US2629402A - Antiburst tube for pipes - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 24, 1953 F. COOK 2,629,402

ANTIBURST TUBE FOR PIPES Filed Dec. 9, 1949 FQ/IMQ COO/d,

INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANTIBURST TUBE FOR PIPES Frank Cook, Anaheim, Calif.

Application December 9, 1949, Serial No. 132,152

This invention relates to anti-burst devices for water pipes and the like.

Heretofore various devices have been provided for preventing water pipes from bursting when the water within these water pipes freezes, and these means have taken various forms including tubes which are adapted to be compressed by the freezing liquid within the pipes. However, it has been diflicult to use prior devices due to the fact that the manner of application to the pipes was very awkward in that the lengths of the devices to be applied cannot be varied without damaging the devices.

A main object of the present invention is to provide an anti-burst device, and in particular an anti-burst device in the nature of a tube which is divided into a plurality of sealed compartments so that upon application a desired length can be cut from a long strip of tubing and applied without damaging the anti-burst characteristics of the device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved anti-burst device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-burst device which has substantially rigid axially disposed wire to support the anti-burst device in a water pipe or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved means for sealing off a length of the anti-burst device into a plurality of compartments.

Heretofore, a number of anti-burst devices have utilized a covering or the like of rubber and this has proved in general unsuccessful because after a short period of time the rubber reacts with the water with the accompanying disadvantages. Another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-burst device with a covering which will not react with water or the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claim, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein: a

Figure 1 is an anti-burst device embodying the present invention as applied to a water pipe;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of an anti-burst device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along lines 3-3 upon Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4. is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modified form of the invention, and

1 Claim. (Cl. 138-28) Fig. 5 is a sectional view along lines 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, Fig. 1 discloses an antiburst device, generally entitled H], as applied to a water pipe I I. The anti-burst device I0 is extended down into the water pipe II to a point below the freeze line in the ground below which the water will not freeze and above which the water will freeze within the pipe. The anti-burst device It; is of compressible construction so that when the water freezes the anti-burst device will be compressed thereby relieving the pipe from the strain of the freezing water.

The anti-burst device disclosed in Fig. 2 has a plastic covering 15 and a plurality of spaced sponge rubber cores [6 and there is a substantially rigid axial wire ll extending through the anti-burst device. The covering I5 is sealed around the wire I! between the spaced cores [5 to thereby provide a plurality of separate compartments. By this construction suitable lengths of anti-burst tube can be provided by cutting at the reduced neck portion 20 shown in Fig. 2, without allowing the water to enter the compartments. The cores it though preferably of sponge rubber, are water adsorbent and therefore if water were allowed to enter the compartment the compressibility of the compartments would be diminished.

By providing an axial wire I! through the elongated anti-burst device a support for the antiburst device is provided since the wire being substantially rigid will prevent the water during the normal use of the water pipe from carrying the anti-burst device out of the nozzle of the pipe.

Any suitable means of fastening the anti-burst device within a water pipe can be provided, one manner being to strip the covering l5 off a reduced neck portion 20 without destroying the sealing quality of the adjacent compartment and to solder or otherwise fasten this exposed wire to the water pipe.

Another form of the invention is disclosed in Fig. 4, wherein it is contemplated that instead of having a plurality of spaced cores I6 that a single continuous core 22 will be provided with an axial wire 23 extending through the device. be a plastic covering 25 and clamps 2B which clamp the plastic covering about the core 22 and the axial wire 23, thereby providing a plurality of sealed compartments and the reduced neck 2! can be severed without destroying the sealing quality of the adjacent compartments.

There will When it is desired to apply the anti-burst device of the present invention to a pipe the freezing line is determined and the length of the anti-burst tube desired computed and then from a long strip of the anti-burst tube the desired length is cut oil by severing through a neck portion, thereby maintaining the sealing quality of the adjacent compartments. The length of the vanti;burst tube .is then, applied to the pipe since it is of the correct length no special operations or adjustments have to be made.

When the anti-burst device of the present invention is applied to a horizontal-pipe having right angle joints at the ends it may not be fastened within the pipe but may merely be pla d Within e pip a d h9x9iliil characteristics will not be carried out of :the water pipe due to the flow of water-therein. When applying to a pipe as disclosed in Fig. 1, it iscontemplatedethattheuppflr joint or joints will be bent as at 30 and the elbow 3i removed while applying .theantieburst device to theepipe.

Byprovidingaplastic. covering l5 whichis inert to .the actions of water, the antieburst deviee 0! :the present invention can be used for long periods of time withoutanyof the disadvanta es accornpanying. the use of rubber within wat r pipes.

The sponge rubber 16 although being com,-

pressibleserves to'resist the pressure within the water pipe a sufficient extent so that it will be suitably compressed whenever the pipe freezes torelieve thepipefrom the effects of the freezing liquid.

- The concepts of the presentinvention can. also be.u sed to provide antieburst devices for water heaters or the cooling systems of gasoline motors and the like, and also for radiators, and in such case, a suitable material to withstand heat would be used to provide the anti-burst tube. The material may take the form of a plastic or one of the silicones.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction without departing from the ,s iritand eqpe ei iventiqnas defi y the appended elaim, wherein I-claim:

An anti-burst device for water pipes and the like comprising a compressible elongated member having an axially extending wire, a plurality of sp nge rubber core pieces arranged along the wire at spaced intervals, a plastic sheath inert to the chemical action of ordinary water enginei r 1g the wire and core pieces and sealed to and around the wire between the core pieees-to provide a plurality of watertight compa men The following references .are -of recordin'the file of this-patent:

UNl'lIEJD .S' IATES .PAT N

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