Pipe clamp assembly and method

Claim 2

A lug arrangement for supporting discontinuous malleable band means around an object such as a pipe and for decreasing the gap between adjacent but spaced-apart ends of said bAnd means, said arrangement comprising: a. a first lug having first means for holding one of said ends of said band means to said lug and finger means extending at least partially across and spaced above said gap; b. a second lug having second means for holding the other of said ends of said band means and a lug portion located under said finger means of said first lug and over said gap between said ends of said band means; and c. means for moving said lugs toward each other whereby to tighten said band means around said object, said moving means cooperating with and positioned relative to said second lug such that, during tightening of said band means, said lug portion at least initially tends to pivot inwardly towards a portion of said object located across said gap so as to bear at least indirectly against said object portion.

Claim 3

A lug arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said moving means includes a. at least one bolt, one end portion of which is interlocked with said lug portion of said second lug so as to move said second lug towards said first lug and the other end portion of which passes through an opening in said first lug and beyond a surface of said first lug, and b. a nut mounted around said other end portion of said bolt and adapted to engage against said surface of said first lug.

Claim 4

A lug arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the centerline of said bolt, if extended, would be located outwardly of the point about which said lug portion tends to pivot.

Claim 5

A lug arrangement according to claim 2 wherein a. said lug portion includes a segment projecting outwardly of said object, said segment having a slot extending its length and opening outwardly, and b. said bolt includes a cross-bar connected with and normal to said one end portion, said one end portion being adapted to lie within said slot and said cross-bar being adapted to lie to one side of said segment away from said first lug.

Claim 6

A lug arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said second lug is located in substantially its entirety within the space between said finger means and said object after tightening of said band means.

Claim 7

An arrangement according to claim 1 including an elongated strip sufficiently long to bridge said gap, said strip extending across said gap between said object and the ends of said band means, said lug portion, during said tightning of said band means, bearing against said strip, thereby indirectly bearing against said object portion.

Claim 8

A lug arrangement, comprising: a. a first lug including i. a main body portion having a frontside, a backside and a plurality of spaced openings extending through said body portion from said frontside to said backside, ii. a band-holding portion integrally formed with the lower end of said main body portion and extending forwardly therefrom below said openings, said band-holding portion having means for holding an end segment of a malleable band below said openings, and iii. a plurality of spaced fingered portions integrally formed with the upper end of said main body portion and extending forwardly therefrom and forwardly of said band-holding means above said openings; b. a second lug including i. a rearward band-holding portion having means for holding an end segment of a malleable band, and ii. a bolt-coupling portion integrally formed with and extending forwardly of said rearward band-holding portion and last-mentioned holding means, said bolt-coupling portion having a frontside, a backside and a plurality of spaced slots equal in number to said plurality of openings, said slots extending from said backside to said frontside and opening upwardly; c. lug coupling means including i. a plurality of bolts equal in number to said openings, each of said bolts having a longitudinal cylindrical shaft at least one end portion of which is threaded and a cross-bar connected with and normal to the other end of said shaft, and ii. an eQual plurality of nuts adapted for thread mounting around the threaded end portions of said shafts; and d. said second lug being positionable in substantially its entirety directly below and adjacent the fingered portions of said first lug such that i. the frontside of the main body portion of said first lug and the frontside of the bolt coupling portion of said second lug face one another, ii. the openings in said main body portion are longitudinally aligned with respective slots in said coupling portion, and iii. the threaded end portion of each of said bolt shafts is adapted to extend through one of said openings from the frontside to the backside of said main body portion while the other end of the shaft lies within an aligned slot with its associated cross-bar bearing against the backside of said coupling portion.

Claim 9

A lug arrangement, comprising: a. a first lug including i. a main body portion having a frontside, a backside and a plurality of spaced openings extending through said body portion from said frontside to said backside, ii. a band-holding portion integrally formed with the lower end of said main body portion and extending forwardly therefrom below said openings, said band-holding portion having means for holding an end segment of a malleable band below said openings, and iii. a plurality of spaced fingered portions integrally formed with the upper end of said main body portion and extending forwardly therefrom and forwardly of said band-holding means above said openings; b. a second lug including i. a rearward band-holding portion having means for holding an end segment of a malleable band, and ii. a bolt-coupling portion integrally formed with and extending forwardly of said rearward band-holding portion and last-mentioned holding means, said bolt-coupling portion having a frontside, a backside and a plurality of spaced slots equal in number to said plurality of openings, said slots extending from said backside to said frontside and opening upwardly; c. lug coupling means including i. a plurality of bolts equal in number to said openings, each of said bolts having a longitudinal cylindrical shaft at least one end portion of which is threaded and a cross-bar connected with and normal to the other end of said shaft, and ii. an eQual plurality of nuts adapted for thread mounting around the threaded end portions of said shafts; and d. said second lug being positionable in substantially its entirety directly below and adjacent the fingered portions of said first lug such that i. the frontside of the main body portion of said first lug and the frontside of the bolt coupling portion of said second lug face one another, ii. the openings in said main body portion are longitudinally aligned with respective slots in said coupling portion, and iii. the threaded end portion of each of said bolt shafts is adapted to extend through one of said openings from the frontside to the backside of said main body portion while the other end of the shaft lies within an aligned slot with its associated cross-bar bearing against the backside of said coupling portion.

