GB2531038A

GB2531038A - A jig

Info

Publication number: GB2531038A
Application number: GB1417786.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Cooke Martin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-10-08
Filing date: 2014-10-08
Publication date: 2016-04-13
Also published as: GB201417786D0

Abstract

The jig 1 to aid fitting of a wall-mounted gas boiler includes a rigid planar sheet 2 at least as large as the wall-abutting surface of the boiler to be fitted. The jig has a flue guide 3 with a circular clearance hole 4 having one or more flue-centralising lugs 5 extending into the hole. The lug/s would touch the outside diameter of a flue located concentrically within the clearance hole. One or more fixing guides 7 have holes which extend through the sheet and are located so as to correspond with fixing points on the boiler to be fitted. An integral level indicator 12 such as a spirit level may be provided. Multiple guides 16, 16 may also be provided to allow the jig to be used with different boiler configurations. The jig may be foldable (Figure 9). A method of fitting a gas boiler includes locating the jig against a wall at a desired location, levelling the jig with a leveling device and transferring marks to the wall by use of guides in the jig. An alternative method additionally includes abutting the lug/s of the flue guide against an existing flue.

Description

A JIG

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to jigs, or templates, to assist the fitting of wall-mounted gas boilers, especially those having a flue that passes through a wall to which the boiler is to be mounted.

The invention also relates to methods of using such a jig.

Jo Background and Prior Art

Many gas hoilers, designed to provide either domestic hot water or central heating (or both) are typically fixed to a wall in the property, with the exit flue either passing directly through the wall above the boiler, or being taken to one side to exit the building via an adjacent side wall. For new installations, it is necessary to mark the position on the wall where the flue pipe is to he taken through. For replacement boilers, a flue may ali-eady he in position, which might be reused, or at least the flue aperture might be reused.

To fix the boiler in position. holes need to be (hilled in the wall to take the fixing screws for the boiler, often via a metal backplate that is attached to the wall, and from which the boiler hangs. It is imperative that the boiler is mounted in the correct horizontalivcrtical orientation.

Also, it is often the ease that the pipework that is to be connected to the boiler is put in position before the boiler is fixed to the wall to prevent damage to the boiler during plumbing and other building work, and to improve access for the installer. It is imperative, therefore, that the pipework is correctly positioned relative to the eventual site of the boiler.

To assist with these requiremenmts. boiler manufacturers provide paper templates that have marks on them indicating the positions of the various fixing screws, pipe positions and the flue position. Installers need to unfold the templates to hold them against a wall so that marks can be transferred to the wall surface. Holes need to be made in the templates at the conect positions to allow a pencil or other marker to be used to make the required mark on the wall.

In the case of the flue position, if an existing tlue is already present on the wall, it is very difficult to position the template correctly, and a hole might have to be cut in the template so it can he slid over the existing flue pipe. This takes further time, makes the paper template very weak and prone to tear, and positioning is very difficult due to the flexing of the paper.

On top of all these difficulties, the template also needs to be oriented such that the boiler.

when fitted, is in the proper verticallhorizontal orientation. This necessitates the use of a spii-it level, held against a mark on the paper template, or on an edge region of it, whilst manoeuvring the paper template into a vertical orientation, at the same time as transferring s marks through the paper, and avoiding any pre-existing tlue pipe. All of this must, of coursc, he carried out in the context of what is often a poorly-lit, dusty, and often draughty building site whilst the paper template is flapping about.

It is amongst the objects of the present invention to alleviate at least some of these problems.

Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides ajig to aid fitting of a wall-mounted gas boiler, said jig comprising: (a) a substantially i-igid planar sheet, at least as large as the wall-abutting surface of the boiler to be fitted; (b) a flue guide comprising: (i) a generally circular clearance hole extending through said sheet, of a diameter larger than the flue of the boiler to be fitted; and (ii) one or more inwardly-projecting flue-cenft-alising lugs extending into said hole to an extent that the lug or lugs would touch the outside diameter of a flue located concentrically with said clearance hole at two or more points; (c) one or more fixing guides, each of said fixing guides comprising a hole extending through said sheet and located so as to correspond with fixing points on the boiler to be fitted.

