Pipe anchor

Two-part pipe anchor clamps and systems for securing lengths of pipe to rigid structural supports, particularly, for anchoring air lines and other train pipes to structural members in railway car frames. Each two-part pipe anchor clamp comprising a base clamp member with means whereby it may be fixedly attached, as by welding, to a structural support member and a drivable wedge clamp member to be driven into wedged mating relationship with the base clamp member. The base clamp has a saddle-shaped pipe-engaging portion with integrally formed flanges projection laterally along opposite sides. The drivable wedge clamp member has a cradle-shaped pipe-engaging portion with integrally formed ears projecting laterally along opposite sides and matable in wedging relationship with the flanges to clamp a pipe therebetween. The drivable clamp member has a driving tab on one end and a reinforcing centered rib on its cradle portion which provides a gap in the area of engagement of the cradle portion and the clamped pipe. The area of engagement between the interior of the saddle portion of the base clamp and a pipe is divided into two parts arcuately occupying generally the 10 to 11 o'clock and 1 to 2 o'clock positions. The area of engagement between the interior of the cradle portion of the wedge clamp member and the pipe are divided by the gap so as to occupy generally the 4 to 5 o'clock and 7 to 8 o'clock positions. The bend between each said portion of a base clamp member and a laterally extending flange includes a set of outwardly protruding gussets which also serve to guide in assembling the two-part clamps.

BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates, generally, to improvements in pipe anchors of the 
type used for anchoring pipes or conduits to structural members, 
particularly structural members in the underframes of railway cars. Such 
pipe anchors are known and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,546,792 dated Mar. 
27, 1951 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,538 dated Sep. 16, 1980. The pipe anchors 
disclosed in these prior art patents, as well as the pipe anchor of the 
present invention, include two parts, one part is sometimes referred to as 
a base clamp member while the other part is sometimes referred to as a 
wedge clamp member. A base clamp member is normally attached by welding or 
other suitable means to a rigid structural member and has a saddle portion 
which engages one side of a pipe. A wedge clamp member mates with the base 
member utilizing the inclined plane principle to provide a wedging action 
so as to firmly clamp a length of pipe therebetween. The wedge member has 
a cradle portion which engages the pipe on the side thereof opposite to 
the side engaged by the saddle portion of the base member. Pipe anchors of 
this general type-are disposed along a length of pipe at suitable 
intervals. Once the wedged clamp members have been driven into their full 
clamping and assembled relationship with their respective base members, 
tab means are bent or deformed so as to lock the two parts together. 
According to the present invention, pipe anchors of the foregoing general 
type are provided which incorporate improvements which serve to enhance 
the functioning and strength of these devices without significant, if any, 
increase in the cost thereof. One problem sometimes encounterable with 
two-part pipe anchors of the prior art was the bending of the driving tabs 
on the wedge clamping members, tending to make removal and reuse of the 
wedge members difficult or impossible. 
Another problem sometimes encountered with prior art pipe anchors was lack 
of sufficient guidance as a wedge member was first hand-assembled and then 
driven into full clamping and assembled relationship with a base anchor. 
Still another problem sometimes associated with prior art two-part pipe 
anchors in the form of stampings was weakness of the bends where the 
lateral flanges integrally extending from opposite sides of the saddle 
portion joined the saddle portion. And still another shortcoming of 
two-part pipe anchors of the prior art was the failure to utilize to a 
maximum the pipe gripping and clamping forces between the pipe anchors and 
a pipe. 
The object of the present invention, generally stated, is the provision of 
two-part pipe anchors of the foregoing general type which either eliminate 
or minimize the foregoing shortcomings and which are economical to 
manufacture and readily installed.

