Patent ID: 7140579
Filing Date: 2006-11-28
Classification: F16L

Abstract:
1. A sway brace clamp for clamping about specified outside diameter having a nominal outside radius and a negative radial mill tolerance, comprising two elongate bars, each elongate bar including an arcuate section having a concave side, a first straight section on one end of the arcuate section and a second straight section on the other end of the arcuate section, the first and second straight sections defining attachment surfaces on one side lying in a common attachment plane, each straight section having a through hole; fasteners extendable through the through holes to retain the two elongate bars together with the attachment surfaces of the first straight sections against the attachment surfaces of the second straight sections, respectively, a maximum distance perpendicular to the attachment plane between the attachment plane and the concave side of the arcuate section for each elongate bar being less than the nominal outside radius minus the negative radial mill tolerance when the bar is unstressed to provide a designed clamping force imposed on the specified outside diameter with the attachment surfaces of the two bars positioned against one another, respectively, each of the arcuate sections of the two elongate bars defining a center of curvature which lies substantially in the common attachment plane of the respective bar with the attachment surfaces of the first straight sections against the attachment surfaces of the second straight sections, respectively, and with each of the arcuate sections stressed and deformed about the specified outside diameter, each of the centers of curvature lying substantially in the common attachment plane being offset away from the respective defining arcuate section across the common attachment plane thereof when the bar is unstressed.