The present invention relates to fire insulating support means for cables, pipes, ventilation ducts, and the like, for installation in a through aperture in a wall or similar structure, which support means comprises a flange-shaped body, which flange-shaped body comprises a platelike member and a tubular member, and which flange-shaped body has an aperture therethrough for the placement ofa duct, pipe or cable.

In buildings, ships and oil platforms there are a number of requirements relating to the fire-insulating properties of support means for cables, pipes, ventilation ducts, etc., passing through walls and floors, to prevent the spread of a possible fire through the passage. To comply with these requirements, there are known a number of solutions for devices for passing elongate members through walls and floors to prevent heat and gas from a fire on one side ofthe wall or floor from being transmitted through the opening into the adjacent rooms.

Known from GB 2203900 A are a method and a device for passing cables through a partition. The device consists of a platelike fire retardant member having a hole therethrough and an integral, tubular extension which extends into a through aperture in a wall or similar structure. The platelike member is positioned on the outside of a wall or similar structure and covers an aperture through the wall. Between the tubular extensions and the walls ofthe aperture is inserted a carbon or ceramic packing material.

Norwegian patent 175458 shows a device for passing cables through a wall or similar structure which consists ofa steel pipe installed in a fireproof mounting through the wall. Projecting from at least one side thereof is a pipe end, on the inside of which pipe end is applied a thin layer of thermally expanding material. To prevent ventilation through the pipe during an early phase ofa fire, until the material has expanded, a sealing means is provided in at least one end ofthe pipe, preferably in the form ofa mineral wool plug.

From SE-B 459021 there is known a fire retardant device for a pipe of meltable material, extending through a wall, which device comprises a sleeve of an essentially heat resistant material, which sleeve is positioned on the wall around at least a portion ofthe pipe that passes through an aperture in the sleeve, and which envelops a mass of material which intumesces on reaching fire temperature. The device further comprises a barrier of fire resistant material, which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the pipe, and a device responsive to the intumescent material which causes the barrier to close the opening in the sleeve when the pipe melts.

From U.S. patent 4,424,867 is known a thermal hardening sealing gel for flexible couplings. A pipe passing through an aperture in a wall or similar structure is enclosed by a sleeve surrounding the portion ofthe pipe that passes through the wall. Between this sleeve and the pipe is inserted an intumescent gel. In the event ofa fire, the gel in the sleeve will intumesce and prevent the spread ofthe fire through the opening.

DE laid-open publication 3620234 describes a sealing system for the support means for pipes passing through an aperture in a wall, where a tubular sleeve having couplings at each end is positioned in a through aperture in a wall or the like, and where between the sleeve and the pipe is inserted an insulating material. The purpose of this sealing system is to protect the pipe against corrosion.

From SE-B 404243 is known a heat retardant device for a pipe of meltable material, which extends through a wall. The device consists ofa sleeve made ofa heat resistant material which is positioned on the wall around at least a portion of a pipe passing through the aperture. The sleeve envelops a material which intumesces under the influence of heat.

From DE 2947593 is known a closing device for a pipe support means positioned on the outside ofa fire partition. The device consists ofa sleeve filled with a thermally expanding material, which when heated up will constrict and close the pipe.

In most ofthe solutions described above, the support means are sealed and finished after the ducts, pipes or cables are drawn through. This involves a considerably more complicated process than mounting the support means before the cables, pipes and ducts are installed. Furthermore, if the supporting devices are mounted afterwards, it will be difficult to obtain an adequate seal around the elements passing through the partition due to difficulties with centering, etc.

In addition, with regard to the known systems for passing pipes and ducts through walls, technical fire requirements stipulate that the ducts must be insulated for a length of 1 meter on each side ofthe fire partition, and pipes must be insulated for a length of 0.5 meter on each side ofthe fire partition. A disadvantage of this requirement is that the appearance ofthe pipe or duct may become rather unattractive aesthetically, in addition to the fact that such insulation may be relatively demanding in terms of space. Also, such additional insulation entails increased costs, as well as a risk that this work will not be carried out in accordance with regulations.

An objective ofthe present invention is to provide a fire retardant support means for pipes, ducts and cables which may be mounted in a fire partition before the cables, ducts or pipes are installed.

