GB2097508A

GB2097508A - Apparatus for supporting a tubular member

Info

Publication number: GB2097508A
Application number: GB8137820A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Michigan Hanger Co Inc; MICHIGAN HANGER Co
Current assignee: Michigan Hanger Co Inc; MICHIGAN HANGER Co
Priority date: 1981-04-27
Filing date: 1981-12-15
Publication date: 1982-11-03
Also published as: FR2504642A1; DE3201341A1; DE3201341C2; AU7923682A; NL8105802A; JPS57179489A; FR2504642B3; GB2097508B

Abstract

A pipe hanger is arranged to be positioned about a pipe to be suspended, moved to a closed position and engaged upon a supporting rod so as to carry the pipe. The hanger takes the form of an elongated band, preferably metal, the ends of which are brought into proximity to one another by bending the band into a general oval shape. The ends of the band are formed in configurations e.g. threaded or knurled (Fig. 4 not shown) registered with the thread pattern of the support rod when engaged thereagainst and a cylindrical ferrule is moved downwardly over the ends of the band so as to move the same into forceful engagement with the threaded supporting rod. An upstanding tab on one of the ends of the band is then distorted by bending the same downwardly so as to hold the cylindrical ferrule in desired position in which the ends of the band remain in tight, non-slipping engagement with the threaded support rod. (Fig. 3 not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for supporting a tubular member This invention relates to apparatuses for supporting a tubular member, particularly though not exclusively, to pipe hangers of the type normally employed to suspend pipes from overhead supports in spaced relation thereto.

Prior structures of this type have generally taken the form of a band arranged in an oval shape with its ends apertured and arranged in superimposed position over a flanged cylindrical coupling which in turn is internally threaded for threaded engagement with a supporting rod and as disclosed in U.S. Patent Specification No.

2,996,274. Proposals have been made to alter the usual pipe hanger constructions by clampingly engaging the pipe carrying portion of the pipe hanger on a supporting rod or on a fastener carried by a supporting rod and such constructions are disclosed in U.S. Patent Specification Nos.

1,870,651; 1,924,353 and 3,493,206.

According to the invention there is provided an apparatus for supporting a tubular member, comprising a supporting rod, a cylindrical ferrule and a band-shaped member which may be positioned about the tubular member, moved to a closed position and then secured to the supporting rod, said band-shaped member having end configurations adapted to engage the opposite sides of said supporting rod, the cylindrical ferrule being movable coaxially of said rod over said end configurations of said elongate band-shaped member and arranged to move said end configurations of said band-shaped member against said rod in non slipping engagement therewith, said apparatus including a distortable member arranged when distorted to interlock said end configurations and said cylindrical ferrule.

Apparatuses embodying the present invention differ from the prior art in providing a simple structure which is less expensive to manufacture and is easier to install than the prior art devices and particularly in the arrangement of the end configurations of the band-shaped member, which can be stamped into shape, if the band-shaped member is of sheet metal, and the use of a simple cylindrical ferrule, such as a piece of tubing of appropriate inner diameter, which when moved downwardly over the ends of the band-shaped member engaged on the threaded supporting rod holds the same in firm attached relation thereto and the final locking of the assembly by the bending of the tab on one of the ends of the bandshaped member into a position to prevent movement of the cylindrical ferrule.

In a preferred embodiment, a pipe hanger is formed of only two pieces which are engageable with a threaded support rod to form a complete pipe hanger. The pieces comprise an elongate band-shaped member which may be formed of sheet metal with end configurations defining halfcircular shapes and internally threaded or knurled and arranged to be positioned against the outer opposite sides of a threaded support rod and held thereagainst by the application of a cylindrical ferrule thereover, together with a bendable tab on one of the ends of the band-shaped member which can be moved to a position locking the assembly in a desired pipe supporting position.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:~ Figure 1 is an exploded front elevational view with parts broken away and parts in cross section illustrating a pipe hanger and a supporting rod; Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the pipe hanger seen in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged view of an assembly of the portions of the pipe hanger and supporting rod seen in Figure 1 with broken lines illustrating the locking position of one of the parts; and Figure 4 is an exploded view of a modified form of pipe hanger and supporting rod.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment By referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that a supporting rod 10 having threaded end sections 11 and 12 respectively thereon is illustrated and those skilled in the art will observe that such supporting rods are common in the pipe hanger art and are usually affixed at their upper ends to an overhead support, such as a beam or the like, usually by way of a clamp, not shown. An elongated sheet metal band 13 comprises the portion of the hanger which is positioned around a pipe to be suspended thereby, the elongated band 13 has its end portions 14 and 15 respectively shaped in substantially half-circular arcuate configurations with representations of thread patterns 16 and 17 respectively on their inner opposed surfaces when the elongated band 13 is shaped in the oval pipe suspending shape shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The end 1 5 of the elongated band 13 has an extending tab 18, which is of a length approximately the same as the end configuration 1 5 of the band 13. In Figure 2 of the drawings a side elevation of the elongated band 13 will be seen and the substantially half-circular arcuate configuration thereof will be observed to cause it to be narrower in side elevation than the width of the band 13. It will also be seen that the extending tab 18 is formed at one side of the substantially half-circular arcuate configuration in which the end 15 is formed.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the oppositely disposed, substantially half-circular arcuate configurations of the ends 14 and 1 5 of the elongated band 13 present an internal diameter substantially the same as the external diameter of the supporting rod 1 0 and its threaded portion 12 heretofore referred to so that when the substantially half-circular arcuate configurations of the ends 14 and 1 5 are engaged on the opposite sides of the threaded portions 12 of the rod 10, they will engage in the thread pattern 12 thereof so as to be affixed thereto in a manner capable of holding a pipe to be suspended by the pipe hanger.

