Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to rigid and semi-rigid pipe
fitting covers and a process for covering pipe fittings.
More specifically, the invention relates to pipe fitting
covers which by their geometrical design are adapted to be
folded into a shape that conforms to the shape of a given
pipe fitting.
BACRGROUND OF THE INVENTION
10 The conveyance of hot or cold fluids through piping
and piping assemblies normally makes it desirable to insulate
the piping. Usually, this involves wrapping or placing an
insulation material over the exterior of the piping and
covering the insulation.
Early efforts at insulating piping consisted of
spreading cement in place on the exterior of the pipes and
pipe fittings and then adhering a fabric covering over it.
Prior art procedures have progressed since then to include
aluminum and plastic covers for the piping and various
fittings, us~d in conjunction with insulation ~aterials such
as fiberglass blanket or urethane foam. In some instAnces
the insulation material is adhered to the inside surface of
the cover such that the insulation and cover are joined in
place at the same time. In other instances the insulation is
first formed or placed around the piping or pipe fittings and
the aluminum or plastic co~ers are then secured in place over
the insulation.
Certain covers designed specifically for elbow pipe
fittings are described in U.S. Patent 3,495r629 (Botsolas,
February, 1970). They are made from rigid, semi-resilient
material as a single, in~egral struc~ure having the shape of
an elongated, open-ended trough~ When placed into position
around the elbow joint during installation, the cover assumes
a shape in the configuration of the elbow joint. The material
from which the shaped cover is formed can be a thin walled
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synthetic plastic material, for example, a rigid vinyl resin,
and the cover can be used with or without insulation adhered
to the inner surface.
Also noteworthy are pipe fitting covers described in U.S.
Patent 3,732,894 (Botsolas, May, 1973). They are comprised of
two shaped half-sections connected together at a single point
around which the two sections can rotate. The unique design
provides advantages in shipping and storage by enabling the
half~sections to be revolved into a superimposed, nested
relationship. This permits stacking, which in turn
facilitates handling and minimizes the usage of space.
SUMMARY OF T~E INVENTION
It is an object of the pr0sent invention to provide an
efficient, economical and more convenient way to insulate pipe
fittings in a piping assembly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide
a pipe fitting cover made of a watertight material that can
easily be cut and trimmed into the proper geometric shape of
the pipe fitting to be covered.
It is a further object to provide a pip~ fitting cover
made of a rigid or semi-rigid material that can be easily
wrapped around the pipe fitting and secured snugly in place.
In a broad aspect, therefore, the present invention
relates to a cover for a pipe fitting comprising a body made
of semi-rigid watertight material and having opposed ends,
said body adapted to fold to the shape of the pipe fitting
from an initially substantially flat shape, at least one of
said ends having a terminal portion and fastening means
operatively connected thereto for securing said ends about the
pipe fitting, said cover including at least one line of
weakness constituting a means to trim said cover to correspond
to the geometrical configuration of the pipe fitting and
provide a secure fit of the cover about the pipe fitting on
the job site.
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In another broad aspect, the present invention relates to
a cover for a T-shaped pipe fitting made of a substantially
flat, semi-rigid watertight material comprising a
substantially rectilinear shaped body having two pairs of
opposed corners, said body including a tab shaped element
extending from each of said corners, wherein each pair of said
opposed corners include fastening means for securing said
opposed corners to one another when the cover is secured about
the pipe fitting, said body being adapted to form to the shape
of the pipe, and said cover further including at least one
line of weakness constituting a means to trim said cover to
correspond to the geometrical configuration of the pipe
fitting and provide a secure fit of the cover about the pipe
. 15 fitting on the job site.
The cover members of this invention are designed to be
used with a variety of pipe fittings, including, especially,
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tee and elbow fittings.
In practice, the tee cover can be installed over a
range of insulation thicknesses due to the capacity of the
covers to be cut and trimmed to the proper shape and size,
even on the job site.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be better understood
when viewed with the accompanying drawings, in which:
0 FIGURE 1 iS an isometric view of a portion of a
piping assembly joined by a tee fitting;
FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a tee fitting cover
of the present invention useful for covering the fitting of
FIGURE l;
FI~URE 3 is an isometric view of a tee fitting
cover of the present invention partially installed on the
fitting of FIGURE l;
FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of a tee fitting
cover of the present invention partially covering the fitting
of FIGURE 1, showing an underlying layer of insulation
material;
FIGURE 5 is another embodiment of a tee fitting
cover of the present invention, from the reverse side9
completely installed and fastened in place over the fitting
Of FIGURE l; and
FIGURE 6 is a view of a tee fitting cover and a
ninety degree elbow cover in accordance with the present
invention, as well as an assembly of tee and ninety degree
elbow fittings covered with these same covers.
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132~223
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention is suitable for use in any
pipe installation in which fittings are used to join with
straight sections of piping.
As seen in FIGURE 1, a partially insulated piping
assembly is shown with tee fitting 2, which joins pipes 4, 6
an~ 8. The sections of the pipe adjacent to tee fitting 2
are covered with insulation jackets 10, 12 and 14, each of
which fully encloses a layer of insulation material (not
shown) that has been wrapped around the pipe. Each jacket
10, 12 and 14 consists of a main body 16 and end covers 18
and 20. In practice it is necessary to also insulate the tee
fitting 2, which, as seen in FIGURE 1, is presently exposed.
