Granted Patent B1

US 9,302,205 · App. 14/830,956 · Granted Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

Claims (26)

1. A tube sheet construction that includes a tube sheet and a plurality of elongated tubular elements supported by the tube sheet, said tube sheet comprised of a plurality of separate planar tube sheet segments, multiple holes being provided in each planar tube sheet segment in a predetermined pattern, each hole for accommodating one of the plurality of elongated tubular elements, all of the tube sheet segments being aligning so that the hole pattern of each segment aligns with the hole pattern in all other segments, each said elongated tubular element having a flanged top end and a contiguous tubular shaft with the flanged top end having a diameter greater than a diameter of the tubular shaft, wherein the flanged top end of a first elongated tubular element is disposed between a first pair of adjacently disposed tube sheet segments, and the flanged top end of a second elongated tubular element is disposed between a second pair of adjacently disposed tube sheet segments that is different than the first pair of adjacently disposed tube sheet segments.

2. The tube sheet construction of claim 1 including a securing piece constructed and arranged about the tubular shaft of the elongated tubular element and spaced below the flanged top end of the elongated tubular element, said securing piece for engagement with the tubular shaft to provide a compressive force against the tube sheet segments that are disposed between the flanged top end of the elongated tubular element and the securing piece.

3. The tube sheet construction of claim 2 wherein the securing piece is comprised of a threaded nut.

4. The tube sheet construction of claim 3 wherein the threaded nut abuts a lowermost planar tube sheet segment.

5. The tube sheet construction of claim 2 wherein the securing piece is comprised of a push nut.

6. The tube sheet construction of claim 2 wherein the securing piece is disposed under a lowermost planar tube sheet segment.

7. The tube sheet construction of claim 1 wherein the flanged top end of the elongated tubular element is recessed in one of the adjacently disposed tube sheet segments.

8. The tube sheet construction of claim 1 wherein the flange top end of the elongated tubular element is positioned resting directly on a top surface of one of the adjacently disposed tube sheet segments.

9. The tube sheet construction of claim 1 wherein one of the tube sheet segments of the first pair of tube sheet segments is the same as one of the tube sheet segments of the second pair of tube sheet segments.

10. The tube sheet construction of claim 1 wherein both of the tube sheet segments of the first pair of tube sheet segments is different than both of the tube sheet segments of the second pair of tube sheet segments.

11. The tube sheet construction of claim 1 wherein one of the tube sheet segments of the first pair of tube sheet segments is constructed of a material that is different than the material of the other tube sheet segment of the first pair of tube sheet segments.

12. The tube sheet construction of claim 11 wherein one of the tube sheet segments of the second pair of tube sheet segments is constructed of a material that is different than the material of the other tube sheet segment of the second pair of tube sheet segments.

13. The tube sheet construction of claim 1 including an interstitial layer disposed between two adjacently disposed tube sheet segments.

14. The tube sheet construction of claim 13 wherein the interstitial layer is a passive layer for the control of flow through the tube sheet construction.

15. The tube sheet construction of claim 13 wherein the interstitial layer is a passive layer for providing at least one of filtration, flow control, shock absorption, magnetic characteristics, dosing, chemical or medical treatment, or ion exchange.

16. The tube sheet construction of claim 13 wherein the interstitial layer is an active layer, in combination with a stimulus device for applying a stimulus to the active layer.

17. The tube sheet construction of claim 16 wherein the stimulus device is for applying a magnetic field to the active layer.

18. The tube sheet construction of claim 13 wherein the interstitial layer is an active layer, in combination with a sensing device for eliciting a response from the active layer.

19. The tube sheet construction of claim 13 wherein the interstitial layer is an active layer for sensing one of temperature, pressure and force.

20. The tube sheet construction of claim 13 wherein the planar tube sheet segments are both constructed of a non-conductive material and said interstitial layer is constructed of copper.

21. The tube sheet construction of claim 20 wherein the non-conductive material includes a glass reinforced plastic material.

22. The tube sheet construction of claim 13 wherein at least one of the planar tube sheet segments is constructed of a non-magnetic material and the interstitial layer is constructed of a magnetic material.

23. The tube sheet construction of claim 1 wherein at least one of the planar tube sheet segments is constructed of a material that exhibits magnetic susceptibility, including one of a ferromagnetic, a ferrimagnetic, and an antiferromagnetic material.

24. The tube sheet construction of claim 1 including an interstitial layer disposed between tube sheet segments and at least one sensor element supported by the interstitial layer.

25. The tube sheet construction of claim 1 wherein one of the tube sheet segments of the first pair of tube sheet segments is in common with one of the tube sheet segments of the second pair of tube sheet segments.

26. The tube sheet construction of claim 1 wherein neither of the tube sheet segments of the first pair of tube sheet segments is the same as either of the tube sheet segments of the second pair of tube sheet segments.

Assignments (8)