GB2195700A - Clip - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a clip for use, for example, in attaching parallel pipes or cables together such as an undersea oil pipe and a secondary small bore gas pipe. An example of such a clip is provided on one side of a body position (1) thereof with two hook-shaped limbs (5, 6) having mutually opposed staggered surfaces (12), which flank a passage (14) way in which the gas pipe is captive. An open channel (19) is formed at right- angles to the passage (14) and intersecting it. The gas pipe is placed along the channel (19) and relative rotation between the pipe and the clip about the intersection causes the pipe to be received within the passage (14). A shaped base 7 allows the device to be attached to a larger bore pipe but the base could be flat and two such clips can be used as a single unit secured base to base. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Clip The present invention relates to a clip for elongate members such as cables, conduit, pipe or the like, and is concerned particularly, but not exclusively, with a clip for retaining two elongate members in parallel spaced relationship.

In undersea oil pipelines it is sometimes required to run a secondary small bore methanol pipeline in parallel with a large bore oil pipeline. During pipe- laying the two pipelines are usually strapped together on a barge and the pipeline assembly subsequently lowered to the seabed. It is desirable that the pipelines are strapped or otherwise held in parallel relationship by fixing means which can be connected in a quick and efficient manner so as not to delay pipe laying.

U.K. Patent Application GB 2 165 579 A discloses one form of fixing which consists of a saddle for seating on the large bore pipeline having a channel for receiving the small bore pipeline, a closure member being provided for retaining the small bore pipeline in the channel. Holding means both clamp the closure member to the saddle and clamp the saddle to the large bore pipeline.

One disadvantage to the saddle fixing device disclosed in GB 2 165 579 A lies in the feature that the saddle cannot be finally clamped to the large bore pipeline prior to the retention of the small bore pipeline. Secondly such a multi-part fixing means is slow to assemble and prone to loss of parts prior to assembly.

It is an object of the invention to provide a clip which overcomes the foregoing disadvantages.

According to the broadest aspect of the invention, the invention provides a clip for attachment to an elongate member such as a cable, conduit, pipe or the like, comprising a body portion having a first surface from which project two mutually opposed, staggered surfaces, adapted in use to engage opposite sides of an elongate member held captive in a passage flanked by said two surfaces, at least one of said surfaces being provided on a limb projecting from said first surface of the body portion, the construction and arrangement being such that an open channel is formed between said two staggered surfaces, said channel extending perpendicularly to and intersecting said passage and that an elongate member placed in the open channel is rotated about said point of intersection to effect entry into said passage.

The clip may be attached to the member, typically a pipe, by first relatively aligning a longitudinal axis of the pipe perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the passage, and then by relative rotation thereof effecting ingress of the pipe to the passage.

The or each limb of the clip may be straight, hooked or have a generally part-cylindrical inner surface. Where there are two limbs it is preferred that they are inclined or opposed relative to each other. In one embodiment of the invention the body portion of the clip is provided with a substantially flat base for fixing to a surface by conventional adhesive mounting or fastener means.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a clip for securing an elongate element and a tubular member in parallel spaced relationship, the clip comprising two opposed limbs integrally formed with a body portion of the clip and extending integrally therefrom and which coact with the body of the clip to form an element retaining passage having a longitudinal axis, and further comprising a plurality of adjacent or integral legs extending from the body of the clip to form a saddle for sitting on the tubular member.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clip in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the clip shown in Figure 1, Figures 3 to 6 are sequential diagrammatic views showing the attachment of a clip as shown in Figures 1 and 2 to a pipe; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a clip in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a clip in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of a clip assembly in accordance with the third embodiment.

The clip illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 is a unitary plastics moulding for unders~ea pipeline applications. The clip is in the general form of a saddle, having a groove or channel extending across its lower side. The clip has a body portion 1 having an upper surface 2, and lower surface 3 within the groove or channel extending generally parallel to the upper surface. Two support legs 4 extend below the surface 3 for seating on a large bore oil pipeline, and two shaped limbs 5 and 6 extend above the surface 2 to receive a small bore methanol pipeline. The support legs 4 are identical and each has a part-cylindrical seating surface 7 for seating on the oil pipeline, and a through hole 8 for receiving an end portion of an anchor bar (not shown).The seated clip can be secured to a pipeline by a conventional tensioned strap or rope anchored at one end to the anchor bar, wrapped around the pipeline, and secured at the other end to a tensioner (not shown) extending through a slot 9 in the body 1, and being seated against the base of a recess 10 in the clip body 1. The base of the recess 10 lies in a plane which is normal to the lateral end surface 11 of the body. The tensioner may be a screw-threaded bar extending through the slot 9 and lock nuts seated in the recess 10 without the need of any means positively fixing the tensioner to the clip, thereby facilitating rapid securing of the clip to the pipeline.

