ROD STIFFENING ASSEMBLY, METHOD OF USING THE SAME, USE THEREOF, AND STRUT USEFUL TO EMBODY THE ROD STIFFENING ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A stiffening assembly for stiffening a rod is provided. The stiffening assembly can include a pair of struts having an elongated base having opposite top and bottom surfaces. The struts can extend along either sides of the rod and be connected to one another in a “back-to-back” configuration, with the top surfaces facing outwardly in opposite directions. When connecting the struts together, a cavity is defined therebetween, the cavity being adapted to enclose the rod therein, effectively stiffening the rod. Also, a method of use is provided, and finally, a strut useful to embody the stiffening assembly is also provided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field generally relates to a rod stiffening assembly for surrounding and stiffening a rod. More particularly, the stiffening assembly is used to stiffen hanger rods used in the construction industry. Also, the technical field relates to a method of use and a use of the rod stiffening assembly. Finally, the technical field also relates to a strut useful to embody the above stiffening assembly.

BACKGROUND

Hanger rods, threaded rods and other similar accessories are well-known in the art. They are widely used in the construction industry for hanging and/or strengthening purposes, among others. For example, air ducts are generally elevated/hung from the ceiling using a plurality of hanger rods. These rods often require stiffening to avoid damages, injuries and/or related costs and expenses. This is especially true in regions regularly affected by seismic activities.

Rod stiffeners are known in the art for various applications, such as plumbing, ventilation, electricity, refrigeration and fire protection. Several known installations/assemblies used for stiffening hanger rods include a strut adapted to surround the hanger rod and several clips configured to be tightly attached to the strut, effectively engaging and squeezing the rod against a surface of the strut.

However, these assemblies, and other known hanger rod stiffeners, often require a plurality of parts needing assembly, such as the aforementioned clips. Therefore, installation can be quite time-consuming and involves keeping track of all the pieces included in the assembly.

There is thus a strong need for a new strut or a stiffening assembly which, by virtue of its design, overcomes at least some prior art deficiencies. More particularly, a stiffening assembly which is easily installed, therefore minimizing installation time and related costs.

Also, there is a strong need for a new method for the stiffening a rod using a stiffening assembly as described above, which method overcomes at least some prior art deficiencies.

Also, there is a strong need for a new use of the strut described above to overcome at least some prior art deficiencies, when embodying the stiffening assembly described above.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect, a strut for use in a stiffening assembly for stiffening rods is provided. The strut includes an elongated base having opposite top and bottom surfaces, and a recess extending along the bottom surface. The recess is adapted to form, when the strut is connected to a second strut in a «back-to-back» configuration, a cavity adapted to receive a rod therein.

According to a possible embodiment, the recess includes an engagement surface adapted to contact the rod.

According to another possible embodiment, the engagement surface is substantially parallel to the elongated base.

According to another possible embodiment, the engagement surface is provided with a plurality of holes positioned along the length of the strut.

According to another possible embodiment, the recess includes lateral surfaces extending from the engagement surface, wherein the lateral surfaces and the rod define a play therebetween when the rod is positioned within the recess.

According to another possible embodiment, the play is less than a quarter inch of running course of the rod within the cavity.

According to another possible embodiment, the strut includes a pair of legs extending outwardly on either side of the recess.

According to another possible embodiment, the strut is connected to the second strut using mechanical fasteners, and each leg has an outer edge which is bent inwardly, defining a lip, and wherein each lip is J-shaped and adapted to facilitate positioning and fastening of the mechanical fasteners.

According to another possible embodiment, the strut has a substantially W-shaped cross-section.

According to another possible embodiment, the strut is made from a sheet of metal bent into shape using a roll forming machine.

According to another possible embodiment, the strut extends for substantially an entire length of the rod.

According to another possible embodiment, the cavity is substantially rectangular.

According to another possible embodiment, the strut further includes a spacer strip extending along the bottom surface to prevent direct contact between the strut and the second strut.

According to another aspect, a use of a strut, as described above, as a trapeze hanging installation is provided.

According to another aspect, a use of a strut, as described above, in combination with a second strut, for stiffening rods is provided.

According to another aspect, a stiffening assembly for stiffening rods is provided. The stiffening assembly including a first strut and a second strut as described above.

