Pipe-to-Pipe Brace Assembly
AssigneeCooper B-Line, Inc.
InventorRichard W. Heath
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pipe brace assembly includes a main clamp body that can be secured to a brace pipe. A cable, or other flexible tensioning member, can be wrapped around a braced pipe and secured to the main clamp body. The pipe brace assembly includes a method or mechanism for tensioning the cable or flexible tensioning member around the braced pipe. In some embodiments, the tensioning method or mechanism involves moving, such as rotating, the main clamp body to tension the cable or tensioning member. The clamping of the main clamp body and tensioning of the cable or tensioning member can occur simultaneously.
Claims18
A brace assembly for bracing a braced pipe relative to a brace pipe, comprising:
- a cable;
- a main body comprising an annular portion defining an opening that receives the brace pipe, a cable stop that supports a first portion of the cable, a pipe support surface that supports the braced pipe;
- a cable anchor that can fix a second portion of the cable relative to the main body such that the cable can be placed in tension between the first and second portions;
- a cable tensioning arrangement configured to move the cable stop relative to the cable anchor to tension the cable around the braced pipe and secure the braced pipe against the pipe support surface.
A brace assembly for bracing a braced pipe relative to a brace pipe, comprising:
- a cable having a first portion, a second portion and an intermediate portion between the first and second ends;
- a main body comprising an annular portion defining an opening that receives the brace pipe extending along a pipe axis through the opening, a cable stop that supports the intermediate portion of the cable, the cable stop located on a first side of the pipe axis, a pipe support surface that supports the braced pipe, the pipe support surface located on a second side of the pipe axis opposite the first side;
- a cable anchor comprising a fastener, having a shaft portion and a head portion, and a nut that threadably engages the shaft portion of the fastener, wherein the fastener is received by a fastener passage of the main body and the head portion secures the first end of the cable against the main body and the nut secures the second end of the cable against the main body;
- a tensioning bolt having a threaded shaft portion, the tensioning bolt received by a threaded tensioning passage of the main body, wherein the tensioning passage extends in a substantially radial direction relative to the pipe axis and is offset from the annular portion of the main body, wherein the tensioning bolt is advanced into the tensioning passage to rotate the main body about an adjustment axis that is substantially perpendicular to both an axis of the tensioning passage and the pipe axis thereby tensioning the intermediate portion of the cable, wherein the advancement of the tensioning bolt also secures the main body to the brace pipe.
A method of bracing a braced pipe to a brace pipe, comprising:
- wrapping a cable around the braced pipe;
- securing a first portion of the cable relative to a clamp body;
- securing a second portion of the cable relative to the clamp body with the braced pipe between an intermediate portion of the cable and the clamp body;
- engaging the brace pipe with the clamp body;
- and
- moving one or both of the first and second portions of the cable to tension the intermediate portion of the cable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.