BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Present Disclosure

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to clamping systems and especially for holding pipes is selected positions, and more particularly for supporting a pipe while yet providing access to an entrance aperture through which the pipe extends.

[0002] In one approach for clamping onto a pipe, Augensen, O, US895143 discloses a pipe clamp with two semicircular halves that clip together on one side of the pipe and which provide flanges for bolts on the other side of the pipe. In another approach for holding two pipe in a butt joint, Amedure et al, US 7458615 discloses a pipe coupling with a tongue and groove sealing sleeve. The related art is silent to a combination clamp and standoff device and for any mechanical device that can be used in the manner of the present invention.

[0003] The related art describes clamshell type pipe clamps of various types but does not describe a combination clamp and standoff. The prior art fails to disclose a clamshell clamping system with elongated extensions for spacing standoffs away from the entrance hole for the pipe. The present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art providing heretofore unknown advantages as described in the following summary. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In certain types of building construction, poured concrete floors are used.

Utilities such as water and electricity are conducted between iloors within pipe systems. When the floors are poured, access holes are formed so that vertical runs of the pipe systems can be accommodated. These access holes are larger in diameter than the pipes they receive since the installation of the pipes must be efficiently handled and tight fits hamper installation. Also, often the pipes will have joints that are larger in diameter than the pipe itself and these joints must pass through the access holes. After installation of the piping systems, the excess space around the pipes where they pass through the floor must be filled with a fire barrier so that fire and smoke cannot pass upward between the floors of the building and water cannot pass downwardly should a fire occur. Pipe clamps are used to hold pipes in place during installation and remain afterward as well. Common practice is to use a clamp that can grip a pipe securely and which extends horizontally away from the pipe by enough distance as to rest on the floor surface, the floor surface and the clamps acting to prevent vertical movement of the pipes. Workers that prepare the access holes for fire/smoke resistance find that the pipe clamps are physically in the way of properly adapting the access holes in accordance with fire resistance building codes, which, in part, require stuffing a fire resistant material all around that portion of each pipe that resides within the access hole.

[0005] The presently described invention is a solution that provides for securing vertical pipe runs in place as they pass upwardly through the floors of a building, while also not obscuring access to the pass-through holes from a position on the floor surface. The invention is a clamp that uses two identical parts of simple and inexpensive materials. When placed around a pipe, the two parts are able to be secured in place securely. Struts extend downwardly from the fastening point on the pipe into contact with the floor surface so that the clamping point of the invention is elevated above the floor surface and the struts are positioned laterally providing clearance to the access hole.

[0006] A primary objective of the present invention is to provide access to pass- through holes for utility pipes while, at the same time, providing secure clamping of such pipes.

[0007] Another objective is provide a clamp that is able to accomplish such a task while being relatively simple to use and inexpensive to manufacture.

[0008] A further objective is provide a clamp that is able to encircle a pipe for secure attachment without having access to one end of the pipe, that is, to not require passing the clamp along the pipe from one end thereof.

[0009] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the presently described apparatus and method of its use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[00010] Illustrated in Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present invention shown as used in clamping a pipe which extends through an opening in a floor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001 1] Fig. 1 illustrates the present apparatus or assembly 5 and its method of use in a best mode embodiment, which is further defined in detail in the following description. Those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make alterations and modifications to what is described herein without departing from its spirit and scope, Therefore, it should be understood that what is illustrated is set forth only for the purposes of example and should not be taken as a limitation on the scope of the present apparatus or its method of use.

[00012] Described now in detail, and shown in Fig. 1 , is a structural assembly 5 for securing a vertical pipe P which is not part of assembly 5, the pipe P penetrating a floor 7 through an access hole 9 without obscuring access to hole 9. The assembly 5 is a combination pipe clamp and standoff. In its simplest form, the assembly 5 is made up of a pair of separate but identical elongated straps 10. Each of the straps 10 may be made of an elongated strip of steel. As shown, each strap 10 has a front face 12, and in opposition thereto, a rear face 14. The strap 10 has two ends which we refer to herein as a first end 16 and, in opposition thereto, a second end 18. A strut 20 is fixed to the front face 12 of the strap 10, in a position near, or at, the first end 16. The strut 20 extends away from the strap 10 by at least 6" or longer as defined by the amount of access to hole 9 that is required. The strut 20 is positioned orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 1 1 of strap 10, and in normal use for a vertical pipe P, as shown, strap 10 is positioned with its axis 11 essentially horizontal, and strut 20 is therefore positioned vertically and extending downwardly from strap 10 to terminate at a free end 22. The present apparatus is also useful for securing a pipe P that may have a non-vertical attitude so that one of the assemblies 5 may be usefully mounted on each opposing side of a non-vertical partition or wall through which pipe P may penetrate.

[00013] Strap 10 has an arcuate bend 15 positioned centrally between said first 16 and second 18 ends with the front face 12 of the arcuate bend on an outside of the bend 15. A pair of securement holes 17 penetrate each strap 10, the arcuate bend 15 positioned centrally between holes 17. In one embodiment, in each pair of opposing holes 17, one is a clearance hole and the other may be a threaded hole so that bolts 30 are able to fasten the straps 10 together as shown in Fig. 1. Alternately, in a second embodiment, all of the holes 17 may be clearance holes and, in that case, the straps 10 may be fastened together using nuts (not shown) and bolts 30.

[00014] In use, straps 10 are positioned with their rear faces 14 in mutual contact and mutually aligned with holes 17 axially aligned. In this configuration, bolts 30 may be engaged with holes 17 so as to fasten straps 10 together.

[00015] Struts 20 may be segments of pipes which are fixed to straps 10 by welds.

Struts 20 may alternately be any rigid structural member capable of supporting pipe P. Best practice dictates that the stmts 20 may have normal ends so that the contact of the struts 20 with the floor 7 is stable. Straps 10 are also selected to have enough rigidity and strength to avoid twisting or collapsing under the weight of pipe P. In use, the struts 20 are spaced apart by a dimension that is greater than the pipe penetrating hole 9.

[00016] The method of the present invention enables securing a floor penetrating pipe P without blocking a clearance hole 9 which penetrates the floor 7. A pair of identical elongated straps 10 are prepared with a strut 20 fixed at one end 16 of each, the struts 10 extending at least 6" laterally to the straps 10. The struts 20 are formed with an arcuate bend 15 at a medial position on each of the straps 10 while assuring that the portions of each strap that extend to either side of the bend 15 are collinearly aligned. A pair of holes 17 in each of the straps 10 are positioned equidistant on opposing sides of the intended axis of pipe P, that is, the arcuate bend 15 is positioned centrally between the holes. The straps 10 are placed in mutual contact, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the bends 15 encircle pipe P, and then the straps 10 are joined using bolts 30 through holes 17 with the struts 20 in contact with the surface of floor 7 so that the pipe P is secured in place with the straps 10 well above the surface of floor 7 providing access to hole 9. [00017] Changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope intended and its various embodiments. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. This disclosure is thus meant to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and also what incorporates the essential ideas

[00018] The scope of this description is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that the named inventor believes that the claimed subject matter is what is intended to be patented.