Patent Publication Number: US-2004056156-A1

Title: Pipe hanger and pipe hanger assembly

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention relates to the field of supporting or hanging pipes within a building and, more specifically, to a hanger structure used in supporting piping within buildings to provide for the orderly placement and routing of pipes, conduits, tubes or other materials within overhead space above work or living areas.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] Commercial, industrial, and high-density residential buildings utilize conduits, pipes, and tubing to distribute electrical wiring, telephone wiring and computer network connections as well as gases such as natural gas, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, compressed air and liquids including water, oil or other fluids used or consumed in the course of operations within the building. Each pipe, conduit or tube typically is suspended overhead in an orderly and safe manner from a beam, truss or other structural member of the building. During construction, the types of pipes installed may depend upon the intended usage of the space whether it be residential, office space, manufacturing, retail or medical facilities. The varying environments will have differing requirements for wiring, plumbing, and piping for gases, but all typically will use piping in support of activities therein.  
       [0003] Typically, several pipes, conduits or tubes (hereinafter collectively referred to as pipes or piping) are routed along with other pipes in an arrangement wherein a plurality of pipes is suspended above or below other pipes. If pipes are arranged parallel to each other and positioned in a vertical plane, the pipes form a “pipe stack.” As pipes are hung by pipe fitters or plumbers and conduits are hung by electricians, the number of pipes and conduits become more numerous and create a more complex and crowded labyrinth. As the number of pipes supported at any one spot increases, the greater use of specialized pipe supports becomes desirable in order to both minimize space consumed and the height of a pipe stack in order to prevent interference with a dropped ceiling or equipment. If there is such interference, either the piping must be rerouted or the equipment or dropped ceiling repositioned.  
       [0004] As any particular pipe reaches its destination and is routed away from the common route of the other pipes in the pipe stack, the pipe being routed away may not be the bottom pipe. The pipes below the rerouted or branched pipe generally must be maintained at the same distances from the other pipes in the pipe stack, thereby forming a gap. A support is needed that will accommodate the gap and maintain the previous spacing; attempting to otherwise deflect the pipes to overcome the gap may stress the pipes and/or pipe joints, potentially creating leaks. The bending of previously installed conduit to overcome or compensate for such a gap is both difficult and impractical as the necessary length of conduit for a positioning bend is not available.  
       [0005] Much of the work of installing the piping and the pipe hanger support assemblies is accomplished from scaffolds or lifts. Due to elevated work locations, care must be taken to insure safety of a worker by simplifying both the task and the steps to assemble a pipe hanger or pipe hanger assembly as well as to require as few tools as possible.  
       [0006] Further considerations to be accommodated include the fact that the nature of the use of an area of a building may change over time. Any such change may require either refurbishing or removal of some or all of such piping and/or addition or replacement of piping to serve the projected needs in the area.  
       [0007] Changing the pipes within a pipe stack should be anticipated in order to insure that working with any one of the pipes supported at a common point that, even during removal or replacement, will not be impeded by other unaffected pipes.  
       [0008] If removal and/or replacement of a pipe in a particular pipe stack occurs, the remainder of the pipes in that particular pipe stack will remain substantially undisturbed only if a hanger or hanger assembly can be partially disassembled. The remaining pipes may be left suspended on adjacent hangers without damage for a short period of time while the work on the selected pipe is accomplished. Thereafter, the hanger must be reassembled and the partially supported pipes re-supported.  
       [0009] Once a pipe has been removed or replaced, it is necessary that the re-supporting of the pipes must be accomplished such that not only the pipes are positioned in their original position but also any stress on the pipes be reduced to only that which existed on the other pipes prior to a selected pipe&#39;s removal and/or replacement.  
       [0010] While piping is desirably routed in pipe stacks of substantial lengths, occasionally the route of one or more pipes within the building may require crossing the route of a pipe stack, and its support can present problems. It is necessary to insure the crossing pipe does not interfere with any of the pipes of the pipe stack yet permits the passage of the crossing pipe at its height while penetrating, if necessary, the plane of the pipe stack.  
