Abstract:
A clamp assembly for connecting the end of a first pipe to the end of an axially aligned second pipe. The clamp assembly comprises a first semi-circular clamp arm, a second semi-circular clamp arm, a lever and a latch. The first clamp arm has a first end portion and a second end portion. The second clamp arm has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion of the second clamp arm is pivotably attached to the first end portion of the first clamp arm. The lever is pivotably attached to the first end portion of the first clamp arm. The latch has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion of the latch is pivotably attached the second end portion of the second clamp arm. The second end portion of the latch is attached to the lever upon the clamp assembly in a closed position. The distance between the attachment of the latch to the second clamp arm to the attachment of the latch to the lever is adjustable in the attachment of the latch to the second clamp arm.  
     This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No.  10/278,573 , which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.  10/014,396 . This application is also a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No.  10/014,396 . The present invention relates to a clamp assembly for connecting the end of a first pipe to the end of an axially aligned second pipe. More specifically, it relates to a clamp assembly for connecting the end of a hopper tee to the end of an axially aligned second pipe.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Hopper or tank trailers are commonly used to transport dry bulk such as industrial and food products. The trailer has a plurality of funnel shaped hoppers located at the bottom of the trailer. Defined at the lower most end of each hopper is a discharge outlet. Attached to each discharge outlet is a valve member and a hopper tee. The hopper tee has a vertical section and a horizontal section forming the tee configuration. The valve member is located between the discharge end of the hopper and the top of the hopper tee. A plurality of connection pipes are connected the horizontal sections of the hopper tees to allow the dry bulk to be discharged from a single discharge opening.  
           [0002]    When the hopper trailer reaches its destination, the dry bulk is unloaded. The unloading process involves attaching a discharge pipe to the discharge opening of the trailer. The valve members are then positioned to the opened position such that the dry bulk is able to flow freely into the hopper tees. Thereafter, a reduced pressure in the discharge pipe suctions the dry bulk through the bottom lines and into the discharge pipe.  
           [0003]    Although the prior art hopper tee assemblies function well for their intended purposes, there are several problems associated with the prior art valve member and hopper tee assemblies. The prior art valve member and the hopper tee assemblies are bolted to a flange located at the bottom of the hopper. To gain access to the valve member or the interior of the hopper tee, a wrench must be used to unbolt the bolts that hold the hopper tee and the valve member to the flange. The process of unbolting the bolts is very time consuming.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,681 to Sisk addresses the concern of having to remove the bolts to gain access to the valve member or the interior of the hopper tee, by replacing the conventional flange, the valve member and the hopper tee with a swing-away hopper tee assembly. While the &#39;681 Sisk hopper assembly can be easily opened without the necessity of unbolting, the &#39;681 Sisk hopper assembly is significantly taller than the conventional valve member and hopper tee which it replaces. Therefore, to retrofit a trailer with the &#39;681 Sisk hopper assembly, the bottom of each hopper would need to be reduced to accommodate for the increased height of the Sisk hopper assembly. Such a retrofitting process is very time consuming and costly.  
           [0005]    As discussed previously, a plurality of connection pipes are connected the horizontal sections of the hopper tees. A vacuum is sometimes employed through the connection pipes to facilitate the emptying of the dry bulk material. All of the dry bulk product must be removed at the end of unloading process to prevent contamination of subsequent loads. It is known that contamination can occur at the point of coupling of the connection pipe and the hopper tee. Hence, it may sometimes be necessary to remove the clamp assembly connecting the hopper tee to the corresponding connection pipe and unseat the gasket to gain access to the junction between the hopper tee and the connection pipe. It is known in the prior art to use a clamp assembly having semi-circular arms connected by a hinge. A lever and a clamping means is used to draw the two arms tightly together to surround a gasket situated radially outwardly of the junction between the hopper tee and corresponding connection pipe. U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,666 discloses such a clamp assembly. While the clamp assembly disclosed in the &#39; 666  Patent allows for quick removal of the clamp assembly; to gain access to the junction between the hopper tee and the corresponding connection pipe, a further step is still required to unseat the gasket by sliding the gasket along the hopper tee or the connection pipe.  
           [0006]    Therefore, there exists a need for a clamp assembly which allows for easy access to the junction between the hopper tee and the corresponding connection pipe. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hopper tee mounting assembly of the present invention and a valve member, prior to assembling the hopper tee mounting assembly;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hopper tee mounting assembly and the valve member of FIG. 1 as assembled;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a top view of an upper plate of the hopper tee mounting assembly of FIG. 1;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a front view of the upper plate of FIG. 3;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a side view of the upper plate of FIG. 3;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a lower plate of the hopper tee mounting assembly of FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 is a front view of the lower plate of FIG. 6;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8 is a side view of the lower plate of FIG. 6;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a hopper tee mounting assembly, in accordance to a second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 10 is a side view of the hopper tee mounting assembly of FIG. 9;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 11 is a top view the valve member of FIG. 1;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the valve member of FIG. 11, as taken along line  12 - 12 ;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 13 is a top view of an alternative valve member which can be used with the hopper tee mounting assembly of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the valve member of FIG. 13, as taken along line  14 - 14 ;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a hopper tee mounting assembly, in accordance to a third embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 16 is a top view of the hopper tee mounting assembly of FIG. 15;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 17 is a side view of the hopper tee mounting assembly of FIG. 15;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 18 is a front view of the hopper tee mounting assembly of FIG. 15;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 19 is a top of a hopper tee mounting assembly, in accordance to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 20 is a sectional view of the hopper tee mounting assembly of FIG. 19, as taken along line  20 - 20 ;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 21 is a top view of the latch of FIG. 19;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 22 is a front view of the latch of FIG. 21;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 23 is a side view of the latch of FIG. 21;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 24 is a front view of the bottom portion of a hopper trailer including a hopper tee mounting assembly, a swing pipe assembly, and a clamp assembly in accordance to the present invention;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 25 is a back view of the bottom portion of the hopper trailer of FIG. 24, with the clamp assembly removed;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 26 is a back view of the swing pipe bracket of FIG. 24;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 27 is a side view of the swing pipe bracket of FIG. 26;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 28 is a top view of the swing pipe bracket of FIG. 26:  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 29 is a side view of the swing pipe assembly of FIG. 24;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 30 is a front view of the clamp assembly of FIG. 24;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 31 is a sectional view of the clamp assembly of FIG. 30, as taken along line  31 - 31 ;  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 32 is a sectional view of the clamp assembly of FIG. 30, as taken along line  32 - 32 ;  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 33 is an enlarged sectional side view of an alternative clamp assembly in accordance to the present invention; and  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 34 is a side view of the gasket of FIG. 32, prior to installation to the clamp arms;  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 35 is a front view of the gasket of FIG. 34;  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 36 is a front view of a second embodiment of a gasket in accordance to the present invention; and  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 37 is a front view of a third embodiment of a gasket in accordance to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0044]    [0044]FIG. 1 illustrates a hopper tee mounting assembly  10  in accordance to the present invention and a valve member  12 , prior to assembling the hopper tee mounting assembly  10 . FIG. 2 illustrates the hopper tee mounting assembly  10  and the valve member  12  as assembled.  
         [0045]    The hopper tee mounting assembly  10  includes an upper plate  14  and a lower plate  16 . The upper plate  14  is adapted to be connected to a flange  18  attached or welded to the bottom of a hopper (not shown). The lower plate  16  is adapted to be connected to the top of a hopper tee (not shown). Positioned between the upper plate  14  and the lower plate  16  is the valve member  12 .  
