Apparatus for squeezing pipes and method of use

A method for squeezing a pipe comprising the steps of:

• i) providing an apparatus having a first jaw and a second jaw being adapted to receive a pipe therebetween, the first jaw and the second jaw being interconnected at proximal ends for relative displacement through a first shaft of the apparatus and at distal ends through a second shaft of the apparatus, the first jaw being fixed to the first shaft, the second jaw being slidingly and rotatably connected to the first shaft and being slidably engaged to the second shaft, the first jaw being rotatable with the first shaft with respect to the second jaw so as to detachably engage the second shaft;
• ii) positioning the second jaw against the pipe and between the first and the second shaft;
• iii) rotating the first jaw to engage the first jaw to the second shaft, such that the pipe is between the first and the second jaw;
• iv) displacing the first jaw toward the second jaw by axially displacing the shafts so as to squeeze the pipe between the jaws.

An apparatus for squeezing pipes, comprising:

• a first jaw having a first squeezing surfaces and a second jaw having a second squeezing surface, the first jaw and the second jaw being interconnected for relative displacement at proximal ends through a first shaft of the apparatus and at distal ends through a second shaft of the apparatus, the first squeezing surface and the second squeezing surface being separated by a gap adapted to receive a pipe therein, the first jaw being rotatable with respect to the first shaft and engageable with the second shaft such that the apparatus is mountable about a pipe with the pipe being positioned in the gap between the first and the second shaft;
• and
• actuation means for axially displacing the first shaft to reduce the gap to squeeze the pipe between the first squeezing surface of the first jaw and the second squeezing surface of the second jaw to block at least partially fluid flow in the pipe;
• wherein at least one of the first and second jaws bends at a given level of squeezing of the pipe whereby greater pressure is applied on cross-sectional ends of the pipe being squeezed.