       [0011] While the prior art recognized the desireablility of pipe hangers supporting multiple pipes, the prior art hangers do not lend themselves to easy and simple removal of pipes or replacement of pipes with minimal or no disturbance to nearby pipes either in a common stack or supported at a common point.  
       [0012] U.S. Pat. No. 2,560,845 issued Jul. 17, 1951, to J. A. Carpenter, et al. discloses a trapeze bar supported on two brackets to accommodate and support various sized pipes in a horizontal array between the brackets; such a bracket will hinder removal or replacement of one or more of the pipes.  
       [0013] U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,871 issued Feb. 18, 1975 to Robert S. Dupuy, Sr. discloses a series of clamping and locking bars attached to a hanger rod to support and clamp a plurality of pipes in two parallel stacks. The complexity of these supports requires a large number of parts that must be assembled at the support location and does not appear to provide flexibility with the addition of pipes at a later time.  
       [0014] U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,806 issued Jan. 20, 1981, to Charles F. Vangreen discloses a multi-level, multi-pipe hanger. The supports for the pipe to be removed as well as the supports for any pipes below each would have to be individually completely disassembled from the hanger rod as well as individually removed from the pipes that they had previously supported. Such disassembly would be difficult as the pipes below the hanger being removed would block the hanger removal or require their removal and replacement at significant inconvenience and expense.  
       [0015] U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,509 issued Jul. 13, 1999 to T. E. Flood, et al. discloses an assembly of “J-shaped” members and lock bars to form a matrix of cells, each of which can support a pipe extending therethrough. Due partially to the use of a plurality of parallel hanger rods which block lateral installation or removal, the removal and/or replacement of a pipe supported by this matrix assembly requires substantial disassembly of numerous pieces of the matrix complicating the project.  
       [0016] U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,421B1 issued May 21, 2002, to John Scott Rudd discloses a hanger for multiple pipes attachable to a joist. The hanger is in the form of a pipe clamp which closes below the pipe and a pair of support arms extending laterally outward from the clamp closure. The support arms have clips to engage a further pipe.  
       [0017] This Background of the Invention is provided so the subject invention may be more readily understood within the context of the conditions that exist in the field of the invention and is not intended to nor should it be used to limit or restrict either the fields of use of the invention or the scope of the invention as defined by the claims attached hereto.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018] It is an object of the invention to provide an improved pipe support.  
       [0019] It is another object of the invention to provide an improved pipe support assembly.  
       [0020] It is still another object of the invention to improve the ease of installation of pipe supports and piping associated therewith.  
       [0021] It is a further object of the invention to improve the ease of addition of additional pipe supports to existing pipe support assemblies.  
       [0022] It is a still further object of the invention to improve the ease of removal of pipes from existing piping installations using multiple pipe supports in a pipe hanger assembly.  
       [0023] It is an additional object of the invention to improve the ease of re-supporting the pipes which have had their support temporarily removed.  
       [0024] It is a still additional object of the invention to make easier and less costly the remodeling and refurbishing of buildings having suspended pipes.  
       [0025] These Objects of the Invention are provided to focus attention upon the benefits provided by the invention and are not intended to nor should these objects of the invention be used to limit the scope of protection provided by the appended claims.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026] In order to accomplish the above Objects of the Invention, a pipe support or clevis is provided which has an open throat to accept a pipe, conduit or tube extending therethrough. The pipe support is further formed with a depending extension which will accept a bolt or pintle by use of a transverse hole through the extension. The bolt or pintle, in turn, extends through holes in two legs of another similar pipe support clevis disposed with the holes in the clevis legs aligned with the transverse hole. The pipe support clevis may be provided in a plurality of interior forms whereby the interior support surface which engages the pipe and cradles the pipe is formed to accept a selected standard outside diameter pipe. The interior of the pipe support surface engaging the entire bottom semi-cylindrical pipe surface provides both lateral stability to the suspended pipe as well as the desired support.  
       [0027] A conventional support clamp attached to a beam or other structural member supports a hanger block through a threaded support rod which is threaded into the clamp support and the hanger block. The hanger block is provided with a transverse hole which can be aligned with the holes in the clevis legs to accept a pintle or bolt. The bolt or pintle extends through the clevis holes, the transverse hole through the hanger block to support the clevis, and a pipe extending through the clevis.  
       [0028] As summarized above, the clevis provides support for additional depending devises directly or indirectly by suspending a further support rod which, in turn, supports an additional block and an additional clevis as well as an additional pintle or bolt. The further support rod is threadedly engaged with a hanger suspended from the supporting clevis or directly threaded into an axial hole in the bottom of supporting clevis.  
       [0029] The above summarized assembly allows both the easy and reliable addition of pipe and pipe supports below existing suspended pipe supports and also the partial disassembly of a column of pipe supports to allow removal of a pipe, while permitting the addition of a pipe within a gap between existing pipes in the pipe stack.  
       [0030] Due to the invention&#39;s structure of the blocks and pipe supports, this assembly eliminates tedious manipulation of the pipe hanger assembly components as the above described holes readily align to allow insertion of a pintle or bolt to assemble the pipe support assembly. As assembly and/or disassembly is simplified, safety is enhanced for the person performing these operations.  
       [0031] The structure of the pipe hanger and pipe hanger assembly improves the flexibility of design of piping routes and placement of pipes without undue consideration being given to the size of the pipes involved.  
       [0032] This Summary of the Invention is provided as a short general description of the invention, and its assembly and use and is not intended to nor should it be used to limit the invention in any manner. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0033]FIG. 1 is an illustration of a pipe support member of the invention.  
     [0034]FIG. 2 is an illustration of a pipe hanger assembly showing a plurality of pipe supports and an additional suspension assembly joined with the lowest pipe support to further attach or suspend pipe supports and pipes at a distance below.  
     [0035]FIG. 3 is a an exploded view of the pipe hanger assembly of FIG. 2  
     [0036]FIG. 4 is an illustration of an alternative embodiment of the pipe support member of the invention having a threaded interior surface in its transverse hole to accept short bolts to suspend any depending supporting members of the pipe support assembly in FIG. 2  
     [0037]FIG. 5 is an illustration of a pipe support member of the invention adapted to accept and support a smaller diameter pipe than the pipe support member of FIGS.  1  or  4 .  
     [0038]FIG. 6 is an illustration of an alternative embodiment of the pipe support member of the invention which may engage and suspend a hanger support rod without any intervening members.  
     [0039]FIG. 7 is an illustration of an alternative embodiment of a hanger block of the invention which may be advantageously used on the depending end of a hanger support rod depending from a pipe support member of FIG. 6.  
     [0040]FIG. 8 is an illustration of a pipe hanger assembly of the invention with formed rigid sheet material members for engaging hanger support rods if access is available to tighten lock nuts.  
     [0041]FIG. 9 is an illustration of a pintle which may be used in lieu of a bolt and nut to interconnect pipe support assembly members with other pipe support assembly members above or below.  
     [0042]FIG. 10 illustrates a part of a beam, a support clamp, support rod and a hanger support member. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST MODE OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION AS CONTEMPLATED BY THE INVENTOR  
     [0043] In the Description of the Invention as well as for the clear and complete disclosure of the invention and the attached claims, certain terms are selected and used which have meanings ascribed to them as set forth herein; and, to the extent such terms&#39; meanings may differ from their customary meanings, these terms should be afforded the meanings ascribed to them herein.  
     [0044] In this application and claims, the terms “pipe” or “piping” are intended to include conduits and tubing as well as rigid pipe and to be inclusive of such conduits, tubes and tubing and rigid pipe without regard to their material or utilization either to encase other items or to serve as a confining structure for the conveyance of liquid or gasses.  
     [0045] The term “pipe stack” is intended to mean a plurality of pipes arranged and supported in a vertical plane and having a substantial length. Pipes may join or depart from a pipe stack at various points over the length of the pipe stack.  
     [0046] Accordingly, plumbing installations use or incorporate pipe and electrical installations use conduit while industrial fluid distribution systems incorporate pipes and tubes, all of which are herein referred to as “pipes.”  
     [0047] Reference is made to all figures and, at various places in the Detailed Description of the Invention, certain specific figures are highlighted.  
