Patent ID: 7225837

Claim:
For use with first and second connected pipe sections disposed within an outer casing, an arrangement comprising: first and second segmented bands; first couplings each connected to respective adjacent ends of each segment of said first and second segmented bands for maintaining said first and second segmented bands disposed about and engaging said first and second pipe sections, respectively, in a tight-fitting manner; plural risers disposed in a spaced manner on an outer portion of said first and second segmented bands for maintaining the first and second pipe sections in fixed position within, and in spaced relation from, said outer casing, wherein each of said risers is comprised of a unitary structure including first and second flat side plates each having respective opposed proximal and distal edges, a flat top plate, and a flat end plate having an aperture therein, wherein said flat top plate is connected to aligned distal edges of said first and second side plates and said end plate is connected to adjacent edges of said first and second side plates and said top plate to form a generally U-shaped base, and wherein said side, top and end plates are connected together by first weldments; second weldments attaching the proximal edges of the first and second side plates of each of said risers to a segmented band so as to form each of said risers integrally with an associated segmented band; and second couplings connecting aligned risers on said first and second segmented bands for maintaining connection between the first and second pipe sections, wherein said second couplings include plural connecting rods each inserted through the end plate apertures in a pair of aligned risers and having first and second opposed threaded ends, and wherein said second couplings further include plural threaded nuts each disposed on an end of a connecting rod for maintaining each connecting rod securely attached to the aligned pair of risers on said first and second segmented bands.