A pipe coupling clamp

The present invention relates to a clamp for connecting pipes, comprising a pair of clamp halves, substantially C-shaped in cross section, and provided with a groove for receiving fitted flanges of two pipes to be joined, the clamp halves being hinged to each other one pair of ends and are detachably connected to the other pair of ends using a locking Eye bolt and associated nut, wherein the locking eyebolt is hinged at its proximal end inside the open jaw at one end of one clamp to allow it to rotate through the receiving slot which is connected to the open locking jaw at the end of the other clamp half.

[0002] In the pharmaceutical and food industries, liquids are required to be transported, stored and processed under hygienic conditions. Often pipes and containers with closures made of stainless steel are used. The connection of this type of pipe and the closing of this type of container generally does not take place using threaded fittings or closures due to the risk of contamination due to the use of threads. Many containers made of stainless steel are manufactured using access holes, which are ended with flange fittings. It is common to connect pipe sections, each with a flange. Many clamping mechanisms or connecting clamps are used, which are used to clamp together the matching flanges of two pipes or the tank access opening and flange closure.

[0003] Unfortunately, in some cases a standard and well-known clamp, as described above, can be disconnected at random, for example by a person who rubs against a nut, which is usually a wing nut. Unfortunately, after loosening the wing nut, the entire eyebolt can rotate outward, which can result in the two halves of the clamp disconnecting. Sometimes, even if no accidental impact occurs, the wing nut may unscrew over time, with similar results. The problem arises when, for example, pipes carry corrosive or very hot liquids, because serious injuries may result. This does not pose a special risk when, for example, a small leak occurs, because it is usually visible to service personnel and this place can be repaired. However, the problem arises when the clamp disconnects completely, which can have significant consequences.

[0004] Another problem is to prevent this type of closure from being opened by unauthorized personnel or to disconnect this type of pipe end at all.

[0005] Furthermore, due to the gradual loosening of the nut associated with such clamps over time or as a result of unfortunate accidents during the installation of the clamps, the nut may accidentally become detached from the clamp, which may result in its accidental falling into a tank or a non-disinfected area in the plant room . This usually leads to costly downtime. Further problems arise in connection with the use of pipes connected using these types of clamps, because conservators find it difficult to recognize hazardous materials carried in pipes connected through such clamps.

[0006] It is known in the prior art to use various designs of this type of connector terminals, for example, as described and claimed in US Patent No. 6056332 (Foster). Many of these fittings have been designed to provide rapid closing, including, for example, US Patent No. 6,672,631 (Weinhold). Other designs are known in which constant clamping pressure is maintained, even in the event of temperature changes and internal pressure changes relative to the flange connection. A typical example of this kind is described in US Patent Application No. 2002 / 0185869A1 (Lin). To counteract the problem of, for example, the complete separation of pipes in the event that the screw should fall out during use, the known solution provides for the use of a securing strip such as that described in UK Patent No. 1104922 (Avica). Another type of clamp construction is described in German Patent No. 19757969 (Linnemann). This document describes fast closing in connection with integrated clamping and releasing parts. However, these prior art clamp designs are complex systems that are difficult to finish properly and may not be completely secure.

[0007] Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved pipe clamp design of the aforementioned type that will contribute to overcoming at least some of the above problems and / or offer a helpful choice to people and / or industries.

[0008] It should be noted that the term "includes" may have exclusive or cumulative meanings in various circumstances. For the purposes of this specification, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the term "includes" has a combined meaning, that is, it may mean the inclusion of not only the listed elements, if they are directly referred to, but also other, unspecified elements. Accordingly, the term "includes" should be assigned as broad an interpretation as possible under certain circumstances, and those terms should also be used for the terms "covered" and / or "including".

[0009] Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description provided by way of example only.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] The present invention provides a pipe connecting clamp, comprising a pair of clamp halves, substantially C-shaped in cross-section, and provided with a groove to receive matching flanges of two pipes to be joined, wherein the clamp halves are hinged to each other on one pair of ends and are detachably connected to the other pair of ends using a locking eye bolt and associated eye bolt nut, wherein the locking eye bolt is hinged at its proximal end inside the open jaw at the end of one half of the clamp to allow it to rotate through the receiving slot to the open jaw, which is connected to the end of the other half of the clamp, the clamp being characterized in that the locking eye bolt comprises at its proximal end a longitudinal part of the mounting of the eye bolt which protrudes beyond the open jaw, ending with a stepped threaded part with a limited diameter at its distant finished, with the receiving gap limited in size to receive the stepped threaded portion, and the safety jaw includes an enlarged internal seat to tightly receive a portion of the eyebolt mounting.