     [0048] In a building in accordance with national and local plumbing and electrical codes, whenever piping is installed either to convey water, fuels, gases, or compressed air or to support electrical or communications wiring, it is customary and good design practice to route such pipes together wherever possible and support them on common support points. It is advantageous and economical to consolidate the supports so that a plurality of pipes is supported by a common support structure forming a pipe stack. The pipes and pipe stack are preferably supported above the work or living area to leave the floor space unobstructed to pedestrian or vehicular traffic in the work area. Pipes  12 ,  14 ,  16  illustrated in FIG. 2 may be selected from various standard diameter pipes available for a multitude of purposes.  
     [0049] In order to suspend the pipes  12 ,  14 ,  16  at a desired height, a pipe hanger assembly  8  comprising a threaded hanger rod  10  is secured to a support structural member such as a conventional threaded rod hanger clamp  60 , shown in FIG. 10, or its equivalent. The hanger clamp  60  is available either from Cooper Industries, Inc of Houston, Tex. or from numerous electrical and piping supply houses located in most locales. The rod hanger clamp  60  is typically secured to a flange  62  of a beam  64 , truss or other overhead structural member (not shown). In order to maximize the work space below and to permit the installation of a dropped ceiling below the piping as appropriate, it is desirable to support piping as close to a ceiling or roof as is possible, taking into consideration any obstacles.  
     [0050] A threaded hanger rod  10  may be of any desired length and allows adjustments in the effective length of the rod  10  to position a pipe stack  19  at a predetermined height or with a predetermined slope if necessary, as illustrated in FIG. 2.  
     [0051] A hanger block  18  of FIGS. 2 and 3 is a block of metal or other rigid material exhibiting high-tensile strength. The hanger block  18  is provided with a transverse hole  22  extending through the block  18  and having a diameter sufficient to accept a bolt  20  inserted therethrough to serve as a pintle. The hanger block  18  is further provided with a second hole  24  disposed with its axis intersecting and orthogonal to an axis of the transverse hole  22 . Second hole  24  is preferably internally threaded to accept and support threaded hanger rod  10 . The threaded hanger rod  10  is threaded into second hole  24  and may carry an optional lock nut (not shown) thereon to prevent unintended rotation of hanger rod  10  relative to hanger block  18 . Lock nuts may not be necessary in many instances as the pipes  12 ,  14 ,  16  supported by the pipe hanger assembly  8  prevent rotation. If a lock nut is used, only one such nut can immobilize the threaded hanger rod  10  relative to the hanger block  18  or the rod hanger clamp  60 .  
     [0052] Rod hanger clamp  60  shown in FIG. 10 attaches to a beam  64  by clamping onto a flange  62 . Rod hanger clamp  60  comprises a threaded hole  65  to accept and support threaded hanger rod  10 .  
     [0053] It should be understood that bolt  20  may be replaced with a pintle  21 , such as illustrated in FIG. 9. Similarly, it may be desirable to replace bolt  20  with two short bolts  26 ; the transverse holes  22  or  48  in hanger block  18  and pipe support  28 , respectively, may be internally threaded from each end to accept the shorter bolts  26 , if desired, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 4, respectively. An advantage of using two short bolts  26  to thread into transverse hole  22  of the hanger block  18  permits the hanger block  18  to be threaded far enough onto the hanger rod  10  hole  24  to extend completely through the hanger block  18  and provide a wider range of positions for a pipe  12  relative to the selected length of hanger rod  10 .  
     [0054] Pipe support  28  and pipe  12  are supported by the hanger block  18  and bolt  20  or pintle  21 , shown in FIG. 2, or short bolts  26  as in FIG. 7. Pipe support  28  in the form of a clevis  28 , illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and  6 , is adapted to support pipe  12 . The clevis  28  is formed with two leg portions  30  which extend generally parallel to each other and are joined by a bridging span  32  between legs  30 . This formation creates a “U-shape” which cradles and supports the pipe  12 ,  14 ,  16 . The distal ends  34  of leg portions  30  or legs  30  are spaced apart by a distance which permits passage of a pipe  12 ,  14 ,  16  through the throat  36  of the clevis  28 . The separation distance between legs  30  must also exceed the length of a hanger block  18  in FIGS. 2, 3 or  7 .  