According to another aspect, a method of stiffening a rod using a stiffening assembly as described above is provided. The method includes the steps of:

• • positioning the rod in the recess extending along the bottom surface of the first strut;
  • positioning the second strut on the first strut in a “back-to-back” configuration, enclosing the rod therebetween; and
  • tightening the rod between the struts by connecting the struts to one another using mechanical fasteners.

According to a possible embodiment, the first and second struts are identical.

According to another aspect, a use of the stiffening assembly, as described above, for stiffening rods is provided.

According to another aspect, a seismic installation is provided. The seismic installation includes the stiffening assembly described above, and is adapted to reduce and/or prevent damages to structures and/or hung equipment using rods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a stiffening assembly according to an embodiment, showing a pair of struts positioned on either side of a rod.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the stiffening assembly shown in FIG. 1, showing the struts being assembled around the rod, and being in contact with each other.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a strut according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a stiffening assembly, showing a pair of struts positioned in a back-to-back configuration in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a strut having longer legs, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a top schematic view of a strut showing the positions of various types of holes along the strut, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a stiffening assembly, showing a tool tightening a fastener, according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 8 through 11 illustrate the various steps included in stiffening a rod using a stiffening assembly.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a stiffening assembly according to an embodiment, showing a pair of struts positioned on either side of a rod, with a strut having spacer strips connected thereto.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a stiffening assembly according to an embodiment, showing a pair of spacer strips separating the struts.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a pair of struts being used as a trapeze hanging installation, according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar elements. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, namely so as to not unduly burden the figures with several references numbers, not all figures contain references to all the components and features, and references to some components and features may be found in only one figure, and components and features of the present disclosure which are illustrated in other figures can be easily inferred therefrom. The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materials mentioned and/or dimensions shown in the figures are optional, and are given for exemplification purposes only.

Furthermore, although the present invention may be used in the building construction industry, for example for stiffening hanger rods used in the suspension of pipes, conduits or similar structures, it is understood that it may be used in relation to other industries and/or for other purposes. For this reason, expressions such as “rod”, “hanger rod”, “threaded rod”, “suspension rod”, etc. as used herein should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present invention to being used in relation with the building construction industry. These expressions encompass all other industry and application with which the present invention could be used and may be useful.

In addition, although the optional configurations as illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises various components and although the optional configurations of the stiffening assembly as shown may consist of certain geometrical configurations as explained and illustrated herein, not all of these components and geometries are essential and thus should not be taken in their restrictive sense, i.e. should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that other suitable components and cooperations thereinbetween, as well as other suitable geometrical configurations may be used for the stiffening assembly, and corresponding parts, as briefly explained and as can be easily inferred herefrom, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

As will be explained below in relation to various embodiments, a rod stiffening assembly is provided. As will be readily understood by a person skilled in the art, the rod stiffening assembly can be used as construction hardware configured for reinforcing rods, such as hanger rods used for supporting air ducts within buildings for example. Moreover, it should also be understood that reinforcing rods using the stiffening assembly can mitigate/reduce vibrations and/or noises related to various situations. For example, the stiffening assembly can be effective in mitigating damages due to seismic activities such as earthquakes.

Broadly described, the rod stiffening assembly includes a pair of struts parallelly and oppositely extending along a length of the rod. The struts can be adapted to connect to one another in order to tighten/stiffen a hanger rod between each other. In some embodiments, each strut can be adapted to surround substantially half of the hanger rod along its length. Furthermore, mechanical fasteners, such as metal screws, can be used to connect the struts together in order to secure the rod therebetween, effectively stiffening it.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a stiffening assembly 10 in accordance with one embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the stiffening assembly 10 includes a first strut 12 and a second strut 14 extending alongside a hanger rod 16. Each strut can oppositely extend along a length of the rod 16 with respect to the other one of the struts. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the struts are mirroring each other along the rod 16. In the present embodiment, the struts 12, 14 are substantially identical to each other and are adapted to be connected to one another so as to respectively enclose the rod 16 between each other. More specifically, connecting the struts together defines a cavity therebetween, said cavity being adapted to house the rod in a manner that will be described hereinbelow.