The shaped limbs 5 and 6 are generally hook-shaped and have inner surfaces 12 and 13 respectively of generally part-cylindrical form. Together with a portion of the upper surface 2, the limbs 5 and 6 define a longitudinal passage 14 through the clip for receiving the methanol pipeline in parallel relationship with the oil pipe. The limbs 5 and 6 each have a re-entrant portion 15, with an end portion of the respective inner surface 12 and 13 extending to an apex 16. Thus, the passage 14 is generally cylindrical thereby enabling positive retention by the clip of a pipeline.

Alternatively, limbs 5 and 6 without re-entrant portions 15 may have upper portions of the inner surfaces 12 and 13 provided with flat, serrated or other desired profiles. Adjacent and opposed inner faces 17 and 18 of the spaced limbs 5 and 6 respectively, together with the corresponding portion of the upper surface 2, define a channel 19 between the two limbs for enabling ingress of a pipeline into the passage 14.

In use, the clip and pipeline are positioned so-that the longitudinal axis of the pipeline is aligned with and as viewed in Figure 3 above the longitudinal axis of the channel 19. The clip and pipeline 20 are brought together until the pipeline 20 lies along the channel 19 as may be seen in Figure 4. Relative rotation between-the clip and the pipeline in the direction A about the axis X-X causes the pipeline to be retained in the passage 14, as illustrated, sequentially, in Figure 5 and Figure 6.

A plurality of clips will be installed at intervals along the length of the pipelines so as to retain the methanol pipeline parallel to the oil pipeline. A curved surface 21 of the clip which extends to the apex 16 of each limb 5 and 6 avoids fouling of the clip and pipelines by fishing nets, vegetation or the like.

The clip illustrated in Figure 7 to 9 is fundamentally similar to the preferred clip and therefore like parts are denoted by like reference numerals. The embodiments illustrated in Figure 7 and 8 differ from that already described primarily in the region below the upper surface 2 of the body. In the second embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 7, the body 1 has a part-cylindrical lower surface 3 in# place of the legs 4 of the preferred embodiment. Further, a channel 18 extends through and bisects the upper surface 2 and has a base 22 parallel to the lower surface 3. Such a construction can be secured to an oil pipeline by'conventional strap or pipe-clip means extending around the pipeline and over the base 22.

The third embodiment shown in Figure 8 has a flat base 3 for mating to a flat fixing surface by conventional adhesive mounting or fastening means. The clip may be provided with one or more through holes 23 in the body 1 for conventional screw fasteners. A clip of this type particularly suited to domestic water pipe retaining applications.

The clip assembly illustrated in Figure 9 is particularly suited to the retention of equivalent sized pipes in parallel. The composite clip is constructed from two of the clips shown in Figure 8 which are pivotally attached back-toback so that the base surface 3 of the one mates with the base surface of the other. The two clip parts are relatively rotatable about the pivotal axis X-X and attachment of the two pipes in the respective upper or lower clip is effected by selective rotation of the clips in the manner previously described. Relative rotation of the two clips of the assembly may be prevented by the insertion of a locking member through aligned holes 23. A hole through the body, may be provided, coaxial with the axis X-X, into which one or each clip of the assembly pivot means may extend therein.

It will be appreciated that the design of the clip is not limited to any particular size or cross-section of cable, conduit, pipe or the like.

It will be further appreciated that the clip can be made of any suitable material, reinforced if desired, by any suitable manufacturing process. It is preferred that the clip is cast from a thermoplastics material, for example nyton, and that the material is reinforced by additional reinforcing means, for example, by chopped strand glass fibres to form a composite material structure.

Claims (9)

1. A clip for attachment to an elongate member such as a cable, conduit, pipe or the like, comprising a body portion having a first surface from which project two mutually opposed, staggered surfaces, adapted in use to engage opposite sides of an elongate member held captive in a passage flanked by said two surfaces, at least one of said surfaces being provided on a limb projecting from said first surface of the body portion, the construction and arrangement being such that an open channel is formed between said two staggered surfaces, said channel extending perpendicularly to and intersecting said passage and that an elongate member placed in the open channel is rotated about said point of intersection to effect entry into said passage.

2. A clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second of said staggered surfaces is formed on a second limb projecting from the first surface of the body portion.

3. A clip as claimed in claim 2 wherein the limbs are inclined towards each other.

4. A clip as claimed in claim 3 wherein the limbs are substantially hook-shaped, said staggered surfaces being formed on concave positions of said limbs.

5. A clip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body position is provided with a second surface which comprises at least one concave position adapted to engage a second elongate member for attachment hereto.

6. A clip as claimed in claim 5, wherein the channel is deepened to receive a binding strap for attachment of the clip to said second elongate member.

7. A clip as claimed in any one of claims 1-4 wherein the body portion is provided with a second surface which is opposed to said first surface and from which project two further mutually opposed, staggered surfaces similar to said first mentioned staggered surfaces.

8. A clip as claimed in any of claims 1-4 wherein the body position is provided with a second surface which is opposed to said first surface and is flat.

9. A clip for attachment to an elongate member such as a cable, conduit, pipe or the like, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in a) Figures 1-6 b) Figure 7 c) Figure 8 d) Figure 9 of the drawings.