Stamped Steel Pipe Hanger Clamp with C-Shaped Arms
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe hanger clamps face challenges in providing sufficient structural integrity under heavy loads due to deformation of threaded connections in thinner metal gauges and are costly to manufacture, especially when using casting or friction drilling methods.
Innovation Solution
A pipe hanger clamp with cantilevered support arms and a manufacturing process involving a single piece of flat metal bar stock, bent into an 'E' shape with trapped threaded receptacles for a pipe hanger rod and set screw, allowing for flexible engagement with an I-beam and reduced material costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a cast clamp is used to provide torsional stiffness, then the structural strength is improved, but the manufacturing cost and labor intensity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive cast clamps with a disposable-formed stamped steel clamp that achieves sufficient strength through plastic deformation and geometric design rather than heavy casting, reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining functional performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing process from casting to stamping and plastic deformation, and modifies the geometric parameters of the clamp arms and thread engagement to achieve the required torsional stiffness at lower cost
2Ease of manufacture
If a thin-gauge metal clamp is used to reduce material cost, then the manufacturing cost decreases, but the threaded connection deforms under heavy loading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from considering only the cross-sectional thickness of the clamp to utilizing the third dimension by creating a folded U-shape with extended arm length, thereby increasing thread engagement distance and distributing loads along a longer path without requiring thicker metal
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a degree of flexibility into the rigid clamp structure by allowing the thin-gauge metal to elastically deform under load, which actually helps distribute stress more evenly along the thread engagement rather than creating rigid stress concentrations
3Strength
If friction drilling is used to create longer thread engagement, then the thread strength is improved, but the processing time increases due to heating requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs plastic deformation and shaping of the clamp arms during the initial stamping process, before any threading operations, thereby pre-configuring the geometry to maximize thread engagement length without requiring subsequent time-consuming friction drilling or heating operations
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe hanger clamp, formed by bending a flat section of metal bar or plate, has two vertical side members which have been cut so their side view is a “C” shape. The lower arms of these two side members are joined by a horizontally extended end wall, about which the side members are bent. Holes in the end wall receive a mounting set screw into a captured nut and another nut to hold a pipe hanger rod for supporting a pipe. An overhead support is clamped between the set screw and the upper arms of the C-shaped side members, such that the load applied to the rod is generally edgewise to the plate thickness, and does not provide an unbending force on the clamp.