Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SUPPORT STRUCTURES FOR INSULATION AND OTHER MATERIALS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates generally to supporting materials inside of
structures
and more particularly to support structures or holders that are especially
useful to
support insulation.
Description of the Related Art
[0002] Insulation installed underneath a roof is typically placed between two
studs
or beams. Moreover, wall insulation (or specialized insulation such as sound
proofing
materials) is often laid between studs from long rolls or long strips. The
insulation is
prevented from sagging or falling by wire hangers which extend from one stud
to the
other and are anchored in the studs.
[0003] The ends of many related-art insulation hangers are pointed, and the
hangers are anchored in the studs by hammering. Obviously, it takes a great
deal of
time to install insulation this way since the number of hangers that must be
hammered
in each stud is large.
[0004] In heating, cooling, ventilating and air-conditioning systems (HVAC
systems) in residential homes, apartments, office buildings and other building
structures, there are duct members usually made up of metallic pipes, hollow
composite materials such as tubes, and the like supported from and between
floor or
ceilingjoists. It is common practice for the HVAC system to include an
elongated
primary or main duct from which extends a series of smaller branch or fluid-
distributing ducts which are mounted between adjoining floor or ceiling joists
and are
parallel thereto. These main and branch duct members are located between
joists and
are normally supported by metal wires or adjustable metal hangers which are
placed
between the joists in transverse supporting position.
[0005] Normally, the adjustable metal hangers have a substantial deptli of
section
which is difficult and time-consuming to cut to length to fit between non-
uniform
adjoining joists. Also, a lack of uniformity of the spacing between adjacent
joists
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creates an installation problem. Accordingly, duct hangers having standard
uniform
lengths cannot practically be utilized.
[0006] In addition, the pointed ends or tapered prongs on the ends of certain
types
of adjustable hangers are not easily or satisfactorily driven into wooden
joists at desired
locations or at prescribed spacing due to imperfections in the wooden joists
such as
knots, holes, cracks and the like. And if the part of the hanger that is
driven into the
joist becomes dull or breaks off during installation or repeated attempts at
installation
(or if the joist is metal or another material not suited for attachment by
hammering),
these types of brackets become essentially useless for the intended purpose.
[0007] Furthermore, the pointed ends or prongs of some support members
occasionally become unseated, thereby allowing the material that is being
supported to
sag and loose some of its function (e.g., reduction of the R-value of
insulation through
compaction), or worse, loosen or break (e.g., ducts or pipes).
[0008] Metallic hangers are well suited for insulation hanging in hot climates
due
to their heat transfer properties. In contrast, some plastics and other
materials tend to
melt, sag, become brittle, or become otherwise impaired due to repeated
exposure to
extreme temperatures. However, many hangers made of metal are difficult to use
in
hanging insulation because they are not adjustable or only adjustable in one
dimension
(i.e., vertically or horizontally). Thus, either differently spaced joists or
different
depths of insulation cannot be accommodated.
[0009] Thus, it continues to be desirable for there to be a support member or
bracket that is easily adjusted to a variety of lengths and depths yet is
compact and
securely fastened to a variety ofjoist or other building structures to provide
a more
universal improved bracket for supporting materials such as insulation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The invention relates in general to an article for holding a material
in place
that includes a support member having a first wire element for supporting the
material
and second and third wire elements for coupling the support member to two
beams of a
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structure. In one embodiment, at least one of the second and third wire
elements is
non-liner between its end and the first wire element, thereby providing a
structure that
is easily expanded or compressed to adjust the length of that wire member.
Preferably,
the non-linear second and/or third wire element coinprises a generally W-
shaped rod or
wire member. By having a non-linear wire element, the holders may be made more
compact-allowing multiple holding articles to be provided as a kit. Thus, a
kit of the
invention would include a plurality of holders and a "holster" for housing the
plurality
of holders together in a convenient location, such as around the waist of a
construction
worlcer.
[0011] In another embodiinent of the invention, an article for holding a
material in
place includes a support member having a non-linear first wire element for
supporting
the material and second and third wire elements for self-anchoring the support
member
to two beams of a structure, with each of the second and third elements being
contiguous with the first wire element and defining an end adapted to be
secured to
eaeh orie of the two beams. Preferably, the non-linear first wire element
comprises a
W-shaped wire member.
[0012] In one aspect of the invention, the holders contain at least one
indication of
length upon the second and third wire elements such that the second an third
wire
elements can both be bent to a substantially uniform length, thereby adjusting
the
overall length of the holder.
[0013] In another aspect of the invention, the second wire element includes a
first
arm and the third wire element includes a second arm, with the first arm and
the second
arm cooperating to define a generally L-shaped part of the holder, and the
second arm
having an end which is spaced from the first arm by the support member.
