Hingeable split pipe collar

• US 4,408,788 A
• Filed: 09/23/1981
• Issued: 10/11/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grinnell LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Grinnell Fire Protection Systems Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Beukema, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arola, Dave W.
• Application Number:
  US06/305,030
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 285/112, 285/373, 285/419, 285/367, 285/325, 285/409
• US Class Current: 285/419
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 17/04 with longitudinally split or divided sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/08 connection by tangentially arranged pin and nut

Abstract

A split collar for use with pipe and the like including a pair of discrete semicircular collar halves each having outwardly extending flanges at their terminal ends, and which halves cooperate to define an essentially circular opening. The inner surfaces of adjacent flanges abut along their inboard portions and then generally diverge. Aligned holes of elongated configuration are provided in the flanges to permit securing of the halves together in assembled relation with bolt and nut combinations or the like. The point where the inner surfaces of adjacent flanges commence to diverge is inboard of the inner edges of the bolt head and nut; and, as a result, the halves may be swung to a substantially open position after removal of one of the bolts only and without any loosening of the other bolt.

Claims

1. A split collar for use with pipe and the like comprising a pair of opposed collar halves the inner surfaces of which cooperate to define a substantially circular opening having a central axis and an axial plane which contains said axis, outwardly extending flanges at each end of each of said halves, each of said flanges having a substantially flat inner surface which abuts the adjacent inner flange surface of the opposite half along a radial plane extending radially outwardly from said circular opening and substantially normal to said axial plane and which then diverges with respect to the opposite flange inner surface, aligned holes in said adjacent flanges, fastening means extending through said holes and substantially parallel to said axial plane operable to clamp said abutting inner surfaces of said adjacent flanges against each other to maintain said halves in assembled relation, said holes having substantial clearance inwardly and outwardly of said fastening means in a direction generally normal to said axial plane, the point at which said inner flange surfaces commence to diverge being located at least as close to said circular opening as the innermost edges of the adjacent fastening means in a direction substantially normal to said axial plane, whereby when one of said fastening means is completely removed, said halves may be swung outwardly with respect to each other without loosening the other fastening means, said outward swinging motion taking place substantially along a fulcrum located at the point where the inner surfaces of said still connected flanges commence to diverge.

2. In the split collar of claim 1, the inner surfaces of said adjacent flanges diverging to define included angles of at least 50°

.

3. In the split collar of claim 1, the fastening means for at least one pair of said adjacent flanges comprising threaded nut and bolt means.

4. The split collar of claim 1 further characterized in that it functions as a pipe coupling, the inner surfaces of said halves having channels which cooperate to define a circular inner channel in said coupling, opposite sides of said channel being engageable within grooves provided adjacent to the ends of sections of pipe to be coupled.

5. In the split collar of claim 1, said aligned holes being of elongated dimension with the elongate dimension thereof extending outwardly from said circular opening substantially normal to said axial plane.