The use of a substantially rigid planar sheet, rather than a sheet of paper means that thejig can be positioned with one hand without the risk of it falling away from the wall. The flue guide allows the jig to be placed over an existing flue pipe in a wall, without having to make a hole in a paper template. and the tlue-centralising lugs. in combination with the substantially rigid nature of the jig, allow the jig to be effectively "hung" on such a flue pipe, ensuring the relative position of the flue and the fixing holes to be drilled is correct. The device may he readily levelled with a spirit level, allowing thejig to he positioned and used with ease, thereby saving installation time and costs.

Preferably, said flue guide further comprises two pairs of notches, each notch extending outwardly from the perimeter of said clearance hole, and each notch of a respective pair of notches being located at opposite ends of a diameter of said clearance hole.

The provision of such notches are an advantage when a new flue pipe is to be fitted, and a clearance hole is to he bored through the wall. Marks may be transferred to the wall at each

I

notch location; joining the marks from opposite notches with a straight line then allows the centre point of the flue to be identified in readiness for boring the flue clearance hole.

Preferably also, the jig türther comprises one or more pipe guides, each of said pipe guides s comprising a hole extending through said sheet and located so as to colTespond with a midline of a pipe to he connected to the boiler to befitted.

The provision of such pipe guides similarly allows marks to be transferred to the wall, to indicate where the pipcwork is to be fitted.

In any embodiment of the invention, the jig further comprises an integral level indicator to indicate when the jig is orientated correctly on a wall such that the guide positions correspond to those on a boiler when fitted in the correct horizontal or vertical orientation, Preferably, said level indicator comprises a spirit level.

By incorporating a level indicator into the jig, one hand of the installer is freed up, thereby making the job of transferring marks to the wall even simpler.

Also in any embodiment of the invention, thejig further comprises an indicium in the form of a line positioned such that it is horizontal when the jig is orientated on a wall such that the guide positions correspond to those on a boiler when fitted in the correct vertical orientation.

If a separate level indicator is to he used, this indicium maybe used to align the jig with the level indicator.

Also in any embodiment of the invention, the jig further comprises an indicium in the form of a line positioned such that it is 3° from the horizontal when the jig is orientated on a wall such that the guide positions correspond to those on a boiler when filled in the correct vertical orientation, and sloping upwards from a centre region to an edge region of the jig.

The ends of this indicium extend preferably to an internal or external edge region of the jig.

such that their positions may be readily transferred to the wall. Alternatively, holes may be positioned at points along the indiciuni to allow marks to he similarly transferred. Joining the marks so made, allows a 30 inclined line to be marked on the wall, sloping down to the eventual boiler position. This line indicates the line of a flue extending to the side of a boiler.

and allows any condensate in the flue, when fitted, to drain back towards the boiler.

Preferably, two such iiidicia al-c provided, each extending to an opposite edge region of the jig. This allows the 30 line to be determined irrespective of whether the flue is to be fitted on the left or the right hand side of the boiler.

Also in any aspect of the invention the jig comprises a plurality of sets of fixing guides, each s of said sets comprising fixing guides located for a different arrangement of fixing points, thereby allowing a single jig to he used to aid fitting of a plurality of boiler configurations.

This is particularly useful for commercial heating engineers who install a wide range of boilers, and allows them to carry our only one template that can be used with a variety of boiler types.

Similarly, it is preferable that the jig comprises a plurality of sets of pipe guides, each of said sets comprising fixing guides located for a different arrangement of pipes to be fitted, thereby allowing a single jig to be used to aid fitting of a plurality of boiler configurations.

