Tube clamp assembly

• US 4,640,536 A
• Filed: 02/27/1986
• Issued: 02/03/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cummins Filtration Incorporated (Cummins Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Nelson Industries Incorporated (Cummins Incorporated)
• Inventors: Printiss, Frederick H. Sr., Barker, Irvy T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arola, Dave W.
• Application Number:
  US06/833,544
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 285/367, 285/410, 285/411, 285/420, 24/279, 24/280, 24/283, 24/286, 24/19, 24/277, 24/278
• US Class Current: 285/367
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/1805 Fixing exhaust manifolds, exhaust pipes or pipe sections to each other, to engine or to vehicle body pipe joints in general F16L; fixing auxiliaries in motor vehicles in general B60K
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/08 connection by tangentially arranged pin and nut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1441 Tangential screw

Abstract

A clamp assembly for clamping unslotted overlapping ends of metal tubes in an exhaust system. The clamp assembly includes a metal ring having a generally circular cross section and the ends of the ring are in overlapping contacting relation. One leg of a generally U-shaped bracket is secured to each overlapping end, while the other leg of the bracket engages the outer surface of the other end of the ring to urge the overlapping ends of the ring into contacting relation. A bolt extends through the aligned openings in the brackets, and the axis of the bolt is in a plane passing through the line of contact between the overlapping ends. The head of the bolt bears against the side edge of one bracket while a nut threaded on the opposite end of the bolt bears against the side edge of the other bracket. By threading down the bolt, the ring is contracted in diameter to provide a low cost, strong, 360° closure for clamping the tubes.

Claims

1. A clamp assembly for clamping overlapping ends of metal tubes, comprising a ring having a pair of overlapping ends disposed in direct contact with each other, and a generally U-shaped bracket for each of said ends, said U-shaped bracket having opposing legs and means securing one leg of each bracket to one of said ends and the opposite leg of said bracket being disposed in contact with the outer surface of the other of said ends whereby said other end can slide relative to the respective bracket, each bracket defining an opening with said openings being in alignment, and fastening means extending freely through said aligned openings for drawing said brackets in a direction toward each other to contract said ring and clamp said tubes.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each bracket has an outer side edge and said fastening means includes a first end portion disposed in engagement with an outer side edge of one bracket and including a second end portion disposed in engagement with an outer side edge of the other bracket, said fastening means also having a central section extending through said aligned openings and interconnecting said end portions, the axis of said central section disposed in a plane extending through the line of contact between said overlapping ends.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said fastening means comprises a bolt and said first portion comprises a head of said bolt, and said second portion comprises a nut threaded on the bolt.

4. The clamping assembly of claim 1, wherein said securing means for the first end of each bracket is a welded connection to the corresponding overlapping end.

5. The clamping assembly of claim 1, wherein said ring is generally circular in cross section.

6. The clamping assembly of claim 1, wherein said ends are overlapped through an arc in the range 70°

to 90°

.

7. A clamp assembly for clamping the unslotted overlapping ends of metal tubes, comprising a ring having a pair of overlapping end portions disposed in side-by-side contact with each other, a generally U-shaped bracket secured to each of said end portions said U-shaped bracket having opposing legs and means securing, one leg of each bracket one of said end portions and the opposite leg of each bracket comprising a guide to slidably engage the opposite end portion, each bracket defining an opening with the openings being in alignment, and a bolt extending through said aligned openings with the axis of the bolt disposed in a plane extending through the line of contact between said end portions.

8. The clamp assembly of claim 7, wherein each bracket has an outside edge and said bolt has a head engaged with the outer side edge of one of said brackets, and a nut threaded on the opposite end of the bolt and engaged with the outer side edge of the other of said brackets, whereby threading of said nut on said bolt will draw the brackets in a direction toward each other to reduce the diameter of said ring and provide a clamping action for the tubes.

9. The clamp assembly of claim 7, wherein said ring is generally circular in cross section and the end portions are overlapped through an arc of 70°

to 90°

.

10. In an exhaust system, a pair of tubes disposed in axial alignment, the adjacent ends of said tubes being curled outwardly and disposed in end-to-end relation, an annular member straddling the curled ends of said tubes, said annular member having a pair of circumferential side edges disposed inwardly at an angle to the axis of said tubes and disposed in contact with the respective curled ends, and a clamping assembly disposed around said annular member and disposed between said side edges, said clamping assembly including a ring having a pair of overlapping end portions disposed in side-by-side contact with each other, a bracket for each end portion and defining a guide track for sliding movement of the opposite end portion, and means securing each bracket to a each end portion and each bracket defining an opening, said openings being disposed in alignment, and connecting means extending through said aligned openings for drawing said brackets in a direction toward each other to contract said ring in diameter and thereby move said angular side edges inwardly against the respective curled ends to wedge the curled ends axially toward each other and provide a seal therebetween.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said annular member has a circumferential groove to receive said ring.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said annular member has a longitudinal interruption.