WO2001015828A1

WO2001015828A1 - Tubular body with attachment formation and method of forming such an attachment formation

Info

Publication number: WO2001015828A1
Application number: PCT/ZA2000/000148
Authority: WO
Inventors: Trevor C. Burden
Original assignee: Dorbyl Limited
Priority date: 1999-08-27
Filing date: 2000-08-25
Publication date: 2001-03-08
Also published as: AU6805800A

Abstract

According to the present invention a method of forming an attachment end formation (11) on a tubular body (10) with a tube wall comprises forming at leastone elongate aperture (14, 15) in the tube wall at an end of the tubular body. The at least one elongate aperture extends generally along part of the length of the tubular body (10). The tube wall is also flattened at said end of the tubular body prior to or after forming the at least one elongate aperture, thereby forming two spaced apart opposing generally flat face sections (16, 17) with the at least one elongate aperture (14, 15) extending between the face sections. The invention also relates to tubular bodies with such attachment end formations.

Description

TUBULAR BODY WITH ATTACHMENT FORMATION AND

METHOD OF FORMING SUCH AN ATTACHMENT FORMATION

This invention relates to a method of forming an attachment end formation on

a tubular body and to a tubular body including an attachment end formation

thereon.

When coupling a tubular body, such as a pipe, to an object, it is well known

to partially flatten the end of the pipe and then secure it to the object. The

tubular body and the object may be secured to each other by providing a hole

or holes through the flattened end section of the pipe and through the object

and inserting a securing means such as a rivet or bolt therethrough. Welding

or other means may also be used to secure the flattened end to the object.

Often the end of the pipe is flattened in such a way as to close the end of the

pipe. One disadvantage of this is that moisture entering the pipe becomes

trapped therein which leads to corrosion of the pipe wall. If the pipe is treated

by galvanization to reduce corrosion the galvanizing will crack during the

flattening process. Another difficulty arises when the pipe is galvanized after

flattening of the end since the pipe will then not be galvanized on the inside

where moisture in use becomes trapped, unless additional drain holes are

provided. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method

of forming an attachment end formation on a tubular body with a tube wall,

said method comprising forming at least one elongate aperture in the tube wall

at an end of the tubular body, the at least one elongate aperture extending

generally along part of the length of the tubular body; and flattening the tube

wall at said end of the tubular body prior to or after forming the at least one

elongate aperture, thereby forming two spaced apart opposing generally flat

face sections with the at least one elongate aperture extending between the face

sections.

The at least one elongate aperture may be formed by cutting the tube wall.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the method includes cutting out

two opposing elongate apertures in the tube wall, both elongate apertures

extending generally along part of the length of the tubular body; and flattening

the end of the tubular body prior or after cutting out the two elongate

apertures, thereby forming the face sections which define a fork formation.

The method may include forming at least one aperture through each of the face

sections. Preferably the at least one aperture through one face sections is aligned with the at least one aperture through the other face section.

The method may also include treatment of the attachment end formation to

reduce corrosion thereof. In one embodiment of the invention the attachment

end formation may be galvanized.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an

attachment end formation on a tubular body formed by the method

substantially as described above.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a

tubular body including an attachment end formation having been formed by

providing at least one elongate aperture in the tube wall at an end of the

tubular body, the at least one elongate aperture extending generally along part

of the length of the tubular body; and the end formation having been formed

by flattening the tube wall at the end of the tubular body prior to or after

forming the at least one elongate aperture, thereby forming two spaced apart

opposing generally flat face sections, with the at least one elongate aperture

extending between the face sections.

The attachment end formation may have been formed by cutting out at least one elongate aperture in the tube wall extending generally along part of the

length of the tubular body.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the attachment end formation was

formed by cutting out two opposing elongate apertures in the tube wall, both

elongate apertures extending generally along part of the length of the tubular

body; and flattening the end of the tubular body prior or after cutting out the

two elongate apertures, thereby forming the face sections which define a fork

formation.

The attachment end formation may include at least one aperture through each

of the face sections.

The attachment end formation may be treated to reduce corrosion thereof. In

one embodiment of the invention the attachment end formation may be

galvanized.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a tubular

body including an attachment end formation thereon suitable for coupling the

tubular body to an object, said attachment end formation comprising a

flattened end section defining two spaced apart opposing generally flat face sections; and at least one elongate aperture in the flattened end section

extending along part of the length of the tubular body, between the two spaced

apart opposing generally flat face sections.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the attachment end formation

comprises two opposing elongate apertures in the flattened end section, both

elongate apertures extending generally along part of the length of the tubular

body and the two opposing face sections thus forming a fork formation.