Now referring to FIG. 3, in addition to FIGS. 1 and 2, the struts include an elongated body, or base 18, having a top surface 20 opposite a bottom surface 22. It should be understood that the top and bottom surfaces are substantially flat and parallel to one another along a length of the struts to provide an even thickness to the struts 12, 14. Furthermore, the bottom surface 22 can be provided with a recess 24 extending along the strut. More particularly, the elongated base 18 can be shaped and sized to define the recess 24 along the bottom surface 22. In this embodiment, the recess 24 is located substantially in the center of the base 18 and can be adapted to surround a portion of the rod when assembling the stiffening assembly 10. As such, connecting the struts in a “back-to-back” configuration, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, aligns the recesses 24 and therefore defines the aforementioned cavity 26 (FIG. 4). Moreover, since the struts are preferably identical, connecting the bottom surfaces 22 to one another should leave no space and/or interstices between the struts 12, 14, therefore increasing the strength/sturdiness of the assembly 10. As such, it should be understood that, in some embodiments, the rod 16 can be surrounded on all sides (i.e., 360 degrees) when enclosed within the cavity 26.

In this embodiment, the struts can be connected together using mechanical fasteners extending through holes provided along the base 18 of each strut 12, 14. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the holes 28 are provided at an interval of four inches along the length of the strut and at an interval of two inches between each side of the recess 24. However, it is appreciated that the holes 28 can be provided at any suitable intervals along the strut. It should also be understood that the holes 28 of the first strut 12 do not necessarily align with the holes 28 of the second strut 14 when positioning the struts back-to-back. Therefore, it is appreciated that the mechanical fasteners can extend through the holes 28 of one strut, and through a thickness of the base 18 of the other strut. It should be noted that this prevents the fasteners from having to extend through the base 18 of each strut, which can result in the fasteners not being able to pierce the second strut after having already pierced the first one due to wear. In some embodiments, the mechanical fasteners are preferably installed using a suitable power tool in order to have said fasteners extend through the thickness of one of the struts.

Now referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in addition to FIG. 3, the recesses 24 have an engagement surface 30 adapted to engage/contact the rod. It should be readily understood that the rod can be maintained within the cavity 26 by being squeezed between the engagement surface 30 of each recess 24. In some embodiments, the engagement surface 30 is substantially flat and parallel to the base 18. Alternately, the engagement surface 30 can have any suitable shape adapted to effectively engage the rod, such as a half-moon shape for example. When the struts are assembled, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the shape of the cavity 26 is mostly defined by the engagement surfaces 30 and lateral surfaces 32 of the recesses 24. In this embodiment, the lateral surfaces 32 are substantially perpendicular to the engagement surfaces 30. However, it is appreciated that the cavity 26 can have any suitable shape, such as a circular shape, or a trapezoidal shape for example. In some embodiments, and as illustrated in FIG. 7, the lateral surfaces 32 do not contact the rod 16 and define a play between said rod 16 and each lateral surface 32. In this embodiment, the play between the rod and the lateral surfaces is preferably less than a quarter inch of running course of the rod within the cavity 26. As such, during solicitation of the rod 16, for example during an earthquake, the rod can slightly move/shift within the cavity 26, thus reducing the risks of having the stiffening assembly 10 fracture and/or break due to the vibrations/forces.

Still referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the struts 12, 14 can comprise legs 34 extending outwardly from the base 18 on either side of the recess 24. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the legs 34 extend perpendicularly from the top surface 20 of the base 18 and are adapted to increase the strut's resistance to compression, torsional and/or flexion forces. In alternate embodiments, it is appreciated that the legs 34 can extend from the top surface 20 at any suitable angle and can have any suitable length. For example, the embodiment of FIG. 5 illustrates the cross-section of a strut having longer legs 34 which can impart better resistance/load-bearing capabilities to the strut, among other characteristics. In some embodiments, the legs 34 can include an outer edge 36 which can be bent inwardly, defining a lip 38 at the end of each leg 34. In the illustrated embodiments, the lip 38 is J-shaped and is adapted to further increase the strength/sturdiness of the strut. It is appreciated that the lip 38 can alternatively have a p-shape, with the outer edge 36 being bent in a manner to come back and contact the leg 34.

Referring to FIG. 7, the lip 38 can be shaped and sized to guide a tool 40, such as a nutsetter 41, to align with the mechanical fasteners 42. More particularly, in this embodiment, the J-shaped lip 38 can be vertically aligned with the holes 28 along the base 18 to facilitate alignment of the mechanical fasteners 42 with the holes. As such, the tool 40 can be guided to accurately have the needed/required position to center the mechanical fastener 42 within the hole 28 each time. Furthermore, the lip 38 can be shaped and sized so that the tool 40 will not get stuck on the outer edge 36 or on the lip 38 itself when positioning/tightening the mechanical fasteners 42. This allows for a more accurate installation of the fasteners, and therefore accelerates the overall installation of the stiffening assembly 10.

