connection to pipework.

23. A tank according to claim 22 wherein the tank is a hot water tank in a central heating system comprising a heat exchanger to heat water which

may be circulated through said coil and the tank having an inlet for water to be heated and an exit for heated water.

24. A tank according to claim 23 wherein the central heating system also includes at least one heating radiator and/or may a pump for circulating water from the heat exchanger to at least one of said coils and said at least one heating radiator.

25. A tank as substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

26. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.