[0011] The advantage of this solution is that when the locking nut separates slightly from the locking eye bolt, the clamp halves will not separate, even under pressure, and thus the connector will remain in a position to protect against - in many cases - serious injury . In addition, since there is no requirement to mill the releasing recesses of the clamp in the locking eyebolt, the resulting clamp will be significantly more robust than prior art clamps (such as the Linnemann clamp) as the locking eyebolt is significantly weakened by this type of milling. In addition, milling the release recesses of the clamp in the locking eye bolt will also limit the bearing surface offered by the locking eye bolt, which will further reduce the strength of the clamp connection. In addition, milling or machining to make cavities in the locking eye bolt creates burrs or burrs on the locking eye bolt, these burrs must be removed using specialized tools to obtain a clean finish along the screw to ensure free movement of the nut along the threaded parts of the screw. The use of a locking eyebolt having an elongated portion of the eyebolt assembly connected to the threaded portion of the bolt, which acts as part of the clamp release, eliminates the requirement for this type of additional finishing and eliminates the other problems described above.

[0012] In addition, the use of a continuous threaded portion on the locking eye bolt means that when tightening, the nut fully engages around the periphery of the locking eye bolt. This is particularly advantageous if compared with screws having integrated recesses acting as part of the clamp release (as in the case of the Linnemann clamp), since these screws tend to mash, which causes the nut to adhere to the threaded portion in the recessed area screw during crimping. Such seizing typically occurs when dirt or other loose objects are caught inside the screw cavities, preventing the nut from moving freely along the threaded portion in the screw cavities. [0013] In one embodiment of the invention, the locking eye bolt nut is a wing nut.

[0014] In one embodiment of the invention, the elongated portion of the eyebolt assembly is substantially the same size as the enlarged internal seat to provide a press fit between them.

[0015] In another embodiment of the invention, the clamp further includes a stop to prevent displacement of the nut from the stepped threaded portion, which stop is attached to the free end of the stepped threaded portion of the locking eye bolt.

[0016] The advantage of this solution is that the clamp is assembled as a fully integrated complete element in which the nut can be significantly loosened to allow the clamp to be released and opened, but in which the stop prevents complete removal of the nut from the clamp. This prevents the problem of the cap falling into the tank or non-disinfected area in the plant room. In addition, this feature also ensures that the individual clamp elements cannot be separated, which eliminates costly downtime to recover separable clamping elements.

[0017] In another embodiment of the invention, the nut includes a hole having an internal threaded portion connected integrally to the widened portion in a larger size, the internal threaded portion being used to engage the stepped threaded portion and the widened portion being used to engage around a portion of the internal mounting portion of the bolt .

[0018] In another embodiment of the invention, the clamp includes a colored code that indicates the flow of medium through the pipes connected by the clamp.

[0019] Preferably, the colored code comprises a colored plastic coating on the cap and the stop. Equipping the clamps in this way with a colored code allows conservators to recognize specific hazardous materials carried through pipes connected by clamps. This type of identification system will be particularly useful for early warning conservators about possible areas at risk in a plant's room.

[0020] In another embodiment of the invention, the locking eyebolt nut engages on the clamp half through a cylindrical receiving receptacle of the nut which engages on the clamp and which has a drilled washer forming the base.

[0021] In the latter embodiment, ideally the socket includes the receiving hole of the lock, the lock being removed to gain access to the nut.

[0022] Again, in the case of the last embodiments shown, the nut may be a dome nut comprising a cylindrical inner part and a hexagonal outer part. [0023] In one embodiment of the invention, the clamp halves are hinged to each other using a connecting plate pivotally mounted on each clamp half.

[0024] In another embodiment, a pair of spaced apart connector plates are used, secured on both sides of the clamp halves by means of rotating pins.

Detailed description of the invention [0025] In the following, based on the description of selected embodiments, the present invention will be further described by way of examples, based on the attached drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a perspective view after partial disassembly of the pipe clamp according to the invention, figure 2 is a perspective view of a clamp that will be closed soon, figure 3 is a cross-sectional view in the direction indicated by arrows III-III in figure 1 Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the pipe clip of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the wing nut used in connection with the pipe clamp in Figs. 1 to 4, Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing an alternative clamp structure according to the invention, Fig. 7 is an assembly view an exploded further pipe clamp according to the invention, Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the assembled pipe clamp, shown in Fig. 7, Fig. 9 is a perspective view of another pipe coupling clamp, after partial disassembly according to the invention, Figs. 10-12 are a perspective view of the clamp visible in Fig. 9, which is closed here, Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a pipe clamp shown in Fig. 12.

[0026] The drawings, starting from Figs. 1 to 3, show a pipe clamp, generally designated by number 1, which includes a pair of substantially C-shaped halves of the clamp 2, 3, hinged together on one pair of ends, marked generally with numbers 4 and 5, using a pair of connecting plates 6, attached with rotary pins 7 on each of the halves of terminal 2 and 3. The halves of terminal 2 and 3 are releasably connected to the other pair of terminals, generally designated by numbers 8 and 9, using a locking eyeball, generally designated by 10, and the associated eyebolt locking nut 11. The locking eye bolt 10 is hinged at its proximal end inside the open jaw 12 at the end 9 of the clamp half 3 to allow it to rotate through the receiving slot 13 to the open locking jaw 14 connected to the end 8 of the second clamp half 2. Locking eye bolt 10 is hinged inside the open support jaw 12 by means of a hinge pin 15.

