Patent ID: 8678450

Claim:
An apparatus for joining high pressure ducts by welding the apparatus to a pair of ducts comprising: a first bar welded to a first duct, said first bar including a first member having a surface for welding with the first duct, a second member extending from said first member, said second member having a surface for engaging with a coupling mechanism; a second bar welded with a second duct, said second bar including a first member having a surface for welding with the second duct, a second member extending from said first member, said second member having a surface for engaging with the coupling mechanism; and the coupling mechanism having an overall U-shape with legs, said legs opposing one another and including upturned ends for engaging said surface of said second members of said first and second bars, said upturned ends being substantially parallel to the legs and frictionally engaging said surfaces of said second members so that said coupling mechanism is removably connected with said first and second bars such that the coupling mechanism can only be slid onto or off of the first and second bars to couple the first and second bars together.