GB2159119A - Marker for wires, pipes etc - Google Patents

Abstract

A marker for elongate conductors is made of elastic material and has a plurality of flat external faces 11-16. Two opposing faces are provided with a hole 19 through which, in use, the conductor passes. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wires and conductors designator Background of the invention In many constructions, whether dealing with buildings, machines or apparatus in general, some elements are involved such as pipes, bars, wires, strands or the like, which are used to conduct electric power, liquids, gases or granulated solids, they are also used for conducting tension, compression, rotation or vibration stresses. They are further used to conduct light, heat and electromagnetic waves in general. In all the mentioned cases, they are employed as conductors. They are always conducting something electromagnetic waves, mechanical stresses, fluids or the like. In any construction where several pipe or bar conductor elements are involved, each one destined to execute distinct or specific functions.The designation of such conductors is advisable in order to achieve identification of each one of them, for the purpose of giving each one the use for which it has been destined and without which, the expected functioning of the construction which is being made with these conductors cannot be obtained.

The designation becomes more necessary when several similar conductors are used in the construction of an apparatus or product, each one destined to execute different functions, as it occurs often in the construction of motors, electric equipment, automobiles, locomotives, electronic equipment, hydromechanic equipment and the like.

Designation of the conductors is necessary in order to achieve identification thereof and to allow both construction and verification, modification and repair of the equipment or machines in which these conductors are used.

The designators used up to date, prior to the designator of this patent application, consist in a length of pipe or band with an external cylindrical surface or are the flag type marked with a symbol.

These designators are placed around the conductors which they designate, presenting one or various of the following disadvantages: a).- They remain loose and do not keep their position on the conductor whereon they were placed when the diameter of the conductors is smaller than the internal diameter of the designator.

b).- In the opposite case, when the diameter of the conductor is slightly greater than that of the inside of the designator, they remain very tight, or else, placement is difficult or impossible.

c).- A great variety of measures are required so that they remain properly placed and fixed to the conductors, mainly when the latter have small differences in diameter among each other.

d).- They become loose or come off after being placed, whether because of the action of humidity, atmosphere, temperature changes, or in general, the action of the environment.

e).- The designators have to be fixed to the conductor by an additional process or agent such as contraction by heat, adhesives or clamps.

f).- Their designation is erased by the action of friction, water, solvents, acids, alkalies, or the combination of these, which makes later identification of the conductor difficult or impossible.

g).- Identification is difficult when the symbol is marked only once and its position is not in front of the observer, requiring the latter to change its position or turn the signal or the conductor in order to achieve identification.

h) - When the symbol is repeated around the cylindrical signaller, so that it cah be distinguished from any position of the observer, another identification problem arises. This problem arises when flat surfaces of parallel conductors are formed and their designators touch one another in perpendicular alignment to that of the conductors The observer will not be able to identify easily those symbols which are not directly in front of him, because he cannot see them completely. But he can be confused by the symbols which are formed with each part of the symbols of designators which are adjacent.

Summary of the invention The designator which is the object of this invention was conceived in order to avoid each and every one of the disadvantages above mentioned and it is destined to identify easily, from any direction and in a precise manner, the conductor on which it is placed and whereon it keeps its position, being perfectly adapted to different conductor diameters and shapes.

The symbols are easily identifiable on the designators of this invention, even in the case that the designators are adjacent forming parallel flat surfaces.

The conductor designator in the form of bars or pipes, which is the object of this patent application is made up by a resilient flexible material which is placed like a ring, encircling the conductor it designates. The designator includes four or more flat external faces parallel to its axis, which can be seen from any direction around it and they are marked with one single symbol, which changes for each one of the different conductors which they designate. In the present invention, those faces destined to be marked with a symbol and denominated designator faces.

Perpendicularly to the designator faces, the invention is provided with another two flat end faces, opposite each other, made of thin, flexible membranes which have a perforation in the center.

Or else, in another embodiment, the internal part is constituted by a hollow cylinder with thick, flexible walls, whose axis coincides with the longitudinal axis of the designator.

The conductor which one wants to designate is introduced through the central orifice or in the interior of the flexible cylinder with a light twisting force and pushed to overcome the opposition of the membranes or of the flexible cylinder, which are deformed and adapt to the external shape of the conductor, keeping a certain pressure on it, which allows it to maintain the final position which is destined to it. These and other objects of the invention, will be better understood and more easily appreciated with the following specification which makes reference to the attached drawings of the preferred embodiments of it.

Brief description of the drawings.

Figure 1 is a conventional perspective view which illustrates an embodiment of the designator of this invention, constituted by an hexahedral rectangular parallelepiped with six perpendicular flat faces. Two of them on opposite ends to each other, are perforated in the center in order to give passage to the conductor whereon it is going to be placed. The other four faces perpendicular to each other present a symbol repeated on each one of them, which serves to designate the conductor. In this figure, number seven appears only as an example.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view showing the designator illustrated in figure 1.

Figure 3 is a conventional perspective view which illustrates two designators similar to those of figures 1 and 2, applied to a conductor which are designating with number seventy seven, only as an example.

Figure 4 is a conventional perspective view which illustrates an embodiment of the designator of this invention, where the two perforated end membranes have been removed and substituted by two or more membranes which originate on the surface of an interior cylinder and are extended radially toward the center, being interrupted a little before reaching it. These flexible membranes run the entire length of the inside of the designator, advancing helicoidally, that is, producing a helix from end to end.