         [0046]    The valve member  12  is illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. The valve member  12  has a rigid cylindrical body  20  and a resilient seal  22  located immediately radially inwardly of the rigid cylindrical body  20 . One end of the resilient seal  22  protrudes slightly upwardly of the upper surface  24  of the cylindrical body  20 . The upwardly protruded portion of the resilient seal allows the resilient seal  22  to be compressed against the flange  18  to create an effective seal between the valve member  12  and the flange  18 . The other end of the resilient seal  22  protrudes slightly downwardly of the lower surface  25  of the cylindrical body  20 . The downwardly protruded portion of the resilient seal allows the resilient seal  22  to be compressed against the top of the hopper tee to create an effective seal between the valve member  12  and the hopper tee. Radially inwardly of the resilient seal  22  is a butterfly valve  26 . The butterfly valve  26  rotates between an opened position and a closed position to control the flow of dry bulk from the hopper to the hopper tee. A front boss  28  and two front retaining brackets  30 , 32  extend from the front of the cylindrical body  20 . The butterfly valve  26  is attached to a stem  34  extending through a bore defined in the front boss  28 . The butterfly valve  26  can be manually actuated by an external handle (not shown) attached to a handle mounting flange  36 . Each front retaining bracket  30 , 32  has a retaining aperture  38 , 40  defined in the front retaining bracket  30 , 32 . A rear boss  42  and two rear retaining brackets  44 , 46  extend from the rear of the cylindrical body  20 . The rear boss  42  has a bore defined therein for retaining the end of the stem  34 . Each rear retaining bracket  44 , 46  has a retaining aperture  48 , 50  defined in the rear retaining bracket  44 , 46 .  
         [0047]    The upper plate  14  is illustrated in FIGS.  3 - 5 . The upper plate  14  has an upper surface  52 , a lower surface  54 , a front surface  56 , a rear surface  58  and two side surfaces  60 , 62 . An upper valve member opening  64  is defined in upper plate  14  and extends from the upper surface  52  to the lower surface  54  of the upper plate. The upper valve member opening  64  is sized such that its diameter is greater than the outer diameter of the cylindrical body  20  of the valve member  12  allowing the cylindrical body  20  to fit into the upper valve member opening  64 . Six equally space bolt circles  66  are defined at the radial surface of the upper valve member opening  64 . The bolt circles  66  are sized to accommodate upwardly extending bolts  68  extending upwardly from the upper surface  52  of the upper plate  14 . The bolts  68 , and the corresponding bolts circles  66 , are positioned to match the position of the holes  70  of the mating flange  18 . While the present invention illustrates six equally spaced bolts  68  and bolt circles  66 , the number of bolts  68  and bolts circles  66  would depend on the hole pattern of the mating flange  18 . For example, flanges attached to larger sized hopper discharge openings have eight holes rather than six holes. Therefore, the upper plate of the present invention, when used in conjunction with the larger flange, would have eight equally spaced bolts extending from the upper surface of the upper plate.  
         [0048]    The upper plate  14  has a groove  72  defined at the lower surface  54  of the upper plate. The groove  72  extends from the front surface  56  of the upper plate  14  to a terminal surface located between the upper valve member opening  64  and the rear surface  58  of the upper plate  14 . The groove  72  is sized to accommodate the front boss  28  and the rear boss  42  of the valve member.  
         [0049]    Defined inwardly from each of the side surface  60 , 62  of the upper plate  14  is a latch slot  74 , 76 . The latch notches  74 , 76  are located near the front of the upper plate at a given distance from the front surface  56  of the upper plate  14 . Defined inwardly from the rear surface  58  of the upper plate  14  are two pivot slots  78 , 80 . Adjacent each of the pivot slot  78 , 80  are two semi-circle shaped pivot lobes  82   a , 84   a , 82   b , 84   b . The pivot lobes  82   a , 84   a , 82   b , 84   b  extend upwardly from the upper surface  52  of the upper plate  14 . Defined and extending through each pivot lobe is a pivot hole  86 .  
         [0050]    A plurality of downwardly extending ledges  90  extends downwardly a given distance from the lower surface  54  of upper plate  14  along portions of the perimeter of the upper plate  14 . The ledges  90  are non-continuous around the perimeter of the upper plate to permit the latch slots  74 , 76  and the pivot slots  78 , 80  to be exposed. The ledges  90  also terminate at given distances from the groove  72  to provide clearance for the front boss  28  and the front retaining brackets  30 , 32  of the valve member  12 .  
         [0051]    The lower plate  16  is illustrated in FIGS.  6 - 8 . The lower plate  16  has an upper surface  92 , a lower surface  94 , a front surface  96 , a rear surface  98  and two side surfaces  100 , 102 . A lower valve member opening  104  is defined in the lower plate  16  and extends from the upper surface  92  to the lower surface  94  of the lower plate. The lower valve member opening  104  is sized such that its diameter is greater than the outer diameter of the cylindrical body  20  of the valve member  12  allowing the cylindrical body  20  to fit into the lower valve member opening  104 . Furthermore, the diameter of the lower valve member opening  104  is approximately equal to the diameter of the upper valve member opening  64 . Six equally spaced downwardly extending bolt circles  106  are defined at the radial surface of the lower valve member opening  104 . The bolt circles  106  are sized to accommodate the downwardly extending bolts  108  extending downwardly from the lower surface  94  of the lower plate  16 . The bolts  108 , and the corresponding bolt circles  106 , are positioned to match with the hole pattern of the hopper tee (not shown). Furthermore, it is preferable that each of the downwardly extending bolts  108  of the lower plate  16  has a corresponding upwardly extending bolt  68  of the upper plate  14  in which the axes of the two bolts are approximately aligned. The two downwardly extending bolts  108   a ,  108   b  located near the front of the lower plate  16  and the two downwardly extending bolts  108   c , 108   d  located near the rear of the lower plate  16  further have an upwardly extending portion  110   a , 110   b , 110   c , 110   d  extending upwardly a given distance from the upper surface  92  of the lower plate  16 , towards the upper plate  14 . The upwardly extending portion  110   a , 110   b  of the two bolts  108   a , 108   b  located near the front of the lower plate  16  are positioned to be inserted into the front retaining apertures  38 , 40  defined in the front brackets  30 , 32  of the valve member  12  to retain and align the valve member  12 . The upwardly extending portion  110   c , 110   d  of the two bolts  108   c , 108   d  located near the rear of the lower plate  16  are positioned to be inserted into the rear retaining apertures  48 , 50  defined in the rear brackets  44 , 46  of the valve member  12  to retain and align the valve member  12 .  
         [0052]    The lower plate  16  has a groove  112  defined at the upper surface of the lower plate  16 . The groove  112  extends from the front surface  96  of the lower plate  16  to a terminal surface located between the lower valve member opening  104  and the rear surface  98  of the lower plate  16 . The groove  112  is sized to accommodate the front boss  28  and the rear boss  42  of the valve member  12 .  
         [0053]    Defined inwardly from each of the side surfaces  100 , 102  of the lower plate  16  is a latch slot  114 , 116 . The latch notches  114 , 116  are located near the front of the lower plate at a given distance from the front surface  96  of the lower plate  16 . Adjacent each of the latch slots  114 , 116  are two semi-circular shaped latch lobes  118   a , 120   a , 118   b , 120   b . The latch lobes  118 , 120  extend downwardly from the lower surface  94  of the lower plate  16 . Defined and extending through each latch lobe  118 , 120  is a latch hole  122 , 123 .  
