Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
lOQ~
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent times in the oil industry, much emphasis has
been placed on the transporting of oil over large distances
through pipelines rather than other types of transport. In
layin~ these pipelines ovex lar~e expanses of land, it has been
necessary to clamp the various sections of pipe which comprise
the pipeline to support members embedded into the earth. For
example, in the tundra of ~laska, a metal beam having a leg on
both sides which gives the beam a rather U-shaped configuration,
is planted in the ground. This support structure is usually
maintained about three to ~our feet elevation above the ground
in which it is planted. These beams are typically placed any-
where between 20' and 50' apart along the pa~h on ~hich the `
various sections of pipeline will be joined.
Pipe clamps are placed at predetermined distances along
the beams for supporting and clamping the pipe in place along
the path defined by the beams. These clamps heretofore have ;;
been characterized by basically two portions, a bottom portion and
a top portion. The bottom portion carries a guide and slide
assembly which allows the pipe, after it has been clamped in
place, to move as a function of thermal expansion. Each section
of pipe is placed ln the bottom portion of the clamp and adjusted
for connection to an adjacent pipe. The top portion of the-clamp ~-
is then placed over the pipe and secured to the bottom portion to
clamp the pipe in place.
This clamping operation heretofore has been characterized
primarily by the insertion of bolts through flanges on each
portion of the clamp. Because of the size and tolerances involved,
the workers are required to withdraw their gloves to insert the
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bolt through the proper opening, and also to thread the nuts on,
for torquing the two portions of the clamp toward each other.
During the severe winters this process can be extremely un-
comfortable for those workers involved in the clamping operation.
In addition, the time requixed or inserting each holt, tightening
it down along the length of the clamp is inordinate.
Due to the technical expertise required of these workers
and the remote locations where such pipeline operations ofte~
occur, the time lost in fastening the portions of the clamp
together by this method can result in significant additional
costs in laying the pipeline.
It is an object of the invention herein to provide a
clamping device which is di-fferent in concept, construction, mode
of operation, and result from -the clamping devices which have
characterized the prior art in a way which will enhance the clamp-
ing operations of pipelines as they are being laid.
More specifically, an object of the invention is to pro-
vide a clamp assembly which can be quickly and easily clamped in
place to reduce the time and effort required by the workers in
completing the clamping operation.
Another object is to provide a clamping mechanism which
allows the pipe to be clamped in place wi-thout making the workers
involved in the clamping operation uncomfor-table by subjecting
them unnecessarily to the severity of the weather.
It is still another object to provi~e those eler,lents on
a clamping mechanism which must be operated to ti~hten the clamp
in place at a location on the clamp where they are easily access-
ible hy the workers.
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These and other objects will become more apparent from
the detailed description of the preferred embodiment ana the
claims which follow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally, the invention relates to overcoming the de-
ficiencies in clamps which have charac-terized the prior art,
some of which have been discussed above.
The invention relates to a pipe clamp assembly for en-
~a~ing the outer perime-ter o the pipe to fix it at a predeter-
mined location. The clamp includes two portions which are
releasably engageable with one another. One portion includes
a projection extending therefrom which in-teracts wi-th engaging
means on the second portion to allow quick a-ttachment duriny
the clamping operation. One portion also has a hingeable member
which moves between an open position and a closed position to
facilitate access of the pipe to one of the clamp portions.
A biasing means is included for securing the two por-tions to-
gether and maintaining engagement of the pro~ections on one por-
tion with -the engaging means of another. -
- 20 More specifically, the invention relates to a clamping
device for clamping the pipes of generally circular configuration.
The clamp assembly includes basically two parts which are
releasably separable from one another. Both of these are arcu~te
in configuration to conform with the outer perimeter of the pipe.
The first part~ or lower portion, carries the guide and slide
device which allows the clamp to move with the pipe during thermal
expansion and contraction. From one side of the lower portion,
there are hooks which cooperate with the upper portion in securing
the two portions together. At another position displaced from
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the projections, the hingeable member is pivotably secured
to the lower portion an~ is pivotable outwardly so that the
pipe can be more easily placed in position for the clamping
operation~ Once in position, the hingeable member is rotated
to a closed position, where it engayes the outer perimeter of
the pipe.
One end o the upper portion carries tongues having slots
therein ~r engag~ng the hooks extending from the lower portion.
