Cast-In-Place Device for Creating a Partition Passageway with Firestop and Water-Tight Seal

Abstract

A device for creating a water-tight and fire-stopped passageway through a formed structural partition. The device has a sleeve defining an internal passageway and an intumescent material within at least a portion of the sleeve. A gasket is located within the sleeve for preventing the passage of water through the gap between the utility element and the sleeve. The gasket has a flexible inner ring, an outer peripheral member, and a flexible connection membrane which supports the inner ring in a neutral orientation and in a neutral plane. The inner ring is moveable in a first axial direction beyond the neutral plane upon application of a force in the first axial direction, and is moveable in a second axial direction beyond the neutral plane upon application of a force in the second axial direction. The device includes extension sleeves for extending the length of the sleeve.

1 . A device for creating a water-tight and fire-stopped passageway for utility elements to pass through a structural partition such as a floor, wall or ceiling constructed by pouring a flowable and curable material in a form, comprising:
 a. a sleeve defining an internal passageway and longitudinal axis;   b. an intumescent material within at least a portion of said sleeve; and,   c. a seal assembly for preventing the passage of water through the gap between the utility element and said tubular sleeve, said seal assembly including a gasket having:
 i. a flexible inner ring defining an opening extending about the longitudinal axis through which a utility element is inserted, said flexible inner ring having a neutral position extending in a neutral plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; 
 ii. an outer peripheral member constructed and arranged to connect to the wall of said tubular sleeve; and, 
 iii. a flexible connection membrane connecting said inner ring to said peripheral member and supporting said inner ring in a neutral orientation generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and in a neutral plane defined by said outer peripheral member; said membrane having an oscillating-wave configuration wherein a portion of the flexible membrane extends beyond the neutral plane in a first, axial direction and a portion of the flexible membrane extends beyond the neutral plane in a second, axial opposite direction; 
   
       wherein said flexible inner ring is moveable in a first axial direction beyond the neutral plane upon application of a force in the first axial direction, and is moveable in a second axial direction beyond the neutral plane upon application of a force in the second axial direction. 
     
     
         2 . The device recited in  claim 1 , wherein said inner ring has a toroid shape with a maximum minor dimension and a major diameter. 
     
     
         3 . The device recited in  claim 2 , the thickness of said connection membrane is less than the maximum minor dimension of said inner ring. 
     
     
         4 . The device recited in  claim 1 , wherein said inner ring has a torus shape with a minor diameter and a major diameter, and the thickness of said connection membrane is less than the minor diameter of said inner ring. 
     
     
         5 . The device recited in  claim 1 , wherein said intumescent material comprises a wrap strip of intumescent material lining at least a portion of the inner surface of said tube. 
     
     
         6 . The device recited in  claim 5 , including means for restricting axial expansion of said wrap strip within said tube. 
     
     
         7 . The device recited in  claim 6 , wherein said restricting means comprises said seal assembly at one axial end and a retaining plate at the other axial end of said wrap strip. 
     
     
         8 . The device recited in  claim 1 , wherein said outer peripheral member is overmolded on to a portion of said tube. 
     
     
         9 . The device recited in  claim 1 , wherein said tubular sleeve is extendable along its axial length. 
     
     
         10 . The device recited in  claim 9 , wherein said sleeve comprises a plurality of telescoping sleeves that adjustably connect to one another at different lengths. 
     
     
         11 . The device recited in  claim 1 , including a base that connects to said tubular sleeve, said base having a base plate and a cylindrical base wall fixed at a proximal end to said base plate and having an annular end surface at a distal end, wherein said base wall telescopes within said tubular sleeve. 
     
     
         12 . The device recited in  claim 11 , wherein said sleeve comprises a tube, and an enlarged-diameter collar integrally formed with said tube and intersecting at a radial shoulder, said collar telescoping over said base wall. 
     
     
         13 . The device recited in  claim 12 , wherein said outer peripheral member is overmolded on the distal end surface of said base wall and compressed thereon by the shoulder of said sleeve collar. 
     
     
         14 . An extendable device for creating a water-tight and fire-stopped passageway for utility elements to pass through a structural partition such as a floor, wall or ceiling constructed by pouring a flowable and curable material in a form, comprising:
 a. a base sleeve defining an internal passageway and longitudinal axis;   b. an intumescent material within at least a portion of said sleeve;   c. a seal assembly for preventing the passage of water through the gap between the utility element and said tubular sleeve; and   d. means for extending the length of said device including:
 i. an extension sleeve that telescopes with said with said base sleeve along an overlap portion; and, 
 ii. means for releasably locking said extension sleeve at a plurality of locations along the overlap portion. 
   
     
     
         15 . The device recited in  claim 14 , wherein said locking means includes:
 a. a track extending along a length of said base sleeve, said track having a plurality of connection slots arranged along its length; and,   b. a channel extending along the length of said extension sleeve, said channel having a configuration that compliments the shape of said track so that the track slides within said channel; and,   c. a connection assembly on said channel that is configured to releasably engage one of said plurality of connection slots and lock the axial position of the extension sleeve on the base sleeve.   
     
     
         16 . The device recited in  claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the track along the overlap portion does not have any connection slots. 
     
     
         17 . The device recited in  claim 15 , wherein said connection assembly comprises a support block mounted along said channel, a retaining clip pivotally mounted on the support block, and a clip lock to retain the mounting clip within one of the connection slots. 
     
     
         18 . The device recited in  claim 17 , wherein said clip lock comprises a locking slit that aligns with different connection slots as the extension sleeve telescopes with said base sleeve, and is constructed and arranged so that the mounting clip releasably seats within said slit. 
     
     
         19 . The device recited in  claim 18 , wherein said retaining clip is pivotally mounted on said support block and can rotate between a closed position seated within said locking slit and an open position disengaged from said locking slit. 
     
     
         20 . An adjustable device for creating a water-tight passageway for utility elements to pass through a structural partition such as a floor, wall or ceiling constructed by pouring a flowable and curable material in a form, comprising:
 a. a base sleeve defining an internal passageway and longitudinal axis, and including at least one axially-extending track of radially-outwardly projecting ridges defining a connecting slot between each ridge;   b. a seal assembly for preventing the passage of water through the gap between the utility element and said tubular sleeve; and   c. an extension sleeve that telescopes with said base sleeve and having at least one axially-extending, radially-outwardly protruding channel configured to receive the track of ridges; and   d. a retaining clip secured to an external surface of said extension sleeve proximate the first radially outward channel, the retaining clip pivotal between a first position wherein the retaining clip is free of the through opening and a second position wherein a portion of the retaining clip passes through the through opening and engages within the aligned connecting slot.