         [0054]    Two latch assemblies  124  are used to latch together the upper plate  14  with the lower plate  16 . Each latch assembly  124  has a tubular stem  126  with a hole  128  defined perpendicular to the axis of the stem at one end of the stem  126  and a threaded bore  130  defined along the axis of the stem at the other end of stem  126 . A pin  132  is inserted through the latch holes  122 , 123  defined in the latch lobes  118 , 120 , and the hole  128  defined in the tubular stem  126  to pivotably retain the latch assembly  124  to the lower plate  116 . To allow the tubular stem  126  to pivot relative to the pin  132 , the diameter of hole  128  should be sized slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pin  132 . Each latch assembly  124  further includes an eyebolt  134 . The eyebolt  134  has a hole  136  defined perpendicular to the axis of the eyebolt at one end of the eyebolt  134  and external threads  138 , which mates with the threaded bore  130  of the stem  126 , at the other end of the eyebolt  134 . By rotating the eyebolt  134  relative to the stem  126 , the overall axial length of the latch assembly  124  can be increased or decreased. This allows the latch assembly  124  to be adjusted to a desired axial length for properly latching the upper plate  14  with the lower plate  16 . A latch  140  is pivotably mounted to the eyebolt  134 . The latch  140  has a handle  142  at one end of the latch to allow an operator to manually rotate the latch. The latch  140  defines a hole  144  and a cammed surface  146  at the other end of the latch  140 . The contour of the cammed surface  146  allows the cammed surface  146  to the engage the upper surface  52  of the upper plate  14  when the latch  140  is rotated to a latched position, and allows the cammed surface  146  not to engage the upper surface  52  of the upper plate  14  when the latch is rotated to an unlatched position.  
         [0055]    Defined inwardly from the rear surface  98  of the lower plate  16  are two pivot slots  148 , 150 . Adjacent each of the pivot notches  148 , 150  are two semi-circular shaped pivot lobes  152   a , 154   a , 152   b , 154   b  extending downwardly from the lower surface  94  of the lower plate  16 . Defined and extending through each pivot lobe  152 , 154  is a pivot hole  156 , 158 .  
         [0056]    Two hinge assemblies  160  allow the upper plate  14  and lower plate  16  to pivot relative to each other. Each hinge assembly  160  includes a hinge pin  162  and an eyebolt  164 . The hinge pin  162  extends through the pivots holes  156 , 158  of each set of pivot lobes  152 , 154 . The hinge pin  162  has a threaded hole  166  defined perpendicular to the axis of the hinge pin. The diameter of the hinge pin  162  is sized slightly smaller than the diameter of the pivot holes  156 , 158  allowing the pivot pin  162  to pivot relative to the pivot lobes  152 , 154  of the lower plate  16 . The eyebolt  164  has a hole  168  defined perpendicular to the axis of the eyebolt at one end of the eyebolt and external threads  170 , which mates with the threaded hole  166  of the hinge pin  162 , at the other end of the eyebolt. A retaining pin  172  is inserted through the pivot holes  156 , 158  defined in each set of pivot lobes  152 , 154  and the hole  168  of the eyebolt  164 . The diameter of the retaining pin  172  is sized slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole  168  of the eyebolt  164  allowing the eyebolt  164  to pivot relative to the pivot lobes  62 , 64  of the upper plate  14 .  
         [0057]    The hopper tee mounting assembly  10  of the present invention can be pivotably opened to allow the removal of the valve member  12  for cleaning or servicing. The hopper tee mounting assembly  10  can be easily opened by rotating the latches  140  from the latched position to the unlatched position. By rotating the latches  140  to the unlatched position, the cammed surfaces  146  are disengaged from the upper surface  52  of the upper plate  14 . This then allows each of the latch assemblies  124  to pivot outwardly out of the corresponding latch slot  74 , 76  of the upper plate  14 . Once both latch assemblies  124  are pivoted out of their corresponding latch slots  74 , 76 , the lower plate  16  is able to pivot freely relative to the upper plate  14  along the hinge assemblies  160 . With the hopper tee mounting assembly  10  pivotably opened, the valve member  12  can be removed by lifting it upwardly away from the lower plate  16 . The reverse sequence of the opening procedure is used to close the hopper tee mounting assembly  10 .  
         [0058]    A feature of the present invention is that the hopper tee mounting assembly  10  can be easily opened and still have approximately the same height as the parts which it replaces. Having the same height as the parts which it replaces is accomplished by having the hopper tee mounting assembly  10  be located radially outwardly of the valve member  12 . Therefore, no portion of the hopper tee mounting assembly  10  is located directly above the cylindrical body  20  of the valve member or directly below the cylindrical body  20  of the valve member  12 . Such a design allows the upper surface  52  of the upper plate  14  immediately radially outwardly of the upper valve member opening  64 , which mates with the flange  18 , to be approximately flush with the top surface  24  of the rigid cylindrical body  20  of the valve member  12 ; and the lower surface  94  of the lower plate  16  immediately radially outwardly of the lower valve member opening  104 , which mates with the hopper tee, to be approximately flush with the lower surface  25  of the rigid cylindrical body  20 . The term “flush” is defined in this application as meaning that the plane defined by one surface is the same plane defined by the other surface. Such a design also allows the resilient seal  22  and the upper surface  24  of the rigid cylindrical body  20  to directly abut the flange  18 , and the resilient seal  22  and the lower surface  54  of the rigid cylindrical body  20  to abut the hopper tee.  
         [0059]    A hopper tee mounting assembly, in accordance to the second embodiment, is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. The second embodiment of the hopper tee mounting assembly  210  is similar to the hopper tee mounting assembly  10  of the first embodiment with the exception of tamper-proof handles.  
         [0060]    When delivering certain bulk products, such as food products, a tamper-proof procedure is necessary to assure that no contaminant is introduced into the trailer from the time the dry bulk has been fully loaded into the trailer until the dry bulk is ready to be discharged from the trailer. The tamper-proof procedure usually involves inserting a tie-strap through a set of holes in which the tie-strap must be severed in order for the trailer to be opened. Such tamper-proof procedure allows one to visually inspect the trailer to determine if the trailer has been tampered with before dry bulk is ready to be discharged from the trailer.  
         [0061]    The upper plate  214  of the second embodiment of the hopper tee mounting assembly  210  is similar to the upper plate  14  of the first embodiment with the exception of an annular shaped indentation  220  defined on the upper surface  218  of the upper plate  214  at the end of each latch slot  222 . The lower plate  216  of the second embodiment is identical to the lower plate  16  of the first embodiment.  
         [0062]    Similar to the hopper tee assembly of the first embodiment, the hopper tee assembly of the second embodiment has two latch assemblies  224  for latching together the upper plate  214  with the lower plate  216 . Each latching assembly  224  includes an L-shaped handle  226 . At one end of the handle is a cylindrical protrusion  228  extending perpendicular from the axis of the handle and into the corresponding latch hole  234  of the forwardly located latch lobe  230 , allowing the handle  226  to be pivotably mounted to the lower plate  216 . A notch  238  is defined at the elongated end of each handle  226 , allowing the ends of the handles to overlap each other when the handles are rotated to the latched position. Also defined at the elongated end of each handle  226  and perpendicular to the axis of the handle is a tamper-proof hole  240 . The tamper-proof holes  240  of the two handles  226  are axially aligned with each other when the handles are in the latched positioned. This aligned arrangement of the tamper-proof holes  240  allows a tie-strap (not shown) to be inserted into the tamper-proof holes  240  when the handles are in the latched positioned to provide assurance that the handles have not rotated from the latched positioned. A hole  242  is defined at the bend of the handle and is located a given distance from the cylindrical protrusion  228 .  
         [0063]    A rear latching bracket  244  is located rearwardly of the rearwardly located latching lobe  232 . At one end of the rear latch bracket  244  is a cylindrical protrusion  246  extending perpendicular from the axis of the rear latch bracket and into the corresponding latch hole  236  of the rearwardly located latch lobe  232  allowing the rear latch bracket  244  to be pivotable mounted to the lower plate  216 . Located a given distance from the cylindrical protrusion  246  is a hole  248  perpendicular to the axis of the rear latch bracket  244 .  