At the opposite end of the upper portion, there is a Elange
carrying a spring-loaded rod. At one end of the rod, there are
pins for engaging the portions of a complementary flange on the
hingeable member when the rod is moved to a position passing
through gaps defined in the complementary flange. Once in the
extended and engaged position, a nut on th~ o-ther end of the
rod is torqued down to compress the spring. In this way, the
tongues are drawn in engagement with the hooks on the lower por-
tion, and, similarly, the flanges are drawn toward each other,
thereby securing the pipe clamp about the pipe.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the pipe clamp.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the pipe clamp o~
Figur~ 1 taken along lines 2-2.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the pipe clamp showing the hook
members in engagement with the tongues.
Figure 4 is a fragmentary exploded view demonstrating the
operation of the tongue and hook elements shown in plan view of
Figure 3.
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A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to Figure 1, the pipe clamp assembly
generally referred to as 10, is shown without a pipe being clamped
in place, but with the two portions comprising the clamp assembly
in clamped disposition. As can be seen in Figure 2, the pipe
assem~ly 12 for which the clamp assembly 10 is adapted, includes
a central pipe portion 16 surrounded by an insulated portion 14.
The pipe assembly 12 is generally circular in conEigurakion, althoug3,.:
other configurations may be usecl.
The cla~ping device 10 basically includes two portions--
a lower portion 18 which holds the pipe in place until an upper
portion 19 is secured to the lower portion 18 about the pipe
assembly 12. The lower portion 18 includes two hooks 20 which
cooperate with part of the upper portion 19 to secure it in place.
These hooks 2~ are characterized by metal bar 21 welded to a plate
23 which is in turn welded ~o the exposed surface adjacent one
end of the lower portion 18. As can be seen in Figure 4, the
bar 21 extends beyond the end of the plate 23 to define a recessed ~:
area underneath the bar 21 for receiving a part of the upper portion
19 .
For cooperating with the hooks 20 the upper portion 19
defines hook engaging means in the form o:E slots 24 in tongues 22.
Tongues 22 advantageously extend from one end of the upper portions
and are spaced along the longitudinal axis a distance simila~ to the
spacing between the two hooks 20 as shown in Figure 3. These '
tongues 22 define the slo-ts 24 which are regis-terable with hooks
20. A part of each tongue 22 includes a transverse web 25 which
defines the lower edge of the slot 2~. This web 25 is configured
to slide underneath the extended portion of the bar 21. With this
configuration, the UppQr portion 1'8 of the clamp 10 can be quickly
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secured to -the lower portion by simply slidiny the slots 24
into position registerable with the hooks 20 allowing the~hoo~s
20 to pass through the slots. Subsequent pulling of the clamp
upwardly, allows the web to slide into the recess beneath the
extended portion of the bar 21. In this position, the web
is engaged by the bar 21 to prevent inadvertent disengagement
of the clamp assembly.
At an end remote from the location of the hook~ 20, there
is provided a hingeable member ~6 secured ~o the lower portion by
hinge ~8. This hingeable member 4G is moveable between an open
position, as shown in phankom lines in Fiyure 2, and a closed
position, as shown in solid lines in Figure 2. In the open
posi-tion, the bottom portion provides easy access for receiving
the pipe assembly 12 for the clamping operation. This hingeable
member 46 includes a complementary flange 29 which extends sub-
stantially the entire length of the clamp 10. This flange 29
cooperates with connecting means for holding the two portions
together, which will be described hereinafter. This flange 29 also
includes a lip 30 which is a reverse bend in flange Z9 in the
direction of the hin~e 48. One or more gaps 36 are located along
flange 29. Preferably, three ~aps 36 are ~.ocated equidistantly
from one another along the length of the flange 29. These gaps
extend through the upright portion of the flange as well as the
lip 30 for allowing passage of a rod 28 which forms part of the
connecting means mentioned above.
The upper portion l9 also includes a flange 26 for carrying
three connecting rods 28. Each connecting rod 28 at one end
carries a boss 32 ha~ing a blocking pin 34 f~xtending transversely
therefrom. The other end of the rod 28 defines a threaded por-
tion 27 for threadedly receiving an adjustable nut 40. The por-
tion of the rod 28 between the nut 40 and the flange 26 is cir-
cumscribed by a he].ical spring38 B~tw~ thf` hf~llc.,ll ~prin
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and the rod 40 is ~ washer 42 proviaing a surface on which the
spring may seat.
With this configuration, the connec-ting rod 28 is moveable
be-tween a retracted position and an extended position for lockiny
the clamp in place. In an extended position r the rod 28 is
passed through the gap 36 until the pins 32 are able to clear
the lip 30. The rod 28 is then retracted where the pins enga~e
the rear surface of the flange 29. In this position, the nut
40 can then be turned down to compress the spring 38 imparting
suficient bias for maintaining the tongues 22 in engagement with
the hooks ~0 and clamping portions generally in a clamped dis-
position. ~ !
