Abstract:
A modular, uniform system for the design, manufacture, transporting and installation of ductwork has uniform modules that are reinforced with stiffeners and coupled together in pairs. The module pairs are then attached to one another as they are being installed. Additional support beams and struts are also installed on site. As many of the module pairs as are desired may be fitted together to form a duct system of any desired length.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/731,743, filed Oct. 31, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention is directed to an industrial ductwork system, and more particularly, to a ductwork system having uniform structural modules to improve design, manufacture, transportation, and assembly of ductwork systems.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Industrial ductwork systems are custom designed, manufactured at a manufacturing facility, transported to a job site, and then assembled. Because of the substantial size of a ductwork structure, the structure must be manufactured in transportable sections, which are subsequently transported to the job site. Transportation of the structural components may require over a hundred transport trucks. Current industrial ductwork systems, which are shipped via truck, do not use uniform modular components. As a result, all steps in the process are more labor intensive and thus more expensive.  
         [0004]     For example, the designing step is more labor intensive because the designers must configure the ductwork structure in unique transportable structural sections for delivery to the job site. The manufacturing step is more labor intensive because each structural section is unique, thus custom manufacturing processes are required for each structural section and quality control is thereby complicated. The transportation step is more labor intensive because each structural section is unique such that each transportable load has its own unique issues to be addressed. Finally, assembly is more labor intensive because the structural sections are not uniformly attached to each other, thus assembly is more time-consuming, substantial field welding is typically required, and quality control is thereby complicated.  
         [0005]     Accordingly, what is needed, and is not found in the prior art, is a ductwork system having uniform structural modules and easily constructed connections that expedite and facilitate the design, manufacture, transportation, and assembly of ductwork systems.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention relates to a modular system of designing, manufacturing, transporting and installing large, industrial ducts primarily designed for conducting gaseous substances such as air. Each module is C-shaped and preferably has more than one stiffener that runs the width of the module as well as a stiffener that runs along the module&#39;s periphery and serves as a flange, both strengthening the modules and connecting them to other modules. Two modules are fitted together to form a duct unit having a rectangular cross section and a flange on each end. Braces and struts are placed within the duct unit to strengthen the structure. The duct unit is then attached to other duct units also made by pairing two modules together. How many duct units are fastened together will depend on the desired length of the ductwork. Although the modules described herein are intended for large, industrial size ductworks, the same system is readily applied to duct systems of any size.  
         [0007]     These and other features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  shows two modules of the present invention unassembled.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  shows two modules assembled to form a duct unit of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  shows a seam between two modules of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  shows a brace and strut joint of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  shows another brace and strut joint of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  shows another brace and strut joint of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  shows various stages of assembly of ductwork sections of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 7A  shows the transportation of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 7B  shows the off loading of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 7C  shows two modules of the present invention being aligned.  
         [0018]      FIG. 7D  shows support members and struts attached to the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 7E  shows a duct unit of the present invention being placed upright.  
         [0020]      FIG. 7F  shows duct units being spliced together.  
         [0021]      FIG. 7G  shows ductwork sections of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]     The present invention comprises a ductwork system having uniform structural modules to improve design, manufacture, transportation, and assembly of ductwork systems. These modules  10  are comprised of a side plate  14 , a top plate  12  and a bottom plate  13  both attached to the side plate. Plates  12  and  14  form an approximately 90° angle and plates  14  and  13  form an approximately 90° angle. Plates  12  and  13  are approximately parallel. Plates  12 ,  13 , and  14  are re-enforced with a series of metal stiffeners  16  that horizontally traverse the plates. The number and size of the stiffeners  16  will depend upon the dimensions of the modules, the strength of the materials used and the anticipated stress applied to the ductwork. In one embodiment, top plate  12  and bottom plate  13  are each approximately 10 feet wide and 10 feet long, while side plate  14  is about 10 feet wide and about 50 feet long. Because of their large size, plates  12 ,  13  and  14  may be either made from one large plate or several smaller plates welded together. They could also be made from several smaller plates of a composite, plastic or other material.  
         [0023]     Modules  10  have a top mating stiffener  20  and a bottom mating stiffener  23 . Mating stiffeners  20  and  23  have mating points  18 . In this embodiment, mating points  18  comprise bolt holes that align with corresponding bolt holes of a mating point on a second module and are used to connect the two modules to one another to form a duct unit  30  as shown in  FIG. 2 . Mating points  18  are preferably of a simple design, easy to manufacture and facilitate rapid and effective mating of two modules. Therefore, bolt holes such as those shown in the figures are preferred. However, a variety of other mating methods and devices may be used. For example, modules may be spot welded or clamped together. Adhesives may also be used. It may also be desirable to place insulation, a sealant or gasket material between corresponding mating stiffeners prior to connecting two modules. The mating of two modules  10  to form a duct unit  30  results in the forming of mating seam  29  between the mating stiffeners. The seam may be seal welded and/or sealed with a sealant or sealed with a gasket.  
         [0024]     Modules  10  also have flange stiffeners  24  on both ends of the module. Flange stiffeners  24  run the entire length of the module  10  each starting at top mating stiffener  20  and continuing to bottom mating stiffener  23 . Flange stiffeners  24  have splicing points  19  for connecting to flange stiffeners of other modules. While flange stiffeners are designed to facilitate connection between modules, they also provide structural strength to modules. When two modules are joined to form a duct unit  30 , the flange stiffeners  24  of the two modules form complete flanges around the two ends of duct unit  30 .  