Where multiple sets of guides are provided, it is preferable that each set of guides is visually coded according to the boiler to which it corresponds. Such coding may be provided by coloui--eoding, e.g. providing a region of colour indicating a particular boiler configuration adjacent each of the guide holes relating to that boiler. Alternatively, each guide hole could be labelled.

In any aspect of the invendon, it is preferred that said sheet is provided with lines of flexure allowing it to be reversibly folded to a smaller overall size. This allows the jig to he folded up, thereby taking less space for storage and transport, whilst retaining its substantially rigid nature when in its unfolded configuration.

Also included within the scope of the invention is ajig substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In a second aspect. the invention also provides a method of fitting a wall-mounted gas boiler comprising the steps of: (a) providing ajig as described herein; (h) locating said jig against a wall in a desired location; (c) levelling said jig by use of a levelling device; arid (d) transferring marks to the wall by use of guides in the jig.

Also provided is a method of fitting a wall-mounted gas boiler comprising the steps of: (a) providing as described herein; (b) locating said jig against a wall in a desired location by abutting the lug or lugs of the flue guide against an existing flue; (c) levelling said jig by use of a levelling device; and (d) transferring marks to the wall by use of guides in the jig.

Brief Description of the Figures

The invention will he described with reference to the accompanying drawings. in which: Figure 1 illustrates, in plan view, an embodiment of ajig of the invention; Figures 2-5 illustrate flue guides forming part of aj ig of the invention; Figure 6 illustrates a further embodiment of a jig of the invention; Figure 7 illustrates a visual coding scheme for guide holes; Figures 8 and 9 illustrate an enibodiment of a foldable jig of the invention; and in Figures 10-12 illustrate steps in a method of use of ajig of the invention.

Description of Preferred Embodiments

Figure 1 illustrates, in plan view, ajig of the present invention, generally indicated by 1. The jig comprises a substantially rigid planar sheet 2 that could be made from thick cardboard.

metal, plastics or other generally rigid material. By substantially rigid, it is meant that the jig will sit in abutment with a wall across its whole face when held there vertically by the pressure of e.g. a hand, and not fall away from the wall to such an extent that a mark cannot he transferred to the wall through one of the guide holes. The sheet is preferably made from a waterproof material to make it more durable for reuse in the often damp environment of a building site.

Thejig I is provided with a flue guide 3 comprising a generally circular clearance hole 4 extending through the sheet, and of a diameter larger than a flue to be fitted. Flue diameters are typically 100 or 125 mm for a domestic combination or system boiler, and so the circular hole might typically be at least 120 or 145 mm in diameter to provide adequate clearance. In this embodiment, two inwardly-extending flue-centralising lugs 5 are provided that extend into the clearance hole 4 to an extent that they would touch the outside surface of a flue at at least two positions. In this embodiment, two such lugs 5 are provided, in the upper left and right quadrants of the clearance hole 4. Positioning them in this way allows the jig to he hung from an existing flue pipe.

The jig is also provided with two pairs of notches GA, GB, which in this embodiment are located opposite each other at a vertical (GA) and horizontal (GB) position in the clearance hole 4. Marlring onto the wall at the notch positions, and then joining oppositely-located marks allows the centre of the clearance hole to be identified.

S

The jig 1 is also provided with fixing guides 7, comprising holes extending through the sheet 2 at positions corresponding to fixing positions on the boiler to be fitted (relative to the flue position) such that corresponding marks may he transfelTed to the wall. e.g. by marking with a pencil through the holes, so that fixing holes may be drilled into the wall to receive wall plugs s and screws. Some of the holes (indicated by 7A) might be of a "keyhole shape" to indicate a corresponding keyhole shape on a backplate to which a boiler may he attached.