     [0055] With the legs  30  positioned juxtaposed with hanger block  18  in FIGS.  2  or  3 , the transverse hole  22  of hanger block  18  may be readily aligned with transverse holes  42  formed near the distal ends  34  of legs  30 . Once aligned, bolt  20  or pintle  21  is inserted to suspend the clevis  28  from hanger block  18 . If a bolt  20  is used, a nut  23  is threaded onto the bolt  20  and tightened to retain bolt  20  in position. As in FIG. 9, should a pintle  21  be used, a clip  25  may be inserted into a transverse pintle hole  27  proximate the distal end of pintle  21  to retain pintle  21  in its position.  
     [0056]FIG. 9 illustrates a pintle  21  or pin  21  useable to substitute for bolt  20 . Pintle  21  has a shaft  90  and an enlarged head  92 . The shaft  90  is provided with a transverse hole  27  to accept clip  25  as described above.  
     [0057] A great amount of structural strength is not required of the clip  25  as there is very little loading thereon. Virtually all loading on the pintle  21  is a shear stress, and as such the clip  25  is not loaded to any significant degree.  
     [0058] Disposition of pipe  12  within the throat  36  of clevis  28  is advantageously effected by disposing the clevis  28  partially surrounding a pipe  12  and then aligning the clevis  28  with the throat  36 , spanning the length between end faces  38  of hanger block  18 .  
     [0059] The pipe support surface  40  of clevis  28 , illustrated variously in FIGS.  1 - 6  and  8 , is preferably a semi-cylindrical concave surface  40  which engages the exterior of the supported pipe  12 ,  14  or  16 . The diametric dimension of support surface  40  is preferably just enough larger than the outside diameter of the pipe  12 ,  14  or  16  being supported to insure the seating of the pipe  12 ,  14  or  16  within and on the support surface  40 . The proper dimensioning of the support surface  40  radius also insures that the pipe  12 ,  14  or  16  will be laterally stabilized, at least relative to the clevis  28 .  
     [0060] An extending portion of the pipe support  28  or clevis  28  projecting outwardly from the bridging span  32  provides a block  46  which is further provided with a transverse hole  48 . The transverse hole  48  is the equivalent of transverse hole  22  in hanger block  18 . Hole  48  may be internally threaded at  68  if it is desirable to use short bolts  26  in order to allow a threaded support rod  50  to be deeply engaged in threaded hole  66  disposed axially of the pipe support  28  and orthogonally to the transverse hole  48 , as best illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.  
     [0061] In some instances, especially during renovation or remodeling of the area having piping previously installed, one or more pipes may be removed from a pipe stack  19 . In such instances, pipe support  28  or clevis  28  supporting a pipe  12 ,  14  or  16  is removed from a pipe hanger assembly  8 , of FIGS.  2  or  3 , to facilitate the removal of pipe  12 ,  14  or  16 . The lower devises  28 , now unsupported from above, may be re-supported by attaching a hanger support bracket  44  to the lowest supported pipe support block  46 . The hanger support bracket  44  is a U-shaped channel member, as illustrated in FIG. 2.  
     [0062] The support bracket  44  has an axial hole  45  extending through the bottom of the U-shaped channel to accept and support threaded hanger rod  50  and the depending parts.  
     [0063] The gap formed by the removal of one or more pipe supports  28  is advantageously filled and the lower disconnected and unsupported pipe hangers  28  re-supported by threading a hanger rod  50  of appropriate length into a threaded axial hole  45  in the bottom of support bracket  44 . An additional hanger block  18  is threaded onto the opposite end of hanger rod  50 . The lower unsupported one or more devises  28  then may be reconnected and supported by connecting the uppermost unsupported clevis  28  to the additional hanger block  18  with a bolt  20  or pintle  21  as has been described above in the description of the assembly of these parts.  
     [0064] Hole  48  in block  46  of clevis  28  is readily alignable with holes  42  in clevis legs  30  or with holes  43  in support bracket  44  to support depending hanger rod  50 , hanger block  18  and devises  28  whenever a bolt  20 , bolts  26  or a pintle  21  is inserted into holes  42  or  43  and  22  or  48 .  
