FLANGE ALIGNER

ALIGNEUR DE BRIDES

English Abstract

INVENTOR
LEO MATHIEU
APPLICANT
LEO MATHIEU
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A unitary device for relatively aligning two
adjacent pipe flanges (end flanges of large pipes as
are used in water, sewage and other installations) into
registry so that the pipe flanges may be bolted into
juxtaposition. The device includes an index finger which
inserts into a bolt hole of one flange and an adjustable
bolt adjustably positioned through an anvil member of the
device and positioned over the adjacent flange. Turning
down of the bolt on the one subjacent flange, urges that
flange into registry with the other pipe flange for
bolting together.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A flange aligner for relatively aligning two adjacent
end flanges of large pipe, said flanges disposing, circum-
ferentially about the pipes, a plurality of apertures through
which securing bolts can be mounted, the flange aligner com-
prising:
(a) a body member having a protruding male index member
terminating at a distal end, the said end adapted to mate
into an aperture of a flange,
(b) a protruding anvil member surmounting the male
index member and extending beyond said distal end thereof
to define thereat a location,
(c) an adjustable bearing member extending through
the location and defining at one end a bearing surface,
(d) means for adjusting the bearing member and hence
the bearing surface relative to the distal end whereby
alignment of adjacent flanges may be induced by the relative
position between the distal end and the adjustable
bearing surface.
2. The flange aligner as claimed in claim 1 where the
adjustable bearing member is the end of a bolt which
threadingly engages and extends through the anvil member
with means on the bolt for turning the same down on the
anvil and hence to relatively positionally dispose the
bearing surface and the male index member.
3. A flange aligner capable of being assembled on the
adjacent ends of pipes for providing alignment between first
and second such pipes, such pipe ends each having a circum-
ferential flange defining apertures therein for receiving
bolts therethrough for securing the pipes together, the
flange aligner comprising:

(a) a body member having a protruding male index
member with an end, said index member being adapted to be
fitted into the portion of an aperture in the flange on the
first pipe, said portion being remote from the portion
of the aperture adjacent to the end of the first pipe;
(b) an anvil member connected to said body member at
a position radially outward from said male index member,
said anvil member extending substantially parallel to said
male index member and being adapted to extend beyond the
end of the first pipe to a position radially outward from
the flange on the second pipe;
(c) an adjustable bearing member mounted on said anvil
member and being adapted for movement radially inward to
engage the flange on the second pipe, whereby alignment of
the apertures in adjacent flanges may be induced by the
relative movement between said male index member and said
bearing member.

Description

104t~50
This invention relates to a flange aligner.
In pipe fitting ~here large pipes with flange members
(pi~e 1anges) are mated together, there is difficulty,
from time to time, to align the respective pipe flanges
into registry for bolting into juxtaposition so that the
corresponding ends of pipe can be mated and sealed. This
problem is particularily acute wi~h large pipes as are
common in petro-chemical installations, water, steam and
the like.
I have discovered a simple unitary device which
provides means for aligning adjacent end flanges of pipe
into relative registry so that they may be bolted together
and the ends thereof mated.
The invention therefore, contemplates a flange aligner
for relatively aligning two adjacent end flanges of large
pipe, said flanges disposing, circumferentially about the
pipes, a plurality of apertures through which securing bolts
can be mounted, the flange aligner comprising:
(a) a body member having a protruding male index
member terminating at a distal end, the said end adapted to
mate into an aperture of a flange,
(b) a protruding anvil member surmounting the male
index member and extendin~ beyond said distal end thereof
to define thereat a location,
(c) an adjustable bearing member extending through
the location and defining at one end a bearing surface,
(d) means for adjusting the bearing member and hence
the bearing surface relative to the distal end whereby
alignment of adjacent flanges may be induced by the relative
position between the distal end and the adjustable bearing
surface.
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The embodiments of the invention will now be described
by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of
the invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of
figure 1 in application.
My flange aligner 10 is composed of a unitary body
member 11 having a projecting male index member 12 and a
projecting anvil 13. Through the anvil 13 an adjustable
bolt 14 (adjustable bearing means) is mounted having at
its end, a bearing surface 15. The body member 11 pre-
ferably has the form as shown in figure 1 so as to provide,
as part of the body member 11, a handle portion 16 which
defines in part an aperature 17 to accomodate the fingers
of ones hand. The other extremities of the aperture 17
àre closed by connecting arms 18 and 19 unit~rily associated
with the body member 11.
- In application, the index member l2 is inserted into
one of the many apertures 21 of a flange 22 mounted ~as
by welding) to the end of a pipe 25. This flange 12 is
to be mated with a corresponding adjacent flange 23
associated with another length of pipe 30 to thereby allow
the pipes to be mated. The projecting anvil 13 projects
"over" the corresponding flange 23 since it surmounts the
index member 12. By "turning-down" the adjustable bolt
14 such that the bearing surface 15 thereof engages the
upper surface of the flange 23, the two flanges 22 and 23
are brought into registry or alignment; thereupon, a bolt
26 can be inserted into the adjacently aligned apertures
31 and 32 of the corresponding flanges 2Z and.23 as shown
by the centre line 33, and secured. Thereupon in a
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conventional manner the other nuts and bolts are secured
and in this process the flange aligner 10 is removed.
I have found that the rigidity and strength of a
flange aligner can be reduced somewhat if the body of the
flange is formed in a manner such that a segment of its
base also forms an essentially flat surface 18 while
disposed an appropriate distance, and hence parallel to,
the axis of the male projection. In such a manner, the
surface 18 also acts on the pipe 25, referring to figure
2, to urge against it and to additionally assist in the
relative alignment of the flanges 22 and 23 prior to the
installation of the first bolts 14.
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