GB2467768A

GB2467768A - Heated towel rail mounting arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2467768A
Application number: GB0902404A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Guiseppe Corbisiero
Original assignee: GRANDEE BOILERS Ltd
Current assignee: GRANDEE BOILERS Ltd
Priority date: 2009-02-13
Filing date: 2009-02-13
Publication date: 2010-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 2029-02-13
Also published as: GB0902404D0; GB2467768B

Abstract

A mounting arrangement for a heated towel rail having a pair of tubular stiles 10 (figure 6), 11 with rails 12 extending therebetween. Each stile 10 (figure 6),11 has a rearwardly-projecting support stub 17 in liquid communication with the stile interior and a mount tube 18 (figure 3) for connection to the support stub, the mount tube 18 (figure 3) being adapted for connection to a hot water pipe 35 projecting from a wall. A socket and spigot connection 17,19 is arranged between the support stub and the mount tube with a seal 20 therebetween. A liquid flow shut-off valve 25 is incorporated within the mount tube 18 (figure 3). The external shape and cross-sectional dimensions of the mount tube match 18 (figure 3) those of the support stub 17. The valve 25 may be a ball valve. The mount may have a compression nut 33 (figure 2) to allow adjustability.

Description

HEATED TOWEL RAIL

This invention concerns a heated towel rail and in particular relates to a mounting arrangement for mounting a heated towel rail on a wall. This invention also relates to a heated towel rail including such a mounting arrangement.

Heated towel rails typically comprise a pair of tubular stiles intended to be disposed vertically, with a plurality of spaced tubular rails extending between the stiles; such towel rails are frequently referred to as ladder rails in view of the similarity to a conventional ladder. In use, one of the stiles is connected to a feed pipe of a domestic wet central heating system to supply hot water to the stile and the other stile is connected to a return pipe of the central heating system such that when the central heating system is operating, there will be a flow of hot water through the tubular stiles to warm, and so dry, towels draped over the rails.

Conventionally, a ladder towel rail has a pair of brackets provided on is each stile, for mounting the rail on a wall. Such brackets are not particularly aesthetic and it is difficult to give a ladder towel rail an attractive appearance while still allowing full security in use. Also, it must be possible to isolate the towel rail from the central heating system, as with a conventional radiator, to allow servicing or replacement in the event of a problem with the towel rail.

Thus, the connections to the feed and return pipes of the central heating system are usually made through respective shut-off valves which normally are essentially the same as those employed with radiators -so-called radiator valves. Again, radiator valves are not particularly attractive and reduce the visual impact of a ladder towel rail which otherwise can be quite striking, in a bathroom environment.

It is a principal aim of the present invention to provide a mounting arrangement for mounting a heated towel rail on a wall, which arrangement enhances the aesthetic appeal of the mounted rail, as well as a complete towel rail including a mounting arrangement therefor.

According to this invention, there is provided a mounting arrangement for mounting a heated towel rail on a wall, the towel rail having a pair of tubular stiles with at least one rail extending between the stiles and through which heated water is to flow, said mounting arrangement comprising, on each stile, a rearwardly-projecting support stub in liquid communication with the stile interior, and a mount tube for connection to the support stub, the mount tube being adapted for connection to a hot water heating system pipe projecting from the wall, one of the support stub and the mount tube defining a socket and the other of the support stub and the mount tube having a spigot receivable in the socket, sealing means disposed between the spigot and socket to effect a liquid-tight seal therebetween, and a liquid flow shut-off valve incorporated within the mount tube, the external shape and cross-sectional dimensions of the mount tube matching those of the support stub.

It will be appreciated that with the mounting arrangement of this invention, the shut-off valves for the towel rail are incorporated within the mount tube which has substantially the same external shape and dimensions as the stub projecting from a stile of the towel rail. As such, the towel rail -when mounted on a wall -has a particularly clean and aesthetically pleasing appearance, not spoilt by a relatively unsightly pair of shut-off radiator valves.

