Patent ID: 7665773

Claim:
A self-tightening clamp assembly adapted for installation on the adjacent ends of a pair of opposed pipe sections having a joint therebetween, said assembly comprising: a plurality of clamp bodies configured to be placed about said adjacent pipe section ends in spanning relationship to said joint; a plurality of teeth carried by said clamp bodies and oriented for engaging both of said pipe section ends; and a clamping mechanism operably coupled with said clamp bodies in order to cause said teeth to grippingly engage both of said pipe section ends, said teeth being disposed on toothed elements shiftable relative to the clamp bodies along mating sloped surfaces of the toothed elements and the clamp bodies, wherein the mating sloped surfaces are oriented relative to said pipe section ends so as to exert an increasing gripping force thereon in the event of relative separation movement between said pipe section ends; and said clamping mechanism comprising a pair of laterally spaced apart clamping rings respectively engaging opposite end portions of said clamp bodies, each of said clamping rings comprising a plurality of interconnected link members.