Figure 5 is a conventional perspective view which illustrates an embodiment in which the internal part has the shape of a hollow cylinder with thick, ellastic walls, which runs from end to end.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of the designator of Figure 5.

Detailed description of the invention Designator 10, of bars or pipes of this invention is made of a closed annular body which in the illustrated embodiment includes a hexahedral rectangular parallelepiped with six flat faces perpendicular to each other, 11 to 16. Faces 11 and 12 are made up of at least partially by membranes 17 and 18, which each have a circular perforation 19 and 20 in the center. The entire designator is constituted by an ellastic material resistent to solvents, alkalies, acids and extreme temperatures, such as synthetic rubber or some other material with superior properties.

The internal wall of membranes 17 and 18 is coupled with the surface of a cylindrical pipe 21, concentric with perforations 19 and 20 of membranes 17 and 18. Perpendicular to faces 11 and 12, designator 10 has another four flat faces perpendicular to each other 13 to 16 called "designators", which have a single symbol 22, marked on them destined to designate or identify and a line 23, which indicates the base of this symbol 22.

Number seven appears as symbol 22, in the figures, only as an example, marked on faces 13 to 16.

Perforation 19 and 20, of faces 11 and 12, serve to give passage to conductor 24, whereon designator 10 is places, conductor 24 is introduced through perforations 19 and 20 by means of light pressure up to the position which has been chosen and which it keep sby the pressure exercised by membranes 17 and 18 on conductor 24, as shown in Figure 3. A designator 10 with a particular size 19 and 20 can be used in a great variety of sizes and configurations of shapes of conductors 24, because of the elasticity of perforated membranes 17 and 18, which are adapted elastically to conductor 24. When a designator 10 is loose, a designator 10 with smaller perforations 19 and 20 can be used.

When a designator 10 is very tight on a conductor 24 and begins to lose its external form, a designator must be used with a greater internal diameter 21. The four coaxial edges 25 are very important in order to facilitate the desired alignment of designator 10 and specially, when several of them are used in order to compose a symbol formed by various designators 10 as indicated in Figure 3.

Designator 10 can be manufactured of longer size in order to allow being marked with a greater number of symbols 22 on each face 13 to 16. Designator 10 can also be constructed with five or more designator faces instead of only four faces.

To one single wire or pipe 24, two or more equal designators 10 can be placed near the ends or on whatsoever other part where identification is advisable in order to indicate that the same wire is involved.

A symbol 22 is assigned to each conductor 24 wire or pipe which is changed for each one of the different conductors 24, wires or pipes. In Figure 6, the designator with hollow cylinder 21 embodiment is shown, whose diameter coincides with that of perforations 19 and 20. The thick flexible walls 26 are those which are deformed in order to adapt and fasten to a great variety of sizes and shapes of pipes or wires which they designate.

Furthermore, Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment in which the membranes 17 and 18 with perforations 19 and 20 have been removed and substituted for two or more membranes 27 which project from the internal surface of the cylindrical pipe 21 toward the center, but being interrupted a little before reaching it. These membranes 27 run the entire length of the interior pipe 21 advancing helicoidally, that is, producing a helix within the pipe as of face 11 to 12.

Notwithstanding that the above description was performed regarding the preferred embodiment of this invention, it must be understood by any person skilled in the art that any modification in shape and detail will remain within the spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims (10)

1. Wires and conductors designator, which allows easy and precise identification of such wires and conductors, observed from whatsoever direction around the designator, wherein same is constituted by an annular body or elastic or resilient hoop closed with a plurality of flat external faces, perpendicular to each other, two of which parallel to and opposite each other, each including a flexible membrane with a perforation in the center through which the wire and conductor which is desired to designate, penetrates, and whereto it is fastened by the elastic compression which the membrane exercises on it; the other faces perpendicular to each other and parallel to the axis which joins the perforations are marked with a symbol and a base line, being repeated on each of the faces of a single designator.

2. Wires and conductors designator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the symbols are a combination of numbers, letters and whatsoever other sign or combination.

3. Wires and conductors designator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the symbols are addressed in whatsoever direction regarding to the conductor axis, including that of 90".

4. Wires and conductors designator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flat external designator faces do not carry any symbol in order to allow the user to mark them with the desired symbol.

5. Wires and conductors designator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the perforated membranes are replaced by two or more membranes which project from the internal surface of the designator toward the center, being interrupted a little before reaching it, and that they advance developing a helix along the whole length of the designator internal surface.

6. Wires and conductors designator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flat external designator faces can be of any number

7. Wires and conductors designator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the symbol and the base line can be marked in high or low relief.

8. Wires and conductors designator in accordance with claim 1, wherein it can be combined with other similar designators in order to form whatsoever symbolic number or key.

9. Wires and conductors designator in accordance with claim 1, wherein its internal part has the shape of a hollow cylinder which oes from end to end and whose thick, flexible walls are those which are deformed in order to be adapted and fastened to the conductor whereon it is applied.

10. Wires and conductors designator in accordance with claim 1, wherein it is constituted to two or more parts, one of them, being the body of the designator and the other or others is formed by the piece or pieces which contain the symbols.