Hingeable split pipe collar

Claim 1

A split collar for use with pipe and the like comprising a pair of opposed collar halves the inner surfaces of which cooperate to define a substantially circular opening having a central axis and an axial plane which contains said axis, outwardly extending flanges at each end of each of said halves, each of said flanges having a substantially flat inner surface which abuts the adjacent inner flange surface of the opposite half along a radial plane extending radially outwardly from said circular opening and substantially normal to said axial plane and which then diverges with respect to the opposite flange inner surface, aligned holes in said adjacent flanges, fastening means extending through said holes and substantially parallel to said axial plane operable to clamp said abutting inner surfaces of said adjacent flanges against each other to maintain said halves in assembled relation, said holes having substantial clearance inwardly and outwardly of said fastening means in a direction generally normal to said axial plane, the point at which said inner flange surfaces commence to diverge being located at least as close to said circular opening as the innermost edges of the adjacent fastening means in a direction substantially normal to said axial plane, whereby when one of said fastening means is completely removed, said halves may be swung outwardly with respect to each other without loosening the other fastening means, said outward swinging motion taking place substantially along a fulcrum located at the point where the inner surfaces of said still connected flanges commence to diverge.