Expansible pipe joint clamp

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING A SEALING CONNECTION COMPRISING: A FIRST FLUID CONFINING ELEMENT, AN ANNULAR WEDGING SURFACE EXTERNALLY THEREON ADJACENT AN END THEREOF; A SECOND FLUID CONFINING ELEMENT, AN ANNULAR WEDGING SURFACE EXTERNALLY THEREON ADJACENT AN END THEREOF; A CLAMPING ASSEMBLY LOOSELY CARRIED BY SAID SECOND FLUID CONFINING ELEMENT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ARCUATE SEGMENTS, PIVOT MEANS COMPRISING HINGE BRACKETS MOUNTED ADJACENT THE ENDS OF EACH ARCUATE SEGMENT AND PIN MEANS PIVOTABLY JOINING SAID HINGE BRACKETS TO ONE ANOTHER; REMOTE CONTROL MEANS FOR GENERALLY RADIALLY EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING SAID CLAMP ABOUT SAID PIVOT MEANS; MEANS DEFINING FIRST AND SECOND COMPLEMENTARY WEDGING SURFACES ON SAID ARCUATE SEGMENTS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLUID CONFINING ELEMENT WEDGING SURFACES TO AXIALLY DRAW SAID SECOND FLUID CONFINING ELEMENT TOWARD SAID FIRST FLUID CONFINING ELEMENT TO EFFECT SEALING THEREBETWEEN WHEN SAID CLAMP IS CONTRACTED; AND MEANS PERIPHEALLY HOUSING SAID CLAMP, SAID HOUSING MEANS INCLUDING GENERALLY RADIALLY EXTENDING, ANNULAR TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS JOINED BY A GENERALLY AXIALLY EXTENDING SIDE WALL, SAID HOUSING MEANS BEING SECURED TO SAID SECOND FLUID CONFINING ELEMENT ADJACENT SAID END OF SAID SECOND FLUID CONFINING ELEMENT; ADCLAMP BEING EXPANSIBLE IN SAID HOUSING TO A POSITION WHEREIN THE CLAMP IS DISENGAGED FROM THE FIRST AND SECOND FLUID CONFINING ELEMENT WEDGING SURFACES AND SAID HINGE BRACKETS CONTAINING SAID PINS AT THE RADIALLY OUTER EXTENT