GB2463315A

GB2463315A - A device for bending pipes used in plumbing

Info

Publication number: GB2463315A
Application number: GB0816665A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Millward
Original assignee: Polypipe Building Products Ltd
Current assignee: Polypipe Building Products Ltd
Priority date: 2008-09-11
Filing date: 2008-09-11
Publication date: 2010-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 2028-09-11
Also published as: GB2463315B; GB0816665D0

Abstract

A device 3 for preventing damage to the surface of a pipe comprises a member having bend which serves to guide and bend a pipe 2 as it is inserted along / through it. Preferably the pipe guide device takes the form of a tubular elongate and arcuate body. Alternatively, the pipe guide may take the form of a split pipe having two half-pipes held in proximity. The pipe guide 3 may be made of polyethylene while the pipe itself is preferably made of polybutylene, and preferably used as piping heated water to radiators in central heating. With the pipe guide, a tube can be pushed around corners, without being scratched on an adjacent substrate 4. It is envisaged to come useful in pushing piping through / along under-floor joists 6. Other claimed inventions relate to a sheet of soft material for lying between a pipe being bent and a substrate, while another relates to a tubular liner.

Description

A SYSTEM FOR USE IN PLUMBING

The invention relates to a system for use in plumbing, and to a method for same.

In plumbing, it is often necessary to provide a run for pipes for example pipes for carrying hot water to radiators for central heating systems. Such pipes often run from one floor to another, and have to pass over or through joists and then undergo a transition from one direction to another to run downwardly (or upwardly) along a substrate which is often of blockwork and in any event has a generally rough surface.

Typically, the pipes have to be forced through narrow gaps having say a 90° bend and then forced down the rough block-work walls, the pipes being pushed from a trailing end by the installer. The pipes whether of plastic or metal, have outer surfaces which can be damaged, typically by scoring, when the end of the pipe is forced along the block-work. If these scored pipes are then fitted into push-fit joints at say a radiator, 0-ring seals at the joints cannot seal the scored surface of the pipe as there are channels scored therein, which leads to leaks. There are in effect leakage paths across the 0-ring seals.

It is an object of the invention to seek to mitigate this disadvantage.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a system for preventing damage to an outer surface of a pipe used in plumbing, comprising a member adapted to lie between a pipe and a substrate along which the pipe will lie when the pipe undergoes a change of direction during installation, and being removable from the pipe.

The member may comprise an elongate body having a bend equivalent to the change of direction of the pipe and forming a guide for the pipe during transition from one direction to another during installation.

Suitably, the body may comprise a one-piece member of concave configuration for receiving an outer circumferential part of the pipe, for example the body may comprise a substantially semi-circular configuration in transverse cross-section.

The system may comprise two bodies which together may form a two piece member with a substantially tubular inner surface for receiving an outer circumference of a pipe.

The body or bodies may each be formed or moulded to the required configuration, for example from polyethylene.

Alternatively, the member may comprise a sheet of soft material removably positioned against the substrate during installation of a pipe.

Suitably, the sheet may comprise polyethylene.

The system may also further comprise a tubular liner member in a through hole through which the pipe passes during installation and prior to a change of direction of the pipe.

The through hole may be in a joist and the tubular liner member lining a boundary surface of the through hole.

The tubular liner member comprise a two-piece member, which pieces may have proximate ends which are connected by connection means.

The connection means may comprise screw-threaded means.

Alternatively, the proximate ends may be spaced apart.

There may be means to limit the extent of movement of the member into the through hole.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method for use in plumbing, comprising providing a run along which a plumbing pipe is to be installed with a change in direction adjacent a substrate which has a relatively rough surface, providing a plumbing pipe, providing a member for guiding the pipe during said change of direction and being interposed between the pipe and the substrate and receiving the pipe, and removing the member when the change of direction has been accomplished.

Figs. 1 and 1A show one embodiment of system according to the invention, Fig. 1A being taken on section A-A in Fig. 1; Figs 2 and 2A show a second embodiment of system according to the invention, Fig. 2A being taken on line A-A of Fig. 2; Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment according to the invention; and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show respectively third fourth and fifth embodiments according to the invention in transverse cross-section.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are referred to by like reference numerals, there is shown a system 1 for preventing damage to the outer surface of a pipe 2 used in plumbing, comprising a member 3, typically of polyethylene, adapted to lie between a pipe 2 and a substrate 4 along which the pipe 2 will lie when the pipe undergoes a change of direction during installation, and being removable from the pipe 2, which may be a hot water pipe of polybutylene.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1, 1A the member 3 is a curved formed or moulded half-section bend of, in the instance shown, substantially 9�0 which provides for a change of direction of the pipe 2 from the substantially horizontal, where it passes through holes 5 which are "knock-out" or drilled holes in joists 6 supporting a floor 6', to the substantially vertical where the pipe runs downwardly adjacent the substrate 4 such as a block-work wall which in practice has a rough surface 7. The end 8 of the pipe 2 is prevented from touching the surface 7 of the wall 5 by the member 3 which receives the end 8 of the pipe as it is pushed through the holes 5 from right to left as viewed. The end 8 of the pipe is guided downwardly to effect the change of direction whilst keeping the pipe end from coming into contact with the surface 7 of the wall 6. The end 8 is thus not damaged as by being scored. The member 3 is thereafter removed, for re-use with another pipe 2, the half-section shape 3 of the member allowing it to be readily removed from the pipe after the pipe (which may be a hot water pipe) has been guided through. The removal is possible because the member 3 is not of full section, in other words the member 3 may have any desired curved shape in end elevation providing it has sufficient peripheral length to receive and guide the pipe end 8 whilst preventing the pipe end from engaging the surface 7 of the wall 4.

