HANGER CLAMP FOR CIRCULAR OBJECTS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally as indicated to hangers and clamps for circular objects such as pipes or conduits.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

[0002] Clamps for holding circular objects such as pipes or conduit are commonly used in a wide variety of circumstances, such as to secure the objects to structure, to secure other objects or fixtures to the circular objects, or to otherwise limit movement of the circular objects.

[0003] One type of clamp for holding pipes is a clevis hanger, which involves a top portion, coupled to a threaded rod, and a bottom portion with a circular saddle portion for receiving a pipe or conduit. The portions are typically joined together by a long bolt that passes through holes on both sides of both portions, secured by a nut. Installation of such clevis hangers requires balancing a number of parts, as well as aligning the holes of the top and bottom portions, all of which can be difficult, especially when the installer is holding up a pipe or conduit section. [0004] From the foregoing it will be appreciated that improvements would be desirable for pipe or conduit clamps in general.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] According to an aspect of the invention, a pipe or conduit hanger includes a top portion and a bottom portion that are hingedly coupled together at one end, and may be connected together at initially free ends. According to a particular embodiment, the bottom portion may include a pair of parts that can be moved relative to each other to open up the bottom portion, to facilitate moving the bottom portion into place by pivoting it to bring part of the bottom portion into contact with the pipe or conduit.

[0006] According to another aspect of the invention, a hanger for supporting a circular cross-section object includes: a top portion having a central channel for receiving a circular cross-section rod; and a bottom portion hingedly coupled to the

top portion at a hinged end of the top portion. The bottom portion and the top portion are releasably mechanically couplable at a free end of the top portion. [0007] According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method of supporting a conduit or pipe run, includes the steps: coupling a top portion of a hanger to a rod supported by structure, wherein the coupling includes securing the rod in a central channel of the top portion; pivoting a bottom portion of the hanger about a hinged end of the top portion, wherein a proximal end of the bottom portion is hingedly coupled to the hinged end of the top portion by a pivot pin; and connecting a distal end of the bottom portion to a free end of the top portion, wherein the hinged end and the free end are on opposite sides of the central channel of the top portion. [0008] To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In the annexed drawings, which are not necessarily to scale: [0010] Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a hanger in accordance with the present invention;

[0011] Fig. 2 is an end view of the hanger of Fig. 1 , supporting an object; [0012] Fig. 3 is a top view of the hanger of Fig. 1 ;

[0013] Fig. 4 is plan view of a sheet of material used to make the top portion of the hanger of Fig. 1 ;

[0014] Fig. 5 is an end view of the material sheet of Fig. 4; [0015] Fig. 6 is an end view of a proximal part of the bottom section of the hanger of Fig. 1 ;

[0016] Fig. 7 is a side view of the proximal part of Fig. 6;

[0017] Fig. 8 is an end view of a distal part of the bottom section of the hanger of Fig. 1;

[0018] Fig. 9. is a side view of the distal part of Fig. 8;

[0019] Fig. 10 is an end view of the hanger of Fig. 1 , in an open configuration;

[0020] Fig. 11 is an end view of an alternate embodiment hanger in accordance with the present invention; and

[0021] Fig. 12 shows a partial end view of an alternate configuration of the alternate embodiment hanger of Fig. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] A hanger for hanging a circular cross-section object, such as a pipe or conduit, includes a top portion that has a channel for receiving a rod therethrough, and a bottom portion that includes a cylindrical surface or saddle for receiving the circular object. The bottom portion is hingedly coupled to the top portion at a hinge point at one side of both the bottom portion and the top portion. The bottom portion thus is permanently connected to the top portion at one end, and is able to pivot about the hinge point. A free end of the top portion fits into a slot in the free end of the bottom portion, with the bottom portion free end secured in a notch in the top portion. The top portion may be a folded over sheet metal parts, and the tips of the free end of the top portion may be bent away from each other, such as by use of a screwdriver, to aid in retaining the portions locked together.

