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A pipe clamp which includes an open band of metal, a pair of opposed flanges located at the open ends of the band, and a tightening mechanism for drawing the flanges together. Each flange extends radially from a body portion of the band to a loop formed by a portion of the band material folded back

A pipe clamp which includes an open band of metal, a pair of opposed flanges located at the open ends of the band, and a tightening mechanism for drawing the flanges together. Each flange extends radially from a body portion of the band to a loop formed by a portion of the band material folded back onto itself. The flanges each have an aperture at a location intermediate the loop and the body portion to accept a fastener for tightening of the band. The loops are disposed adjacent each other such that the flanges are separated by a gap that is greater at the apertures than at the loops. One or both of the flanges can have a slot that extends into the body portion of the band so that the slotted flange comprises two flange portions that can be tightened somewhat independently of each other.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A pipe clamp, comprising: a band of metal having first and second ends and being formed into a substantially cylindrical body portion; a pair of opposed flanges formed from sheet material at said ends of said band, wherein each of said opposed flanges extends radially f

The invention claimed is: 1. A pipe clamp, comprising: a band of metal having first and second ends and being formed into a substantially cylindrical body portion; a pair of opposed flanges formed from sheet material at said ends of said band, wherein each of said opposed flanges extends radially from said body portion to a closed loop formed by a portion of said sheet material folded back onto itself such that said flanges comprise a plurality of layers of said sheet material, with said flanges each having an aperture through said sheet material at a location intermediate said loop and said body portion, and wherein said loops are disposed adjacent each other such that said flanges are separated by a gap that is greater at said apertures than at said loops; and a tightening mechanism that includes a fastener extending through said apertures in said opposed flanges for drawing the ends of said band together such that said band can be tightened about a pipe, whereby tightening of said band causes said loops of said flanges to engage each other, with further tightening causing a lower portion of said flanges at said body portion to be drawn together for further tightening of said band. 2. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said body portion of said band is made from said sheet material such that said flanges comprise unitary extensions of said body portion. 3. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 2, wherein said sheet material of each of said flanges is folded outwardly away from said gap and terminates at a junction between said flange and said body portion such that an end edge of said sheet material engages said junction during tightening of said fastener to thereby help evenly distribute the tightening force across the axial length of said band. 4. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 2, wherein said sheet material of each of said flanges is folded inwardly toward said gap and terminates at a location underlying a circumferential portion of said band. 5. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said layers of said flanges is substantially flat. 6. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said layers of at least a first one of said flanges are in contact with each other to thereby define an interface between said layers, and wherein a central region of said loop at said first flange is circumferentially offset from said interface in a direction toward the other of said loops. 7. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said opposed flanges is separated into two sections by a slot that extends into said body portion, with each of said sections including an aperture for receiving a fastener so that each of said sections can be tightened independently of the other section. 8. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein one of said opposed flange portions is radially longer than the other of said opposed flange portions such that the loop of said one of said opposed flange portions is radially offset with respect to the loop of said other of said opposed flange portions. 9. A pipe clamp for use in joining tubular members, said pipe clamp comprising: a band comprising a cylindrical body portion adapted to fit around said tubular members, said band terminating at opposed linear flanges wherein each of said opposed flanges includes an inner leg portion, an outer leg portion, and a loop which are all formed from a unitary piece of sheet material, said inner and outer leg portions of each flange being in contact with each other to thereby define an interface between said leg portions, said flanges each including an aperture extending through said interface, and wherein each of said loops include a central region that is circumferentially offset from its associated interface in a direction toward the other of said loops; and at least one tightening mechanism including a fastener inserted through said apertures in said flanges for tightening said band around the tubular members. 10. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 9, wherein said loops are formed by wrapping said sheet material in a wrap direction outwardly with respect to the inner leg portion of said flange to form the outer leg portion and terminating said sheet material radially outwardly of said cylindrical body portion of said band to form the outer leg portion. 11. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 9, wherein said loops are formed by wrapping said sheet material inwardly with respect to the outer leg portion of said flange to form the inner leg portion, said sheet material extending along said outer leg portion and partially underlying said cylindrical body portion of said band. 12. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 9, wherein said loops include abutment surfaces that contact each other upon tightening of said band. 13. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 9, wherein said inner and outer leg portions extend radially from said cylindrical body portion of said band to said loops with said leg portions being in contact with each other throughout their radial extent. 14. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 9, wherein said loops are positioned radially outward of said cylindrical body portion. 15. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 9, comprising a slot formed into one of said flanges and extending into a portion of said cylindrical body portion. 16. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 9, wherein said pipe clamp is a band clamp. 17. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 9, wherein said pipe clamp is a pipe coupler and includes a tubular sleeve within said body portion. 18. A pipe clamp as defined in claim 9, wherein one of said opposed flanges is radially longer than the other of said opposed flanges such that the loop of said one of said opposed flanges is radially offset with respect to the loop of said other of said opposed flanges. 19. A pipe clamp, comprising: a band of metal having first and second ends and being formed into a substantially cylindrical body portion; a pair of opposed flanges formed from sheet material at said ends of said band, wherein each of said opposed linear flanges extends radially from said body portion to a closed loop formed by a portion of said sheet material folded back onto itself such that said flanges comprise a plurality of layers of said sheet material, with said flanges each having an aperture through said sheet material at a location intermediate said loop and said body portion, and wherein said layers of at least one of said flanges includes an inner layer and an outer layer, wherein said outer layer extends radially farther than said inner layer to thereby form a portion of said loop; and a tightening mechanism that includes a fastener extending through said apertures in said opposed flanges for drawing the ends of said band together. 20. A pipe clamp, comprising: a band of metal having first and second ends and being formed into a substantially cylindrical body portion; first and second flanges formed from sheet material, each flange being located adjacent the other flange at one of said ends of said band, wherein each of said flanges extends radially from said body portion to a loop formed by a portion of said sheet material folded back onto itself such that said flanges comprise a plurality of layers of said sheet material, with said layers of each flange extending radially from said body portion to said loop, said layers of each flange being in direct contact with each other along at least a portion of their radial extent, wherein said first flange is radially longer than said second flange such that said loop of said first flange is located radially farther away from said body portion than said loop of said second flange; and a tightening mechanism that includes a fastener extending through said apertures in said flanges. 21. A pipe coupler, comprising: a band of metal having a substantially cylindrical body portion that extends from a first end to a second end, said band including radially-extending opposed flanges at said ends, each said flange being formed as a unitary extension of said body portion and being disposed opposite the other flange, wherein at least a first one of said flanges includes a slot that separates said flange into two flange portions and that extends into said body portion at a central region of said body portion and partially about the circumference of said band; a tightening mechanism that includes at least two fasteners, each fastener being connected to said flanges for drawing one of said flange portions of said first flange toward the other flange to enable tightening of each flange portion substantially independently of the tightening of the other flange portion; and a split sleeve located within said band, said sleeve extending circumferentially within said band from a first mating end to a second mating end, wherein said mating ends are separated by a gap that can be at least partially closed during tightening of said band, said mating ends being rotational oriented within said band such that said slot radially overlies said sleeve but does not overlie said gap. 22. A pipe coupler as defined in claim 21, wherein: said opposed flanges and body portion of said band are formed from sheet material at said ends of said band, each of said opposed flanges extends radially from said body portion to a loop formed by a portion of said sheet material folded back onto itself such that said flanges comprise a plurality of layers of said sheet material, with said flanges each having an aperture through said sheet material at a location intermediate said loop and said body portion, and wherein said loops are disposed adjacent each other such that said flanges are separated by a gap that is greater at said apertures than at said loops; and said tightening mechanism includes one of said fasteners extending through each of said apertures in said opposed flanges for drawing the ends of said band together, whereby tightening of said band causes said loops of said flanges to engage each other, with further tightening causing a lower portion of said flanges at said body portion to be drawn together for further tightening of said band. 23. A pipe coupler as defined in claim 21, wherein said slot extends about said band for an angular distance of between 45° and 270°. 24. A pipe coupler as defined in claim 23, wherein said slot extends about half of the circumference of said band.