The mounting arrangement utilises the feed and return pipes of the central heating system to support at least part of the weight of the heated towel rail. Thus, the feed and return pipes should project horizontally by a short distance from the wall on which the towel rail is to be mounted, and at an appropriate spacing for the two stiles of the rail. The pipes should be supported appropriately within the wall in order to withstand the relatively small vertical loads which will be imparted thereto by the heated towel rail and towels loaded thereon. Depending upon the kind of wall, it may be advantageous to provide reinforcement of the wall in that area, such as a collar surrounding each of the feed and return pipes, the collars being secured to a larger area of the wall. The use of collars might be suitable for a dry-lined wall, or a nogging could be employed within a dry-lined wall, to support the feed and return pipes.

With solid construction walls, no additional reinforcement may be necessary.

Except for a very small heated towel rail, perhaps having only two rails extending between the pair of stiles, in general the mounting arrangement of this invention will not be sufficient wholly to support a heated ladder towel rail.

As such, it is preferred for there to be a pair of spaced mounting arrangements along the length of each stile, with the mount tube of one of those arrangements (and typically the lower) being provided with the shut-off valve and the other arrangement having a simple mount tube for securing to the wall.

For this purpose, a blank pipe should protrude from the wall such that the simple mount tube may be connected thereto. The blank pipe may have a flange by means of which the pipe may be secured to the wall or to a nogging provided within the wall in the case of a dry-lined wall, at an appropriate location.

Not infrequently, the walls of a dwelling are not perfectly flat and do not lie in a strict vertical plane. To allow the towel rail to be disposed in a vertical plane, it is preferred for the connection between each mount tube and the respective central heating pipe (or blank pipe, if provided) to be adjustable during installation. Conveniently, this may be achieved by providing a compression joint, typically having a compression nut threaded on to the mount tube and arranged to compress an olive positioned on the pipe. Before tightening of the nut, the olive may be slid along the pipe to a suitable location for the towel rail to be disposed in a vertical plane.

The nut of the compression joint may be concealed by a shroud slidably arranged on the mount tube. That shroud may have a first part with a bore which is a close sliding fit on the mount tube and skirt extending from the first part, for surrounding the nut of the compression joint. The first part may be provided with an 0-ring located in a groove formed in the bore such that the first part is held frictionally at the required location. In the alternative, a grub screw may be provided in a radial threaded hole in the first part, such that the shroud may be secured in position, on tightening the grub screw.

So as to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the mount tubes of a towel rail, it is preferred for those tubes to have the same surface finish as the towel rail itself. Thus, the mount tubes may be nickel-plated, chrome-plated or finished in white, to match the towel rail. The mount tubes will thus tend visually to merge into the support stubs of the towel rail.

The shut-off valve incorporated within each mount tube connecting to a pipe of the central heating system preferably comprises a ball valve, operable by a control member extending in a radial bore formed in the mount tube. The outer end face of the control member may be disposed within or flush with the outer end of the radial bore and be provided with a formation to permit the operation thereof by a tool having a corresponding profile.

The sealing means disposed between the spigot and socket advantageously comprises at least one 0-ring seal disposed in a groove formed either externally in the spigot or internally within the socket. A preferred embodiment has a pair of 0-ring seals in grooves disposed side-by-side on the spigot.

Preferably, the spigot and the socket may be locked together by means of a grub screw extending in a transverse bore in the socket, for engaging the spigot. To avoid damaging the external surface of the spigot, an annular groove advantageously is formed in the spigot and into which the inner end of the grub screw is received, when the joint is to be locked together.

A drain port may be provided in the mount tube, on the side of the ball valve nearer the towel rail stub. Such a drain port may be threaded and sealed closed by means of a screw threaded into that port but removable when the ball valve has been closed and the towel rail is to be drained.

This invention extends to a heated towel rail in combination with at least two mounting arrangements of this invention as discussed above, for mounting the towel rail on a wall.

By way of example only, one specific embodiment of towel rail having a mounting arrangement of this invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 is an isometric view of the towel rail, including two mounting arrangements of this invention; Figure 2 is a view on an enlarged scale of one of the mounting arrangement, shown both in assembled and exploded formats; Figure 3 is a side view of the mounting arrangement, when assembled; Figure 4 is an axial section through the mounting arrangement; Figure 5 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of the spigot and socket coupling incorporated within the mounting arrangement; and Figure 6 is an isometric view of the assembled mounting arrangement.