[0023] The bottom portion may be in two parts that may be rotated relative to one another to facilitate installing the bottom portion around a pipe or conduit that is to be supported. The parts may include a permanently connected part, which is connected to the hinge point at its upper end, and a connectable part, which is connected to the free end of the top portion when the hanger is installed. Together the bottom portion parts define a semicircular pipe-receiving surface for receiving the bottom of a pipe or conduit. Each of the bottom portion parts may include half of the semicircular pipe-receiving surface, with each of the bottom portion parts having a curved circular surface of about 90 degrees in extent. A tab on one of the bottom portion parts may fit into a slot on the other of the bottom portion parts where the parts are coupled together, for example below the middle of the pipe-receiving surface. The coupling of the tab into the slot may allow the bottom portion parts to be moved relative to one another, such as by twisting the connectable part relative to the permanently connected part. This allows the connectable part to be moved out

of the way as the permanently connected part is brought into position against the pipe or conduit, thus avoiding any interference between the permanently connected part and the pipe or conduit as the permanently connected part is rotated into place. Then the connectable end part is twisted to bring it against the pipe or conduit. There may be sufficient clearance between the tab and the slot that receives it, so as to allow the connectable part to fit easily over the free end of the top portion. [0024] Referring initially to Figs. 1-3, a hanger 10 includes a top portion 12 and a bottom portion 14. The top portion 12 is coupled to the bottom portion 14 in order to support a pipe or conduit 16 between the two portions 12 and 14. The hanger 10 is connected to a supporting threaded rod 20, which is coupled to one or more structural members (not shown). The hanger 10 thus provides a way to support a run of pipe or conduit 16 from building structure.

[0025] The top portion 12 is a generally planar bar, fully above the pipe or conduit 16 supported by the hanger 10. The top portion 12 includes a central channel 24 for receiving the threaded rod 20 therethrough. The threaded rod 20 fits through the channel 24 and is secured by nuts 26 and 28 that are tightened against the top and bottom edges of the top portion 12.

[0026] On one side of the central channel 24 the top portion 12 has a hole 30 for receiving a pivot pin or hinge 34 for coupling a hinged end 36 of the top portion 12. The pivot pin 34 may be a rivet or other suitable fastener for hingedly connecting the top portion 12 and the bottom portion 14, allowing the bottom portion 14 to be rotated or pivoted relative to the top portion 14. The rotation about the pivot pin 34 is substantially within the plane of the top portion 12, the centerplane of the hanger 10. [0027] On the opposite side of the central channel 24, away from the hinged end 36, is a free end 40. The free end 40 has a cut or angled bottom corner 44 along a lower edge 45, and a notch 46 along a top edge 48. As will be described below in greater detail, the angled bottom corner 44 and the notch are used in engaging the bottom portion 14 onto the free end 40 of the top portion 12. Once the bottom portion 14 is engaged on the free end 40, tips 52 and 54 may be bent to secure the engagement between the portions 12 and 14.

[0028] With reference now in addition to Fig. 4, the top portion 12 may be made from a single sheet metal piece 60, such as a piece of spring steel. The top portion 12 may be made of two substantially identical sections 62 and 64, which are folded

over to produce the two-ply top portion 12. Thus the sheet metal 12 piece may be stamped to produce the holes 30, a V-shape notch 66 for the angled bottom corner 44, the notches 46, a central slot 70 to allow formation of the central channel 24, and an elongate notch 74 opposite the V-shape notch 66. The notch 74 functions to allow entry of a portion of the bottom portion 14 between the plies of the top portion 12, to be secured by the pivot pin or hinge 34.

[0029] After stamping, a central part 78 of the sheet metal piece 60, in the vicinity of the central slot 70, is curved into a semicircular shape, as illustrated in Fig. 5. Then the sheet metal piece 60 is folded along a fold line 80 at a boundary between the sections 62 and 64. The sections of the curved central part 78 come together to form the central channel 24. The other features of the sections 62 and 64 line up with one another. As discussed further below, the sections 62 and 64 of the top portion 12 may folded around an end of the bottom portion 14 that is to be secured to the top potion 12 by the pivot pin 34.

