Description.

The current invention pertains to an outflow element for, among other things, the drainage of rain-water, which outflow element is equipped with an easily re- odellable plate with a hole and an outlet pipe with one extreme affixed in a sealing manner to the plate.

The invention further pertains to a method for the fabrication of the outflow, element.

Such outflow elements, or, as they are also called, lower outlet pipes, are, among other things, used to effectuate the drainage of rain-water from a flat roof, for example, to (usually) the sewer system.

Many of the outflow elements are fabricated from a lead plate within which a hole for the affixation of the extreme of a lead pipe has been made. By means of soldering or welding with the aid of lead, the pipe is sealed in a water-tight manner to the hole and the other extreme of the pipe is connected via an adapter to the drainage pipes, which drainage pipes are usually fabricated from PVC. Outflow elements comprising a single moulded lead entity are also known. Further, outflow elements made from other materials are known, such as for example those comprising a plate of the roof-covering material and a stainless steel outlet pipe, which plate and outlet pipe are sealed together in a mechanical manner. In general, the lead plate can be modified to the contours of the roof in situ by hand or with the use of light tools, and is to be subsequently covered with a suitable roof-covering.

The known method suffers from the disadvantage, in particular in the in-situ situation where the outflow element is affixed to the roof, that it is laborious and furthermore requires the usage of heavy lead plates and tools which must be brought to the place of work in question and cut to size there. The prior making of one or more outflow elements in a workshop results later, as a consequence of the transport thereof, in a lack of roundness

namely in the other extreme of the pipe, whereby the connection with the drainage pipes to the sewer leaves much to be desired, and this cannot be made air-tight and odour-tight without the use of extra means of assistance. The current invention aims to provide an improved outflow element and also aims to provide a method for the fabrication of such an outflow element, whereby the components of the outflow element are sealed to each other beforehand in a water-tight manner. To that' end, the outflow element according to the invention is characterised in that the extreme of the outlet pipe has a bulge, in that the re-modellable plate has a collar which protrudes over the bulge, and in that the outflow element is equipped with a clamping tube which presses the collar and the bulge together. The advantage of the outflow element according to the invention is that the re-modellable plate on the outflow element provides the possibility of modifying the form thereof in accordance with the specifically desired form of the roof-portion upon which the outflow element is placed. Moreover, the characteristic of the plate that it is easily re-modelled is utilised as a .means of, with the aid of the protruding re-modellable collar and by the application of the pressing clamping tube, pressing the collar in a clamping fashion upon the bulge, so that a sealed connection arises between the re-modellable plate and the outlet pipe. An embodiment of the outflow element according to the invention is preferably characterised in that the clamping tube and the collar of the re-modellable plate are situated on the inner side of the extreme of the outlet pipe, and the clamping tube is implemented as an internal clamping tube. Of advantage is the fact that a good water-tight and odour— tight connection arises between the plate and the outlet pipe, whereby water falling on the plate runs directly in to the outlet pipe via the bent collar.

An embodiment of the outflow element according to the invention is characterised in that the extreme of the outlet pipe contains at least one further bulge, in that the bulges are located in the interior of the outlet pipe and in that the external diameter of the clamping tube is smaller than the

internal diameter of the extreme of the outlet pipe.

An advantage of such an outflow element is that it can be fabricated in a single step, whereby both the collar can be modelled and the clamping tube can be pressed in to the collar. Another embodiment of the outflow element according to the invention is characterised in that the bulge is situated on the exterior of the outlet pipe and protrudes over almost the entire circumference of the outlet pipe, and in that the external diameter of the clamping tube- is larger than the diameter of the hole in the plate.

In the fabrication of such an outflow element, the clamping tube does does not have to be mounted during the forming of the collar; rather, the clamping tube can be pressed in to the collar at a later stage. In this manner, the demands on the form and the composite material of the clamping tube can be lower, whereby a clamping tube which is cut from a simple pipe is sufficient. In this manner, no large demands need be made of the sizing accuracy of both the outlet pipe and the clamping tube, whereby a tolerance-insensitive construction arises and plates of almost any desired thickness can be clamped. The costs of fabrication and of materials for the clamping tube and thereby also for the outflow element can be considerably reduced in this manner.

