Clamping tool for manway cover and related methods
AssigneeEyler Design Solutions, LLC
InventorRobert L. Eyler, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clamping tool for use with manway covers may be selectively attached to a manway to permit the manway cover to be separated from its opposing manway flange without having to completely disassociate such manway cover with its corresponding manway. One possible arrangement makes use of at least two clamps, a manway cover clamp and a manway flange clamp, each of the clamps having portions which can be inserted between opposing portions of the manway cover and the manway flange. The clamping tool maintains the relative alignment of the manway cover and the manway flange, yet permits the manway to be selectively opened by separating the manway cover from such manway flange, or closed after such opening.
Claims19
A clamping tool for separating a manway cover from an associated manway flange of a manway, the manway cover having inward and outward surfaces, the manway flange having rear and front flange surfaces, the front flange surface of the manway flange and the inward surface of the manway cover defining opposing portions when in a closed state, the clamping tool for a manway in which the manway cover and the manway flange have respective circumferences and, in the closed state of the manway, the manway flange and the manway cover are secured to each other by a plurality of manway cover fasteners received through corresponding, circumferentially spaced holes of a predetermined size, the holes passing through the manway flange and the manway cover the clamping tool comprising:
- a pair of clamps, one of the clamps removably securable to the manway flange and the other of the clamps removably securable to the manway cover;
- and
- a frame secured between the two clamps, the frame having portions interconnecting the two clamps to be moveable relative to each other;
- wherein each of the clamps have respective inner and outer jaws;
- wherein the inner jaws of each of the clamps are configured to be positionable between the opposing portions of the manway flange and the manway cover to retain the manway cover in position relative to the manway flange and permit selective separation therefrom;
- wherein one of the clamps comprises a cover clamp, the inner jaw of the cover clamp being configured to be removably securable to the inward surface of the manway cover;
- wherein the other of the clamps comprises a manway flange clamp, the inner jaw of the manway flange clamp configured to be removably securable to the front flange surface of the manway flange;
- wherein the outer jaw of the cover clamp is configured to be removably securable to the outward surface of the manway cover;
- and
- wherein the outer jaw of the manway flange clamp is configured to be removably securable to the rear flange surface of the manway flange;
- and
- wherein the clamps of the clamping tool are removably securable to the manway cover and the manway flange, respectively, by clamp fasteners configured to engage the holes of predetermined size of the manway cover and the manway flange.
A clamping tool for separating a manway cover from an associated manway flange of a manway, the manway cover having inward and outward surfaces, the manway flange having rear and front flange surfaces, the front flange surface of the manway flange and the inward surface of the manway cover defining opposing portions when in a closed state, the clamping tool comprising:
- a pair of clamps, one of the clamps removably securable to the manway flange and the other of the clamps removably securable to the manway cover;
- and
- a frame secured between the two clamps, the frame having portions interconnecting the two clamps to be moveable relative to each other;
- wherein each of the clamps have respective inner and outer jaws;
- wherein the inner jaws of each of the clamps are configured to be positionable between the opposing portions of the manway flange and the manway cover to retain the manway cover in position relative to the manway flange and permit selective separation therefrom;
- wherein the frame includes a davit, the davit having a mast member and an arm extending orthogonally to the mast member, the mast being rotatable about an axis of rotation adjacent the manway, the arm extending adjacent the manway to swing out from the manway when the mast is suitably rotated;
- wherein the cover clamp is connected to the davit arm;
- and wherein the manway flange clamp is connected to the mast.
A clamping tool for separating a manway cover from an associated manway flange of a manway, the manway cover having inward and outward surfaces, the manway flange having rear and front flange surfaces, the front flange surface of the manway flange and the inward surface of the manway cover defining opposing portions when in a closed state, the clamping tool comprising:
- a pair of clamps, one of the clamps removably securable to the manway flange and the other of the clamps removably securable to the manway cover;
- and
- a frame secured between the two clamps, the frame having portions interconnecting the two clamps to be moveable relative to each other;
- wherein each of the clamps have respective inner and outer jaws;
- wherein the inner jaws of each of the clamps are configured to be positionable between the opposing portions of the manway flange and the manway cover to retain the manway cover in position relative to the manway flange and permit selective separation therefrom;
- wherein the frame comprises a hub defining an axis of rotation adjacent the manway when the tool is secured thereto, the frame further comprising a pair of arms extending radially from the hub to attach to respective ones of the jaws, whereby the clamps are movable arcuately about the axis and relative to each other when the manway cover is opened and closed relative to the manway flange.