[0027] The locking eye bolt 10 comprises at its proximal end a longitudinal seating part of the eyebolt 16 which projects from the open jaw 12, ending in a stepped threaded portion 17 with a reduced diameter at the distal end. The receiving slot 13 is of a limited size to receive a stepped threaded portion 17, the safety jaw 14 comprising an enlarged internal socket, generally designated by number 18, of a sufficient size to accurately receive the longitudinal portion of the eyebolt screw 16. This is clearly seen in fig. 3.

[0028] The locking eye bolt 10 is provided with a related threaded nut in this case a wing nut 11 (see Fig. 2). As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the ends 8, 9 of the halves of the clamp 2, 3 can be joined together, first leading the threaded portion 17 through the slot 13, as a result of which it will rest inside the enlarged seat 18 of the safety jaw 14. The locking jaw 14 is then moved down the locking eyebolt 10 in such a way that the operator exerts pressure on the clamp half 2, after which the wing nut 11 is clamped, moving down until a portion of the eyebolt fitting 16 is pulled in to socket 18. When the connecting clamp 1 is stabilized in its position, it should be noted that even if the wing nut 11 is slightly loosened, the clamp halves will not be separated. A further advantage of such a construction is that it allows it to be relatively easy to place the clamp 1 in a given position, after which it is self-maintained when the wing nut 11 is clamped.

[0029] In Figs. 4 and 5, the wing nut 11 includes an internal threaded portion 51, integral with the widened portion 52 of increased size, whereby when the wing nut 11 is clamped on the locking eye bolt 10 (see Fig. 2), the inner threaded portion 51 will engage with the stepped threaded portion 17 during crimping. The widened portion 52 is large enough to ensure that it does not catch on the stepped threaded portion 17 when tightening the wing nut 11. Depending on the degree of tightening required, the widened portion 52 may engage around the top portion of the eyebolt seating portion 16.

[0030] Fig. 6 shows an alternative construction of the pipe coupling clip, generally indicated by number 20, which pipe coupling clamp 20 has a modified form of an enlarged internal socket, indicated by number 23, which has a circular cross section. This type of construction provides interference or interference fit for the locking eyebolt 10 inside the socket 23. Parts similar to those described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 have the same numbers.

[0031] Figures 7 and 8 show a further structure of the pipe coupling clip, generally designated by the number 25, in which parts similar to those described in relation to the previous drawings are given the same numbers. In this embodiment, the locking Eye bolt 10 engages the cylindrical receiving socket of the nut 26 having a base 27 formed by a reamed washer, into which socket protrudes the nut 28 to engage the threaded portion 17 of the locking eye bolt 10. Cylindrical receiving eye socket 26 has a pair of axially spaced through holes 29 to receive the lock 30, as shown in Figure 8. The nut 28 is a dome nut having a cylindrical inner portion 31 and a hexagonal outer portion 32.

[0032] The pipe clip in Figs. 7 and 8 works in exactly the same way as the pipe clip in the above-mentioned embodiments except that here the nut 28 can be held in position and secured against unauthorized manipulation with lock 30.

[0033] Fig. 9 is a pipe clamp similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, again designated by number 1, parts similar to those described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 also having the same numbers, with of the embodiment shown here, the clamp 1 further includes a stop 60, attached to the free end of the stepped threaded portion 17 of the locking eye bolt 10. The size of the stop 60 is larger than the drilled hole in the wing nut 11, whereby during use it prevents the wing nut 11 from moving from the stepped threaded portion 17 when the clamp 1 is removed or when it is opened.

[0034] In the example shown, the pipe coupling clamp 1 also includes a colored code system for simple identification of the medium flowing through the pipes connected by the clamp 1. In the example shown, the colored code includes a colored plastic coating, which in this example is located on the stop 60 and on the wings 61 of the wing nut 11.

[0035] Figs. 10 to 12 further show the gradual closing of the pipe clip 1 shown in Fig. 9, the closing being done in exactly the same way as for the pipe clip shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

[0036] Fig. 13 shows the clamp shown in Fig. 12, which is again designated the number 1 here, and parts similar to those previously described are also given the same numbers. When the wing nut 11 is clamped, being moved down the stepped threaded portion 17, it may, depending on the size of the pipes to be joined together and the range of clamping required, pull a portion of the eye bolt seating portion 16 into the wing nut 11. Accordingly, when the wing nut 11 is clamped, the inner threaded portion 51 of the bore of the wing nut 11 will likewise move down the stepped threaded portion 17, and in some cases the widened portion 52 will be seated on the top portion 54 of the eyebolt seating portion 16. End The clamp halves 8 also include grooves 63 for tight seating of the nut 11 (see Fig. 9).

[0037] The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but can have both a different design and details, without departing from the scope of the claims.