In some embodiments, the struts are respectively formed from a sheet of metal (e.g. steel, stainless steel, aluminum, etc.) bent into the desired shape. In a preferred embodiment, the struts are made from a sheet of steel shaped through a roll forming machine into the desired shape, such as a W-shaped cross-section, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5. In some embodiments, the sheet is an 18 or 22-gauge sheet of steel, which translates to a thickness of 0.049 or 0.031 inches respectively. It will be appreciated that any suitable thickness of sheet metal can be used and rolled/bent into the desired shape. In this embodiment, the sheet of steel can be bent at least eight times to form the legs 34, the lips 38 and the recess 24 of the strut. It should be understood that recesses 24 and/or legs 34 of different shapes and sizes can require additional or less bends when shaping the struts. Moreover, the metal can be provided with a finish/coating to provide greater protection as is well known in the art. In the present embodiment, the metal is provided with a zinc coating by hot dipping the steel coil at the mill prior to fabrication (e.g. prior to cutting into sheets). However, other coatings and/or finishes can be suitable such as using a special powder coating for example.

With reference to FIGS. 8 to 11, a method for stiffening a rod 16 using the stiffening assembly 10 as described above will now be described. Firstly, the first and second struts 12, 14 are positioned on either side of the rod 16 requiring stiffening (FIG. 8). Afterwards, the first strut 12 is pushed up against the rod 16 so that the rod is positioned within the recess 24, preferably in the center thereof, and comes in contact with the engagement surface 30 (FIG. 9). Then, the second strut 14 is positioned along the rod 16 such that the bottom surfaces of the struts are in contact with one another (FIG. 10). Therefore, the rod 16 is enclosed within the cavity 26 and contacts the engagement surfaces of each strut. Finally, the rod 16 is secured within the cavity 26 by fixedly connecting the struts to one another using mechanical fasteners 42 (FIG. 11).

In alternate embodiments, and with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, the stiffening assembly 10 can be provided with a spacer strip 44 provided between the first and second struts 12, 14. In this embodiment, the assembly 10 is provided with two spacer strips 44 provided on either side of the cavity 26. The spacer strips 44 can be adapted to prevent direct contact between the struts, and can provide a cavity having a greater cross-sectional area. In other words, the cavity 26 can be expanded and configured to house bigger rods 16. As seen in FIG. 13, each spacer strip 44 can extend from each lateral surface 32 to the corresponding leg 34, effectively contacting the entire width of the bottom surface of the struts. In some embodiments, the spacer strip 44 extends for the entire length of the bottom surface. However, it is appreciated that a plurality of smaller spacer strips 44 positioned along the length of the bottom surface can be used. In this embodiment, the spacer strip 44 can be made from the same metallic material as the struts. Alternatively, the spacer strip 44 can be made of a polymeric material, such as Teflon, a rubber material such as Neoprene, or any other suitable material.

In some embodiments, the spacer strip 44 can be attached to one of the struts prior to installing the stiffening assembly 10. For example, the spacer strip 44 can be connected to the strut prior to connecting the pair of struts 12, 14 together about the rod 16, as illustrated in FIG. 10. The spacer strip 44 can be connected to the strut during manufacture, for example, using rivets, adhesives, mechanical fasteners and/or in any other suitable manner. In an embodiment, each strut is provided with one spacer strip 44 positioned along the bottom surface 22 so that when it is connected to a second identical strut (i.e. with a spacer strip 44 positioned along the bottom surface—on the same side of the recess 24), the spacer strips 44 will be located on either side of the cavity 26. Alternatively, and with reference to FIG. 12, every other strut can be provided with two spacer strips 44 respectively provided on each side of the recess 24, said strut being configured to be connected to a strut having no spacer strips 44 connected thereto.