100141 The second and third wire elements can be bent to define a plane that
is not
parallel to a second plane defined by the first wire element/support member,
thereby
allowing the support member to be in greater contact with the material being
supported
(e.g., insulation).
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[0015] Another aspect of the invention involves a method for supporting a
material
in a building and includes the steps of: (1) placing a material between two
beams of a
structure; and (2) confining that material between the beams using a holder of
the
invention that includes a support member having a first wire element and
second and
third wire elements that each define openings or ends for coupling the support
member
to the two beams of the structure, with at least one of the second and third
wire
elements being adjustable at a non-linear region. Alternatively, the first
wire contains a
non-linear region at which an adjustment in width of the holder takes place.
Hence, the
confining step may further include expanding or compressing the non-linear
wire
element to a desired length and/or width prior to insertion of one of the
beams.
[0016] The invention further includes a clip member having corner protrusions
adapted to hang one or more holders. The corner protrusions preferably have a
heat-
insulating material disposed thereon, thereby reducing heat transfer among and
between
wire elements.
[0017] Various other purposes and advantages of the invention will become
clear
from its description in the specification that follows. Therefore, to the
accomplishment
of the objectives described above, this invention includes the features
hereinafter fully
described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, and
particularly
pointed out in the claims. However, such description discloses only some of
the
various ways in which the invention may be practiced.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIGS. 1A and 1B are elevational views of an article in accordance with
the
invention that has been compressed (lA) or expanded (1B) in width.
[00191 FIG. 2A illustrates in front elevational view another embodiment of the
holder article according to the invention.
[0020] FIG. 2B is a side view of FIG. 2A.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a third embodiment of the
invention.
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[0022] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a kit embodiment according to the
invention.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of the roof of a structure with
insulation
and a pipe held in place by holding articles designed as in FIG. 2A.
5
[0024] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating method steps according to the
invention.
[0025] FIG. 7 is top plan view of another embodiment of the invention.
[0026] FIG. 8A is a partial side view of the embodiment of FIG. 7.
[0027] FIG. 8B illustrates the embodiment of FIG. 7 after being configured and
installed for a particular application.
- -- -
[0028] FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of the invention
show
supporting insulation.
[0029] FIG. 10 illustrates schematically the installation of a holder of the
invention
on an I-beam type joist.
[0030] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of a kit of
the
invention.
[0031] FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of the
invention.
[0032] FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of a holder clip embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 identifies an article in accordance
with
the invention for holding or confining a material such as insulation (e.g.,
see FIG. 5).
The holding article 10 includes a non-linear (i.e., not defining a straight
line )
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supporting element 12 which functions to support the material. The supporting
element
12 is elongated and has spaced longitudinal ends, and an anchoring element 14
is
secured to one of the ends while another anchoring element 16 is secured to
the other of
the ends. The anchoring elements 14 and 16 serve to anchor or fix the article
10 to the
beams of a structure (not shown in this view). Preferably, the entire holder
10 is
constructed as a single piece.
[0034] The supporting element 12 comprises a first wire element 18 having an
end
which coincides with the end of the anchoring elements 14 and 16 and one-piece
second and third wire elements 20 and 22 for anchoring the support member 12
to two
beams (e.g., studs) of a structure.
[0035] The anchoring element 14 comprises an arm 26 formed as a C-shaped
member 28. The second wire element 22 is normal to the first wire element 18,
and the
wire elements 18 and 22 together define an L-shaped part of the holding art
icle 10. In
-- -
the illustrated embodiment, the "supporting" wire 12 and the "anchoring" wire
22 are
integral, and the L-shaped part of the holding article is formed by bending
the holding
article.
[0036] Third wire element 20 carries a generally U-shaped anchoring member 30
which, in the present case, is integral with the third wire element 20 and
also is formed
by bending. The U-shaped member 30, which is here suspended from the end of
the
third wire element 20 remote from the first wire element 18, is located on the
opposite
side of article 10 as the C-shaped anchoring member 28. The end of wire member
20 is
preferably formed as a hook 32, although a variety of configurations may be
used
depending upon the application. In the illustrated embodiment, the
"supporting" wire
12 and the "anchoring" wire 20 are integral, and a second L-shaped part of the
holding
article is formed by bending the holding article to the conforniation shown.
[0037] The non-linear first wire element 18 preferably is formed as a W-shaped
wire member so that the overall conformation of the article 10 is relatively
compact yet
enables one to adjust the width of the supporting element 12 to accommodate a
variety
of materials. By varying the length of the supporting element 12 (and thereby
the width
of article 10), it also becomes possible to adjust the holding article 10 to
different
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structural conditions, e.g., to different distances between the studs or beams
of a
structure. Thus, the holder article 10 is adjusted in width by expanding or
contracting
wire member 18 by applying pulling (e.g., arrows F of FIG. 1B) or pushing
force to
wire elements 20 and 22.