A series of pipe guides 8 are also provided indicating the position of the midline of a pipe to be fitted to the boiler. Typically, such pipes would exit vertically from the bottom of the in boiler, in line with indicated pipe guides 8. The pipe guides 8 maybe provided by indicia 9, in this embodiment in the form of letters. The letters (in this case A-G) correspond to letters on a key 10 identifying each pipe, for example central heating flow and return, cold water inlet and hot water out, gas supply, condensate drain and pressure release valve return.

Also provided in this embodiment is a horizontal indieiuin 11 in the form of a line, to allow the jig to be orientated correctly by use of an external level indicator.

This particular embodiment is also provided with an integral level indicator 12 in the form of a spirit level, again to allow thejig to he readily orientated in the correct way.

Also provided in this embodiment is a pair of lines 12 each extending from the edge of the clearance hole 4 to the corresponding edge of the sheet 2, and positioned at 30 from the horizontal, extending upwards from the centre to the edge of the jig. These define the niinimum fall on a side-mounted flue, to allow condensate to drain back to the boiler.

Figures 2-5 illustrates various configurations of flue guides 3 that nmy be used as part of the invention, each show within a surrounding portion of the sheet 2. Similar features are numbered correspondingly Tn Figure 2, two tlue-centralising lugs5 are provided, in upper left and right quadrants of the clearance hole 4 respectively. The inner edges 13 of the lugs are shaped and positioned to abut against the outside diameter of a flue, whose position is indicated by the dotted circle 14.

By shaping the edges of the lugs in this way, multi-point contact with the flue is obtained.

Pairs of notches 64., 6B are also provided to allow a centre point of the flue to he determined, as described above.

Figure 3 show a simpler design which provides two pointed flue-centralising lugs 5 whose points extend to a point on the outer diameter 14 of a flue positioned concentrically with the clearance hole 4. In this way, two-point contact is provided.

s Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of a flue guide 3, in which two flue-centralising liigs 5 are provided, each of which has a curved inner edge 13 to match the outer diameter 14 of a concentrically-located flue. Two pairs of notches 6A. 6B are also provided, each notch of a respective pair being located at the ends of a diameter 15 of the clearance hole 4.

in Figure 5 illustrates a further embodiment of a flue guide 3 in which a single flue-centralising lug S is provided, and which has an inner edge 13 shaped to contact the outside diameter 14 of a flue positioned concentrically with the clearance hole 4. As the edge is shaped. multi-point contact between the lug 5 and the flue is obtained. Also as the lug extends into both the upper left and right quadrants of the clearance hole 4, this allows the jig to he suspended from a flue.

Figure 6 illustrates, in plan view, a further embodiment of ajig I of the present invention.

Features corresponding to those described in Figure 1 are numbered correspondingly. In this embodiment, two sets of fixing guides 16, 16 are provided, each of which correspond to the positions of fixing holes on two different boiler configurations. Each set of fixing guides are visually-coded, e.g. by providing colour-coded regions indicated by the hatched areas. Fixing guides that are common to both boiler configurations can be left un-coded, or (as illustrated in Figure 7) two separately-coloured, or otherwise coded, regions I 7A, I 7B may be provided that abut the common fixing guide T Returning to Figure 6, it can he seen that two sets of pipe guides 18A, 18B are also provided, corresponding to pipe positions for two configurations of boiler, each of which is visually-coded to indicate which boiler each set is for.

Figure 8 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which lines of flexure 19 are provided in the sheet 2 to enable the otherwise substantially rigid sheet to he folded to a smaller size for storage and transport. Various arrangements of lines may be chosen to achieve the folding arrangement whilst retaining the rigidity when in the unfolded configuration. Figure 9 illustrates thejig being folded into its folded configuration, as shown by the arrows. Further features of the jig (e.g. those illustrated in Figures 1 and 6) are omitted from Figures 8 and 9 for sake of clarity.

Figures 10-12 illustrate, in perspective view, steps in a method of fitting a wall-mounted gas boiler to a wail 20. In Figure 10, an existing flue pipe 21 is shown extending into the room through the wall 20. An adjacent wall 20' is also illustrated.

