Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02359707 2001-10-09
SPECIFICATION
This invention relates to a manually applied fastening
device for securing wood stud crossbraces into wood or
metal joist spaces, or, wood or metal wall stud spaces
or any other area the fastening device can be applied
for the securing to, and/or supporting of mechanical
plumbing or piping systems, or electrical conduit systems,
in the vertical or horizontal planes, in the construction
industry.
It is common mainly in the plumbing trade construction
industry and to a lesser degree the electrical trade
construction industry in the installation process of
mechanical systems to encounter significant difficulty
securing and/or supporting in place pipes, tubes, tubing,
conduits, or fixture valves, such as bathtub or shower valves,
properly and in a timely efficient manner. This is due to the
arrangement of irregular joist spacing, or irregular wall stud
spacing but mainly standard joist spacing, or wall stud
spacing creates significant difficulties to begin with.
There is no good or effective standard installation system
that exists that effectively overcomes the inherant difficulties
encountered by installers when supporting and securing
mechanical piping systems in these areas. Currently the method
is to custom install wood stud crossbraces by toe-nailing
these braces into place. This often splits or damages the ends
of the wood stud crossbrace decreasing its reliability, and
weakening it significantly. This is also why screws cannot be
used in tight places to the ends of the wood stud crossbrace
at angles. A wood stud crossbrace can be employed only when
enough room in a given situation is available to allow nails
to be hammered into place satisfactorally, and more often
than not, this is not the case even when room to hammer is
available.
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When a satisfactory amount of room is available to nail a
wood stud crossbrace into place within a joist space, or wall
stud space the action of hammering the nails distorts the
position and the alignment of the wood stud crossbrace
because it is being held in place by hand. This is why even in
a relatively good situation it is difficult to get a
satisfactory result. These situations usually involve settling
for a "close enough" arrangement, but even this is
unsatisfactory the majority of the time, even when installed
by the most competent, qualified, and experienced professional
installers.
In the case of a joist space where a crossbrace cannot be
nailed into place or otherwise secrured in place, the practice
is use a piece of "hanger strap" screwed to the plywood flooring
above the joists and to hang a sufficient lengh of strapping
down to loop the strapping around the pipe to be supported and
secure the strap loop just above the pipe with a stove bolt.
This is often the best that can be achieved, but it creates
many operational problems when the plumbing is being used,
such as rattling noises due to excessive vibration, because
this method does not precisely meet the plumbing code
installation requirements, that, dictate that mechanical
piping systems must be "supported" and "secured" at regular
code defined intervals from thrust movements or vibration
during operation. The hanger strap method does support the
weight of the pipe but cannot secure the pipe from swinging
in a limited pendulum motion or thrusting axially when
operating. However these installations often pass inspection
despite the plumbing code requirements because the inspector
understands that there is no better available method currently,
of installation in these circumstances.
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I have found that these disadvantages may be overcome by
providing a fastening device that attaches to the ends of a
wood stud crossbrace that will allow easy accurate positioning
and alignment of a wood stud crossbrace as well as easy
repositioning or realignment or even removal if necesary. By
employing a quick easy method of securing a wood stud crossbrace
with a new type of fastening device which attaches to each end
of a wood stud crossbrace, for installing it into any joist
space, or wall stud space, in the vertical or horizontal
planes. The use of the fastening device eliminates the
difficulty and previous necessity of having to nail a wood stud
crossbrace in place, by hand while aligning it at the same time,
which is often akward enough, or by using screws, without
splitting or otherwise damaging the ends of the wood stud
crossbrace. Because the installation of the fastening device and
wood stud crossbrace assembly can be done into a joist space
or wall stud space using screws without damaging and therefore
weakening the wood stud crossbrace stud ends, this eliminates
the restrictions of where a wood stud crossbrace can be
installed. Room for hammering to use nails, or attempting to
use screws directly risks splitting or damaging the wood stud
crossbrace and limits the installation or the ability to
install a wood stud crossbrace.
With the ability to install a wood stud crossbrace where
needed, especially in areas previously difficult or impossible
to accomplish installation adequetly by conventional methods,
achieving satisfactory adherence to the requirements of the
plumbing code, that mechanical systems must be "supported"
and "secured" at regular code defined intervals can be more
precisely followed in the field. Also by overcoming the limits
of the current conventional methods of present mechanical
systems installation practices a significant quality of
installation and functional improvement would benefit everyone
concerned with or affected by better installation practices.
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The tradesman installer can better comply with the plumbing
code requirements more fully while saving valuable labor time
if the right tools to assist him/her exists, and the building
owner would recieve mechanical systems that are much less
likely, if at all, to function poorly due to excessive noise
or vibrations caused by poorly supported and secured
mechanical piping systems, which is a huge source of complaints
seen by plumbers, and the plumbing industy in particular.