100381 Turning to FIG. 2A, a second embodiment of the invention is show. The
holder 40 includes a non-liner first wire element 42 that supports a material
being held
and is integral with second wire element 44 and third wire element 46. Both
second
and third wire elements 44 and 46 include an self-anchoring region 48A and
48B. Each
of self-anchoring regions 48A and 48B define a U-shaped member 50 comprised of
two
legs, 52A, 52B and 54A, 54B. Loolcing at just one anchoring region (48B), the
end of
the leg 54B remote from the second wire element 44 is inclined into a hook 56
while
the end of leg 54A is similarly inclined to form a claw-like gripping portion
58 of the
anchoring region 48B.
(0039] - The U-shaped-member 50 is designed to receive and grip a stud or beam
of
a building structure. The construction of the U-shaped member 50 is such that
the U-
shaped member 50 can be readily slipped onto a stud or beam. Thus, the
gripping
portion 58 and the hook 56 are shaped to slide easily when the U-shaped member
50 is
pushed over a stud or beam. However, when the U-shaped member 50 is subjected
to a
force which acts to slide the U-shaped member 50 off the stud or beam, the
hook 56
attempts to dig into the stud or beam. The hook 56 then functions as an anchor
to hold
the U-shaped member 50 on the stud or beam.
[0040] The U-shaped member 50 is preferably designed so that the legs 52A,
52B,
54A, and 54B are spread apart elastically when the U-shaped member 50 is
pushed
onto a stud or beam. Under such circumstances, the legs are urged towards each
other
after the U-shaped member 50 has been slipped onto the stud or beam thereby
increasing the grip of the legs on the stud or beam.
[0041] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, the liolder 40 is configured such
that
the second and third wire elements 44 and 46 are bent to define a plane (P1)
that is not
parallel to a second plane (P2) defined by the first wire element 42, thereby
providing
"shelf-like" support for the material upon the surface of the non-liner
element 42. FIG.
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2B illustrates in side view how the second and third wire elements 44 and 46
are bent
about 90 degrees relative to the supporting first wire element 42.
[0042] FIG. 3 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention in which a
holder 60
includes a non-linear first wire element 62 that is integral with a second
wire element
64 and a third wire element 66 such that the second and third wire elements
are
generally perpendicular to wire element 62. Disposed at the end of second
element 64
is self-anchoring region 68 and at the end of third wire element 66 is self-
anchoring
region 70, each of which defines a generally C-shaped opening the is adapted
to receive
a stud or beam therein. Also, the holder 60 contain at least one indication of
length
72A, B, or C which may optionally further include a numeric value 74. The
indications 72A-72C are disposed upon the second and third elements such that
the
second an third elements can both be bent to a substantially uniform length.
[0043] Turning to Fig. 4, a kit 80 of the invention is shown. The kit 80
includes a -holster 82 (which may include a belt 84) within which a plurality
of holders 86 are
housed. The holster 80 preferably contains a rigid edge 88 that is adapted for
bending
one or more of the plurality of holders 86 at a top portion of the holster 82.
In this
manner, a user may carry the holster 82 around, select at least one of the
holders 86,
bend the holder at a desired point upon edge 88, install the holder on a pair
of beams,
and be ready to immediately repeat this process by accessing another holder
from the
holster 82.
[0044] Turning to FIGS. 5 and 6, it can be readily seen that the invention
also
provides a method for supporting a material in a building that preferably
includes the
steps of placing material such as insulation 90 (or a pipe 91) between two
beams 92 and
94 of a structure 96 and confining the insulation 90 between the beams using a
holder
98. The holder 98 comprising a support member having a non-linear first wire
element
100 for supporting the insulation 90 and pipe 91 and self-anchoring, one-piece
second
and third wire elements 102 and 104 that each define openings 106 and 108 for
anchoring the support member to the two beams of the structure. Alternatively,
the
holder may be of the configuration disclosed in Fig. 12.
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[0045] Preferably, the method further includes expanding or compressing the
non-
linear support member to a desired width prior to insertion of one of the
beams 92 and
94, as well as bending the second and third elements 102 and 104 to a desired
length
prior to insertion on the beams. Alternatively, the non-linear portions of
second and/or
third wire elements (see Fig. 12) may be expanded or compressed to adjust the
length
of the holder.
[0046] Turning to FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8B, an embodiment of the invention
featuring
simple hook-type anchoring ends is shown. The holder 112 includes a support
member
having a non-linear first wire element 116, which is flanked by two linear
support
member portions 117, and self-anchoring, one-piece second and third wire
elements
114 and 115. As seen in FIG. 8A, the second and third wire elements 114 and
115 are
adapted for anchoring to a rod or other protruding fastener, such as nail 118.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8B, the embodiment of FIG. 7 can be configured
and
installed such that it rests upon the respective ledges between beams 119.
