Patent ID: 7438127

Claim:
A pipe gripping clamp, comprising: (a) a bottom plate; (b) a pair of jaws capable of gripping a pipe pivotally attached to said bottom plate, said jaws capable of pivoting about a pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to said bottom plate; and (c) a ram operatively coupled to each jaw of said pair of jaws, each ram having two ends wherein one end is pivotally attached to said bottom plate and capable of pivoting about an axis that is substantially parallel to said pivot axis and the other end is pivotally attached to said jaw, whereby said pair of jaws closes to grip said pipe when said rams are extended and said pair of jaws opens to release said pipe when said rams are retracted; and (d) a top plate wherein said pair of jaws and said rams are disposed between said top and bottom plates and pivotally attached to said top plate.