Claim 10

A lug arrangement according to claim 7 wherein a. the holding means of said second lug includes a slot in said band-holding portion, said slot extending in a direction rearwardly and upwardly relative to said bolt coupling portion, and b. the lowermost and forwardmost point of said slot is spaced below the centerlines of said bolt shafts when said bolts are positioned to couple said lugs together.

Claim 11

A pipe clamp arrangement comprising a. discontinuous malleable band means including two end portions, said band means being positionable around a pipe such that at least initially said end portions are adjacent but spaced from one another leaving a gap therebetween; b. a first lug connected with one of said end portions and including finger means extending at least partially across and above said gap; c. a second lug positioned in substantially its entirety between said finger means and said pipe, said second lug being connected with the other one of said end portions of said band means and including a lug portion located over said gap and under the finger means of said first lug; and d. means interlocked with said first lug and said second lug for moving said lugs toward one another so as to decrease the distance between said end portions, said moving means including a bolt, one end of which is interlocked with said first lug and the other end of which is directly interlocked with said lug portion of said second lug directly below said finger means and above said gap.

Claim 12

A pipe clamp arrangement comprising a. discontinuous malleable band means including two end portions, said band means being positionable around a pipe such that at least initially said end portions are adjacent but spaced from one another leaving a gap therebetween; b. a first lug connected with one of said end portions and including finger means extending at least partially across and above said gap; c. a second lug positioned in substantially its entirety between said finger means and said pipe, said second lug being connected with the other one of said end portions of said band means and including a lug portion located over said gap and under the finger means of said first lug; and d. means interlocked with said first lug and said second lug for moving said lugs toward one another so as to decrease the distance between said end portions, said moving means including a bolt, one end of which is interlocked with said first lug and the other end of which is directly interlocked with said lug portion of said second lug directly below said finger means and above said gap.

Claim 13

An arrangement according to claim 9 wherein said moving means is interlocked with said lugs such that, upon initially moving said lugs together, said lug portion at least initially tends to pivot inwardly into said gap.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 11 wherein an elongated strip sufficiently long to bridge said gap is located across said gap between said object and the ends of said band means and wherein said lug portion at least initially during the movement of said lugs toward one another, bears against said strip, thereby indirectly bearing against said object portion.

Claim 17

A pipe clamp arrangement comprising: a. discontinuous malleable band means including two end portions, said band means being positioned around a pipe such that at least initially said end portions are adjacent but spaced from one another leaving a gap therebetween: b. a first lug connected with one of said end portions and including finger means extending at least pArtially across and above said gap; c. a second lug connected with the other one of said end portions and including a lug portion located over said gap and under the finger means of said first lug; d. an elongated strip sufficiently long to bridge said gap, said strip extending across said gap between said pipe and said end portions of said band means and inwardly of said lug portion; and e. means for moving said lugs toward each other whereby to tighten said band means around said pipe, said moving means cooperating with and positioned relative to said second lug such that, during tightening of said band means, said lug portion at least initially tends to pivot inwardly so as to bear against that portion of said elongated strip located across said gap.

Claim 18

A pipe clamp arrangement comprising: a. discontinuous malleable band means including two end portions, said band means being positioned around a pipe such that at least initially said end portions are adjacent but spaced from one another leaving a gap therebetween: b. a first lug connected with one of said end portions and including finger means extending at least pArtially across and above said gap; c. a second lug connected with the other one of said end portions and including a lug portion located over said gap and under the finger means of said first lug; d. an elongated strip sufficiently long to bridge said gap, said strip extending across said gap between said pipe and said end portions of said band means and inwardly of said lug portion; and e. means for moving said lugs toward each other whereby to tighten said band means around said pipe, said moving means cooperating with and positioned relative to said second lug such that, during tightening of said band means, said lug portion at least initially tends to pivot inwardly so as to bear against that portion of said elongated strip located across said gap.