TITLE

TUBE LINER

DESCRIPTION

Technical field

The present invention relates to a tube liner, in particular one to be used at the monting of lengths of tubes to walls, tube supports and bracings.

Background of the invention

At the mounting of tube lengths, most often in the process industry and in connection to process industry quite often large amounts of tubes are mounted, moreover regard shall be taken to any linear expansions which appear due to temperature changes inside and outside of the tubes.

Further, one needs to consider the vibrations, which occur due to other process equipment such as pumps and pressure impacts travelling through the tube system, which vibrations and impacts lead to that the tubes are made subject to wear and optionally thereby, coinciding corrosion.

Normally, the tubes are fastened by using tube clamps, which are manufactured to fit different tube diameters, which tube clamps are stressed around the tubes and are secured to, e.g., a bracing using nuts on either side of the bracing.

Often, different beddings are used to the tubes, i.e., beddings between the tube clamp and the bracing, but these are then present, if not prepared in place, in a size to each tube as flat washers having a thickness adapted to the use.

However, there is no bedding to be used between the tube and the tube clamp.

It has, however, turned out that corrosion problems and vibration transfers take place even so often between the tube clamp and tube, as between tube clamp and bracing. Simple systems to solve the friction problem are at hand in the form of tube tape being applied around the tube prior to mounting. Such application means however, that one is bound to any applied tape, that one has to take measures in advance, in short more work to do.

The drawback of tube tape is further that the tube clamp can readily eat through the tape and quite soon after the application corrosion will occur.

Summary of the present invention The present invention aims at solving these problems by obtaining a flexible bedding which inter alia can be used for different tube sizes, which is simply used at and fixed by presently occurring tube clamps. Further, the bedding consists of a unit which can stabilize the used tube clamp sidewise.

Detailed description of the present invention

In particular the present invention relates to a bedding unit to be applied between a tube clamp and tube unit comprising a flexible, substantially non-elastic, substantially cradle formed longitudinal unit arranged to be adapted partly around a tube clamp, whereby the unit at its two ends have fastening ears overlapping the cradle formed part and whereby the unit in its centre part has a larger thickness than at its ends.

In a preferred embodiment the centre part has a thickness which is 3 to 4 times larger than that at its ends.

The invention will now be described more in detail with reference to a preferred embodiment, however, without being restricted thereto The detailed description is made with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein FIG. 1 shows a bedding according to the present invention in a view from above; FIG. 2 shows the unit according to FIG. 1 in across-sectional view along the line M-Il in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 shows the unit according to FIG. 1 in across-sectional view along the line Ill-Ill in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 shows the unit according to FIG. 1 prior to adaptation to a tbe clamp; and FIG. 5 shows a bedding unit according to the invention placed to a tube.

1 denotes a generally longitudinal bedding having a slightly arc-formed cross section. The bedding unit 1 comprises an open centre part 2 and two partly closed end parts 3. At each end part there are two ears 4 and 5 being arranged, which overlap the bedding unit 1 to the formation of a partly open and openable lock at each end of the bedding unit 1. The bedding unit 1 is manufactured of a polymer material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and other flexible polymer materials.

The ears 4 and 5 at either side of the longitudinal axis of the bedding unit are placed at some distance from each other, which provides for the fact that the tube clamp 11 can readily become turned into position into the bedding unit 1.

As evident from FIGs. 2 to 3 the bedding unit 1 has different thicknesses in its middle part or centre part 2 compared to its end parts 3. The thickness of the centre part 2 is 2 to 4 times the thickness of the end parts. This difference in thickness provides for a number of advantages, viz., that the end parts 3 can be more easily adapted to a tube clamp 11 as the material is more ductile to handle, the end parts will get space in connection to the fastening of a tube clamp into a bracing, that one will obtain an amount of material that is enough in one part, viz., the centre part to prevent contact between the tube clamp and a mounted tube. The amount of material is thereby such that a tube clamp is hindered from being pressed through the material.

The mounting of a tube 10 together with a bedding 1 according to the present invention using a tube clamp 11 is evident from FIG. 5. The tube clamp 11 is hereby brought over the tube 10 and down through recesses of a bracing. The clamp 11 has then been fixed using a nut 13 on the underside of the beam 14. As evident from FIG. 5 the bedding unit 1 is adapted underneath a tube clamp 11 whereby the ears 4 and 5 circumvent the tube in part, and in any case to that extent that the bedding unit is retained on the tube clamp. By means of the flexibility of the bedding unit this will adapt completely to the tube clamp.