Supporting and insulating device for a piping system

Claim 1

A supporting and insulating device for pipes comprising an elongated, thermally insulating element having a body structure with a generally flat back surface and with grooves in its front surface, said elongated structure being adapted to be disposed and supported, in part at least, as a beam in service, with its flat back surface disposed generally vertical, and the grooves being shaped as a tilted -J- or hook, with the bottom concave, to permit a pipe to be laid into each groove obliquely above in front, with the groove serving then to hold the received pipe in position, and comprising further a similar second elongated element for mating with said first elongated element, in front, to enable the J-shaped surfaces of both elements to embrace the pipe or pipes when the two elongated elements are placed together to mate about the pipe or pipes, each of said groove or grooves being hook shaped in cross section and individually capable of supporting and locating a pipe inserted in the groove once the elongated element has been fixed in position and prior to the other element being mated and attached to it, whereby the pipe or pipes so covered are provided with effective thermal insulation that is economical in application, said device further comprising a pair of joining pieces to fit longitudinally between two aligned and spaced insulating elements of a mated set of longitudinal elements, and said pair of joining pieces having corresponding and matching longitudinal J-shaped grooves, to correspond end-wise to the grooves in the adjacent insulating elements, said joining pieces comprising first and second joining parts corresponding respectively in cross sectional size and shape with said mated set of elements, said joining parts having longitudinal grooves for a pair of pipes and transverse recesses in their joining faces, each transverse recess communicating with one of the grooves, the recesses in said joining parts being shaped to complement one another completely to embrace a pipe branching from a pipe located in said one of said grooves, the joining pieces further comprising a third joining part having a recess shaped to complement a transverse recess in said second part and communicating with the other groove in said second part to completely embrace a branch pipe branching from a main pipe located in said other groove.