[0030] The top portion 12 has a height (extent in the direction parallel to the threaded rod 20) that is much greater than its thickness (the combined thickness of the top portion sections 62 and 64). This aids the top portion 12 in resisting deformation from the weight of the pipe or conduit 16 on the hanger 10. [0031] Turning now in addition to Figs. 6-9, details of the bottom portion 14 are given. The bottom portion 14 includes a proximal part 86 and a distal part 88, the parts 86 and 88 being proximal and distal to the hinge pin 34. The proximal part 86 is hingedly coupled to the top portion 12. The distal part 88 is far from the hinge pin 34, and can be connected to the free end 40 of the top portion 12. The parts 86 and 88 are not rigidly coupled to each other. Rather, a connection 90 between the parts 86 and 88 allows some relative movement between the parts 86 and 88. The relative movement allows the distal part 88 to be shifted away from the pipe or conduit 16 during the first part of installation of the hanger 10.

[0032] The proximal part 86 includes an upper end 92 with a hole 94 therein. The upper end 92 fits into the elongate notch 74, between ends of the sections 62 and 64 of the top portion 12. The hole 94 lines up with the hole 30 in the top section 12, with the hinge pin 34 passing through both the top portion 12 and the bottom portion 14, hingedly coupling the sections 12 and 14 together at that point.

[0033] Moving along the proximal part 86 from the upper (connected) end 92, a twist section 96 provides a 90-degree twist in the orientation of the material of the proximal part 86. The twist section 96 transitions from the upper end 92, which is parallel to the top section 12, to a downward vertical section 100, which is tangent a surface of the pipe or conduit 16.

[0034] Downward along the proximal part 86, the downward vertical section 100 transitions to a pipe-receiving curved section 102. The pipe-receiving curved section 102 has a circular shape curving inward, toward the center of the hanger 10. The curved section 102 may have an angular extent of about 90 degrees. The curved section 102 is configured to engage approximately one quarter of the surface of the pipe or conduit 16.

[0035] Extending out from a lower end of the curved section 102 is a narrowed, outward-curved section 104. The section 104 curves back 90 degrees, and ends in a tab 106. The tab 106 is wider than the outward-curved section 104, and may have the same width as the other parts of the proximal part 86. Thus the narrowed section 104 may be formed by removing material to form notches 108 and 110 that flank the narrowed section 104.

[0036] The narrowed section 104 and the tab 106 are configured to engage a lower slot 114 in a slotted end 116 and a pipe-receiving curved section 122 of the distal part 88. This is to allow the bottom portion 14 to be opened up so as to facilitate installation of the hanger 10. The lower slot 114 is at least as wide as the narrowed section 104, while being less wide than the tab 106. However, the length of the slot 114 is greater than the width of the tab 106. This allows the tab 106 to be inserted through the slot 114, when the parts 86 and 88 are properly oriented toward one another. The distal part 88 may then be twisted relative to the proximal part 86 to bring the width of the tab 106 out of alignment with the length of the slot 114. This prevents the parts 86 and 88 from being separated from one another. [0037] The slotted end 116 is a bent section of the connectable portion 88, ending in a straight end that points downward in the installed configuration of the hanger 10 (Fig. 2). The slotted end 116 may bend at a substantially right angle to the curved section 122.

[0038] Although the parts 86 and 88 are mechanically coupled together, the distal part 88 may be twisted relative to the proximal part 86, to open up the bottom portion

14. As shown in Fig. 10, the distal part 88 may be twisted so that it hangs down from the tab 106, while still remaining mechanically connected to the proximal part 86. This allows the proximal part 86 to be rotated about the hinge pin 34, into place against the pipe or conduit 16. If the parts 86 and 88 were rigidly connected together, the distal part 88 would run into the pipe or conduit 16 as the proximal part 86 was rotated into place. This would necessitate installing the hanger 10 differently, putting the bottom portion 14 around the pipe or conduit 16 before securing the top portion 12 to the threaded rod 20.

