Patent ID: 7185798

Claim:
A clamp assembly for clamping a riser brace to a riser pipe of a jet pump assembly in which the riser pipe has a central longitudinal axis and the riser brace has first and second side members extending from a yoke attached to the riser pipe with the side members extending transverse to the central longitudinal axis on opposite sides of the riser pipe, said clamp assembly comprising first and second clamp members mountable on the riser brace respectively on the opposite sides of the riser pipe, said first clamp member including a clamp body comprising a coupling portion, a lever arm portion and an abutment surface on said lever arm portion for being disposed along the riser pipe opposite the yoke, and a pivot between said coupling portion and said lever arm portion defining a pivot axis for said clamp body extending in the same direction as the central longitudinal axis of the riser pipe and about which said clamp body is pivotal, said second clamp member including a clamp body comprising a coupling portion, a lever arm portion and an abutment surface on said lever arm portion of said second clamp member for being disposed along the riser pipe opposite the yoke, and a pivot between said coupling portion of said second clamp member and said lever arm portion of said second clamp member defining a pivot axis for said clamp body of said second clamp member parallel to said pivot axis for said first clamp member and about which said clamp body of said second clamp member is pivotal; first and second engagement elements respectively structurally connected to said first and second clamp members and securable on the riser brace with the yoke disposed between the riser pipe and said first and second engagement elements; and an operating member coupling said coupling portions in spaced relation along a clamping axis perpendicular to said pivot axes with the riser pipe disposed between said clamping axis and said abutment surfaces, said operating member being operable to move said coupling portions further away from one another along said clamping axis to effect pivotal movement of said clamp bodies in unison and in opposite directions about said pivot axes to force said abutment surfaces against the riser pipe at respective first and second radial locations to apply radial forces to the riser pipe at the radial locations and reacted by forces applied by said engagement elements to the yoke in parallel directions and on the opposite sides of the riser pipe.