Pipe clamp made of non-cast materials

Claim 2

In a pipe clamp of the type having a malleable band with ends secured in a pair of lugs adapted to be tightened together by bolts and nuts, each of said pair of lugs comprising: an elongated lug bar adapted to extend parallel to the centerline of a pipe being repaired, said bar being made from a strip of non-cast metal having a planar upper surface and fixed to one end of said malleable band; a bolt retaining member made from a strip of non-cast metal stock that is bent to a U-shaped configuration with parallel, spaced apart fingers connected at one end by a transverse portion, at least one of said fingers being long enough to extend beyond the inner edge of said lug bar and contact the upper surface of the lug bar of the opposing lug member of the clamp, weldments along the bottom edges of said fingers adjacent said transverse portion for securing said bolt retaining member to said upper surface of said lug bar, said transverse portion having an opening for receiving the shank of a bolt.

Claim 3

The pipe clamp as described in claim 1 wherein said fingers have different lengths.

Claim 4

The pipe clamp as described in claim 2 wherein the end of the longest finger of each bolt retaining member has a surface that slopes upwardly toward the closed end of the member.

Claim 5

The pipe clamp as described in claim 1 wherein said fingers and said lug bars are stainless steel.

Claim 6

The pipe clamp as described in claim 1 wherein said opening in said transverse portion is closer to one finger so that the openings of opposed lugs of the clamp will be aligned when the finger of one lug is located between the fingers of the opposed lug.

Claim 7

The pipe clamp as described in claim 1 wherein said lug bar is channel shaped in cross section to form parallel legs having a space between to receive a hooked end portion of said malleable band, and spot welds connecting one said leg to said band at spaced apart intervals along the lug bar.

Claim 8

The pipe clamp as described in claim 1 wherein said lug bar has a generally rectangular shaped cross section with a top surface that supports a hooked end portion of said malleable band, and spot welds connecting said lug bar and said hooked end portion.

Claim 9

The pipe clamp as described in claim 1 wherein said bolt retaining member on one lug has finger portions that are spaced closer together than the wider spaced apart finger portions of the opposed lug so that they extend within said wider spaced apart finger portions as the opposed lugs are brought together.

Claim 10

A pipe clamp comprising in combination: a band of malleable sheet metal adapted to fit around a pipe and having hooked end portions; a pair of rigid lugs fixed to said hooked end portions of said band, each said lug including a lug bar having a substantially rectangular cross section and welded to one of said hooked end portions of said band, at least one bolt retaining member on each said lug bar formed by a strip of non-cast metal and bent to generally a U-shaped configuration with parallel spaced apart fingers that are connected at one end by a transverse portion, weldments along the bottom edges of said fingers adjacent to said transverse portion for securing each said bolt retaining member to its said lug bar, each said transverse portion having an opening, and bolt means extending through aligned said openings of the retaining members on opposed lugs, said fingers extending from each said lug bar to engage the upper surface of the lug bar on the opposed lug when said bolt means are tightened.

Claim 11

A pipe clamp comprising in combination: a band of malleable sheet metal adapted to fit around a pipe and having hooked end portions; a pair of rigid lugs fixed to said hooked end portions of said band, each said lug including a lug bar having a substantially rectangular cross section and welded to one of said hooked end portions of said band, at least one bolt retaining member on each said lug bar formed by a strip of non-cast metal and bent to generally a U-shaped configuration with parallel spaced apart fingers that are connected at one end by a transverse portion, weldments along the bottom edges of said fingers adjacent to said transverse portion for securing each said bolt retaining member to its said lug bar, each said transverse portion having an opening, and bolt means extending through aligned said openings of the retaining members on opposed lugs, said fingers extending from each said lug bar to engage the upper surface of the lug bar on the opposed lug when said bolt means are tightened.

Claim 12

The pipe clamp as described in claim 9 wherein the fingers on one of said lugs are closer together than the wider fingers on the other lug and are spaced inside of the wider fingers when the lugs are brought together to tighten the band.

Claim 13

In a pipe clamp of the type having a malleable band with ends secured in a pair of lugs adapted to be tightened together by bolts and nuts, each of said pair of lugs comprising: an elongated lug bar made from a strip of non-cast metal and adapted to extend parallel to the centerline of a pipe being repaired and fixed to one end of said malleable band; a bolt retaining member made from a strip of non-cast metal stock in a U-shaped configuration with parallel, spaced apart fingers connected at one end by a transverse portion, the bottom edges of said fingers being welded to said lug bar, said transverse portion comprising a separable retainer washer that interconnects its fingers having a central opening to receive a bolt and an integral flange portion that extends under the lug bar when the bolt is positioned properly between fingers, whereby said washer is removable from said fingers so that the bolt can be dropped in place during installation of the clamp.

Claim 14

In a pipe clamp of the type having a malleable band with ends secured in a pair of lugs adapted to be tightened together by bolts and nuts, each of said pair of lugs comprising: an elongated lug bar made from a strip of non-cast metal and adapted to extend parallel to the centerline of a pipe being repaired and fixed to one end of said malleable band; a bolt retaining member made from a strip of non-cast metal stock in a U-shaped configuration with parallel, spaced apart fingers connected at one end by a transverse portion, the bottom edges of said fingers being welded to said lug bar, said transverse portion comprising a separable retainer washer that interconnects its fingers having a central opening to receive a bolt and an integral flange portion that extends under the lug bar when the bolt is positioned properly between fingers, whereby said washer is removable from said fingers so that the bolt can be dropped in place during installation of the clamp.

Claim 15

A pipe clamp comprising in combination: a band of malleable sheet metal adapted to fit around a pipe and having hooked end portions; a pair of rigid lugs fixed to said hooked end portions of said band, each said lug including a lug bar having a substantially rectangular cross section and welded to one of said hooked end portions of said band, at least one bolt retaining member on each said lug bar formed of non-cast metal and bent to generally a U-shaped configuration with parallel spaced apart fingers that are connected at one end by a transverse portion, weldments along the bottom edges of said fingers adjacent to said transverse portion for securing each said bolt retaining member to its said lug bar, each said transverse portion having an opening, and bolt means extending through aligned said openings of the retaining members on opposed lugs, one of said fingers on each said bolt retaining member being longer than the outer finger and having a beveled end, said opening in said transverse portion being nearer to one finger than the other finger so that when said openings in both lugs are aligned the smaller finger of each bolt retaining member is located between the fingers of the bolt retaining member on the oPposed lug, said fingers extending from each said lug bar to engage the upper surface of the lug bar on the opposed lug when said bolt means are tightened.

Claim 16

A pipe clamp comprising in combination: a band of malleable sheet metal adapted to fit around a pipe and having hooked end portions; a pair of rigid lugs fixed to said hooked end portions of said band, each said lug including a lug bar having a substantially rectangular cross section and welded to one of said hooked end portions of said band, at least one bolt retaining member on each said lug bar formed of non-cast metal and bent to generally a U-shaped configuration with parallel spaced apart fingers that are connected at one end by a transverse portion, weldments along the bottom edges of said fingers adjacent to said transverse portion for securing each said bolt retaining member to its said lug bar, each said transverse portion having an opening, and bolt means extending through aligned said openings of the retaining members on opposed lugs, one of said fingers on each said bolt retaining member being longer than the outer finger and having a beveled end, said opening in said transverse portion being nearer to one finger than the other finger so that when said openings in both lugs are aligned the smaller finger of each bolt retaining member is located between the fingers of the bolt retaining member on the oPposed lug, said fingers extending from each said lug bar to engage the upper surface of the lug bar on the opposed lug when said bolt means are tightened.