Fire collar

1 . A fire collar including:

a housing having a bore that includes a first opening and a second opening, said second opening being spaced from said first opening by at least one side wall in which there is formed a plurality of recesses and wherein adjacent recesses of the plurality of recesses are connected to one another by one or more side wall portions;

at least one mount for mounting said housing to a supporting structure, said at least one mount being located adjacent said first opening; and

a layer of intumescent material contained within said bore, adjacent said first opening, and supported in said bore by a retainer, said intumescent material having an inner face that faces the an interior of said bore and an outer face that faces said one or more side wall portions, said layer of intumescent material being spaced from said one or more side wall portions by one or more spacers such that there is provided a gap between said intumescent material and said one or more side wall portions, wherein during use hot gases created by a fire and which enter said bore via said first opening can circulate within said gap.

2 . A fire collar according to claim 1 , wherein said fire collar further includes a plurality of actuators each operatively connected to said housing and being at least partially located within a respective one of said plurality of recesses, each of said plurality of actuators being capable of movement from a non-operating mode proximal to said intumescent material to an operating mode in which at least one of said plurality of actuators shall move at least a portion of said intumescent material generally towards a longitudinal axis of said bore.

3 . A fire collar according to claim 2 , wherein each of said plurality of actuators is a torsion spring that includes a first leg and a second leg that are separated by and connected to an intermediate body portion consisting of a plurality of coils, said first and second legs extending tangentially away from said body portion, and wherein said second leg is capable of movement between a first or non-operating position proximal to said layer of intumescent material and a second or operational position whereby said layer of intumescent material that is in contact with said second leg, either directly or indirectly, at least partially obstructs said bore, said second leg having at least one bend partway between its ends so that said second leg shall engage said intumescent material over a substantially broad area.

4 . A fire collar according to claim 3 , wherein said second leg includes a connecting portion that is connected to and extends tangentially away from one end of said body portion, said connecting portion having a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said bore when said second leg is in its first or non-operating position, and a distal end portion that is connected to said body portion by said connecting portion, said distal end portion including a leg portion that is adapted to engage said intumescent material over a substantially broad area, said leg portion having a longitudinal axis that is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said connecting portion.

5 . A fire collar as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said one or more spacers includes a plurality of fusible links that are each connected to said first and second legs of a respective one of said torsion springs and which are adapted to retain said second leg in a first or non-operational position.

6 . A fire collar as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said plurality of fusible links each include a distal end portion that extends beyond into said bore and which is adapted to engage an adjacent portion of said layer of intumescent material to retain said layer of intumescent material in said bore.

7 . A fire collar including:

a housing having a bore that includes a first opening and a second opening, said second opening being spaced from said first opening by at least one side wall in which there is formed a plurality of recesses and wherein adjacent recesses are connected to one another by one or more side wall portions;

at least one mount for mounting said housing to a supporting structure, said at least one mount being located adjacent said first opening;

a layer of intumescent material contained within said bore, adjacent said first opening, and supported in said bore adjacent said one or more side wall portions, said layer of intumescent material being spaced from said one or more side wall portions by one or more spacers such that there is provided a gap between said intumescent material and said one or more side wall portions; and

a plurality of torsion springs each being connected to said housing and at least partially located within a respective one of said plurality of recesses, each of said plurality of torsion springs having a first leg and a second leg that are separated by and connected to an intermediate body portion consisting of a plurality of coils, said first and second legs extending tangentially away from said body portion, and wherein said second leg is capable of movement between a first or non-operating position proximal to said layer of intumescent material and a second or operational position whereby said layer of intumescent material that is in contact with said second leg, either directly or indirectly, at least partially obstructs said bore,

wherein said second leg includes a connecting portion that is connected to and extends tangentially away from one end of said body portion, said connecting portion having a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said bore when said second leg is in its first or non-operating position, and a distal end portion that is connected to said body portion by said connecting portion, said distal end portion including a leg portion that is adapted to engage said intumescent material over a substantially broad area, said leg portion having a longitudinal axis that is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said connecting portion.

8 . A fire collar according to claim 7 , wherein said layer of intumescent material is supported in said bore by a retainer, said intumescent material having an inner face that faces the an interior of said bore and an outer face that faces said one or more side wall portions, wherein hot gases created by a fire enter said bore via said first opening and circulate within said gap.

9 . A fire collar as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said one or more spacers includes a plurality of fusible links that are each connected to said first and second legs of a respective one of said plurality of torsion springs and which are adapted to retain said second leg in a first or non-operational position.

10 . A fire collar as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said plurality of fusible links each include a distal end portion that extends beyond into said bore and which is adapted to engage an adjacent portion of said layer of intumescent material to retain said layer of intumescent material in said bore.