Eg&g Pressure Science, Inc.

Daniel T Munley

Jeffrey E Swensen

Kevin S Warehime

Thomas S Oh

H Steve Graham

A clamping device is disclosed for coupling peripheral flanges of a pair of tubular members together. The clamping device has a retaining member for coupling the peripheral flanges of the tubular member together, with first and second coupling ends being releasably coupled together by a latch assembly from an open position to a closed position. The latch assembly has a connecting member with a pivoting end and an anchoring end. The pivoting end of the connecting member is pivotally coupled to the first coupling end about a pivot axis between an unengaged position where the anchoring end is spaced from the second coupling end and an engaged position where the anchoring end is removably coupled to the second coupling end. The latch assembly further has a retention member coupled to the pivoting end of the connecting member for retaining the connecting member to the first coupling end. The retention member is deformable from an original shape to a final shape during installation of the connecting member being initially pivoted about the pivot axis from the unengaged position to the engaged position.

Pipe clamping device

A pipe coupling device for coupling the peripheral flanges of a pair of pipes together, including a pair of retainers with gripping grooves therein for receiving portions of the peripheral flanges of the pipes. The gripping grooves of the retainers have a unique inner surface with a pair of slanted gripping surfaces and a pair of non-gripping surfaces that are located within the outer envelope of the peripheral flanges. This provides for lightweight, compact retainers. The retainers are pivotally coupled at one of their ends by a hinge assembly and releasably coupled at their opposite ends by a latch mechanism. The hinge assembly has at least two links pivotally coupled at one of their ends to one of the retainers by a first pivot pin being received in a pivot slot formed in the retainer and pivotally coupled at their other end to the other retainer by a second pivot pin being received in a pivot slot formed in the retainer. The pivot slots are open holes in some embodiments to reduce the weight of the pipe coupling device. The pivot pins are separated from each other such that the links of the hinge assembly straddle the flanges of the pipes. The latch assembly utilizes coupling members with tenons which are received in coupling slots formed in the retainers.

Compact pipe coupling device

A pipe coupling device for coupling the peripheral flanges of a pair of pipes together, including a pair of retainers with a V-shaped groove therein for receiving portions of the peripheral flanges of the pipes. The retainers are pivotally coupled at one of their ends by a hinge assembly and releasably coupled at their opposite ends by a latch mechanism. The hinge assembly has at least two links pivotally coupled at one of their ends to one of the retainers by a first pivot pin and pivotally coupled at their other ends to the other retainer by a second pivot pin. The pivot pins are separated from each other such that the links of the hinge assembly straddle the peripheral flanges of the pipes. This arrangement provides more uniform pressure at the ends of the retainers since the moment resulting from the offset of the hinge assembly is moved closer to the circumferential loading line between the retainers and the flanges of the pipe. In a second embodiment, the retainers are pivotally coupled together at one of their ends by a single pivot pin and releasably coupled together at their other end by a canted latch mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Laurel, MD, United States of America

Daniel T Munley