         [0064]    An eyebolt  250  is located between the handle  226  and the rear latching bracket  244 . The eyebolt  250  has a hole  252  defined perpendicular to the axis of the eyebolt at one end of the eyebolt  250  and external threads  254  formed at the other end of the eyebolt  250 . A bolt  256  is inserted through the hole  248  of the rear latching bracket  244 , the hole  252  of the eyebolt  250  and the hole  242  of the handle  226 . Since the hole  242  of the handle  226  is located a given distance from the cylindrical protrusion  228 , a rotational movement of the handle  226  translates into an axial movement of the eyebolt  250 .  
         [0065]    A nut  258 , located upwardly of the upper surface  218  of the upper plate  214 , is threaded to the external threads  254  of the eyebolt  250 . A rim  260  extends radially outwardly from the bottom of the nut  258 . The outer diameter of the rim  260  is sized slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the indentation  220  at the end of the latch slot  222 . This allows the rim  260  to be seated within the indentation  220  preventing the eyebolt  250  from pivoting outwardly of the latch slot  222  unless the eyebolt  250  and the nut  258  has moved sufficiently axially upwardy to allow the rim  260  to rise above the indentation  220 .  
         [0066]    The hopper tee mounting assembly  210  of the second embodiment can be easily opened by rotating the handles  226  from the latched position to the unlatched position. While the handles  226  are in the latched position, the rim  260  of the nut  258  is seated within the indentation  220  of the upper surface  218  preventing the eyebolt  250  from pivoting outwardly out of the latch slot  222 . By rotating the handles toward the unlatched position, the eyebolts  250  and the nuts  258  are moved axially upward. Once the handles  226  are in the unlatched position, the rims  260  of the nuts  258  are located above the upper surface  218  of the upper plate  214 , allowing the eyebolts  250  of the latch assemblies  224  to pivot outwardly out of the corresponding latch slots  222  of the upper plate  214 . Once both latch assemblies  224  have been pivoted out of their corresponding latch slots  222 , the lower plate  216  is able to pivot freely relative to the upper plate  214  along the hinge assemblies  262 . With the hopper tee mounting assembly  210  pivotably opened, the valve member (not shown) can be removed by lifting it upwardly away from the lower plate  216 . The reverse sequence of the opening procedure is used to close the hopper tee mounting assembly of the second embodiment.  
         [0067]    While the exemplary valve member  12  disclosed with the hopper tee mounting assemblies  10 , 210  of the present invention is a valve member similar to the valve members manufactured by Sure Seal Inc., other types of valve members can also be used with the hopper tee mounting assemblies of the present invention. One such other type is a valve member  300 , similar to the valve members manufactured by Ultraflo Corp., illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14.  
         [0068]    The valve member  300  has a rigid cylindrical body  302  and a resilient seal  308  located immediately radially inwardly of the cylindrical body  302 . One end of the resilient seal  308  protrudes slightly upwardly of the upper surface  304  of the cylindrical body  302 . The other end of the resilient seal  308  protrudes slightly downwardly of the lower surface  306  of the cylindrical body  302 . Radially inwardly of the resilient seal  308  is a butterfly valve  314 . A front boss  316  extends from the front of the cylindrical body  302 . The butterfly valve  316  is attached to a stem  318  extending through a bore defined in the front boss  316 . The butterfly valve  316  can be manually actuated by an external handle (not shown) attached to a handle mounting flange  36 . A rear boss  322  extends from the rear of the cylindrical body  302 . The rear boss  322  has a bore defined therein for retaining the end of the stem  318 . Six equally spaced retaining apertures  324  are defined on the radially outer surface of the cylindrical body.  
         [0069]    As previous discussed, the hopper tee mounting assemblies  10 , 210  of the present invention can be used for multiple types of valve members. Therefore, the hopper tee mounting assemblies  10 , 210  of the present invention not only accommodate the valve member  12  but also accommodate the valve member  300 . Some of these accommodations of the valve member  300  by the hopper tee mounting assemblies  10 , 210  of the present invention are described below.  
         [0070]    The upwardly extending portion  110   a , 110   b  of the two bolts  108   a , 108   b  located near the front of the lower plate  16  are positioned to be inserted into the front retaining apertures  324   a , 324   b  defined on the radially outer surface of the cylindrical body  302  of the valve member to retain and align the valve member  300 . The upwardly extending portions  110   c , 110   d  of the two bolts  108   c , 108   d  located near the rear of the lower plate  16  are positioned to be inserted into the rear retaining apertures  324   c , 324   d  defined on the radially outer surface of the cylindrical body  302  of the valve member to retain and align the valve member  300 .  
         [0071]    The groove  72  of the upper plate  14  and the groove  112  of the lower plate  16  are sized to accommodate the front boss  316  and the rear boss  322  of the valve member  300 .  
         [0072]    The upper surface  52  of the upper plate  14  immediately radially outwardly of the upper valve member opening  64 , which mates with the flange  18 , is approximately flush with the upper surface  304  of the rigid cylindrical body  302  of the valve member  300 . The lower surface  94  of the lower plate  16  immediately radially outwardly of the lower valve member opening  104 , which mates with the hopper tee, is approximately flush with the lower surface  306  of the rigid cylindrical body  302  of the valve member  300 .  
         [0073]    The upper surface  52  of the upper plate  14  immediately radially outwardly of the upper valve member opening  64 , which mates with flange  18 , is below the upper surface  310  of the resilient seal  308  to allow the resilient seal  308  to be compressed against the flange  18  to create an effective seal between the valve member  300  and the flange  18 . The lower surface  312  of the lower plate  16  immediately radially outwardly of the lower valve member opening  104 , which mates with the hopper tee, is above the lower surface  312  of the resilient seal  308  to allow the resilient seal  308  to be compressed against the hopper tee to create an effective seal between the valve member  300  and the hopper tee.  
         [0074]    A hopper tee assembly, in accordance to the third embodiment, is illustrated in FIGS.  15 - 18 . The hopper tee mounting assembly  410  of the third embodiment is functional similar to the hopper tee mounting assembly  10  of the first embodiment.  
         [0075]    The hopper tee mounting assembly  410  of the third embodiment has an upper mounting assembly  412  and a lower mounting assembly  414 . The upper mounting assembly  412  includes two flange plates  418   a ,  418   b  and two upper retaining plates  420   a ,  420   b . The lower mounting assembly  414  includes two hopper tee plates  422   a ,  422   b  and two lower retaining plates  424   a ,  424   b . The two flange plates  418   a ,  418   b , together with the two upper retaining plates  420   a ,  420   b  perform essentially the same function as the upper plate  14  of the first embodiment. The two hopper tee plates  422   a ,  422   b , together with the two lower retaining plates  424   a ,  424   b  perform essentially the same function as the lower plate  16  of the first embodiment.  
         [0076]    The flange plates  418   a  and  418   b  are symmetrically opposite of each other. For the purpose of this application, symmetrically opposite is defined as mirrored images of each other, in which the same features are present in both components, but the features are located 180 degrees from one component relative to the location for the same feature of the other component. Each flange plate  418  has an upper surface  426 , a lower surface  428 , a front surface  430 , a rear surface  432 , a side surface  434  and a semi-circle shaped curved surface  436 . Defined at the curved surface  436  are three approximately equally spaced semi-circle shaped notches  438 . The flat upper surface  426  of the flange plate  418  is adapted to abut the bottom surface of a flange  18 . The lower surface  428  of the flange plate  418  has a groove  440  (not shown) defined thereon. The groove  440  is sized and located to accommodate the corresponding upper retaining plate  420 . Defined near the intersection of the rear surface  432  and the side surface  434  of the flange plate  418  is a hinge hole  442  extending from the upper surface  426  to the lower surface  428  of the flange plate  418 . Located near the front of the flange plate  418  is a projection  444  extending outwardly from the side surface  434 . Defined inwardly at the center of the projection  444  is a latch slot  446 . Extending though the projection  444  and perpendicular to the latch slot  446  is a pair of pin retaining holes  447 .  
         [0077]    A wear plate  448  is attached to the upper surface  426  of the flange plate  418 . The wear plate  448  surrounds the inwardly portion of the latch slot  446  and has a slot  450  approximately the same size and shape as the inwardly portion of the latch slot  446 . The upper surface of the wear plate  448  has a rut  452 , perpendicular to the slot  450 , defined thereon. The rut  452  seats a cammed surface of a latch to prevent the latch from accidentally rotating out of the latched position. The wear plate  448  is removable from the flange plate  418  to allow the wear plate  448  to be replaced should the rut  452  be worn to such a manner that it no longer properly seat the cammed surface of the latch.  
         [0078]    The upper retaining plate  420  is semi-circle shaped to match the groove  440  located at the lower surface  428  of the flange plate  418 . Located at the radially inwardly edge of the upper retaining plate  420  are three approximately equally spaced bolt circles  454 . The bolt circles  454  are sized to accommodate upwardly extending bolts  456  extending upwardly from the upper surface  426  of the upper retaining plate  420  upon assembling the hopper mounting assembly  410 . The bolt circles  454  are located approximately directly under the notches  438  of the corresponding flange plate  418  when the upper retainer plate  420  is positioned in the groove  440  of the flange plate  418 ; thus, allowing the bolts  456  to fit within the notches  438  of the upper retainer plate  420  upon assembling the hopper tee mounting assembly  410 .  
         [0079]    An advantage of having an upper retaining plate  420  separate from a flange plate  418  is that the plates  420 ,  418  can be formed from different materials. By having the capability to use two different materials, a heavier material can be used for components that require high tensile strength, which a lighter material can be used for components that do not require high tensile strength. An upper retaining plate  420  formed of a material having high tensile strength not only allows the upper retaining plate  420  to be stronger, but also allows the upwardly extending bolts  456 , formed of similar or same material, to be easily welded to the upper retaining plate  420 . Therefore, by having the upper retaining plate  420  be made of steel, while having the flange plate  418  be made of aluminum, the upper mounting assembly  414  is able to have the high tensile strength required for attaching the upper mounting assembly  414  to the flange  16 , while reducing the overall weight of the upper mounting assembly  414  as compared to an upper mounting assembly formed entirely of steel.  
         [0080]    The tradeoff for having separate retaining plates and flange plates is of course an increase in cost, manufacturing time and complexity. Therefore, if the weight of the hopper tee mounting assembly is important to the user of the hopper tee mounting assembly, separate retaining plates and flange plates may be preferred. However, if cost of the hopper tee mounting assembly is more important than weight to the user of the hopper mounting assembly, an integrated flange plate providing the functions of retaining the hopper tee mounting assembly  410  to the flange  16  and having a flat surface adapted for abutment with the flange may be preferred. Should an integrated flange plate be preferred, a single integrated flange plate such as the upper plate  14 , disclosed in the first embodiment, can be used. Alternatively, two symmetrically opposite integrated flange plates, each having a flat surface adapted for abutment with the flange and having a plurality of upwardly extending bolts attached thereon, can be used in place of the flange plates  418  and the upper retaining plates  420 . While not illustrated, such symmetrically opposite integrated flange plates could be similar in shape as the flange plates  418  and the upper retaining plates  420  of the third embodiment once each upper retaining plate  420  is fitted into the groove  420  of the corresponding flange plate  418 .  
         [0081]    The hopper tee plates  422   a ,  422   b  are symmetrically opposite of each other. Each hopper tee plate  422  has an upper surface  460 , a lower surface  462 , a front surface  464 , a rear surface  466 , a side surface  468  and a semi-circle shaped curved surface  470 . Defined at the curved surface  470  are three approximately equally spaced semi-circle shaped notches  472 . The lower surface  462  of the hopper tee plate  422  is adapted to abut the top surface of a hopper tee. The upper surface  460  of the hopper tee plate  422  has a groove  474  defined thereon. The groove  474  is sized and located to accommodate the corresponding lower retaining plate  424 . Defined inwardly from the rear surface  466  of the hopper tee plate  422  is a hinge slot  476 . The hinge slot  476  is located near the side of the hopper tee plate  422  at a given distance from the side surface  468  of the hopper tee plate  422 . Defined inwardly from the side surface  468  of the hopper tee plate  422  is a latch slot  478 . The latch slot  478  is located near the front of the hopper tee plate  422  at a given distance from the front surface  464  of the hopper tee plate  422 .  
         [0082]    The lower retaining plate  424  is semi-circle shaped to match the groove  474  located at the upper surface  460  of the hopper tee plate  422 . Located at the radially inwardly edge of the lower retaining plate  424  are three approximately equally spaced bolt circles  480 . The bolt circles  480  are sized to accommodate downwardly extending bolts  482  extending downwardly from the lower surface  462  of the hopper tee plate  422  upon assembling the hopper tee mounting assembly. Each downwardly extending bolt  482  further has an upwardly extending portion  484  extending upwardly a given distance from the upper surface of the lower retaining plate  424 . The upwardly extending portions  484  of the downwardly extending bolts  482  are positioned to be inserted into the retaining apertures  38 ,  40 ,  48 ,  50  of the valve member  12 . The bolt circles  480  are located approximately directly above the notches  472  of the hopper tee plate  422  when the lower retaining plate  424  is positioned in the groove  474  of the hopper tee plate  422 ; thus, allowing the downwardly extending bolts  482  to fit within the notches  472  upon assembling the hopper tee mounting assembly  410 .  
         [0083]    As with the upper mounting assembly  414 , an advantage of having a lower retaining plate  424  separate from the hopper tee plate  422  is that the plates  424 ,  422  can be formed from different materials. Therefore, by having the lower retainer plate  424  be made of steel, while having the hopper tee plate  422  be made of aluminum, the lower mounting assembly  416  is able to have the high tensile strength required for attaching the lower mounting assembly to the hopper tee, while reducing the overall weight of the lower mounting assembly as compared to a lower mounting assembly formed entirely of steel. Should cost of the hopper tee mounting assembly be more important than weight to the user of the hopper mounting assembly, a single integrated flange plate such as the lower plate  16  disclosed in the in the first embodiment can be used. Alternatively, two symmetrically opposite integrated hopper tee plates, each having a flat surface adapted for abutment with the hopper tee and having a plurality of downwardly extending bolts attached thereon, can be used in place of the lower retaining plates and the hopper tee plates of the third embodiment. Such symmetrically opposite integrated hopper tee plates could be similar in shape as the flange plates and the retaining plates of the third embodiment once each retaining plate is fitted into the groove of the corresponding hopper tee plate.  
         [0084]    Two hinge assemblies  486  allow the upper mounting assembly  414  and the lower mounting assembly  416  to pivot relative to each other. Each hinge assembly  486  includes an eyebolt  488 , a retaining pin  490  and a nut  492 . The eyebolt  488  has a hole defined perpendicular to the axis of the eyebolt at one end of the eyebolt and external threads  494  at the other end of the eyebolt. The externally threaded end  494  is inserted through the hinge hole  442  of the flange plate  418  and is retained to the flange plate  418  by the nut  492 . The retaining pin  490  is inserted through the hole of the eyebolt  488  and is attached to the hopper tee plate  422 .  
         [0085]    Two latch assemblies  496  are used to latch together the upper mounting assembly  414  with the lower mounting assembly  416 . The latch assembly  496  of the third embodiment is similar to the latch assembly  124  of the first embodiment with the exception of the handle  500  enlarged and having a grooved outer surface  502  to provide better grip during the latching operation.  
         [0086]    As with the latching assembly of the first embodiment, the latch  498  has a cammed surface  504  at the end of the latch  498  opposite the handle  500 . The contour of the cammed surface  504  allows the cammed surface  504  to be seated within the rut  452  of the wear plate  448  when the latch  498  is rotated to a latched position. The contour of the cammed surface  504  also allows the cammed surface  504  to be unseated from the rut  452  of the wear plate  448  when the latch  498  is rotated to an unlatched position. With the latch assembly  496  positioned in the latch slot  446  of the flange plate  418  and the latch  498  rotated to the latched position, an unlatching prevention pin  506  is inserted into the pin retaining holes  447 . Since the unlatching prevention pin  506  is located outwardly of the latch assembly  496  when the latch assembly  496  is in the latched position, the unlatching prevention pin  506  provides a secondary mean for preventing the latch assembly  496  from pivoting out of the latch slot  446 .  
         [0087]    As with the hopper tee assembly of the first embodiment, the hopper tee mounting assembly  410  of the third embodiment can be pivotable opened to allow the removal of the valve member  12  for cleaning or servicing. The hopper tee mounting assembly  410  can be easily opened by rotating the two latches  498  from the latched position to the unlatched position. By rotating the latches  498  to the unlatched position, the cammed surfaces  504  are unseated from the ruts  452  of the wear plates  448 . This then allows the latch assemblies  496  to pivot outwardly out of the corresponding latch slots  446  of the flange plates  418 . Once both latch assemblies  496  are pivoted out of their corresponding latch slots  446 , the lower mounting assembly  416  is able to pivot freely relative to the upper mounting assembly  414 . It should be noted that since the two upper retaining plates  420  are bolted to the flange  18  with the two flange plates  418  sandwiched between the flange  18  and the corresponding upper retaining plates  420 , the two upper retaining plates  420  and the two flange plates  418  act as an unitary structure upon the upper retaining plates  420  bolted to the flange  18 . Likewise, since the two lower retaining plates  424  are bolted to the hopper tee with the two hopper tee plates  422  sandwiched between the hopper tee and the corresponding lower retaining plates  424 , the two lower retaining plates  424  and the two hopper tee plates  422  act as an unitary structure upon the lower retaining plates  424  bolted to the hopper tee. With the hopper tee mounting assembly  410  pivotably opened, the valve member  12  can be removed by lifting it upwardly from the lower mounting assembly  416 . The reverse sequence of the opening procedure is used to close the hopper tee mounting assembly  410 .  
         [0088]    As with the hopper tee mounting assembly of the previous embodiments, a feature of the hopper tee mounting assembly  410  of the third embodiment is that the hopper tee mounting assembly  410  can be easily opened and still have approximately the same height as the parts which it replaces.  
         [0089]    A hopper tee mounting assembly, in accordance to the fourth embodiment, is illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20. The hopper tee mounting assembly  610  of the fourth embodiment is similar to the hopper tee mounting assembly of the third embodiment, but has a different latch assembly.  
         [0090]    The hopper tee mounting assembly  610  of the fourth embodiment has an upper mounting assembly  614 , a lower mounting assembly  616 , two hinge assemblies (not shown) and two latch assemblies  696 . The upper mounting assembly  614  includes two symmetrically opposite flange plates  618   a ,  618   b  and two symmetrically opposite upper retaining plates  620   a ,  620   b . The lower mounting assembly  616  includes two symmetrically opposite hopper tee plates  622   a ,  622   b  and two symmetrically opposite lower retaining plates  624   a ,  624   b . The latch assemblies  696  latch the upper mounting assembly  614  together with the lower mounting assembly  616 .  
         [0091]    As with the hopper mounting assembly of the third embodiment, each flange plate  618  has a latch slot  646  defined inwardly from the side surface  634  of the flange plate  618 . Located perpendicular to the latch slot  646  is a catch pin  648 . Each latch assembly  696  is pivotably mounted to the corresponding hopper tee plate  622 . Each latch assembly  696  has a cylinder  696 , a rod  700  and a latch  702 . The cylinder  698  has a bore  704  extending axially inwardly from an entrance at one end of the cylinder  698  and a pivot hole  706  perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder near the other end of the cylinder  706 . A pivot pin  708  is inserted through the pivot hole  706  of the cylinder  698  and is attached to the hopper tee plate  622 . The rod  700  is inserted into the bore  704  of the cylinder  698  at one end and has a hole  710  near the other end of the rod  700 . The latch  702 , disclosed in detail in FIGS.  21 - 23 , has a hole  712 , a catch slot  714  and a pivot pin slot  716 . A pin is inserted through the hole  710  of the rod  700  and the hole  712  of the latch  702  to pivotable connect the rod  700  to the latch  702 . The catch slot  714  is slanted upwardly thus creating a hook  718  to retain the latch  702  onto the catch pin  648  when the latch is in the latched position. The pivot pin slot  716  is located and sized such that when the latch  702  is rotated toward the latched position, the pivot pin slot  716  provides the necessary clearance to prevent the pivot pin  708  from hitting the latch  702 .  
         [0092]    The hopper tee mounting assembly  610  of the fourth embodiment can be easily opened by first rotating the latch  702  outwardly. At the outwardly rotated position, the latch  702  is able to slide upwardly away from the catch pin  648 . Once both latches  702  have cleared the corresponding catch pins  648 , the lower mounting assembly  616  is able to pivot freely relative to the upper mounting assembly  614 . With the hopper tee mounting assembly  610  pivotable opened, the valve member  12  can be removed by lifting it upwardly away from the lower mounting assembly  616 . The reverse sequence of the opening procedure is used to close the hopper tee mounting assembly  610 .  
         [0093]    [0093]FIGS. 24 and 25 illustrate the bottom of a hopper trailer including a hopper  17 , a flange  18 , a hopper tee mounting assembly  610  in accordance to the present invention, a hopper tee  4 , two connection pipes  13   a ,  13   b , and a swing pipe assembly  810  in accordance to the present invention. FIG. 24 additionally illustrates a clamp assembly  900  in accordance to the present invention.  
         [0094]    The hopper tee  4  has a vertical portion  5  and a horizontal portion  6 . Two pipes  8   a , 8   b  form the ends of the horizontal portion  6 .  
         [0095]    The swing arm assembly  810  includes two brackets  812   a , 812   b , a sleeve  830 , two swing arms  834 , and two pipe retainers  842 . The brackets  812   a , 812   b  are symmetrically opposite of each other and are mounted to the top surface of the flange  18 . For the purpose of this application, symmetrically opposite is defined a mirror images of each other, in which the same features are present in both components, but the features are located 180 degrees from one component relative to the location for the same feature of the other component.  
         [0096]    As illustrated in detail in FIGS.  26 - 28 , the bracket  812   a  has a horizontal mounting portion  814  and a vertical swing arm attachment portion  816 . The mounting portion  814  has two mounting holes  818  defined therein to receive the corresponding upwardly extending bolts  656  (see FIG. 25) extending from the flange  18 . Defined at one end of the mounting portion  814  is a curved cutout  820  adapted to accommodate the bottom of the hopper  17 . The swing arm attachment portion  816  extends upwardly from the end of the mounting portion  814 , approximately opposite of the curved cutout  820 . The swing arm attachment portion  816  defines a sleeve retaining hole  822 . At their mounted position, the swing arm attachment portions  816  of the brackets  812   a  and  812   b  are located at the outer edges of the brackets.  
         [0097]    The sleeve  830  is inserted through the sleeve retaining holes  822  of the brackets  812   a , 812   b . As illustrated in FIGS. 24, 25 and  29 , the sleeve  830  defines a bore  832  extending through the sleeve. The swing arm  834  has a cylindrical pivot portion  836  at one end, a flat attachment portion  838  at the other end, and a L-shaped portion  840  connecting the pivot portion  836  to the attachment portion  838 . The pivot portion  836  of the swing arm is inserted into the bore  832  of the sleeve  830 , thus allowing the swing arm  834  to pivot relative to the sleeve  830  and bracket  812   a , 812   b  as illustrated in FIG. 29. A hole (not shown) is defined in the attachment portion  838 , with the axis of the hole approximately perpendicular to the flat surface of the attachment portion.  