InFigurt l1,ajig lhasbccnhungovcrthcfluc2l andlocatcdthcrcbymeansofthefluc-central ising lugs 5. The jig is then moved into a correct vertical orientation, either by means of an integral lcvcl indicator or a scparatc such indicatcd. Marks arc then transfcrttd to the wall 20 by use of e.g. a pencil through the required guide holes.

to Figure 12 illustrates the wall 20 after the jig has been removed, just leaving the marks 22 in place ready for drilling or pipe fixing.

Claims

CLAIMSL Ajig to aid fitting of a wall-mounted gas boiler, said jig cornpnsing: (a) a substantially rigid pianar sheet, at least as large as the wall-abutting surface of the boiler to be fitted; (h) a flue guide comprising: (i) a generally circular clearance hole extending through said sheet, of a diameter larger than the flue of the boiler to be fitted; and (ii) one or more inwardly-projecting flue-centralising lugs extending into said in hole to an extent that the lug or lugs would touch the outside diameter of a flue located concentrically with said clearance hole at two or more points; (c) one or more fixing guides, each of said fixing guides comprising a hole extending through said sheet and located so as to correspond with fixing points on the boiler to he fitted.
2. A jig according to Claim 1 wherein said flue guide further comprises two pairs of notches, each notch extending outwardly from the perimeter of said clearance hole, and each notch of a respective pair of notches being located at opposite ends of a diameter of said clearance hole.
3. Ajig according to either Claim 1 or Claim 2 türther comprising one or more pipe guides.each of said pipe guides comprising a hole extending through said sheet and located so as to correspond with a midline of a pipe to he connected to the boiler to he fitted
4. Ajig according to any preceding claim further comprising an integral level indicator to indicate when the jig is oiientated conectly on a wall such that the guide positions correspond to those on a boiler when fitted in the correct horizontal or vertical orientation.i A jig according to Claim 4 wherein said level indicator comprises a spirit level.o 6. Ajig according to any preceding claim further comprising an indieium in the form of a line positioned such that it is horizontal when the jig is orientated on a wall such that the guide positions correspond to those on a boiler when fitted in the correct vertical orientation.7. Ajig according to any preceding claim further comprising an indicium in the form of a line positioned such that it is 3° from the horizontal when the jig is orientated on a wall such that the guide positions correspond to those on a boiler when fitted in the correct vertical orientation, and sloping upwards from a centre region to an edge region of the jig.8. A jig according to Claim 7 comprising two such indicia, each extending to an opposite edge region of the jig.9. Ajig according to any preceding claimcomprising a plurality of sets of tixing guides, each of said sets comprising fixing guides located for a different arrangement of fixing points, thereby allowing a single jig to be used to aid fitting of a plurality of boiler configurations.10. A jig according to any preceding claim comprising a plurality of sets of pipe guides, each to of said sets comprising fixing guides located for a different arrangement of pipes to be fitted, themby allowing a single jig to be used to aid fitting of a plurality of boiler configurations.11. Ajig according to either Claim 9 or Claim 10 wherein each set of guides is visually ended according to the boiler to which it corresponds.12. Ajig according to any preceding claim wherein said sheet is provided with lines of fiexure allowing it to be reversibly folded to a smalier overall size.13. A jig substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.14. A method of fitting a wall-mounted gas boiler comprising the steps of: (a) providing a jig according to any preceding claim; (b) locating said jig against a wall in a desired location; (e) levelling said jig by use of a levelling device; and (d) transferring marks to the wall by use of guides in the jig.15. A method of fitting a wall-mounted gas boiler comprising the steps of: (a) providing a jig according to any preceding claim; (b) locating said jig against a wall in a desired location by abutting the lug or lugs of the flue guide against an existing flue; (e) levelling said jig by use of a levelling device; and (d) transferring marks to the wall by use of guides in the jig.