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US 5,474,123 AGranted
Tube shield
OwnerDennis J. Buckshawinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerDennis J. Buckshawinventor
Estimating the term…
A tube shield for protecting the tubes of heat exchangers, such as boilers and condensers, from hostile elements. The tube shield includes an axially elongated arcuate protector member and a plurality of spring clips secured to the axial free edges of the protector member at spaced locations along the length of the protector member. The spring clips are sized and configured such that they splay outwardly as the protector member is pressed downwardly over an associated tube to pass the maximum diameter of the tube and thereafter move inwardly in a spring biased manner to bitingly engage the exposed portion of the tube to preclude inadvertent separation of the protector from the tube. Each spring clip includes a central portion mounted to the protector member, an outboard portion extending circumferentially from the central portion to a location circumferentially beyond the respective free edge of the protector member, and an inboard portion extending circumferentially from the central portion to a location within the arc of the protector member. The clips are mounted to the protector member by mounting brackets which allow the clips to move both axially and circumferentially relative to the protector member.
A tube shield of the type including an axially elongated protector member of arcuate cross section sized to fit over the tube to protect the portion of the tube embraced between the axial free edges of the protector member and at least one spring clip secured proximate each axial free edge of the protector member, characterized in that each clip has a central portion mounted to the protector member, an outboard portion extending circumferentially from the central portion to a location circumferentially beyond the respective free edge of the protector member, and an inboard portion extending circumferentially from the central portion to a location within the arc of the protector member.
A tube shield of the type including an axially elongated protector member of arcuate cross section sized to fit over the tube to protect the portion of the tube embraced between the axial free edges of the protector member and at least one spring clip mounted proximate each free axial edge of the protector member, characterized in that each clip is mounted to the protector member by mounting means permitting axial movement of the clip relative to the protector member.
A tube shield of the type including an axially elongated protector member of arcuate cross section sized to fit over the tube to protect the portion of the tube embraced between the free axial edges of the protector member and at least one spring clip mounted proximate each free axial edge of the protector member, characterized in that each clip is mounted to the protector member by mounting means permitting circumferential movement of the clip relative to the protector member.
A tube shield comprising:
A tube shield including an axially elongated protector member of arcuate cross section sized to fit over the tube to protect the portion of the tube embraced between the axial free edges of the protector member and at least one spring clip secured proximate each axial free edge of the protector member, each clip having a free resilient flexible end, the clips being sized to bitingly engage points on the exposed surface of the tube lying on a chord of the tube, and the clip having a relaxed configuration in which the free end of a clip proximate one axial edge of the protector member is spaced from the free end of a clip proximate the other axial edge of a protector member by a distance less than the length of the chord, characterized in that each clip has another free end positioned within the arc of the protector member and bitingly engaging a point on the embraced portion of the tube with the protector member fitted over the tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.