In the drawings which illustrate embodiments of the
invention, Figure 1 is a top view of this embodiment , Figure 2
is a section of the line II-II of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a
section of the line I-I of Figure 1, Figure 4 is an off angle
exploded view of installation in elevation of this embodiment,
Figure S is an off angle installed elevation view of this
embodiment, Figure 6 is a single installed elevation in section
of this embodiment, Figure 7 is a complete assembly installed
in elevation in section of two examples as they would be used
mainly in pairs of this embodiment.
The fastening device illustrated is comprised of a main
body 4 and may be made from any suitable material, but, in the
form shown is sheet metal, which would best be a galvanized or
otherwise corrosion resistant or coated sheet metal. Sheet
metal would appear to be the best material as the fastening
device is meant to be as thin as possible, and to be thin
enough to be used without having to allow for the thickness of
the fastening devices installed on either end of the wood stud
crossbrace, when measuring the length of the wood stud. This
would not be the case if the fastening device was made from
a material like plastic for example, and would be less desirable
to use. The width dimension of the fastening device is
specific to the width dimension of a wood stud A, the
fastening device main body 4 should be no wider than 37mm or
1-7/16 inches wide, however the fastening device main body 4
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may be slightly narrower than the approximate width of a wood
stud A. This optimizes the versatility of installation and
placement for the combined fastening device, and wood stud A,
to be used as a crossbrace, assembly, in various mounting
situations.
Near each end of the fastening device lengthwise are
alignment tabs 2, one alignment tab on each end, for the
purpose of centering a wood stud A lengthwise between them,
on the fastening device lengthwise, centering alignment
widthwise is done using the edge of the device as a guide to
to center it on the end of the wood stud A. The alignment tabs
2 also align the fastening, and the end of the wood stud A
radially in relation to the fastening device. In this
embodiment the distance between the alignment tabs 2 is specific
to the inside dimension lengthwise between the tabs 2 and
is 86mm or 3-3/8 inches, however the distance between the
alignment tabs 2 is not limited to this distance.
The alignment tabs 2 may be of any suitable shape, but, in
the form shown is a half circle shape partially stamped out,
or cut out, of the main body of the device along the
circumference edge of the alignment tabs 2 and bent outward
both in the same direction to an approximately 90°
perpendicular angle from the main body of the fastening device
as shown in section in Figure .3. The alignment tabs 2 being
displaced from the main body of the fastening device leave
tab shaped void holes 3 determined by the shape of the
alignment tabs 2, but, in the form shown is a half circle shape.
The fastening devices is secured to both of the ends of a
wood stud A, to be used as a crossbrace, by the use of nails B,
as shown in Figures 4-7, the nails B are driven in to the wood
stud A end through the nail fastening holes 1, which should be
centered in the width dimension of the fastening device, as
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shown in Figure 1, for the most secure attachement, and the
least risk of splitting or damaging the end of the wood stud A
accidentally.
The nail fastening holes 1 are spaced away from the center
position nail hole 1 in the lengthwise dimension in between
the alignment tabs 2, which are situated lengthwise on either
end of the three center nail fastening holes 1 line group.
The fastening device, and wood stud A, to be used as a
crossbrace, assembly, to mounting surface D, screw fastening
holes 6, by screws C, are the center main screw fastening holes
for attaching the assembly to a mounting surface D, and are
centered in the widthwise dimension, and centered between the
outer width edge of the fastening device and the alignment tabs
2, in the lengthwise dimension at both ends of the fastening
device.
The fastening device, and wood stud A, to be used as a
crossbrace, assembly, to mounting surface D, screw fastening
holes 5, by screws C, are the offset secondary screw fastening
holes 5 for attaching the assembly to a mounting surface,
and are offset away from the center screw fastening holes 6
in the widthwise dimension on either side of the center screw
fastening holes 6, and should also be centered lengthwise,
as shown in this embodiment, between the width edge of the
fastening device and the alignment tabs 2 at both ends of the
fastening devices but are not restricted exclusively to these
positions or necesarily required to be present at all, but
does enhance the versatility of the fastening device in some
situations. In the embodiments shown in Figure 1,3 , the nail
fastening holes 1, and the screw fastening holes 5,6 , the
diameter of all the fastening holes, but not including the
tab void holes 3, is the same at 3mm or 1/8 inch , based on
the sizes of nails B , or screws c , most commonly used in the
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plumbing trade construction industry. If the holes were smaller
the most commonly used screws C , or nails B , inserted
through the holes would deform the fastening device and may
cause spacing problems, if the holes were larger the nails B,
or Brews C inserted through the holes may allow the wood stud A
to shift position in relation to the fastening device if any
force is applied to it in line with the alignment tabs 2, due
to the holes having too much space around the shaft of the
screw C , or nail B , however the screw fastening holes 5&6
are not restricted exclusively to the size specified.
