Tool joint clamp

A clamp assembly for mounting on a tool joint comprising coaxially-aligned cylindrical upper and lower workpieces and having a tool joint axis, said clamp assembly having a clamp assembly axis and comprising a cylindrical lower collar assembly and a cylindrical upper collar assembly, wherein:

• (a) the lower collar assembly comprises a semi-cylindrical lower left collar segment and a semi-cylindrical lower right collar segment, wherein:
• (a.1) the lower left and lower right collar segments are removably connectable to each other by threaded fasteners to form the cylindrical lower collar assembly;
• and
• (a.2) the lower collar assembly is coaxially mountable around the lower workpiece such that tightening the fasteners connecting the lower left and lower right collar segments will urge the lower collar assembly to grip the lower workpiece;
• (b) the upper collar assembly comprises a semi-cylindrical upper left collar segment and a semi-cylindrical upper right collar segment, wherein:
• (b.1) the upper left and upper right collar segments are removably connectable to each other by threaded fasteners to form the cylindrical upper collar assembly;
• and
• (b.2) the upper collar assembly is coaxially mountable around the upper workpiece such that tightening the fasteners connecting the upper left and upper right collar segments will urge the upper collar assembly to grip the upper workpiece;
• (c) each of the lower left and lower right collar segments defines an upward-facing semi-annular surface;
• (d) each of the upper left and upper right collar segments defines a downward-facing semi-annular surface;
• (e) the upward-facing surface of the lower left collar segment and the downward-facing surface of the upper left collar segment are complementarily profiled to form a first interlocking linear slide mechanism allowing relative horizontal sliding of the lower left and upper left collar segments while preventing relative rotation of the lower left and upper left collar segments about the clamp assembly axis, wherein the sliding direction of the first interlocking linear slide mechanism is parallel to a vertical reference plane coincident with the clamp assembly axis and bisecting the interlocked lower left and upper left collar segments;
• and
• (f) the clamp assembly defines:
• (f.1) a first transverse axis that lies in a horizontal reference plane generally defined by the upward-facing and downward facing semi-annular surfaces, respectively, of the interlocked lower left and upper left collar segments, is perpendicular to and intersects the clamp assembly axis, and is parallel to the sliding direction of the first interlocking linear slide mechanism;
• and
• (f.2) a second transverse axis that lies in a horizontal reference plane generally defined by the upward-facing and downward facing semi-annular surfaces, respectively, of the interlocked lower left and upper left collar segments, is perpendicular to and intersects the clamp assembly axis, and is perpendicular to the sliding direction of the first interlocking linear slide mechanism.