A clamping tool for separating a manway cover from an associated manway flange of a manway, the manway cover having inward and outward surfaces, the manway flange having rear and front flange surfaces, the front flange surface of the manway flange and the inward surface of the manway cover defining opposing portions when in a closed state, the clamping tool for use with manways having manway flanges and manway covers of predetermined diameters selected from the group consisting of 16, 18, 20, and 24 inches, the predetermined diameters terminating in corresponding, arcuate, circumferential edges, the clamping tool comprising:
- a pair of clamps, one of the clamps removably securable to the manway flange and the other of the clamps removably securable to the manway cover;
- and
- a frame secured between the two clamps, the frame having portions interconnecting the two clamps to be moveable relative to each other;
- wherein each of the clamps have respective inner and outer jaws;
- wherein the inner jaws of each of the clamps are configured to be positionable between the opposing portions of the manway flange and the manway cover to retain the manway cover in position relative to the manway flange and permit selective separation therefrom;
- four of the pairs of clamps, each of the pairs configured to be securable to a corresponding one of the manway covers and the manway flanges having the predetermined diameters;
- wherein the inner jaws of each of the pairs of clamps have transverse, arcuate, jaw portions extending over associated arc-lengths, the arc-lengths having radii corresponding to respective ones of the predetermined diameters to engage the corresponding arcuate circumferential edges of the manway covers and the manway flanges of the predetermined diameters.
A clamping tool for separating a manway cover from an associated manway flange of a manway, in which the manway is oriented substantially vertically, the manway cover having inward and outward surfaces, the manway flange having rear and front flange surfaces, the front flange surface of the manway flange and the inward surface of the manway cover defining opposing portions when in a closed state, the clamping tool comprising:
- a pair of clamps, one of the clamps removably securable to the manway flange and the other of the clamps removably securable to the manway cover;
- and
- a frame secured between the two clamps, the frame having portions interconnecting the two clamps to be moveable relative to each other;
- wherein each of the clamps have respective inner and outer jaws;
- wherein the inner jaws of each of the clamps are configured to be positionable between the opposing portions of the manway flange and the manway cover to retain the manway cover in position relative to the manway flange and permit selective separation therefrom;
- wherein the frame comprises a base portion with a davit mast rotatably secured thereto and defining an axis of rotation adjacent the manway when the tool is secured to the manway, the frame having a davit arm connected to the davit mast and extending outwardly from the axis of rotation;
- the tool further comprising a lift assembly with a length-adjustable interconnector connected to the davit arm, the lift assembly having at least two arms connectable to the manway cover at respective arcuately spaced locations;
- wherein the tool comprises three of the clamps, the first and second clamps comprising manway cover clamps, the third clamp comprising a manway flange clamp, the frame interconnecting the manway cover clamps to be moveable relative to the manway flange clamp;
- wherein the manway cover clamps are disposed at respective ends of the arms of the lift assembly and are removably securable to the manway flange;
- wherein the manway flange clamp is disposed at the base portion of the frame and is removably securable to the manway flange;
- wherein the interconnector is configured so that selective shortening thereof by a predetermined amount lifts the manway cover relative to the manway flange sufficiently to permit rotation of the davit mast to move the manway cover from over the manway flange to open the manway.
A clamping tool for lifting a manway cover from an associated manway flange of a vertically oriented manway, the manway cover having inward and outward surfaces, the manway flange having rear and front flange surfaces, the front flange surface of the manway flange and the inward surface of the manway cover defining opposing portions when in a closed state, the clamping tool comprising:
- a plurality of manway flange clamps removably securable to the manway flange at respective arcuate locations about the manway flange, the manway flange clamps having inner jaws with lip portions insertable between the opposing portions of the manway flange and the manway cover;
- a lift assembly having arms terminating in respective fingers, the respective fingers being insertable between the opposing portions of the manway flange and the manway cover at respective arcuate locations about manway cover;
- a frame interconnecting the manway flange clamps and the lifting assembly;
- wherein the frame comprises a base portion with a davit mast rotatably secured thereto and defining an axis of rotation adjacent the manway when the tool is secured thereto, the frame having a davit arm connected to the davit mast and extending outwardly from the axis of rotation;
- wherein the lift assembly includes a length-adjustable interconnector connected to the davit arm;
- wherein the manway flange clamp is disposed on the base portion of the frame;
- wherein the interconnector is configured so that selective shortening thereof by a predetermined amount lifts the manway cover relative to the manway flange sufficiently to permit rotation of the davit mast to move the manway cover from over the manway flange to open the manway;
- an extraction system secured to the frame and positionable above the manway when the manway flange clamps are secured to the manway flange, whereby the extraction system may be secured to personnel entering the manway after the manway has been opened.
A method for opening a manway comprising the steps of:
- removably securing at least one manway flange clamp to a corresponding manway flange;
- removably securing at least one manway cover clamp to a corresponding manway cover;
- wherein the step of removably securing the manway flange clamp includes the steps of:
- inserting first clamp fasteners through manway flange holes of a predetermined size formed on a rear surface of the manway flange, the insertion occurring without altering the predetermined size of the manway flange holes;
- inserting a lip portion of the manway flange clamp between a front flange surface of the manway flange and an inward surface of the manway cover;
- and
- tightening the manway flange clamp to clamp the manway flange;
- wherein the step of removably securing the manway cover clamp includes the steps of:
- inserting second clamp fasteners through manway cover holes of a predetermined size formed on an outward surface of the manway cover, the insertion occurring without altering the predetermined size of the manway cover holes;
- inserting a lip portion of the manway cover clamp between the inward surface of the manway cover and the front flange surface of the manway flange;
- and
- tightening the manway cover clamp to clamp the manway cover.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.