Patent Number: 
Section: description

1. Lower ring 2. Upper ring 3. Support rods 4. Top eyelets 5. Lower eyelet 6. Screws 7. Expansion Tank 8. Threaded pipe fitting 9. Threaded Nut 10. Set-screw 11. Rubber gasket 12. Upper flat ring 13. Strap 14. Latching knob 15. Latch 16. Holes The invented Expansion Cage is made of steel with all joints and seams welded to insure strength and durability. It is rounded and cylindrical in shape and of sufficient height to permit the comfortable positioning and support of a thermal expansion tank. The cage has a lower circular shaped ring that permits the bottom portion of the supported tank to fit flat to the bottom portion of the cage while permitting ease in making mechanical connections to the treaded fitting on the tank. From this ring, a number of round supports wire rods extend first away from the ring in all directions. Then these rods extend vertically up from the base position thus creating a cylinder shaped open webbed cage. These rods are secured in place by the welding of each rod to a second circular shaped ring located at the top of the cage. This upper second ring, though circular, does not close to make a full circle around the cage. Rather, either end of this ring is bent in such a fashion to create a flattened plane at one vertical side of the cage. Rounded hooks or eyelets are also formed at the end of each side of this ring. An additional rod extends from the lower ring but rather than extending upward, it turns slightly down with an eyelet formed at its end. This flattened plane will permit the cage to be easily affixed to a flat vertical surface such as a wall. The described eyelets permit the cage to become fastened to the wall or other surface by inserting attachment apparatuses such as screws or bolts. FIG. 1 is a top view of the cage. Lower ring 1 and upper ring 2 are visible. Support rods 3 extend outward from the lower ring. Top eyelets 4 as well as lower eyelet 5 are viewed from their side. Turning to FIG. 2, a frontal view of the cage. Both top eyelets 4 and the lower eyelet 5 are mode clearly shown. The closed eye is welded to insure strength. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the cage. The flatten plane is demonstrated as having screws 6 affixing the cage to a wall surface. FIG. 3-a is a partial side view of this same demonstration showing clearly how the flattened plane fits against the flat wall surface. In FIG. 4, it is demonstrated how an Expansion Tank 7 if lowered into the cage. Threaded pipe fitting 8 of the tank fits through lower ring 1. Piping connections are made to this fitting after the tank is in position within the cage. The upper ring can also be made of flat steel that is formed into a circular shape. Utilizing this type of upper ring will permit threaded nuts to be positioned around the flat surface. By inserting screws or bolts similar to a conventional set-screw, the supported tank can be more rigidly secured and supported. FIG. 5 demonstrates how the upper ring of flat steel 12 has threaded nuts 9 affixed along its surface. Set-screws 10, when tightened against tank 7 secure the tank in place. The upper eyelets are replaced with holes 16 for the purpose of securing the cage to the wall surface. FIG. 6 is a partial side view of the cage showing how a rubber gasket 11 is attached to upper ring 12. In addition, the outer position or plane of the cage can also be left open. That is the portion opposite to the flattened portion where the cage is mounted to a wall. In this alternate embodiment of the invention, A means of strapping the tank is employed to assist in the securing of the tank within the cage. This described strapping is of any number of conventional materials suited for this purpose. They include nylon, light-gauge sheet metal and rubber. A securing buckle is then utilized to tighten the strapping around the tank. FIG. 7 is an isometric view of this alternate embodiment of the invented cage. Here, upper ring 12 is divided into two pieces with strap 13 affixed to one side. Latching knob 14 inserts between the slots of latch 15 after the tank is positioned within the cage. This latch, latching knob, and strap makes up a bucket that holds the tank in place. Thus the reader will see that the invented expansion cage provides a practical, inexpensive method to both secure and support a thermal expansion tank. Although the description contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention. The many uses of the invention should not be limited by the example of use here in described. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the example given.