The free end 8 of the pipe 2 may then be pushed into push-fit connection say at a radiator, (not shown) leakage paths passed 0-ring seals of the connector being obviated as the pipe end is not scored.

Turning now to the embodiment of Figs. 2, 2A, the system 1 is similar to that of Figs. 1, lÀ, but the member comprises two half-sections 3, i.e. an additional inner (to the right as viewed) half-section 3 is provided having the same bend as the outer half-section.

The pipe 2 is then substantially enclosed by the two sections 3. The system 1 of Figs. 2 and 2A is used in the same way as described above in relation to that of Figs. 1 and 1A.

After the pipe 2 has been guided, the members 3 are both removed; as they are not joined physically and are separate items, they can be readily removed for re-use as in the embodiment of Figs. 1, 1 A. Turning now to Fig. 3, the member 3 is in this embodiment a sheet of relatively soft material such as polyethylene which is laid over the surface 7 of the wall 4 prior to feeding of the pipe from right to left. The sheet of material protects the distal end 8 of the pipe by preventing it from engaging the surface of the wall when the pipe 2 undergoes the change of direction shown. The sheet 3 of material is removed and can be used again after the pipe 2 has undergone its change of direction and has been fitted with say, as before, a push-fit connection.

The embodiments of Figs. 4 to 6 are respectively further members 9, 10, 11 of the system, each providing a tubular member in the form of a sleeve which is mounted in the hole 5 through the joist 6 or rafter. The sleeve 9, 10, 11 is thus a joist or rafter sleeve.

In Fig. 4, the sleeve 9 is a tubular sleeve which is a push fit in the hole 5 and of a length substantially equal to the thickness of the joist 6. A lip or flange 12 limits entry of the sleeve and prevents the sleeve 9 from being pushed out of the hole 5 in the insertion direction, and ensures lining of the boundary surface of the hole 5.

Fig. 5 shows a sleeve 10 which is in two parts, the distal ends of each of which have a respective lip or flange 12 for limiting entry of each part. The proximal ends 13, 14 of the respective parts have connection means 15, in the embodiment complementary screw threads which enable the parts to be connected and secured together to line the hole 5 in Fig. 4. One part of the sleeve 10 has a shoulder 16 against which the proximal end 17 of the other part butts when the parts are connected, to provide a smooth interior surface of the assembled sleeve 10.

The embodiment of Fig. 6 is again a sleeve 11 which is in two parts each of a length so that they do not meet. Each part has a lip or flange 12 as before, and securing means such as barbs 18 which bite into the material of the joist 6, usually wood, on insertion of the sleeve parts, which are then held in place as the barbs 18 are angled in a direction opposite the insertion direction, and the parts are then held against withdrawal in that opposite direction.

All the sleeve or sleeve parts 9, 10, 11 are made of a suitable material, preferably polypropylene, and all provide a smooth guidance of the pipe 2 through the joists 6 on movement from right to left as viewed, whilst also protecting the pipe 2 against damage such as scoring by preventing engagement of the pipe or pipe end 8 with the joist 6.

The lip or flange 12 can also act as a guide for entry of the pipe end 8 into the hole 5.

It will thus be understood that a system and method herein described with reference to the drawings provides a relatively simple yet efficient means for preventing damage to a pipe particularly a pipe end during installation as part of a plumbing arrangement.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system for preventing damage to a pipe used in plumbing, comprising a member adapted to lie between a pipe and a substrate along which the pipe will lie when the pipe undergoes a change of direction during installation, and being removable from the pipe.
2. A system according to Claim 1, the member comprising an elongate body having a bend equivalent to the change of direction of the pipe and forming a guide for the pipe during transition from one direction to another during installation.
3. A system according to Claim 2, the body comprising a one-piece member of concave configuration for receiving an outer circumferential part of the pipe.
4. A system according to Claim 3, the body comprising a substantially semi-circular configuration in transverse cross-section.
5. A system according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, comprising two bodies which together form a two piece member with a substantially tubular inner surface for receiving an outer circumference of a pipe.
6. A system according to any one of Claims 3 to 5, the body or bodies each being formed or moulded to the required configuration.
7. A system according to Claim 6, the or each body being formed or moulded from polyethylene.
8. A system according to Claim 1, the member comprising a sheet of soft material removably positioned against the substrate during installation of a pipe.
9. A system according to Claim 8, the sheet comprising polyethylene.
10. A system according to Claim 1, further comprising a tubular liner member in a through hole through which the pipe passes during installation and prior to a change of direction of the pipe.
11. A system according to Claim 10, the through hole being in a joist and the tubular member lining a boundary surface of the through hole.
12. A system according to Claim 11, the tubular liner member comprising a two-piece member.
13. A system according to Claim 12, the two-piece member having proximate ends which are connected by connection means.
14. A system according to Claim 13, the connection means comprising screw-threaded means.
15. A system according to Claim 13, the proximate ends being spaced apart.
16. A system according to any of Claims 11 to 15, comprising means to limit the extent of movement of the member into the through hole.
17. A system according to any of Claims 1 to 7, in combination with a system according to Claims 8 or 9 and/or a system according to any of Claims 10 to 16.
18. A method for use in plumbing, comprising providing a run along which a plumbing pipe is to be installed with a change in direction adjacent a substrate which has a relatively rough surface, providing a plumbing pipe, providing a member for guiding the pipe during said change of direction and being interposed between the pipe and the substrate and receiving the pipe, and removing the member when the change of direction has been accomplished.
19. A system for preventing damage to the outer surface of a pipe used in plumbing, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
20. A method for use in plumbing, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.