Patent Application
20080040897
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of the specification in which like numerals designate like parts, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
An embodiment of a rectangular “T”-bolt clamp (400) employing loops 420 and 421 defined in the ends 403 and 404, respectively, of clamp band 405 internal to the clamp is illustrated in
In each of embodiments 400 and 500 first loop 420 or 520 is defined by first band end portion 403 or 503. In the “T”-bolt embodiments of
In embodiments such as “T”-bolt clamps 400 and 500 of
An embodiment of a method for clamping a hose or the like to a structure, fitting, or the like might employ clamp 400 or 500. Nut 435 or 535 is threaded on threaded shank 432 or 532 of shank 427 or 527 of fastener 425 or 525. Tightening of nut 435 or 535 against trunnion 430 or 530, possibly via ferrules 436 or 536, imparts inward directed compressive force via band 405 or 505 to seal an encompassed hose or the like to a fitting, structure, or the like. Although bands 405 or 505 of embodiments of a clamp such as embodiment 400 and 500 might still bulge when nut 435 or 535 is tightened, the exterior portion of band 405 or 505 is continuous. Thus, if band 405 or 505 bulges during tightening, the distal ends 403, 404, 503 and 504 of the band are retained and do not tend to separate from the band at welds 401,402, 501 or 502, as in typical clamps of prior designs. Thus, cracks are less likely to be imparted into welds 401,402, 501 or 502 and/or surrounding band material.
Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. As but one example, the present invention might be employed in a “barrels-and-bolt” band-type clamp, wherein a bolt passes through a trunnion captured in one of the in ward loops. The bolt may be either threaded into a threaded trunnion captured by the second inward loop or it may pass through a second unthreaded trunnion captured in the second inward loop and be threaded into a nut on the other side of the second trunnion. Such a nut may be secured against rotation. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
