Those of you who have searched the Internet for industrial/plumbing pipe guides may have come across something known as Kee Klamps. Kee Klamps are pipe fittings that use a presser screw to hold pipes in place rather than a threaded connection. Maybe the picture below will explain it better.
Instead of a threaded socket, those two Allen-type screws are tightened to hold the pipes in place. There are two major benefits to this type of connector. The first is a wider variety of configurations. One can layer and criss-cross pipes with Kee Klamps in ways that one can't with regular plumbing pipes. The other advantage is no need for unions. Whenever a plumbing pipe design forms a closed loop, such as a square or rectangle, a union is needed because one can't screw a pipe in at both ends at the same time.
As you could see if I hadn't drawn over it, this bookshelf is a closed loop and, hence, requires a union. The hex nut inside the green circle is a union. A union has 3 different threaded hex nuts. The 2 on the outsides spin in different directions so pipes can be joined. The middle hex holds the other 2 pieces in place. A union is not necessary when using Kee Klamps.
There are two major disadvantages of Kee Klamps that I perceive, the first being that the pipes are held together with just a small screw rather than a large thread path. This theoretically should have less holding power, although people have built parkour structures using Kee Klamps. The second drawback is cost. A 90° elbow of 1-inch threaded pipe costs $3.60 at Lowe's; the same size elbow to buy on-line costs $10.86. This brings up the inconvenience of on-line ordering versus picking something up locally as well as the potential added cost of shipping.
All these things being said, I am currently not sold on the idea of using Kee Klamps instead of standard plumbing joints.
The pictures on the page appear smaller than they are. To see them larger, simply double click on the picture. Also, I always welcome your constructive criticism. Click on the Comment link below next to the icon of a pencil; it may say "No" or have a number in front of it.
References:
"15 - 90° Elbow." Simplified Building. Simplified Building Concepts, 2010. Web. 18 June 2014.
"Parkour Structure at Miami Freerunning and Parkour Academy." Simplified Building. Simplified Building Concepts, 2010. Web. 18 June 2014.
There are two major disadvantages of Kee Klamps that I perceive, the first being that the pipes are held together with just a small screw rather than a large thread path. This theoretically should have less holding power, although people have built parkour structures using Kee Klamps. The second drawback is cost. A 90° elbow of 1-inch threaded pipe costs $3.60 at Lowe's; the same size elbow to buy on-line costs $10.86. This brings up the inconvenience of on-line ordering versus picking something up locally as well as the potential added cost of shipping.
All these things being said, I am currently not sold on the idea of using Kee Klamps instead of standard plumbing joints.
The pictures on the page appear smaller than they are. To see them larger, simply double click on the picture. Also, I always welcome your constructive criticism. Click on the Comment link below next to the icon of a pencil; it may say "No" or have a number in front of it.
References:
"15 - 90° Elbow." Simplified Building. Simplified Building Concepts, 2010. Web. 18 June 2014.
"Parkour Structure at Miami Freerunning and Parkour Academy." Simplified Building. Simplified Building Concepts, 2010. Web. 18 June 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment