Patent ID: 7644960

Claim:
A clamp for coupling mating radially projecting flanges, each flange having a coupling surface and a tapered face remote from the coupling surface, the clamp comprising: at least a pair of component halves, each half comprising a generally U-shaped cross-sectional profile including a base portion having a non-contact face including a straight non-contact portion, two opposing side limbs projecting from the base portion, each side limb having a contact face, the contact face of the side limb being distanced from the non-contact face of the base portion and tapering towards the non-contact face of the base portion at an angle enabling an abutting contact between the contact face of the side limb and the tapered face of the radially projecting flange, each side limb further including a non-contact face, a geometry of the contact face and the non-contact face of the side limb being configured such that the straight non-contact portion of the base portion extends at least to points of intersection of planes tangential to the contact faces of the side limbs with the non-contact face of the base portion, and a recess defined intermediate of the side limbs for receiving the mating radially projecting flanges; and a fastener for fastening the component halves together such that when the component halves are fastened, the recesses defined by the side limbs of the component halves face each other to define a central aperture therebetween, wherein the contact face of the side limb is inclined at an inclination angle in relation to a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the central aperture defined by the recesses of the components halves in a fastened position, and the non-contact face of the side limb is inclined at a shallower inclination angle than that of the contact face of the side limb in relation to the plane perpendicular to the central axis of the central aperture defined by the recesses of the components halves in the fastened position.