The embodiment of ladder towel rail shown in the drawings comprises a pair of tubular stiles 10,11 each of circular cross-section and which in use are to extend vertically, spaced from a wall on which the towel rail is mounted.

Extending between the stiles 10,11 is a plurality of rails 12 uniformly spaced along the length of the stiles and over which towels may be draped. The towel rail is supported on a wall (not shown) by four mounting arrangements 13 to 16.

The lower arrangements 13,14 are valved and allow the flow of water through the towel rail from a domestic central heating system (not shown) whereas the upper mounting arrangements 15,16 merely serve to hold the towel rail to the wall.

Each mounting arrangement comprises, on a stile, a rearwardly-projecting tubular support stub 17 welded or brazed to the stile and in communication with the interior of the stile such that liquid may flow between each stub and the stile. Each stub serves as a socket for a respective mount tube 18 provided with a spigot 19 receivable within the bore of the stub. The spigot has a pair of spaced grooves within which are located 0-rings 20 for effecting a seal to the internal surface of the respective support pipe. Adjacent the shoulder between the spigot 19 and the remainder of the mount tube, the spigot has an annular groove 21 within which is received the inner end of a grub screw 22 threaded into a radial bore 23 formed in the stub 17. Thus, the spigot may be locked into the stub in a sealing manner, by tightening the grub screw so as to locate in the groove 21.

A ball valve 25 is provided in the bore of each of the two mount tubes 18 of the lower mounting arrangements 13,14. The ball valve has a part-spherical valve member disposed between seals 26 held in place by a threaded ring 27.

The valve member has a radially-extending control member 28 received in a bore 29 and provided with an 0-ring seal. The end face of the control member may be provided with a cross-slot such that the member may be turned with a conventional screwdriver.

Also formed within the mount tube 18, between the ball valve 25 and the spigot 19, is a drain port 30 normally plugged by means of a screw 31, a sealing washer being provided on that screw to prevent leakage, when tightened.

The end of the mount tube 18 remote from the spigot is externally threaded, for receiving a compression nut 33 co-operable with a compression olive 34, for location on a pipe projecting from a wall coaxially with the mount is tube. In the case of the two lower mounting arrangements 13,14, the pipe 35 may be the feed pipe or return pipe of a conventional domestic hot water heating system. In the case of the two upper mounting arrangements 15,16, the pipe may be a passive component provided with a flange by means of which that pipe may be secured to the wall on which the towel rail is to be mounted. In either case, security of the mounting may be enhanced, particularly for a dry-lined wall, by mounting the pipes with the aid of a nogging furnished within the cavity of the wall.

A respective shroud 36 is received on the external surface of each mount tube 18. The shroud has a first part with a bore which is slidably received on the external surface and a skirt 37 projecting from the first part, for surrounding the compression nut 33. As shown in Figure 4, the first part may have an 0-ring received in an internal groove within the bore such that there is friction between the shroud and the mount tube 18. In the alternative, as shown in Figure 2, the first part may have a grub screw 38 received in a threaded bore, for securing the shroud 36 in a position where the skirt 37 surrounds the nut 33.

In use, the central heating system is installed to have feed and return pipes projecting horizontally from the wall on which the towel rail is to be mounted, with the spacing between the feed and return pipes corresponding to the spacing of the stiles 10,11. Vertically above those projecting feed and return pipes, a pair of blank pipes is secured to the wall, with the spacing between the feed and return pipes and the blank pipes being equal to the spacing of the support stubs 17 on the two stiles.

Mount tubes 18 including ball valves as described with reference to Figures 2 and 4 are fitted to the support stubs 17 at the lower ends of the stiles 10,11 and are secured in position by tightening the respective grub screws 22.