         [0098]    The pipe retainer  842  has a generally cylindrical pipe retaining portion  844  and two generally flat clamping portions  846 , 848 . The pipe retaining portion  844  is sized to surround the corresponding connecting pipe  13   a , 13   b . Extending from the terminal ends of the pipe retaining portion  844  are the clamping portions  846 , 848 . Each clamping portion  846 , 848  defines a hole (not shown). Upon installing the piper retainer  842  to the swing arm  834 , the holes of the clamping portions  846 , 848  are aligned with the hole of the attachment portion  838  of the swing arm. A bolt  850  is inserted through the holes of the clamping portions  846 , 848  and the hole of the attachment portion  838  of the swing arm to secure the pipe retainer  842  to the swing arm  834 .  
         [0099]    The clamp assembly  900  includes a first semi-circular clamp arm  902 , a second semi-circular clamp arm  904 , a lever  906 , a latch  908 , and a gasket  910 .  
         [0100]    The first clamp arm  902  has a first end portion  912  and a second end portion  914 . The first end portion  912  of the first clamp arm has a plurality of semi-circular ears  916 . Each ear  916  of the first clamp arm  902  has a hole  918  defined therein. The second clamp arm  904  has a first end portion  922  and a second end portion  924 . The first end portion  922  of the second clamp arm has a plurality of semi-circular ears  926 . Each ear  926  of the second clamp arm  904  has a hole  928  defined therein. The ears  916  of the first clamp arm  902  and the ears  926  of the second clamp arm  904  are shaped and sized such that upon installing the clamp assembly  900 , one of the ears  916  of the first clamp arm  902  fits between the space defined by adjacent ears  926  of the second clamp arm  904 . Likewise, one of the ears  926  of the second clamp arm  904  fits between the space defined by adjacent ears  916  of the first clamp arm  902 . Furthermore, upon installing the clamp assembly  900 , the holes  918  defined in the ears  916  of the first clamp arm  902  are aligned with the holes  928  defined in the ears  926  of the second clamp arm  904 . A pin  930  is inserted through the aligned holes  918 , 928  defined in the ears  916 , 926  of the first and second clamp arms  902 , 904  allowing the first end portion  912  of the first clamp arm  902  to be pivotably attached to the first end portion  922  of the second clamp arm  904 .  
         [0101]    The second end portion  914  of the first clamp arm  902  has a radially extending boss  932 . The boss  932  of the first clamp arm defines a lever slot  934  through the middle of the boss  932  to form two approximately equally thick lever retaining sections  936 . A lever retaining hole (not shown) is defined in each of the lever retaining section  936 . The second end portion  924  of the second clamp arm  904  has a radially extending boss  938 . The boss  938  of the second clamp arm defines a latch slot  940  through the middle of the boss to form two approximately equally thick latch retaining sections  942 . A latch retaining hole  943  is defined in each of the latching retaining section  942 .  
         [0102]    The clamp arms  902 , 904  can be formed from a metallic material or from a polymeric material. Should the clamp arms be formed from a polymeric material, another aspect the present invention is to make the polymeric material conductive. During unloading of dry bulk through the hopper tees and connecting pipes, static electricity may be generated due to the movement of the dry bulk against the interior surfaces of the hopper tees and connecting pipes. Since the dust within the tank car may be combustable, any electrostatic built up in the system must be safely discharged to ground. Often the system is designed such that during the unloading process, the end connection pipe is grounded either through a ground wire or the end connection pipe connected to a grounded tube. However, if the first and second clamp arms are formed of a non-conductive polymeric material, any electrostatic charge built up in the hopper tee is not able to safely discharge through the end connection pipe.  
         [0103]    The present invention solves this problem of electrostatic charge built up in the hopper tee by forming the first and clamps arms  902 , 904  from a conductive polymeric material. The conductive polymeric material includes a structurally suitable polymeric material mixed with a conductive filler. The conductive filler can be carbon powder, carbon fiber, carbon fibril, metal fiber, inherently conductive polymer or inherently dissipative polymer. By forming the clamp arms  902 , 904  from a conductive polymeric material, any electrostatic charge built up in the hopper tee is able to safely discharge through the conductive clamp arms  902 , 904 , and to the grounded end connection pipe. It is preferable that at least one of the conductive clamp arms  902 , 904  directly contacts hopper tee and the corresponding connection pipe to electrically connect at least one of the clamp arms to the hopper tee and the corresponding connection pipe upon the clamp assembly in a closed position. Alternative, an additional conductive member, such as a conductive bracket or wire, can be used to electrically connect at least one of the clamping arms to the hopper tee and the corresponding connector pipe upon the clamp assembly in a closed position.  
         [0104]    The lever  906  has an attachment portion  944  at one end and a handle  946  at the other end. A pivot hole  948  is defined in the attachment portion  944  of the lever  906 . Located radially outwardly of the pivot hole  948  is a catch slot  950 . Extending between the surfaces defining the catch slot  950  is a catch pin  952 . A section of the attachment portion  944  of the lever  906  is inserted into the lever slot  934  of the first clamp arm  902 . A lever pivot pin  954  is inserted through the lever retaining holes of the first clamp arm  902  and the pivot hole  948  of the lever to allow the lever  906  to be pivotably attached to the second end portion  914  of the first clamp arm  902 .  
         [0105]    The latch  908  has a threaded adjustment portion  956  at one end and a catch  958  at the other end. The adjustment portion  956  is threaded to allow a nut  960  to be adjustably positioned axially along the adjustment portion  956  of the latch  908 . A latch pivot pin  962  is inserted through the latch retaining holes  943  of the latch retaining sections  942  of the second end portion  924  of the second clamp arm  904 . The latch pivot pin  962  has a bore  963  extending radially through the pin. The adjustment portion  956  of the latch  908  is inserted through the bore  963  of the latch pivot pin  962  and the nut  960  is threaded onto the adjustment portion  956 . The catch  958  has a J-shaped hook  964 . The inner diameter of the hook  964  is larger than the diameter of the catch pin  952  of lever  906 , allowing the hook  964  to surround the catch pin  952 .  
         [0106]    To close the clamp assembly  900 , the hook  964  of the latch  908  is positioned to surround the catch pin  952 . The latch  908  is then pivoted towards the first clamp arm  902 . Since the catch pin  952  is located radially outwardly of the pivot hole  948 , the pivot motion of the latch  908  creates a cammed effect to pull the second end portion  924  of the second clamp arm  904  towards the second end portion  914  of the first clamp arm  902 . To assure that an adequate seal is formed between the clamp assembly  900  and the pipes radially inwardly of the clamp assembly, the distance D between the attachment of the latch  908  to the second clamp arm  904  to the attachment of the latch  908  to the lever  906  is adjustable. The adjustment can be performed by moving the nut  906 , providing the location of the attachment of the latch  908  to the second clamp arm  904 , axially along the adjustment portion  956  of the latch until the desired distance D is achieved.  
         [0107]    The clamp assembly for a hopper car is often exposed to the environment for an extended period of time before the clamp assembly is opened. Due to this prolong exposure to the environment, rust may form at the junction of the first clamp arm and the second clamp arm, in particularly at the pivot pin, causing opening the clamp assembly to be extremely difficult. The clamp assembly  900  of the present invention addresses this problem by using an oil impregnated bronze pivot pin  930 . Alternatively, lubricant can be introduced to the pivot pin  930  through a zerk fitting  966 , as illustrated in FIG. 33. The zerk fitting  966  is threaded into a bore  968  defined radially from the pivot pin  930 .  
