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AssigneeA. O. Smith Corporation
InventorsJames L. Chevalier, Douglas D. King, John D. Pfeffer, Allen L. Johnson
Estimating the term…
A clamping apparatus for use in applying foam resin insulation between the tank and the outer jacket of a water heater. The jacket of the water heater is spaced outwardly of the tank to provide a space that receives a foamable resin, such as polyurethane. The upper end of the jacket is enclosed by a thin, sheet metal cover. To clamp the cover to the jacket and prevent deformation of the cover due to the pressure of the resin foam, a clamping mechanism is utilized which includes a plate or clamping member that is positioned flatwise against the cover, and a clamp assembly secures the clamping plate to the upper end of a flue, or other tubular opening in the tank. In a preferred form, the clamping mechanism consists of a resilient, expandable plug which is inserted within the opening in the tank and is expanded outwardly into tight engagement with the wall bordering the opening to secure the clamping plate to the tank.
An apparatus for clamping a cover to a jacket that surrounds a tank as the space between the jacket and the tank is filled with an expandable resin material during a foaming operation, the upper end of said tank having aperture means, said apparatus comprising retaining means disposed against the outer surface of said cover, and clamping means engageable with said aperture means to hold said retaining means against said cover and prevent deformation of the cover during the foaming operation.
In combination, a tank to contain a fluid to be heated, a jacket spaced outwardly of said tank with the space between said jacket and said tank to receive an expandable resin material, a cover enclosing the upper end of said jacket, a tubular member communicating with the interior of said tank and projecting outwardly beyond said cover, a retaining member disposed against the outer surface of said cover, and clamping means connected to said retaining member and releasably engageable with said tubular member to hold said retaining member against said cover and prevent, deformation of said cover during the foaming operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.