A further objective ofthe invention is to provide a fire retardant support means which permits the post-installation of cables, and which has a substantially better fire retardant effect than known devices.

Still another objective is to provide a fire retardant support means which enables the requirements for insulation of cables and pipes on each side of a fire partition to be reduced substantially.

Additional objectives and advantages ofthe fire retardant support means in accordance with the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

This is achieved by means ofa fire insulating support means ofthe type introduced above, which is characterized in that the flange-shaped body consists ofa fire insulating material and optionally an outer metal jacket which at least partially surrounds the fire insulating material, and that in the platelike member in the flange-shaped body there is (are) provided one or more through holes for bolts, screws or similar fastening means for securing the body to the wall, and where at least partway around the hole there is disposed a thermally expanding mat.

Additional advantageous embodiment forms are disclosed in the dependent claims.

The invention will be explained in more detail in the following with the aid of embodiment examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment ofthe device in accordance with the invention for supporting a ventilation duct passing through a partition.

Figure 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment ofthe device in accordance with the present invention for supporting a pipe passing through a partition.

Figure 3 illustrates a preferred embodiment ofthe device in accordance with the present invention for supporting cables and wires passing through a partition.

In the figures, like parts are identified with the same reference numbers in all the drawings.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 show embodiment examples ofthe device in accordance with the present invention, where a device is positioned on each side of a wall 1 or similar structure having a through aperture 2. The upper portion ofthe drawings shows the device viewed from above, and the lower portion ofthe drawings shows an axial section through the device and the wall. The device consists ofa flange-shaped body 3 having a platelike member 4 and a tubular member 5. In the platelike member 4 are provided through holes 6 for bolts 7 or other fastening means for securely attaching the flange- shaped body 3 to a wall or similar structure. The flange-shaped body 3 optionally consists ofa metal jacket 8 and a fire insulating material 9. Alternatively, the flange- shaped body 3 may be made exclusively of a molded, fire insulating material, in which case the metal jacket 8 may be omitted.

The fire insulating material 9 may, for example, be ofthe type Conlit Brannstopp, which is produced by Ticon Gullhaug A/S, Lierstranda, Norway. Around the through holes 6 in the platelike member 4 is disposed an expanding mat 10. An example of an expanding mat that may be employed is 3M Brand Fire Barrier Moldable Putty, which is produced and marketed by 3M.

The platelike member 4 will abut with wall 1 and seal the through aperture 2. Because platelike member 4 consists of a fire retardant and insulating material, a temperature increase resulting from a fire on one side of wall 1 will be prevented from spreading to the opposite side of wall 1. The fire retardant and insulating material in the tubular member 5 will also prevent a temperature increase in the ventilation duct, pipe or cable, 11, 12 and 13, respectively, resulting from a fire on one side of wall 1, from being

transmitted to the cable, pipe or ventilation duct 11, 12 and 13 on the opposite side of wall 1. The length of tubular member 5 may be adapted so that the temperature on the surface of ventilation duct 11, pipe 12 or cable 13, in the event ofa fire on the other side of wall 1, will be prevented from exceeding certain limits, which are stipulated in accordance with technical fire regulations. If desired, a fireproof seal, e.g., fireproof silicon putty, may be inserted between platelike member 4 and wall 1.

The purpose ofthe expanding mat 10 around each bolt hole 6 is to prevent the spread of heat along bolts 7 in the event ofa fire. When the temperature on one side ofthe wall rises, the expanding mat 10 will expand and form sealing contact with bolts 7. This prevents any fire gases from penetrating through holes 6 along bolt 7 to the other side of wall 1, as well as preventing the heat conducted through bolt 7 from spreading to the fire insulating material 9, thus enabling the temperature of that portion ofthe bolt situated on the other side of wall 1 to be kept relatively low.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment form ofthe device for supporting a ventilation duct 11 passing through a partition. The ventilation duct 11 is cast permanently in the fire insulating material 9 and has one end 14, 14' which extends outward from tubular member 5 and one end 15, 15' which extends out from platelike member 4. The length of end 15, 15' which projects out of the platelike member 4 is equal to or less than half the thickness of wall 1. The other end 14, 14' of duct 11 is optionally provided with a standard coupling (not shown) for the attachment of additional ducts. To form a tight connection between the ends 15 and 15' of ducts 11, a tube 16 having an inside diameter approximately the same as the exterior diameter of ends 15, 15' and having a length smaller than or equal to the thickness of wall 1, is placed around the outside ofthe two duct ends 15, 15'.