A further embodiment of the outflow element according to. the invention is characterised in that the other extreme of the outlet pipe is equipped with an external circumferential brim for the inclusion of an O-ring.

Of advantage thereby is that a good contact between the outlet pipe and further drainage pipes can be realised without necessitating the application of a conversion piece. In accordance with the invention, the method for the fabrica¬ tion of an outflow element, which outflow element is composed of an outlet pipe possessing two or more internal bulges, a plate equipped with a hole with a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the outlet pipe, and a clamping tube, which outlet pipe, plate and clamping tube are to be permanently fixed togeth¬ er, is characterised in the following measures:

- the placing of the plate at an extreme of the outlet pipe;

- the placing of the clamping tube on a widening tool with a

diameter greater than the diameter of the hole; and

- the pressing of the widening tool so far through the hole in the plate to the extreme of the outlet pipe, whereby a collar in the plate is formed around the hole, that the clamping tube presses and holds pressed the collar of the plate folded in the extreme of the outlet pipe to the internal bulges.

Another method for the fabrication of an outflow element according to the invention, which outflow element is to be composed of an outlet pipe, which outlet pipe is equipped at one extreme with an external bulge protruding from the entire circum¬ ference of the outlet pipe, a plate equipped with a hole and a protruding collar along the circumference of the hole, whereby the external diameter of the collar is approximately the same as the internal diameter of the outlet pipe, and a clamping tube, which outlet pipe, plate and clamping tube are to be permanently fixed together, is characterised in the following steps:

- the placing of the plate at an extreme of the outlet pipe, whereby the collar comes to be situated in the extreme of the outlet pipe; - the placing of the clamping tube in the collar at the position of the bulge in the outlet pipe; and

- the stretching of the diameter of the clamping tube such that the diameter is enlarged, whereby the clamping tube presses and holds pressed the collar in an internal groove formed by the bulge in the outlet pipe.

The advantages of the methods according to the invention are that, in a simple manner, a complete produced outflow element is provided which meets all the requirements asked of it in the profession in question, whereby in particular a good clamped connection is created between the plate on the one hand and the outlet pipe on the other hand. An important advantage of this method is contained in the fact that a tolerance-insensitive method for the fabrication of the outflow element is provided. Because the clamping tube is stretched, close tolerances on the diameters of the outlet pipe and clamping tube do not have to be required. Furthermore, with this method a plate of just about any desired thickness can be rigidly clamped.

The invention and its further advantages will be further

elucidated on the basis of the accompanying figures, wherein consistent reference numbers are used for the indication of one and the same element. The subjects of the figures are as follows: figure 1 is a depiction of a first embodiment of the outflow element according to the invention, together with a detail of the specific connection between the re-modellable plate and the outlet pipe; figure 2 is a composition on the basis of which a first embodiment of the method according to the invention for the ' fabrication of the outflow element of figure 1 shall be explained in more detail; figure 3 is a depiction of a second embodiment of the outflow element according to the invention; figure 4 is a composition on the basis of which a second embodiment of the method according to the invention for the fabrication of the outflow element of figure 3 shall be explained in more detail; and figure 5 depicts an advantageous embodiment of the tooling with which the outflow element depicted in figure 3 can be fabricated. Figure 1 depicts a first embodiment of the outflow element according to the invention. This finished outflow element 1 is constructed from an easily re-modelled plate 2 which is preferably made of lead and which is affixed to a so-called outlet pipe 3. The pipe is preferably constructed from a light material such as aluminium. The pipe 3 has a first extreme 4 and a second extreme 5. The extreme 5 is equipped with a circumferential brim 6 and in the depicted embodiment the circumferential brim 6 is implemented as a groove which is located on the outermost circumference of the extreme 5. An O-ring 7 is located in the groove 6, which O-ring 7 ensures a good sealing and connection to a non-depicted drainage pipe.

Bulges 8 are introduced at the location of the first extreme 4 of the outlet pipe 3, one of which bulges 8 is depicted enlarged and in detail in figure 1. In general, several bulges 8 are introduced at the extreme 4. In an embodiment which is not further explained, in place of the discrete bulges the choice can be made for a continuous brim which protrudes on the inside of the extreme 4. However, discrete bulges 8 weaken the extreme 4 in

question of the pipe 3 to a lesser extent.

