Patent ID: 6325277
Filing Date: 2001-12-04
Classification: B23K,B25B

Abstract:
In combination, a pair of sanitary tubing segments and a clamp for aligning the segments, comprising:a first thin walled stainless steel sanitary tubing segment having first and second ends;a second thin walled stainless steel sanitary tubing segment having first and second ends, the first end of the first tubing segment and the first end of the second tubing segment having a common size and shape;clamp holding the first end of the first tubing segment in direct contacting abutment with the first end of the second tubing segment to form a seam and to obtain and maintain precision alignment between the first ends of the first and second tubing segments without reforming either of said first ends, said clamp having a first clamp part and a second clamp part pivotally connected to the first clamp part, the first clamp part having first and second clamp portions thereof separated by a cutout included in the first clamp part, the cutout of the first clamp part being large enough and adapted to permit tack fusion welding at the seam, the first clamp portion of the first clamp part including a continuous inner surface contacting a first portion of said first tubing segment in close proximity to said first end thereof without reforming said first end thereof, and the second clamp portion of the first clamp part including a continuous inner surface contacting a first portion of said second tubing segment in close proximity to said first end thereof without reforming said first end thereof, the second clamp part having first and second clamp portions thereof separated by a cutout included in the second clamp part, the cutout of the second clamp part being large enough and adapted to permit tack fusion welding at the seam, the first clamp portion of the second clamp part including a continuous inner surface contacting a second portion of said first tubing segment in close proximity to said first end thereof without reforming said first end thereof, and the second clamp portion of the second clamp part including a continuous inner surface contacting a second portion of said second tubing segment in close proximity to said first end thereof without reforming said first end thereof; anda locking device operatively associated with said first and second clamp parts to hold said first and second clamp parts in position about said first ends of said first and second tubing segments, said locking device comprising:a rod connecting the first and second clamp portions of the first clamp part;a threaded shaft having a bore extending through it that accommodates and receives the rod to permit the shaft to be pivotally and slidably mounted on the rod;a nut having a threaded inner surface threaded on the shaft and having a bore extending through it;a bracket further connecting the first and second clamp portions of the second clamp part having a channel defined therein that is large enough to receive and accommodate the shaft, yet small enough so that it cannot receive and accommodate the nut; andan elongated pin extending through the bore of the nut to permit sliding movement therein.