Patent ID: 8181917

Claim:
A method of supporting or structurally replacing a weld joint between connected pipes, the method comprising: securing an upper clamp body and a lower clamp body on opposite sides of the connected pipes in facing relation; extending at least one clamp bolt through the connected pipes and connecting the upper and lower clamp bodies; receiving a clamp bolt nut in a shaped depression in one of the upper and lower clamp bodies and engaging the clamp bolt nut with the clamp bolt, wherein the shaped depression prevents rotation of the clamp bolt nut, wherein the other of the upper and lower clamp bodies comprises a machined depression that is shaped to receive a head of the clamp bolt, and a slot depression disposed adjacent the machined depression; receiving a clamp bolt keeper in the slot depression and engaging the clamp bolt keeper with the clamp bolt head to retain a preload on the clamp bolt; engaging ratchet teeth around a perimeter of the clamp bolt head with corresponding teeth on the clamp bolt keeper when the clamp bolt keeper is received in the slot depression; and limiting rotation of the clamp bolt in a direction that increases the preload on the clamp bolt by configuring the corresponding teeth and the ratchet teeth.