By referring again to Figure 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that a cylindrical ferrule 19 is disclosed and which has an inner diameter slightly# larger than the outer diameter of the substantially..

half-circular arcuate configurations of the ends 14 and 15 of the band 13 so that it can be moved downwardly thereover to hold the ends 14 and 1 5 in engaged relation against the thread pattern 12 on the supporting rod 10.

By referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings, the assembly of these parts may be observed and it will be seen that the cylindrical ferrule 19 has been moved downwardly over the ends 14 and 1 5 of the elongated band 13 so that the representations of the thread patterns 1 6 and 17 are forcibly engaged in the thread pattern 12 on the support rod 10. The extending tab 18 is shown in solid lines in Figure 3 in the assembled position and in broken lines showing if after it had been distorted by being bent downwardly so as to hold the cylindrical ferrule 19 in the position illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings where the assembly is locked with the elongated band 13 securely attached to the threaded portion 12 of the support rod 10 of the pipe hanger.

Those skilled in the art will observe that it is possible to attach the cylindrical ferrule 19 to the assembly by means other than the distortion of the extending tab 18 as hereinbefore described.

For example, a portion of the cylindrical ferrule 1 9 may be distorted inwardly as by peening so as to lock it against one or both of the end extensions 14 and 1 5 of the elongated band 1 3. Alternatively the cylindrical ferrule 19 may be simply distorted as by partially crushing the same so as to bring it into locking engagement against the thread pattern 12 on the support rod 10 of the pipe hanger and a still further modification would comprise the use of an adhesive material which would bond the cylindrical ferrule to the end portions 14 and 1 5 of the elongated band 13 or alternatively to the support rod 10 as desired. In the above modifications, the extending tab 18 may be dispensed with, if desired.

Still further modifications in the pipe hanger disclosed herein are possible and by referring to Figure 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that a support rod 21 is shown with an upper thread pattern 22 and a lower thread pattern 23 thereon and an elongated band of a pipe hanger is indicated by the numeral 24. The ends of the elongated band 24 of the modification are shaped with desirably shaped configurations including half-circular end portions 25 and 26 respectively and each of these has a thread pattern 27 and 28 respectively on its exterior surface. A modified cylindrical ferrule 29 is shown in Figure 4 of the drawings with the interior thereof having a continuous thread pattern 30 formed therein.The diameter of the interior surface of the cylindrical ferrule 29 is substantially the same as the exterior diameter of the end portions 25 and 26 of the band 24 so that the thread pattern 30 will register with the representations of the thread patterns 27 and 28 formed thereon which enables the cylindrical ferrule 29 to be rotated and threadably engaged in a manner which will hold the assembly as desired.

A still further modification of the end configurations 25 and 26 of the elongated band 24 as seen in Figure 4 of the drawings, may be had in that the inner opposed surfaces of the end configurations 25 and 26 may be roughened as by forming knurled surfaces 31 and 32 thereon or otherwise shaped so that a frictional engagement may be had with the thread pattern 23 on the lower end of the support rod 21 heretofore referred to when the device is assembled thereon.

It will thus be seen that an improved and simplified pipe hanger has been disclosed which may be formed in two simple parts; one, the elongated band with its oppositely disposed desirably shaped end configurations registrable with the threaded portion of a supporting rod, and the cylindrical ferrule which is moved downwardly thereover to hold the assembly in engagement with the extending tab 18 being used to hoYd the assembly in locked desired relation.

Although but two embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed and claimed herein.

Claims

1. Apparatus for supporting a tubular member, comprising a supporting rod, a cylindrical ferrule and a band-shaped member which may be positioned about the tubular member, moved to a closed position and then secured to the supporting rod, said band-shaped member having end configurations adapted to engage the opposite sides of said supporting rod, the cylindrical ferrule being movable coaxially of said rod over said end configurations of said elongate band-shaped member and arranged to move said end configurations of said band-shaped member against said rod in non slipping engagement therewith, said apparatus including a distortable member arranged when distorted to interlock said end configurations and said cylindrical ferrule.

2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said distortable member comprises a tab extension on at least one of said end configurations of said band-shaped member, said tab extension being movable to a position blocking axial movement of said cylindrical ferrule with respect to said rod.

3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim wherein said elongate band-shaped member is a strip of sheet metal and said end configurations are formed in the ends thereof to include cross sectionally arcuate portions arranged in oppositely disposed relation of a size over which said cylindrical ferrule may be moved.

4. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, in which thread patterns are formed on said supporting rod and on the inner opposed surfaces of said cross sectionally arcuate portions.

5. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein thread patterns are formed on said supporting rod and roughened surfaces are formed on the inner opposed surfaces of said cross sectionally arcuate portions.

6. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the outer opposed surfaces of said cross sectionally arcuate portions are provided with a threaded pattern cooperable with an internally threaded portion of the ferrule.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which a thread pattern is formed on said supporting rod adjacent one end thereof and matching thread patterns are formed in said end configurations on said band-shaped member in the areas thereof shaped to engage the opposite sides of said supporting rod.

8. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said cylindrical ferrule is arranged to provide a surface which may be distorted as by peening to move an adjacent portion thereof into locking engagement with said supporting rod.

9. An apparatus for supporting a tubular member, arranged, constructed and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.