Patent ID: 7475919

Claim:
A pipe clamp, comprising: a band of metal having first and second ends and being formed into a substantially cylindrical body portion; a pair of opposed flanges formed from sheet material at said ends of said band, wherein each of said opposed flanges extends radially from said body portion to a closed loop formed by a portion of said sheet material folded back onto itself such that said flanges comprise a plurality of layers of said sheet material, with said flanges each having an aperture through said sheet material at a location intermediate said loop and said body portion, and wherein said loops are disposed adjacent each other such that said flanges are separated by a gap that is greater at said apertures than at said loops; and a tightening mechanism that includes a fastener extending through said apertures in said opposed flanges for drawing the ends of said band together such that said band can be tightened about a pipe, whereby tightening of said band causes said loops of said flanges to engage each other, with further tightening causing a lower portion of said flanges at said body portion to be drawn together for further tightening of said band.