While the
installation of the holder in FIG. 8B is depicted schematically for clarity,
it is preferable
to expand non-linear element 116, and to bend portions 117, such that the
holder is
frictionally engaged between beams 119.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 9, insulation 120 is generally supported between beams
122 by holder 124. More particularly, holder 124 includes a non-liner support
member
126, a linear support member 128 that is continuous with non-linear support
member
126, and self-anchoring ends 130. The ends 130 of this embodiment contains
sharp
points 131 (shown in phantom line), allowing the holder 124 to be secured to a
suitable
material (e.g., soft wood or Styrofoam) without the use of additional tools
(i.e., self-
anchoring). Although not illustrated, the holder 124 can be secured in a
variety of
positions relative to the beams 122 and insulation 120 (e.g., upside down
relative to the
illustration in FIG. 9 such that the ends 130 provide a "hang down shelf ' for
the
placement of additional rolls of insulation or other material. In this aspect,
the
invention can be used to increase the amount of a material, such as
insulation, easily
and without the need for construction.
[0048] Turning to FIG. 10, one end of holder 134 is shown in a pre-anchored
arrangement with I-beam 136. Anchoring brackets 138 are disposed over the
edges of
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I-beam 136 as indicated by arrows 140. Because the holder of the invention
comprises
wire members, the brackets 138 can be deformed or otherwise adjusted to fit a
variety
of I-beam sizes and shapes.
5 [0049] FIG. 11 illustrates another kit of the invention. The kit 144
includes a
holster 146 (which may include a belt 148). The holster 146 preferably
contains a rigid
slot or sleeve 150 that is adapted for bending one or more of the plurality of
holders
154 on the exterior of the holster 146. Thus, a user may carry the holster 146
around,
select at least one of the holders 154, bend the holder at a desired point
through
10 insertion into slot 150, and install the holder on a pair of beains. To
further aid the user
in bending the holder 154 at a desired point, an indication of ineasurement
156
preferably is disposed upon an exterior side of holster 146. Also preferably,
the holster
contains a pressure backing 158 that keeps the holders 154 substantially
engaged within
the holster 146 through a pressure mechanism, such as spring 160.
- ---
[0050]- Fig. 12 illustirates yet another embodiment of the invention. The
holder 170
includes a support member 172 having a first wire element 174 for supporting a
material and second and third wire elements (176 and 178) for coupling the
support
member 172 to two beams of a structure. Each of the second and third wire
elements
176 and 178 are contiguous with the first wire element 174 and define an end
(180, 182
respectively) adapted to be secured to each one of the two beams (not shown).
Moreover, at least one (both are shown here) of the second and third wire
elements 176
and 178 contains a non-linear region (184, 186) between each end and the first
wire
element 174.
[0051] Fig. 13 shows a clip embodiment of the invention. The clip member 190
is
generally U-shaped and includes two opposing corners at which protrusions 191
and
192 are defined. Arms 193 and 194 extend upwardly from the protrusions 191 and
192
and preferably include a cleat or tooth means 195 that aid in securing the
clip 190 to a
beam. However, the clip may also be nailed or otherwise fastened or adhered to
a
beam. The clip may formed of a pre-tensioned material, such as "memory" spring
steel, so that it better grips a beam structure. Thus, the arms 193 and 194
may be
formed in a "pre-tensioned position" (phantom line 196) that expands to a
generally U-
shaped configuration upon installation.
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[0052] To limit or reduce heat transfer between wire members, protrusions 191
and
192 preferably include heat insulation 197 (e.g., rubber). Thus, when a wire
member
198 from a holder is placed through and hung from the protrusion 192 as
indicated by
arrow 199, any heat contained within clip 190 is insulated from wire member
198.
[0053] Various changes in the details and components that have been described
may be made by those skilled in the art within the principles and scope of the
invention
herein described in the specification and defined in the appended claims. For
example,
the holders of the invention may be used to "double stack" insulation (i.e.,
hang a
second layer of insulation) where previously installed insulation is
inadequate or has
become compressed and lost some of its "R-value." Thus, the adjustable width
and
length of the holder of the invention is useful for retrofitting existing
structures.
Moreover, the term "beams" is meant to encompass a wide variety of structures
(i.e.,
not just rectangular or I-shaped structures) between which insulation or other
building
materials would commonly be disposed. Therefore, while the present invention
has
been shown and described herein in what is believed to be the most practical
and
preferred embodiments, it is recognized that departures can be made therefrom
within
the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details
disclosed herein but
is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all
equivalent
processes and products.
