Patent ID: 6039235
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
A pipe aligner, comprising:a first pipe-contacting means adapted to engage a pair of abutting pipes that are in axial alignment with one another;said first pipe-contacting means including a pair of pipe-abutting members that are disposed in parallel relation to a common longitudinal axis of said pipes and in parallel relation to one another;a pair of spaced apart flexible link members disposed in interconnecting relation to each pipe-abutting member of said pair of pipe-abutting members at opposite ends thereof;each flexible link member of said pair of flexible link members having its respective opposite ends pivotally engaged to its associated pipe-abutting members;a second pipe-contacting means adapted to engage a pair of abutting pipes that are in axial alignment with one another, said second pipe-contacting means having a common structure with said first pipe-contacting means;said second pipe-contacting means adapted to be disposed in diametrically opposed relation to said first pipe-contacting means to position said abutting pipes in sandwiched relation between said first and second pipe-contacting means;a pair of releasable fastening means for releasably interconnecting opposed pipe-abutting members of said first and second pipe-contacting means to one another;each of said releasable fastening means being provided in the form of an elongate bolt that extends between two opposed pipe-abutting members and which screw-threadedly engages one of them so that tightening of said elongate bolt increases a pipe-aligning force created by pulling said diametrically-opposed pipe-contacting means toward one another;whereby removal of either of said elongate bolts enables pivotal movement of said first pipe-contacting means with respect to said second pipe-contacting means so that a first pair of pipes sandwiched between said first and second pipe-contacting means is removable from said sandwiched engagement and a second pair of pipes is introducible into said sandwiched engagement in the absence of a need to disengage a second elongate bolt of said pair of elongate bolts.