Patent ID: 7871111

Claim:
A clamping device for supporting or structurally replacing a cracked weld joint between connected pipes, the clamping device comprising: an upper clamp body including an upper curved jaw, a lower clamp body including a lower curved jaw, at least one clamp bolt and at least one clamp bolt keeper nut joined together to connect the upper and lower clamp bodies together and thereby secure the upper and lower curved jaws on opposite sides of the connected pipes in facing relation, the at least one clamp bolt extending through portions of the connected upper and lower clamp bodies other than the upper and lower curved jaws, at least one stop bolt inserted into the upper curved jaw of the upper clamp body, the at least one stop bolt being seated in a hole machined in the connected pipes, and at least one stop bolt keeper corresponding to the at least one stop bolt, the at least one stop bolt keeper being located on the upper curved jaw of the upper clamp body, a portion of the at least one stop bolt engaging a complementary portion of the at least one stop bolt keeper so as to prevent rotation of the at least one stop bolt and thereby retain a preload on the at least one stop bolt.