Referring to drawings, a two-part pipe anchor is indicated generally at 5 
comprising a base clamp member 6 and a mating drivable wedge clamp member 
7. In FIGS. 1-3, the pipe anchor 5 is shown installed in pipe clamping and 
anchoring relationship on a length of pipe 8. For purposes of illustration 
the base clamp member 6 is shown welded to a structural support member 10 
as by welding indicated at W--W. 
The base clamp member 6 may be in the form of a stamping, forging or 
casting and is generally saddle shaped so as to fit on the pipe 8. The 
base 6 has an upwardly extending rear attaching flange 11 and an upwardly 
extending arcuate front attaching flange 12. The arcuate shape imparts 
additional strength to the member 6. Along the opposite bottom edges of 
the saddle portion of the base clamp member 6 it has a pair of 
longitudinally extending, upwardly inclined flanges 13 and 14. The forward 
ends of the flanges 13 and 14 are extended so as to provide upwardly 
bendable locking tabs 15. The right hand tab 15 is shown in its upwardly 
bent locking condition in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
In order to strengthen the bend or juncture between each of the flanges 13 
and 14 and the main saddle portion of the base member 6, pairs of gussets 
or indentations 16--16 are provided at the bends during the formation of 
the member 6. These gussets 16 also serve as guides when the guidable 
clamp member 7 is assembled and driven into place. 
The saddle portion of the base clamp member 6 is shaped so that the 
interior surface thereof interfits with the upper surface of the pipe 8 in 
a particular manner. Specifically, the interior surface at the top of the 
saddle is relieved or removed as indicated at 17 (FIG. 3) so as to be 
spaced from and not engage the top exterior of the pipe 8 in a 
longitudinal area equal to the arcuate width of the space 17. Preferably, 
the base member 6 includes a longitudinal rib 18 at the top corresponding 
to the width of the space or relief 17. The shape of the interior surface 
of the base clamp member 6 is such that it has engagement with the 
exterior of the pipe in two rectangular arcuate areas 20--20 lying on 
opposite sides of the space 17. Downwardly from the arcuate engaging 
surfaces 20 the shape of the saddle portion of the member 6 is such that 
its interior does not engage the opposite sides of the pipe 8 but, 
instead, has clearance with respect thereto as indicated at 19--19 (FIG. 
3). Accordingly, the engagement between the interior surface of the base 
member 6 and the exterior of the pipe 8 is confined to the longitudinally 
extending arcuate areas 20--20. The clearances 19 facilitate the 
installation of a series of the pipe anchors 5 at intervals along a pipe. 
The drivable clamp member 7 is likewise formed by stamping, forging or 
casting so that it can be driven into wedging clamping relationship with 
the base clamp member 6 and thereby clamp the pipe 8 therebetween and in 
turn, secure its attachment to the support member 10. The drivable clamp 
member 7 has a cradle shaped longitudinal central portion 25 with 
integrally formed ears 26--26 laterally extending from opposite sides 
thereof. The ears 26 are formed by flanges which are doubled over so as to 
form channel formations which matingly fit over the flanges 13 and 14 of 
the base clamp member 6. The ears 26 are upwardly inclined from the front 
to the rear at an inclination matching the inclination of the flanges 13 
and 14. 
Across its front end the wedge clamp member 7 has a downwardly turned 
integrally formed driving tab 27. After the clamp member 7 has been 
hand-assembled to the base clamp member 6, the tab 27 is used to drive the 
clamp member 7 into wedged clamping relationship with the base clamp 
member 6. 
The drivable clamp member 7 may be stamped or otherwise formed so as to 
include the cradle portion 25 in the form of a longitudinal reinforcing 
rib which extends integrally from the driving tab 27 for the length of the 
member 7. This reinforcing rib and cradle portion 25 serves both to 
strengthen the driving tab 27 so as to prevent it from becoming deformed 
or bent and to reinforce the clamp member 7 and divide it into two 
longitudinal pipe engaging arcuate areas or surfaces 30--30 with a 
longitudinal arcuate gap 31 therebetween. The width of the arcuate areas 
30 is approximately equal to the width of the arcuate areas 20. 
After the drivable clamp member 7 has been hand-assembled and then driven 
by a hammer or mallet into its full mating and clamping relationship with 
the base clamp member 6, at least one of the locking tabs 15 on the 
flanges 13 and 14 is bent upwardly as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 so as to lock 
the two parts of the pipe anchor 5 together with the pipe 8 firmly clamped 
therebetween. 
Relating the width of the arcuate areas 20--20 and 30--30 to the dial of a 
clock, the areas 20 generally occupy the 10-11 and 1-2 o'clock positions 
while the areas 30 occupy the 7-8 and 4-5 o'clock positions. By confining 
and concentrating the areas of engagement with the pipe 8 to these arcuate 
areas, maximum advantage is taken of the retention force due to the 
coefficient friction so as to maintain the two parts of the pipe anchor 5 
in assembled relationship without becoming loosened over periods of 
extended use in which the pipe anchors are generally subjected to 
prolonged vibration. 
From FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the two pairs of reinforcing 
gussets 16--16 provide guidance for the inturned edges 32--32 of the ears 
26 during assembly. This guiding relationship facilitates the initial 
hand-assembly of the two parts of the pipe anchor 5 and also the 
additional relative movement between these parts when the member 7 is 
driven "home". 
In order to prevent accidental over-driving of a drivable clamp member 7 on 
a base clamp member 6, wedge stops 29--29 are provided on the rear ends of 
the flanges 13 and 14. 
The several manners in which the pipe anchors 5 may be installed are known 
from the large numbers of two-part prior art pipe anchor clamps that have 
been installed.