A clamping tube 9 is located in the extreme 4, which clamping tube 9 clamps a folded collar 10 of the plate 2 to the bulges 8 and in this way ensures a good clamping connection between the plate 2 and the pipe 3. The clamping tube 9 is preferably made from stainless steel.

The method for the fabrication of the outflow element 1 shall be further elucidated on the basis of figure 2. The figure depicts a widening tool 11, whereby the clamping tube 9 is mounted on a partially cylindrical portion of the widening tool. The pipe 3 which is cut to size during a rotating motion and wherein, preferably at the same time, the circumferential groove 6 is introduced in the extreme 5, is placed on a holder 12. The lead plate is located under the widening tool 11 close to the other extreme 4, which extreme is foreseen in the necessary bulges 8 beforehand, which lead plate is cut to size beforehand and contains a punched hole with a diameter less than the diameter of the aluminium pipe 3. In the lowering of the widening tool 11 on the pipe 3, in general with the aid of non-depicted hydraulic means, a conical portion 13 of the widening tool 11 causes a portion of the lead plate 2 to be folded down, giving rise to the internal collar 10. Upon further pushing through, the clamping tube 9 clamps itself in the extreme 4 and the final situation which is depicted in the detail of figure 1 is reached. In this manner, a permanent bond between the lead plate 2 and the aluminium pipe 3 is realised in a manner whereby welding and/or glueing, rolling or soldering in situ is no longer necessitated, and whereby, moreover, a currently customary adapter for the realisation of a connection between the pipe 3 and further drainage pipes becomes unnecessary.

Figure 3 depicts a second embodiment of the outflow element according to the invention. This outflow element 21 is also composed of an easily re-modellable plate 22 which is affixed to an outlet pipe 23 and which is equipped with a hole 25. A bulge 28 is introduced at the location of an extreme 24 in the outlet pipe 23. This bulge is situated on the exterior surface of the outlet pipe 23 and protrudes from the entire circumference of the pipe.

A clamping tube 29 is located in the extreme 24, which clamping tube 29 clamps a folded collar 30 of the plate 22 in a groove formed by the bulges 28 and the interior wall of the pipe 23 and in this way ensures a good clamping connection between the plate 22 and the pipe 23. If desired, the inner wall of the pipe 23 can be roughened so as to be able to hold possibly thinner and more slippery plates to a suitable degree.

Figure 4 will be used as a basis for the further elucidation of the method for the fabrication of the outflow element 21. The figure shows a segmented thick-walled tube 31 (for example in three or four equal-sized segments) . The clamping tube 29 is located in a crevice in the tube 31. The clamping tube has an external diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the hole 25 in the plate 22. Moreover, the figure depicts a spine 32 and a support 33. During the downward motion of the spine 32 (in a direction which is towards the support) the spine pushes the segments of the tube 31 apart, whereby the clamping tube 29 is stretched in diameter. The clamping tube 29 then pushes the collar 30 in the groove formed by the bulge 28 whereby the collar is plastically deformed. After this action the clamping tube 29 has an external diameter which is larger than the diameter of the hole 25 and the external diameter of the collar 30 at the location of the bulge is larger than the internal diameter of the pipe 23. The segments of the tube 31 are equipped with slanted edges so that the skittle-shaped spine 32 pushes the segments apart during its downward motion.

The collar 30 is already formed prior to the aforementioned actions. This can be done in a known manner by pushing a widening tool through a hole which is present in the plate. The bulge 28 in the pipe 23 is also introduced in to the pipe prior to these actions. Figure 5 depicts a variant of the tooling shown in figure 4. The tooling 35 shown herein comprises a segmented core 36 with a stepped outer wall 37 and a tapering converging inner wall 38, within which inner wall a displaceable spine 39 is present, which displaceable spine pushes the segments outwards during displacement. A ring 40 which is to be expanded is, dependent upon its inner diameter, placed on one of the steps,

and is, during the displacement of the spine 39 stretched in diameter, whereby the ring 40 is introduced into the outflow element in the same manner as is indicated in figures 3 and 4