US233690A - Water-conductor and joint - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. L. OLD. Water Conductor and Joint.'

No. 233,690. Patented Oct. 26,1880.

lliure rares JAMES L. OLD, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER-CONDUCTOR AND'JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 233,690, dated October 26, 1880.

Application filed March 6, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMEs L. OLD, of Allegheny city, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvement in Water-Conductors and Conductor-Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in whichlike letters indicatin g like parts- Figure l is a perspective view ot a part or section of my improved conductor. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the coupling rib or joint detached or separate from the pipe; and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view, illustrative of the manner of applying such rib or joint.

My invention relates to expansible waterconductors for buildings and it consists in forming such conductor with a hollow expansible coupling rib or joint, which is folded or bent in longitudinal lines in such way as to inclqse, or partially inelose, asmall passage-way, which is separated from the main pipe or passage by the contact or convergence ofthe sides of the rib, so that as force is applied to expand the conductor bywatcr freezing therein orotherwise the converging sides of the rib will be separated, thus uniting the two passages into one and enlarging the area of the conductingpassage without bursting the pipe. I also so construct this coupling rib or joint that it will have more or less spring action or tendency to return to its original form when the expanding force is removed, and thus prevent permanent distortion of the pipe.

ln the drawings, A represents the body or main tube of my improved conductor, which may be made round, as shown, or of polygonal form. Instead of uniting the edges ot' this pipe or tube directly by a seam, as heretofore, I do it in the following way: rIhe longitudinal edges of the sheet or blank ar'e bent over, forming flanges a, which diverge outward from their abutting angles a when such blank or sheet is bent into pipe form. The extreme edges of thesetlanges may be still further bent, as at a2, by preference, so as to be nearly in the same planewhen the angles a are in con-` (No model.)

tact. Aseparate strip or back, c, connects the sides or flanges a., the same being secured to the edges a2 by m'eans of ordinary folded seams c. The two converging sides a and back c thus form a hollow or tubular rib or coupling and inclose a small passage, B, along the side ot' the pipe, which is separated from the main passage A by the abutting or converging sides at a. In case water should freeze in either or both of these passages the expansion caused thereby would tend to separate or spread apart these converging or abutting sides, thus opening both passages into one and increasing` their combined area, thereby making room for the expansion without bursting or injuring the conductor. Owing to the converging t'orm ot' this rib or joint, such spreading of its sides will be greatest at or near the angles a', decreasing toward the back c until arrested by the bend a2. There will thus be little or practically no tendency to open the seams c in case the same are made at the junction of the back with the sides a, and consequently the requisite strength may easily be secured. f'

In order to secure as pfar as possible the return of the rib or joint to its original form when the expanding force is removed, I give to tne back can outward curve or convex form, and also to the sides aan inward curve orconcaveform, as shown, which will give to them increased stiffness and spring action; also, the seams c', or equivalent folds in the metal, add still greater stiffness to the rib at its outer angles, and thus prevent permanent bending at these points and give it additional spring action.

It is often desired to make -the conductor of tin or other light sheet metal, which can be readily worked by ordinary tinners; and in order to enable them in such case to make the pipe part A of the conductor, I make this coupling rib or joint of a piece or strip of sheet metal separate from the body of the pipe or conductor, but provided with means for readily attaching the same, as at C, Fig. 3. This l do by bending or Jfolding the strip or sheet in longitudinal lines to form the back c and converging sides c of the hollow rib, and also narrow wings or anges b, extending out a little way from the abutting angles et', the edges IOO ot' which are bent or folded, as at e, to or with which the corresponding edges ot' pipe A, Fig. 4, are secured by ordinary folded seams e. For convenience in forming such seams I prefer to bend the two edges e in opposite directions, as shown. When these ribs orjoints C are thus made from a single sheet or strip there is no necessity for seams at the junction of back c and sides a, though in order to secure the same stiffness and spring action at these angles which seams would impart I prefer to fold the metal upon itself along such angles, or re-enforce the same, as at d.. This feature may be dispensed with, however, or the back c and sides a may be made of separate pieces and united by seams, as first described, and suoli modications I consider as coming within my invention.

The function of this coupling-rib C is the same whether made separate from'the pipe, as in Fig. 3, and afterward united thereto, as in Fig. 4, or when made in part integral with the pipe, as in Fig. 1.

I propose selling' to the trade separate coupling ribs or joints,such as I haveherein shown and described,and ordinary tinners being supplied with the same can readily add thereto a body or pipe, A, of tin, and thereby make a cheap but much better and more serviceable conductor than heretofore-one that will have large capacity for expansion when required, and yet be well adapted to preserve its form.

In order to put together readily sections of my improved conductor, I clip oft' the corners of the seams c or folds d at one end of each section, as at s, and then, byopening or spreading the sides a a little of the adjacent end of the next section, such clipped end may be slipped a little way into the opened end, like joints of stove-pipe. In this way the passage B, as well as the main passage A, is made continuous through the length of the conductor.

In fastening this conductor to a building any suitable band or clip may be employed, which may either pass around the body of the pipe, or may engage by forks or prongs the seams c or the projecting part of the rib or joint.

I ain aware that it is not new with Ine to make a conductor having longitudinal folds in the pipe, both in the form of open corrugations and also inelosing a small passage along the side of the pipe, which will open into the body of the pipe under expansive force, and therefore 1 do not claim, broadly, a conductor having such features, alone considered.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. A water-conductor, A, having its longitudinal seam or joint formed by outwardly-divergent flanges ct, with a connecting-back, secured to the edges of the flanges by seams c', substantially as set forth.

2. As a means for j oinin g the edges of waterconductors, a hollow or tubular rib, C, made separate from the pipe, and having a springback, o, withits sides c converging to, or nearly to, contact, and provided with wings or flanges b, for attachment with the edges of the pipe, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES L. OLD.

lVitnesses R. H. WHITTLEsEY, C. L. PARKER.

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