The tee fitting cover of this invention is readily useful for
that purpose.
As shown in FIG~RE 2, prior to use the tee fitting
cover 22 of the present inven~ion is a flat, unitary piece of
material which has been pre-cut to conform geometrically to
the shape of the tee fitting 2. The cover 22 consists of a
main body portion 23 and connecting members 24, 26, 28 and
30, which are essentially flat continuations protruding from
the main body 23 of the cover 22. Connecting members 24 ànd
26, which are somewhat tapered near their ends, contain snap
enclosures male fastening means 34 and 36, respectively,
while connecting members 28 and 30 contain female fastening
means 38 and 40, respectively, which serve as receptors for
34 and 36 when the cover 22 is in place on the fitting 2~
The tee fitting cover 22 can be made of any rigid
or semi-rigid watertight material, including aluminum, other
metals or plastics, for example, polyvinyl ~hloride or
polypropylene. The material must necessarily be of a nature
that it can be easily pre-cut or trimmed so that it will be
geometrically correct for the pipe fitting. To this end, the
cover 22 can be provided with score lines 4i2, which have been
previously pressed or cut into the material, to facilitate
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trimming on the job site. The score lines 42, or strip-off
strips, can be geometrically laid out so as to act as a
reducing end on any of the three directions of the tee
fitting 2. It therefore can take the form of a tee 2 that
has three or less reducing exits by stripping or cutting out
to the appropriate line 42.
The material of the cover 22 must be a malleable
rigid or semi-rigid material capable of being folded around
the tee fitting 2 starting from an essentially flat shape.
Thin polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride, or thin aluminum or
stainless steel sheetiny are examples of materials suitable
for this purpose.
As seen in FIGURE 3, the partially installed tee
fitting cover 22 is shown over the tee fitting 2 (not shown).
The side of fitting cover 22 on which connecting members 24
and 28 (not shown) are located is fastened in place and
pulled tightly over the tee fitting 2. The side of the
fitting cover 22 on which connecting members 26 and 30 (only
26, with fastening means 36 is shown) are located is shown
unfastened.
As seen in FIGURE 4, tee fitting cover 22 is shown
partially pulled away to expose insulation blanket 44, which
is wrapped around the tee fitting 2. The insulation blanket
44 can be made of fiberglass or any other conventional
material suitable for the insulation of piping. In this view
of fittiny cover 22, connecting members 24 and 26, with
astening means 34 and 36, are shown.
As seen in FIGURE 5, a tee fitting cover 22 in
accordance with this invention is shown in a completely
installed form. Main body 23 is wrapped tightly around the
tee pipe fitting 2 (not shown), with connecting members 24
and 26 overlapping connecting members 28 and 30. The
connecting members are fastened to one ano~her by fasteners
34 and 36, located on connecting members 24 and 26. These
are joined to fasteners 38 and 40 (not shown), located on
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underlying connecting members 28 and 30, respectively. A
benefi~ of this arrangement is that the snug fit caused by
the pulling of the connecting members 24, 26, 28 and 30 tends
to compress and compac~ the underlying insulation material 44.
5 Tee fitting cover 22 overlaps adjacent insulation jackets 10
and 14 on either side of the tee fitting 2. A watertight
seal is ensured by applying a silicone or other type of
chemical sealer between the overlapping surfaces of the
connecting members 24, 26, 28 and 30 and the adjacent
10 ~acketing 10, 12 and 14.
As seen in FIGURE 6, an assembly of piping 50 is
shown covered by various appropriate fitting covers of the
present invention. The cover members are comprised of tee
fitting cover 52 and ninety degree elbow fitting cover 54.
15 In the installation shown in FIG~ , the pipe insulation is
first applied, for example, by appl~ing a urethane foam or
wrapping with blanket-type insulation (not shown). Thereafter,
the fitting covers 50 and 52 are trimmed around the edges, if
necessary, to ensure a perfect geometric fit and placed over
20 the pipe fittings, with the side edges projecting over the
adjacent pipe jackets 56, 58 and 60. Tee fitting cover 52
comprises four projecting connecting members, 62, 64, 66 and
68, while ninety degree elbow fitting cover 54 comprises only
two projecting connecting members, 70 and 72. Elbow fitting
25 cover 54 is also shown in isolation installed snugly in place
over the elbow fit~ing, with connec~ing member 70 overlying
and secured to connecting member 72.
The covers of this invention may be installed with
use of any conven~ional insulation for piping assemblies. A
3~ particularly convenient type is fibc.glass insulation, and
especially fiberglass in the form of blankets, which may be
used in single or multiple layers prior to application of the
covers.
While the invention has been described in detail
35 and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will
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be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes
and modifications can be made therein without departing from
the spirit and scope thereof. For example, any standard
means for securing the connecting members about the pipe
5 fitting are contemplated, i.e. tape, screws, rivets, etc.
All such obvious variations are intended to fall within the
scope of the appended claims.
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