         [0108]    As illustrated in FIG. 32, the second clamp arm  904  has a groove  970  defined at the radially inner surface. A ridge  972  extends axially inwardly from each of the side wall defining the groove  970 . The ridge  972  has a tapered radially outwardly surface  974  and a flat radially inwardly surface  976 . The ridges  972  extend along the entire second clamp arm  904 . The first clamp arm  902  also has a groove  978  defined at the radially inner surface. However, as evident from FIG. 32, the shape of the cross section of the first clamp arm  902  is different from the shape of cross section of the second clamp arm  904 . In particularly, the first clamp arm  902  does not have any ridges extending axially inwardly from the side walls defining the groove  978 .  
         [0109]    The gasket  910  is seated within the groove  978  defined in the first clamp arm  902  and the groove  970  defined in the second clamp arm  904 . As opposed to the prior art gaskets molded as a continuous uninterrupted circular ring, the gasket  910  of the present invention is formed from a straight stock. By forming the gasket  910  from a straight stock, the gasket can be formed by molding or extruding a long continuous stock and then cut to the desired length. The length L of the gasket  910  should be approximately equal to the circumference of the grooves  978 , 970  of the first and second clamp arms  902 , 904  upon the clamp assembly  900  in the closed position.  
         [0110]    FIGS.  31 - 32  and  34 - 35  illustrate a first embodiment of a gasket  910  in accordance to the present invention. The gasket  910  has a sealing surface  980  and a dove-tail shaped base  982 . Two rectangular shaped bores  984  are defined in gasket  910  and extend axially along the gasket  910 . The bores  984  allow the gasket  910  to be compressed more easily. The sealing surface  980  has a flat surface. The dove-tail shaped base  982  has a narrow portion  986  and a tapered wide portion  988 . The dove-tail shaped base  982  is shaped to match the tapered radially outwardly surface  974  of the ridges  972  of the second clamp arm  904 . In the installed position, the dove-tail shaped base  982  is retained within the groove  970  of the second clamp arm  904  by the ridges  972  of the second clamp arm  904 . Hence, the gasket  910  is secured to the second clamp arm  904  preventing the gasket  910  from moving out of the groove  970  in the radial direction when the clamp assembly  900  in the open position. The dove-tail shaped base  982  is seated within the groove  978  of the first clamp arm  902 . However, since the groove  978  of the first clamp arm  902  does not have any ridges  972  extending axially inwardly from the side walls defining the groove  978 , the gasket  910  is not retained within groove  978 . Thus, the gasket  910  is not secured to the first clamp arm  902  allowing the gasket  910  to move out of the groove  978  in the radial direction relative to the first clamp arm  902  when the clamp assembly  900  in the opened position. By having gasket  910  secured to the second clamp arm  904  and unsecured the first clamp arm  902 , the gasket  910  is able to move freely during the opening process to prevent the gasket from tearing, but is still retained to the remainder of the clamp assembly. It should be noted that while the illustrated embodiment discloses the gasket  910  secured to the second clamp arm  904  and unsecured to the first clamp arm  902 ; the ridges  972  can be formed in the groove  978  of the first clamp arm  902  and not be formed in the groove  970  of the second clamp arm  904 , thus, allowing the gasket  910  to be secured to the first clamp arm  902  and unsecured to the second clamp arm  904 .  
         [0111]    [0111]FIG. 36 illustrates a second embodiment of a gasket  1010  in accordance the present invention. The gasket  1010  is similar to the gasket  910  with the exception of ridges formed on the sealing surface  1080 . The sealing surface  1080  of the gasket  1010  has a center ridge  1012  and two outer ridges  1014 , 1016  extending from the recessed surfaces  1022 . The outer ridges  1014 , 1016  are approximately equally spaced apart from the center ridge  1012 . The center ridge  1012  has a flat surface  1024  and tapered surfaces joining the flat surface  1024  to the recessed surfaces  1022 . Likewise, each of the two outer ridges  1014 , 1016  has a flat surface  1028 , 1030  and tapered surfaces joining the flat surface  1028 , 1030  to the recessed surfaces  1022 . The flat surface  1024  of the center ridge and the flat surfaces  1028 , 1030  of the outer ridges are approximately parallel to the recessed surfaces  1022 . The widths W 2 ,W 3  of the flat surfaces  1028 , 1030  of each of the two outer ridges  1014 , 1016  are approximately the same. The width W 1  of the flat surface  1024  of the center ridge  1012  is approximately the same as the widths W 2 ,W 3  of the flat surfaces  1028 , 1030  of the two outer ridges  1014 , 1016 .  
         [0112]    [0112]FIG. 37 illustrates a third embodiment of a gasket  1110  in accordance the present invention. The gasket  1110  is similar to the gasket  910  with the exception of ridges formed on the sealing surface  1180 . The sealing surface  1180  of the gasket  1110  has a center ridge  1112  and two sets of outer ridges  1114 , 1116 , 1118 , 1120  extending from the recessed surfaces  1122 . The first set of outer ridges  1114 , 1116  are approximately equally spaced apart from the center ridge  1112 . The second set of outer ridges  1118 , 1120  are approximately equally spaced apart from the first set of outer ridges  1114 , 1116 . The spacing S 1  from the first set outer ridges  1114 , 1116  to the center ridge  1112  is greater than the spacing S 2  from the second set of outer ridges  1118 , 1120  to the first set of outer ridges  1114 , 1116 . The center ridge  1112  has a flat surface  1124  and tapered surfaces joining the flat surface  1124  to the recessed surfaces  1122 . Each of the first set of outer ridges  1114 , 1116  has a flat surface  1128 , 1130  and tapered surfaces joining the flat surface  1128 , 1130  to the recessed surfaces  1122 . Similarly, each of the second set of outer ridges  1118 , 1120  has a flat surface  1136 , 1138  and tapered surfaces joining the flat surface  1136 , 1138  to the recessed surfaces  1122 . The flat surface  1124  of the center ridge, the flat surfaces  1128 , 1130  of the first set of outer ridges, and the flat surfaces of the second set of outer ridges  1136 , 1138  are approximately parallel to the recessed surfaces  1122 . The widths W 5 ,W 6  of the flat surfaces  1128 , 1130  of each of the first set of outer ridges  1114 , 1116  are approximately the same. The widths W 7 ,W 8  of the flat surfaces  1136 , 1138  of each of the second set of outer ridges  1118 , 1120  are approximately the same. Furthermore the widths W 5 ,W 6  of the flat surfaces  1128 , 1130  of each of the first set of outer ridges  1114 , 1116  are approximately the same as the widths W 7 ,W 8  of the flat surfaces  1136 , 1138  of each of the second set of outer ridges  1118 , 1120 . However, the widths W 5 ,W 6 ,W 7 ,W 8  of the flat surfaces  1128 , 1130 , 1136 , 1138  of each of the first and second sets of outer ridges  1114 , 1116 , 1118 , 1120  are smaller than the width W 4  of the flat surface  1124  of the center ridge  1112 .  
         [0113]    It should be noted that while the clamp assembly  900  of the present invention is illustrated in the above embodiments as being adapted for connecting a groove pipe to a groove pipe, the clamp assembly of the present invention can also be adapted to connect a groove pipe to a plane (non-groove) pipe or adapted to connect a plane pipe to a plane pipe. It should also be noted that the while the clamp assembly  900  of the present invention is illustrated in the above embodiments as being adapted for connecting the end of one of the pipe portion of a hopper tee to the end of a connection pipe, the clamp assembly of the present invention can also be adapted to connect the ends of any types of axially aligned pipes.  
         [0114]    Various features of the present invention have been described with reference to the above embodiments. It should be understood that modification may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as represented by the following claims.