Further mount tubes are secured in a similar way to the support stubs 17 at the upper ends of the stiles but those further mount tubes are closed off internally and do not include ball valves. The towel rail is then offered to the heating water and blank pipes projecting from the wall and the compression nuts 33 is and olives 34 are slid on to those pipes. The towel rail is set vertically and the nuts 33 are tightened to secure the towel rail in position. The projecting length of each pipe may be adjusted as required in order to ensure the stiles are vertical, with fine adjustment being possible by sliding the olives 34 along the projecting length of each pipe. The installation is completed by sliding the shrouds 36 so as to surround the compression nuts 33.

As shown in the drawings, each mount tube may have the same external shape (in this case, circular) and cross-sectional dimension as the support stub 17 with which the mount tube connects. Further, each mount tube may be given the same surface finish as the main part of the towel rail such that when the installation is completed, the mount tube appears to be an integral part of the towel rail, rather than a separate component -such as a mounting bracket or a radiator shut-off valve -which otherwise would be provided. The stiles and rails of the towel rail may have other cross-sectional shapes, such as square or oval, and in this case the mount tubes may similarly be profiled.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A mounting arrangement for mounting a heated towel rail on a wall, the towel rail having a pair of tubular stiles with at least one rail extending between the stiles and through which heated water is to flow, said mounting arrangement comprising, on each stile, a rearwardly-projecting support stub in liquid communication with the stile interior, and a mount tube for connection to the support stub, the mount tube being adapted for connection to a hot water heating system pipe projecting from the wall, one of the support stub and the mount tube defining a socket and the other of the support stub and the mount tube having a spigot receivable in the socket, sealing means disposed between the spigot and socket to effect a liquid-tight seal therebetween, and a liquid flow shut-off valve incorporated within the mount tube, the external shape and cross-sectional dimensions of the mount tube matching those of the support stub.
2. A mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shut-off is valve comprises a ball valve supported within the mount tube.
3. A mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ball valve is provided with an operating member carried within a radial bore in the mount tube and arranged so that the operating member does not protrude externally from the bore.
4. A mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the radially outer end face of the operating member is provided with a formation engageable by a corresponding profile on a tool to permit turning of the operating member.
5. A mounting arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the connection between each mount tube and the respective pipe is adjustable, during installation.
6. A mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the adjustable connection comprises a compression joint having a compression nut threaded on to the mount tube and arranged to compress an olive furnished on the pipe.
7. A mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein there is provided a shroud slidably disposed on the mount tube, for concealing the connection between the mount tube and associated pipe.
8. A mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein the shroud has a first part which is a close sliding fit on the mount tube and a skirt extending from the first part, for surrounding the connection.
9. A mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first part is provided with one of an 0-ring located in a groove formed in the bore of the first part so as frictionally to hold the first part at the required location or is provided with a grub screw in a radial threaded hole in the first part, to secure the shroud in the required position.
10. A mounting arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the support stub defines the socket and the mount tube is provided with the spigot receivable in the socket.
11. A mounting arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing means between the spigot and socket comprises at least one 0-ring seal disposed in a groove formed either externally in the spigot or internally within the socket.
12. A mounting arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the socket is provided with a threaded hole within which a locking screw is received, for engaging the spigot to lock the spigot within the socket.
13. A mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the spigot has an annular groove formed therearound and in which the inner end of the locking screw is received to complete the connection between the mount tube and the stub.
14. A mounting arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the mount tube is provided with a drain port, a removable screw-threaded member being received in that port.
15. A mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. -10-
16. The combination of a towel rail having a pair of tubular stiles for vertical disposition and a plurality of tubular rails extending between the stiles, and at least one pair of mounting arrangements according to any of the preceding claims, each mounting arrangement being associated with one of the stiles, respectively.
17. The combination of claim 16, wherein each stile has a pair of spaced stubs and for each stub, there is a corresponding mount tube whereby the towel rail may be secured to a wall at four spaced locations.
18. The combination of claim 17, wherein the mount tube associated with the lower stub of each stile includes a shut-off valve and the mount tube associated with the upper stub of each stile comprises a simple tube closed off internally.
19. The combination of a towel rail and at least two mounting arrangements therefor, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.