Patent ID: 7213790

Claim:
An apparatus for supporting a portion of a length of pipe by a girder or other support structure, the pipe having a longitudinal axis, an outer wall surface and an insulation material associated with substantially all of the outer wall surface of the length of pipe, compnsing: a) at least two pipe clamps, each of the at least two pipe clamps having an inner and an outer wall surface, the inner wall surface generally conforming to the outer wall surface of the pipe to be supported, the at least two pipe clamps being disposed in a spaced relationship from each other along the longitudinal axis of the pipe to be supported; b) a base member having a longitudinal axis and capable of bearing the load exerted by the portion of the pipe being supported, the longitudinal axis of the base member generally being disposed substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the pipe being supported; and c) a load transfer member attached to each of the at least two pipe clamps, each load transport member being capable of transmitting the load exerted by the portion of the pipe being supported from the portion of the pipe being supported and the pipe clamp to the base member, each of the load transfer members having a surface area in contact with its attached pipe clamp, wherein the load transfer members are attached to a portion of the inner wall surface of the pipe clamps, and the load transfer members contact a portion of the outer wall surface of the pipe whereby substantially all of the load from the portion of the pipe being supported may be transferred to the girder or other support structure, heat flow through the load transfer members is minimized, and substantially none of the load from the pipe is transmitted through the insulation material to the girder or other support structure.