     [0065] Similarly, additional pipes (not shown) may be supported and routed in existing gaps of a pipe stack  19  by reversing the above process.  
     [0066]FIG. 5 illustrates pipe support  28  or clevis  28  disassembled from any pipe hanging assembly  8 . The narrowing of the pipe support surface  40  diameter may be desirable to laterally stabilize a pipe  12 ,  14 ,  16  supported therein. However, if the diameter of the pipe support surface  40  of clevis  28  is larger than required, the support function of clevis  28  is generally unaffected, only foregoing the tight lateral constraint of a pipe  12 ,  14 ,  16  therein.  
     [0067] An alterative embodiment of the pipe support clevis  28  is illustrated in FIG. 6 wherein an axial threaded hole  66  is provided extending through block  46  or extended portion  46 . The hole  66  provides an alternative approach to attaching the threaded rod  50  between one pipe support clevis  28  and a supported depending hanger block  18 . While an approach using hanger member  44  was earlier described, this use of threaded hole  66  in pipe support clevis  28  may provide a less expensive alternative if linear thermal expansion and contraction of the supported pipe is not a factor and does not create undue stress on the clevis supporting rod  50 .  
     [0068] A further alternative embodiment of the clevis  28  is shown in FIG. 4 wherein the transverse hole  48  is provided with internal threads  68  from each end to accept short standard bolts  26 . This provides an ability to intersect the axial hole  66  and the transverse hole  48 ; this provides some additional adjustability of the relative axial position of rod  50  and pipe support clevis  28  or provides a greater engagement of rod  50  with clevis  28  and, specifically, axial hole  66  to ensure adequate load carrying capacity of the rod  50 .  
     [0069] Another alternative to a hanger block  18  is a hanger bracket  70 , as illustrated in FIG. 8, which provides a further simplification of the pipe hanger assembly  8  of FIG. 1 by reducing the number of separate unique elements of the pipe hanger assembly  8 . The hanger bracket  70  is fashioned with legs  80  of such length as to permit a lock nut  82  to be positioned intermediate extended portion  46  or block  46  of clevis  28  and the bridge  84  of bracket  70 . The same bracket  70  would provide room for a lock nut  82  and some hanger rod over-length  11  extending into the throat  36  of pipe support  28 . The lock nut  82  is threaded onto hanger rod  10  or  50  extending through rod hole  78  in bridge  84 . The legs  80  are positioned extending from the bridge  84  to form a throat  76  of hanger bracket  70  such that the center lines  86  of the thickness of legs  80  are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the average of the dimension of throat  36  and the length dimension of transverse hole  48 . Thereby, the legs  80  of hanger bracket  70  may be relatively easily spread to fit over block  46  or deflected inward slightly, and thus are insertable within the throat  36  of clevis  28  wherein the dimensions of a clevis throat  36  and the length dimension of transverse hole  48  are very nearly the same.  
     [0070] The deflectability of the legs  80  allows the hanger bracket  70  to become a multi-use bracket. With a substantial gap designed into the interface between the legs  30  of clevis  28  and the length of transverse hole  48  extending through block  46 , deflection may not be necessary. The legs  80  of hanger bracket  70  have holes  74  therethrough to align with hole  48  and receive bolt  20  or pintle  21 .  
     [0071] One primary advantage of this last embodiment is simplicity and the resultant reduction in the number of unique parts that must be stocked or carried to the work location and up onto a scaffold for installing a pipe hanger assembly.  
     [0072] A second significant advantage of this embodiment is the ease of assembly or disassembly of the hanger bracket to enhance the safety of a worker working at an elevated work location.  
     [0073] This Detailed Description of the Invention is provided to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention described and claimed herein. This description of the best mode of the preferred embodiment of the invention should not be and is not intended to be used to limit the invention and the scope of protection afforded by the claims hereof in any manner.  
     [0074] Various embodiments of elements of the invention have been described and illustrated herein. It is the inventor&#39;s intention that the description and illustration convey an ability to one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention. A person of skill in the art may make minor changes or alterations in the invention, but changes or alterations should be considered to within the scope of protection afforded the invention by the attached claims.