The attachment end formation may include at least one aperture through each

of the face sections. Preferably the at least one aperture through one face

section is aligned with the at least one aperture through the other face section.

Without thereby limiting the scope of the invention and by means of example

only, one embodiment of the invention will now be further described with

reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a partly formed attachment end formation

on a tubular body according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the fully formed attachment end formation of Figure 1 connected to an object.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference numerals are used to denote

corresponding parts.

Referring now to the drawings a tubular body 10, includes an attachment end

formation 11, suitable for coupling the tubular body 10 to an object 12. The

attachment end formation 11 comprises a flattened end section 13 in the tube

wall of the tubular body 10 and two opposing elongate apertures 14 and 15 in

the flattened end section 13. In Figure 1 the elongate apertures 14 and 15 have

not been formed yet, but their cut-lines are indicated as dotted lines. The

elongate apertures 14 and 15 extend along part of the length of the tubular

body 10, thereby forming two spaced apart opposing flat face sections 16 and

17 with the elongate apertures 14 and 15 extending between the face sections

16 and 17. The face sections 16 and 17 define a fork formation.

The attachment end formation 11 includes an aperture 18 through each of the

face sections 16 and 17 respectively. These apertures 18 are aligned with each

other.

The attachment end formation 11 on the tubular body 10 with a tube wall is formed by flattening the tube wall as shown in Figure 1 to form the spaced

apart opposing, generally flat face sections 16 and 17. Thereafter the two

elongate apertures 14 and 15 are cut out in the tube wall at the end of the

tubular body 10. The elongate apertures 14 and 15 extend between the face

sections 16 and 17 defining a fork formation. In an alternative embodiment

[not shown] the face sections 16 and 17 may be formed after the formation of

the apertures 14 and 15.

The attachment end formation 11 may be galvanized after forming it to reduce

corrosion thereof. Treatment of the attachment end formation 11 after

forming it has the advantage that the galvanizing will not crack during the

flattening process. Another advantage is that the attachment end formation 11

will be galvanized on the inside where moisture may be trapped, thus

preventing corrosion on the inside of the attachment end formation 11.

The attachment end formation 11 may in use be connected to the object 12 by

forming an aperture [not shown] through the object 12, positioning the object

12 at a selected position between the face sections 16 and 17 with the apertures

18 aligned with the aperture in the object 12, and then inserting a securing

means [not shown] through the aligned apertures. It will be appreciated that many variations in detail are possible without

thereby departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of forming an attachment end formation on a tubular body

with a tube wall, said method comprising forming at least one elongate

aperture in the tube wall at an end of the tubular body, the at least one

elongate aperture extending generally along part of the length of the

tubular body; and flattening the tube wall at said end of the tubular body

prior to or after forming the at least one elongate aperture, thereby

forming two spaced apart opposing generally flat face sections with the at

least one elongate aperture extending between the face sections.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one elongate aperture is

formed by cutting the tube wall.

3. The method of claim 2 which includes cutting out two opposing elongate

apertures in the tube wall, both elongate apertures extending generally

along part of the length of the tubular body; and flattening the end of the

tubular body prior to or after forming the face sections, thereby forming

a fork formation.

4. The method of any one of the preceding claims includes forming at least one aperture through each of the face sections.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one aperture through the one

face section is aligned with the at least one aperture through the other face

section.

6. The method of any one of the preceding claims which includes treating

the attachment end formation to reduce corrosion thereof.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the attachment end formation is

galvanised.

8. An attachment end formation on a tubular body formed by the method

of any one of the preceding claims.

9. A tubular body with an attachment end formation thereon suitable for

coupling the tubular body to an object, said attachment end formation

comprising a flattened end section defining two spaced apart opposing

generally flat face sections; and at least one elongate aperture in the

flattened end section extending along part of the length of the tubular

body, between the two spaced apart opposing generally flat face sections.

10. The tubular body of claim 9 wherein the attachment end formation

comprises two opposing elongate apertures in the flattened end section,

both elongate apertures extending generally along part of the length of

the tubular body and the two opposing face sections thus forming a fork

formation.

11. The tubular body of either one of claims 9 or 10 which includes at least

one aperture through each of the face sections.

12. The tubular body of claim 10 wherein the at least one aperture through

the one face section is aligned with the at least one aperture through the

other face section.

13. A method of forming an attachment end formation on a tubular body

substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying

drawings.

14. A tubular body with an attachment end formation thereon substantially

as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.