ERY tube support system and method
View Patent ↗A tank pipe support system and method comprises an adjustable height apparatus capable of being tailored to the installed height of a pipe and secured to nearby structural elements, so that the pipe does not place torsional moments on the tank. Of particular notice is the ability of the apparatus to be placed on pipes already connected to tanks and households.
1 . An adjustable height pipe support apparatus comprising:
a body having a base configured to rest on a support surface and a vertical column extending upwardly from the base;
wherein said base is slightly wider than said vertical column and said vertical column is comprised of a plurality of discrete, load-bearing pipe holding modules stacked in direct abutting contact, each said pipe holding module comprising:
a pipe hosting opening of a determined radius defining a support saddle for directly supporting a pipe; and
a pair of opposed, open-sided notches positioned laterally outward of the pipe hosting opening;
wherein the notches of adjacent pipe holding modules are vertically aligned to permit manual removal of an entire pipe holding module as a unit, without breaking, fracturing, or deforming any portion of the pipe holding module;
wherein each pipe holding module is structurally complete and load-bearing prior to and after removal of an adjacent pipe holding module, and wherein no portion of any pipe holding module is sacrificial or intended to fracture to enable height adjustment;
such that a height of the vertical column is selectively reduced while remaining pipe holding modules continue to support the pipe.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
each said opening is the same size; and
said base has mechanical component attachment openings.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:
each said opening is the shape of one of:
circle, oval, rectangle, square.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:
one hook or loop on each side of each said module.
5 . An adjustable height pipe support system comprising:
a body having a base configured to rest on a support surface and a vertical column extending upwardly from the base;
wherein said base is slightly wider than said vertical column and said vertical column is comprised of a plurality of discrete, load-bearing pipe holding modules stacked in direct abutting contact, each said pipe holding module comprising:
a pipe hosting opening of a determined radius defining a support saddle for directly supporting a pipe; and
a pair of opposed, open-sided notches positioned laterally outward of the pipe hosting opening;
wherein the notches of adjacent pipe holding modules are vertically aligned to permit manual removal of an entire pipe holding module as a unit, without breaking, fracturing, or deforming any portion of the pipe holding module;
wherein each pipe holding module is structurally complete and load-bearing prior to and after removal of an adjacent pipe holding module, and wherein no portion of any pipe holding module is sacrificial or intended to fracture to enable height adjustment;
such that a height of the vertical column is selectively reduced while remaining pipe holding modules continue to support the pipe; and
a pipe supported by the support saddle of at least one pipe holding module.
6 . The system of claim 5 wherein:
each said opening is the same size; and
said base has mechanical component attachment openings.
7 . The system of claim 6 wherein:
each said opening is the shape of one of:
circle, oval, rectangle, square.
8 . The system of claim 7 further comprising:
one hook or loop on each side of each said module.
9 . An adjustable height pipe support method comprising:
providing an apparatus with a body having a base configured to rest on a support surface and a vertical column extending upwardly from the base;
wherein said base is slightly wider than said vertical column and said vertical column is comprised of a plurality of discrete, load-bearing pipe holding modules stacked in direct abutting contact, each said pipe holding module comprising:
a pipe hosting opening of a determined radius defining a support saddle; and
a pair of opposed, open-sided notches positioned laterally outward of the pipe hosting opening;
adjusting the height of said apparatus by removing one or more of said modules;
wherein removal comprises manually removing an entire pipe holding module as a unit, without breaking, fracturing, or deforming any portion of the pipe holding module;
placing the apparatus below a tube or pipe;
supporting the pipe-on-pipe hosting openings of remaining pipe holding modules while the height is adjusted.
10 . The method of claim 9 wherein:
each said opening is the same size; and
said base has mechanical component attachment openings.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein:
each said opening is the shape of one of:
circle, oval, rectangle, square.
12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:
one hook or loop on each side of each said module.