Segmented insulating covering for pipes and the like

Claim 1

A PREFABRICATED THERMAL INSULATING COVERING COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SEGMENTS OF RIGID INSULATION MATERIAL OF GENERALLY PRISMATIC CONFIGURATION HAVING SEVERD SIDE FACES FABRICATED TO FORM AN ESSENTIALLY CONTINOUS LAYER OF INSULATION SURROUNDING A CIRCULAR SURFACE TO BE INSULATED WHEN THE INSULATION IS WRAPPED THEREAROUND AND SAID SEVERED SIDE FACES OF SAID SEGEMENTS ARE BROUGHT INTO ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP AND A VAPOR-PROOF FACING TO WHICH SAID SEGEMENTS ARE ADHESIVELY SECURED IN CONTIGUOUS RELATIONSHIP, SAID FACING INCLUDING MEANS FOR RAPIDLY CONDUCTING HEAT TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FACING INCLUDING THE PORTION OVERLYING THE JOINT WHERE THE OUTERMOST SEGEMENTS OF THE COVER ABOUT TO EQUALIZE THE TEMPERATURE AT THE SURFACE THEREOF REGARDLESS OF THE PRESENCE OF OPEN POINTS BETWEEN CONTIGUOUS SEGEMENTS OR VOIDS IN SAID LAYER OF INSULATION AND THEREBY AVOID THE CONDENSATION OF MOISTURE ON THE SURFACE OF SAID FACING, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A MEMBRANE OF THIN, FLEXIBLE, HEATCONDUCTIVE METAL, WHICH METAL MEMBRANE IS COMPLETELY INSULATED FROM THE CIRCULAR SURFACE BY SAID SEGEMENT OF INSULATION MATERIAL AND WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THE ENTIRE OUTER SURFACE AREA OF SAID SEGEMENT AND OVERLIES ALL OF THE JOINTS BETWEEN CONTIGUOUS SEGMENTS AND WHICH INCLUDES AN EXTENDING FLAP OVERLAPPING THE JOINT WHERE THE OUTERMOST SEGMENTS OF THE COVERING ABUT WHEN THE COVERING INSTALLED AND IN SERVICE.