In mounting the support means, as shown in Figure 1, holes for bolts 7 are first drilled in wall 1 , after a through aperture 2 has been made in wall 1. Then a device in accordance with the invention is placed on one side of wall 1. Bolts 7 are inserted through holes 6, and tube 16 is threaded over duct end 15 or 15'. Then a second device in accordance with the invention is placed on the other side of wall 1, so that bolts 7 project through holes 6, and duct end 15' or 15 is inserted into tube 16. The device is then secured to bolts 7 by means of nuts or the like.

Later, when the ventilation system is to be installed, duct ends 14, 14' are connected to the ventilation system with the aid of suitable couplings.

In Figure 2 is shown an embodiment form ofthe invention for supporting pipes passing through a partition. The flange-shaped body 3, in the same manner as in the embodiment form shown in Figure 1, comprises a platelike member 4, a tubular member 5, and through holes 6 in the platelike member 4 for bolts or other fastemng means, which are surrounded by an expanding mat 10. The flange-shaped body 3 consists, as previously, ofa fire insulating material 9 and optionally a metal jacket 8. The flange-shaped body 3 has a through aperture 17 having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of pipe 12. The purpose of this is to enable a flange-shaped body 3 to be placed on each side of wall 1 before the pipe is drawn through, or a flange-shaped body 3 may be drawn onto a pipe, from the ends thereof, which has already been installed in aperture 2 in wall 1. In order to prevent gases from an incipient fire from penetrating through the device from one side ofthe wall to the other through the annular opening formed between pipe 12 and aperture 17, there is placed at the end ofthe flange-shaped body 3 and around pipe 12 a fire insulating sealant 18, e.g., a fire insulating silicon putty. This fire insulating sealant will also be capable of absorbing vibrations that occur, e.g., on ships and oil platforms. Further, in the wall at the end of the through aperture 17 is disposed an expanding mat 19. When the temperature ofthe device rises, as a result of fire on one side of wall 1, the expanding mat 19 will expand and seal the opening between pipe 12 and the inside of aperture 17. In this way the fire is prevented from spreading from one side of wall 1 to the other. An example of an expanding mat that may be employed in the present invention is described in US patents 4,273,879 and 4,364,210 and is marketed under the name Interam® Heat Expanding Sheet FS-195 Series from 3M.

Figure 3 shows an embodiment form ofthe device in accordance with the invention for supporting cables passing through a partition.

In this embodiment the flange-shaped body 3, in the same manner as in the embodimient form shown in Figures 1 and 2, comprises a platelike member 4, a tubular member 5, and through holes 6 for bolts or other fastening means in the platelike member 5, which are surrounded by an expanding mat 10. The flange-shaped body 3 consists, as previously, ofa fire insulating material 9 and optionally a metal jacket 8. The flange-shaped body 3 has a through aperture 20 which may have, e.g., a circular or rectangular cross section.

In the wall ofthe through aperture 20 is disposed an expanding mat 22 which extends around the whole, or a part, ofthe circumference of aperture 20.

When the device is mounted on a wall 1 or similar structure, the cables and conduits 13 are drawn through the device and, to seal the through aperture 20, a fire insulating material 21, e.g., mineral wool, is inserted between the cables and conduits 13 and the wall of aperture 20. The purpose ofthe fire insulating material 21 is to prevent gas from fires from penetrating through the cable support means in the initial phase of a possible fire. In the event ofa fire developing, the expanding mat 22 will expand as the temperature ofthe device rises, and it will seal the through aperture 20.

In addition to cables and conduits, this embodiment form may also be employed for pipes of small dimensions, e.g., instrument tubes.

Even though, in the description and the drawings, through bolts 7 are suggested, it might be more practical in certain situations to employ bolts which are, e.g., welded permanently to wall 1. This would be particularly applicable for cable supports used in bulkheads and the like.