[0039] After the proximal part 86 is rotated into place, the distal part 88 could be twisted back, bringing the bottom portion 14 to the configuration illustrated in Fig. 2. The bottom portion 14 thus has two different configurations. One is an open installation configuration, with the distal part 88 opened up relative to the proximal part 86 to provide clearance between the distal part 88 and the pipe or conduit 16 as the bottom portion 14 is rotated. The second is a closed installed configuration, with the distal part 88 positioned to engage the pipe or conduit 16. [0040] The curved section 122 curves inward from a vertical section 124 of the permanently connected part 88. The curved section may have a radial extent of about 90 degrees. In the connected configuration (Fig. 2) the pipe or conduit 16 is engaged by both of the curved sections 102 and 122. The curved sections 102 and 122 together define a U-shape pipe-receiving surface 126 of the bottom portion 14. [0041] An upper slot 128 is located in an upper part of the vertical section 124. The upper slot 128 is an elongate slot, long enough to accommodate the top portion free end 40. At an upper end of the vertical section 124, an angled bent free end 130 is angled away from the vertical section 124.

[0042] In engaging the upper portion 12, the bent free end 130 is urged outward by contact with the top portion free end 40. Specifically, contact between the bent free end 130 and the angled bottom corner 44 urges the vertical section 124 out and around the top portion free end 40. This may be accomplished by movement of distal part 88 within a range of linear movement possible due to tolerances in the connection between the parts 86 and 88. Alternatively, this may be accomplished by bending of the vertical section 124 and/or the curved section 122. [0043] Once the upper slot 128 is aligned with the top portion free end 40, at least the vertical section 124 is moved inward toward the center of the hanger 10. This

inward movement occurs until the top edge of the upper slot 128 engages the notch 46 on the top edge 48. Then the tips 52 and 54 may be bent outward, as with a screwdriver, to secure the distal part 88 on the top portion 12. [0044] The parts 86 and 88 of the bottom portion 14 may be made of suitable sheet metal, such as spring steel. Suitable manufacturing processes, such as cutting, punching, shaping, and machining, may be used to fabricate the parts 86 and 88.

[0045] The top portion 12 has a height much greater than its width. This provides the top portion 12 the ability to support the pipe or conduit 16 without appreciably sagging or otherwise deforming.

[0046] The parts 86 and 88 are described above as being separable from one another. It will be appreciated that alternatively the parts 86 and 88 may be permanently coupled together, for example by deforming the tab 106 after the tab 106 has been passed through the lower slot 114 in the distal part 88. It will be appreciated that this may be done in such a way as to still allow the same relative motion between the parts 86 and 88 discussed above.

[0047] The hanger 10 advantageously has fewer parts than prior art hangers. For example the hanger 10 may be essentially a single unit coupled together, as opposed to five parts that must be coupled together as part of a typical clevis hanger. The use of fewer parts may make installation easier and quicker, and reduce the risk of dropped parts during installation.

[0048] Fig. 11 shows an alternate embodiment hanger 210, which has a single- piece bottom portion 214. The bottom portion 214 is permanently connected to one end of the top portion 212, via a hinge pin 234, at a hinged end 236. The bottom portion is also connectable to the top portion 212 at a top portion free end 240, engaging a notch 246 at the free end 240. Both of these connections are similar to the connections described above with regard to the hanger 10 (Fig. 1). The bottom 214 may have a similar shape to that of the bottom portion 14 (Fig. 1 ), but may be in a single piece, rather than the separate parts 86 and 88 of the bottom portion 14. [0049] The hanger 210 may be more difficult to install than the hanger 10, since the bottom portion 210 may not be able to be swung around an already installed pipe or conduit when the top portion 212 has already been secured. However, the hanger 210 has the advantage of having fewer parts.

[0050] Fig. 12 shows an alternate configuration of the hanger 210, in which a hinge pin 234' has a central part 235 that is free to move within a horizontal slot 237 in the top portion 212. This allows the bottom portion 214 to shift horizontally to a degree relative to the top portion 212. Thus the bottom portion 214 may be shifted horizontally rightward to allow it to more easily fit onto the top portion free end 240 (Fig. 11). The bottom portion may be shifted back to engage the notch 246 (Fig. 11) at the top portion free end 240.

[0051] Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described elements (components, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a "means") used to describe such elements are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any element which performs the specified function of the described element (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been described above with respect to only one or more of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.