The bottom portion 18 also carries a guide-and-slide
assembly for allowing the clamp assembly 10 to move along a
-lS longitudinal path with the pipe 10 as it expands and contracts.
This assembly includes a slide 50 which moves within a guide 56.
The slide 50 extends longitudinally parallel to the longitudinal
axis of the guide 54 ana is fixed to the bottom portion 18 of
the clamp assembly 10 by two spaced-apart brackets 52 as can best
be seen in Flgu~e 3s ~he gllide includes flange portions 56, 58
spaced apa~t fTom one another in vertical inte~Fe~ence with ~he
~llde 50 and in moveable ~ela~ionship with the slide 50 for pre-
venting substantial vertical movement ~hile allowing longitudinal
moYe~ent~ The bottom of this assembly includes pla~te 6~ ~ihich
typically carries ~ surface fo~ fac1litating mo~ement of ~lide 50
wlthin the guide 56
In some areas of the world the pipe can be subjected to
difference in temperature in the range of 150C. ~s a result,
one can expect up to a foot of expansion and contraction over
3n a 500-foot length of pipe. With the above-described guicle and
slide assembly, the pipe in a clamped disposition is able to move
relative to the guide 55 due to this thermal expansion and
contraction.
In operation, the lower portion 18 is placed in the correct
position at a predetermined location. The hingeable member 46
is then moved to an open position allowing easy access for re-
ceiving the pipe. The pipe is then laid in place in -the lower
portion 18. During a pipelaying operation, the pipe 12 can be
adjusted relative to the clamp for alignmerlt with and connectlon
to another pipe at either end. Once the pipe 12 is properly lo-
cated for clamping, the upper portion 19 is then placed in a po-
sltion so that the tongues 22 can engage -the hooks 20. The upper
portion 19 is then moved upwards, so tha-t the extended portion of
the hooks 20 engage the web portion 25 of the tongues 22. Sub-
sequently, the upper portion 19 is placed in contiguous relation-
ship with the plpe 12 and the hingeable member 46 is pivoted to
a closed posi-tion where it also engages the pipe 12. In this
posltion, the pipe lZ ;s ready for the final step in the clamping
operation.
This final step involves moving the connecting rod 28
through the gap 36 in an extended position. The rod 28 is then
retracted somewhat so that the pins 34 can engage the flange 29
on the hingeable member 46. The nut 40 is then torqued down to
a predetermined level, which, in the preferred embodiment, is
about 600 pounds of force. In this disposition, the bias is
sufficient to maintain the tongues 22 in engagement with the hooks
20 and the pipe 12 clamped into position. Because of the lip 30 on
the flange 29, the pins will not inadvertently slide upward out of
position, thereby disengaging the clamp. Rather, the clamp 10 will
be held in place until the nut 40 is untorqued sufficiently for
allowing the connec-ting rod 28 to move to an e~tended position
there where the pins can clear the lip 30.
~0~ 7
The clamp assembly 12 described above has several ad-
vantages which overcome deficiencies in pipe assemblies of the
past. These include the rather quick assembly feature during a
pipe clamping operation. To connect one side of the cl~mps to-
gether, they ~imply need to be slid in place and pulled upwardly.To connect the othex slide in the final step a hingeable m*mber
is merely moved to the prop~r position with the connecting rod
slid into place. To dra~ the clamps toward each other,
a socket wrench or other type wrench can be immediately placed on
the nut to tighten the spring to the proper compression.
It should be noted that all the parts are substantially
self-containing. In this regard, the rod 28 and spring 38 can
be maintained on the upper portion 19 by deforming threads on the
rod 28 ahove the nu-t 40. This prevents the nut 40 from rotating
off the rod 28 inadverte~tly. ~o~sequently, there is no need to
carry separate sets of nuts, bolts, and other items to complete
the clamping operation. This avoids many logistical problems
which typically occur in many operations of pipelaying across
a great expanse of territory.
Also, particularly in cold weather, it is not necessary
for the workers to remove their gloves in any of the pipe clamping
operation. Because the bolts are already in place (in this case
the connecting rods) and the tolerances for enyaging are such that
they can be very easily slid in place, the clamping operation can
be accomplished unusually quickly and without discomfort to the
workers.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms
without cleparting from the spirit or central characteristics
thereof. The present embodiment is, thereore, to be consi~.ered
in all respects as illustrative ~nd not restric-tive, the scope
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of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather
than hy the foregoing description, and all changes which come
within the meaning and range oE equivalency of the claims are,
therefore, intended to be emb~aced herein.
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