Patent ID: 8474880

Claim:
A coupler for coupling together the end portions of two pipes, comprising: a two piece coupling body, each piece having an inner end, an outer end, a radial flange extending radially outwardly around at least a circumferential portion of the inner end, a plurality of fastener bolt holes in the radial flange, and a receiving opening to receive and surround the end portion of one of the pipes to be coupled; each piece of the coupling body having therein an inner means for surrounding and holding the end portion of the pipe extending through the receiving opening inside the coupling body piece; a plurality of fastener bolts, each fastener bolt adapted to extend between one of the plurality of fastener bolt holes in one coupling body piece and one of the plurality of fastener bolt holes in the other coupling body piece to connect the two coupling body pieces together with the radial flanges in face to face mirrored matching positions; a partitioner adapted to be positioned between the coupling body pieces to hold the flanges in separated, spaced apart condition when the coupling body pieces are connected by the fastener bolts; and at least one arcuate snap coupler adapted to have an end thereof rotatably coupled to one of the fastener bolts and to extend to and be coupled to a second of the fastener bolts to join the two pieces of the coupling body together in spaced relationship, each arcuate snap coupler comprising: an open channel portion having two parallel side walls spaced apart a distance equal to the distance over the face to face flanges when the two coupling body pieces are joined together, a first hinge portion centered between the two parallel side walls and extending from the end of the arcuate snap coupler inwardly toward the partitioner for rotatable attachment of an end of the arcuate snap coupler to a first fastener bolt extending between the flanges, and a second hinge portion centered between the two parallel side walls and extending from a second end of the arcuate snap coupler inwardly toward the partitioner for attachment to a second fastener bolt extending between the flanges when the arcuate snap coupler is rotated about the first fastener bolt so that portions of the face to face flanges are received within the channel portion to thereby lock the arcuate snap coupler into position with the face to face flange portions received within the channel.