Now referring to FIG. 14, it will be appreciated that the struts can also be used as a suspension assembly 50, such as a trapeze hanger used for effectively suspending structures within a building for example. In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the strut can be provided with central holes adapted to have a rod extend therethrough and be secured therein using any known fasteners, such as hexagonal nuts for example. More particularly, and as illustrated in FIG. 6, the engagement surface 30 can be provided with central holes 52 sequentially spaced along the length of the strut. In this embodiment, the central holes 52 can have a larger diameter than the holes 28 located on either side of the recess 24. It should be understood that rods 16 used for hanging purposes typically have a larger cross-sectional area than common fasteners (screws, bolts, nails, etc), and therefore require larger holes to extend through. A non-limiting example of the struts being used as the suspension assembly 50 is illustrated in FIG. 14. In this embodiment, a portion of an air ventilation duct 54 is suspended using a pair of struts extending underneath the air ventilation duct 54 and being connected at both ends to a rod 16. Moreover, the smaller holes 28 (FIG. 6) located on either side of the recess 24 can be used to insert screws in order to further fasten the strut onto the air duct, thus solidifying the installation.

In some embodiments, two struts connected to one another in a «back-to-back» configuration, as described hereinabove, can be used as a trapeze hanger installation. It should be readily understood that, in this embodiment, the struts are not used to stiffen a rod therebetween. In fact, in order to use the strut assembly as a hanging installation, the cavity, which initially housed the rod, needs to be empty, or at least substantially empty, to allow rods to extend through the central holes 52 (FIG. 6) of the struts.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing disclosure that there is provided a rod stiffening assembly, which comprises a pair of struts adapted to engage and enclose the rod within a cavity defined when assembling the struts together. As such, the assembly can offer substantial improvements over the known prior art in that, in virtue of its design and components, as explained herein, it advantageously enables to mainly reduce the time required to assemble the stiffening assembly around a hanger rod, among others. However, the scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.

Claims

1. A strut for use in a stiffening assembly for stiffening a rod, the strut comprising:

a base having opposite top and bottom surfaces extending along a length of the strut; and

a recess extending along the bottom surface,

the strut being adapted to be connected to a second strut in a «back-to-back» configuration whereby the bottom surface contacts a bottom surface of the second strut and positions the recess opposite a recess of the second strut thereby forming a cavity adapted to completely surround the rod such that the rod is stiffened between the first and second strut along the entire length of the strut.

2. The strut according to claim 1, wherein the recess comprises an engagement surface adapted to contact the rod, the engagement surface extending along the entire length of the strut.

3. The strut according to claim 2, wherein the engagement surface is substantially parallel to the base.

4. The strut according to claim 2, wherein the engagement surface is provided with a plurality of holes positioned along the length of the strut.

5. The strut according to claim 2, wherein the recess includes lateral surfaces extending from the engagement surface, wherein the lateral surfaces and the rod define a play therebetween when the rod is positioned within the recess.

6. The strut according to claim 5, wherein the play is less than a quarter inch of running course of the rod within the cavity.

7. The strut according to claim 1, comprising a pair of legs extending outwardly on either side of the recess.

8. The strut according to claim 7, wherein the strut is connected to the second strut using mechanical fasteners, and wherein each leg has an outer edge which is bent inwardly, defining a lip, and wherein each lip is J-shaped and adapted to facilitate positioning and fastening of the mechanical fasteners.

9. The strut according to claim 1, said strut having a substantially W-shaped cross-section.

10. The strut according to claim 1, said strut being made from a sheet of metal bent into shape using a roll forming machine.

11. The strut according to claim 1, said strut extending for substantially an entire length of the rod.

12. The strut according to claim 1, wherein the cavity is substantially rectangular.

13. The strut according to claim 1, further comprising a spacer strip extending along the bottom surface to prevent direct contact between the strut and the second strut.

14. A stiffening assembly for stiffening a rod, the stiffening assembly comprising a first strut and a second strut as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second strut are connected together in a «back-to-back» configuration.

15. A method of stiffening a rod using a stiffening assembly according to claim 14, the method comprising the steps of:

a. positioning the rod along the bottom surface of the first strut;

b. positioning the second strut on the first strut in a “back-to-back” configuration, enclosing the rod therebetween; and

c. tightening the rod between the struts by connecting the struts to one another using mechanical fasteners.

16. The method of stiffening a rod according to claim 15, wherein the first and second struts are identical.

17. A seismic installation provided with the stiffening assembly according to claim 14, the seismic installation being adapted to reduce and/or prevent damages to structures and/or hung equipment using rods.

18. The strut according to claim 1, wherein the first and second struts are identical.