         [0025]     Each module  10  preferably has diagonal support braces  22  that are secured at the manufacturing facility to provide structural support during shipping and handling as well as to the completed ductwork system. Modules  10  each have two braces  22 , one attached to top plate  12  and side plate  14 , and the other attached to bottom plate  13  and side plate  14 . Additional braces and struts are incorporated once two modules have been mated to form a duct section. These braces and struts are typically attached to one of the flange stiffeners, providing a more secure connection.  
         [0026]     Metal alloys, composite materials, solid polymeric materials and combinations thereof are suitable for constructing the plates, stiffeners and braces of the modules. Which material is most preferable will depend on the environment that the ductwork system will be in, dimensions of the ductwork and availability of different materials.  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  shows the duct section that results when the modules shown in  FIG. 1  are mated and additional support braces and struts have been added. Flange stiffeners  24  form continuous flanges on each end of the duct unit. Strut  27  and braces  28  are attached at joints  32 . Strut  35  and braces  45  are attached at joints  33 . Braces  28  are attached to strut  35  at its midpoint, joint  34 . Strut  39  is attached at joints  37  next to braces  22 . Braces  45  are attached to strut  39  at its midpoint, joint  41 . This system of braces and struts provides considerable strength to duct section  30  and binds the modules together more firmly than the connections between mating stiffeners  20  and  23  alone.  
         [0028]      FIG. 3  shows the connection between the top mating stiffeners  20  of two connected modules. It is substantially similar to the connection between bottom stiffeners  23 . Top plates  12  are brought together such that the bolt holes of mating points  18  align. Connecting bolts  36  are inserted through holes  18  of both top mating stiffeners  20  and engaged with connecting nuts  37  which are screwed tightly to bolts  36 . Also shown are braces  22  attached to gusset plates  38 . Braces  22  are slot pipes that have been welded to gusset plates  38 . The gusset plates protrude directly from flange stiffener  24  through breaks  21  in top plates  12 . To add strength to the connection between modules and to the strut and brace structure, the gusset plates  38  are bolted to a connection plate  40  that holds them firmly in place.  
         [0029]     The use of gusset plates, connection plates and slot pipes is well known in the art and are preferred in the present invention because of the ease with which they are assembled and the strength they provide. However, other methods of assembling a support structure may be used.  
         [0030]      FIG. 4  shows one of joints  32  where braces  22  and  28  and strut  27  are attached to a gusset plate  42  which protrudes directly from splicing stiffener  24  through break  43  in side plate  14 . Braces  22  and  28  and strut  27  are preferably all slot pipes. Brace  22  is welded directly to gusset plate  42 . Strut  27  is welded to a connection plate  44  which is bolted to gusset plate  42 . Similarly, brace  28  is welded to connection plate  48  which is also bolted to gusset plate  42 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate the fact that the braces which are installed at the job site are easily bolted in place in lieu of the more common and also more difficult and time consuming field welding process.  
         [0031]      FIG. 5  shows one of joints  33 , which is substantially similar to joints  37 . Gusset plate  50  protrudes from flange stiffener  24  through break  53 . Strut  35  is a slot pipe that is welded to connection plate  52  which is bolted to gusset plate  50 . Similarly, brace  45  is a slot pipe that is welded to connection plate  54  which is bolted to gusset plate  50 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 6  shows one of joints  34 . Strut  35  has gusset plate  56  protruding downward from it. Braces  28  are slot pipes that are welded to connection plates  60  which are bolted to gusset plate  56 . A vertical bracing gusset  62  protrudes outward from each side of strut  35  to provide additional strength to joint  34 .  
         [0033]     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the design of the reinforcing brace and strut structure described herein is only one of many suitable patterns in which to arrange braces and struts to support the structure of the ductwork system.  
         [0034]     The design of the structural modules  10  facilitates transport to the job site (see  FIG. 7A ). The modules  10  are off-loaded at the job site (see  FIG. 7B ), and aligned such that 2 modules face each other, as previously shown in  FIG. 1  (see  FIG. 7C ). They are then secured to each other (see  FIG. 7D ) to form a 2-module duct unit  30 .  
         [0035]     After two modules have been connected to one another, struts and braces are added (see  FIG. 7D ). The duct units are then lifted by a crane and set on end (see  FIG. 7E ). They are then spliced to other 2-module duct units  30  (see  FIG. 7F ) by connecting their flange stiffeners  24  at splicing points  19 . This process is repeated as many times as desired.  FIG. 7G  shows two ductwork sections  64  each formed from four duct units  30 . Ductwork sections may be longer or shorter depending on the number of duct units  30  are spliced together.  
         [0036]     As with mating points  18 , splicing points  19  are bolt holes. Two duct sections  30  are placed next to each other such the bolt holes of splicing points  19  are aligned. The two sections are then bolted together. Bolt holes such as those shown in the figures are preferred. However, a variety of other mating methods and devices may be used.  
         [0037]     The splicing of two duct units  30  results in seams  66  forming between the connected flange stiffeners. This seam may be welded and/or sealed with a sealant or insulation.  
         [0038]     While the invention has been shown and described in some detail with reference to a specific exemplary embodiment, there is no intention that the invention be limited to such detail. On the contrary, the invention is intended to include any alternative or equivalent embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as described and claimed herein.