Apparatus and Method for Repairing a Core Spray Line Pipe Weld Joint
AssigneeGE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC
InventorGrant Clark Jensen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clamping device supports or structurally replaces a weld joint between connected pipes. The clamping device includes an upper clamp body and a lower clamp body securable on opposite sides of the connected pipes in facing relation, and at least one clamp bolt connecting the upper and lower clamp bodies and extendable through the connected pipes. One of the upper and lower clamp bodies has at least one shaped depression, which receives a complementary shaped clamp bolt nut engageable with the clamp bolt. The shaped depression prevents rotation of the clamp bolt nut.
Claims9
A method of supporting or structurally replacing a weld joint between connected pipes using a clamping device, the clamping device including an upper clamp body and a lower clamp body, the method comprising:
- forming at least one aperture through the connected pipes in a joint area;
- securing the upper clamp body and the lower clamp body on opposite sides of the connected pipes in facing relation;
- connecting the upper and lower clamp bodies by a clamp bolt extendable through the at least one aperture and securing the clamp bolt with a clamp bolt nut, the clamp bolt nut having a non-circular shape;
- and
- preventing rotation of the clamp bolt nut by engaging the clamp bolt nut in a correspondingly shaped depression in one of the upper and lower clamp bodies.
A method of supporting or structurally replacing a weld joint between connected pipes, the method comprising:
- securing an upper clamp body and a lower clamp body on opposite sides of the connected pipes in facing relation;
- extending at least one clamp bolt through the connected pipes and connecting the upper and lower clamp bodies;
- and
- receiving a clamp bolt nut in a shaped depression in one of the upper and lower clamp bodies and engaging the clamp bolt nut with the clamp bolt, wherein the shaped depression prevents rotation of the clamp bolt nut.
A method of supporting or structurally replacing a weld joint between connected pipes, the method comprising:
- securing an upper clamp body and a lower clamp body on opposite sides of the connected pipes in facing relation;
- extending at least one clamp bolt through the connected pipes and connecting the upper and lower clamp bodies;
- preventing rotation of the clamp bolt nut by receiving a shaped clamp bolt nut engageable with the clamp bolt in at least one shaped depression in one of the upper and lower clamp bodies, wherein the other of the upper and lower clamp bodies includes a machined depression that is shaped to receive a head of the clamp bolt, and a slot depression disposed adjacent the machined depression;
- retaining a preload on the clamp bolt by receiving a clamp bolt keeper in the slot depression and engaging the clamp bolt keeper with the clamp bolt head;
- and
- providing the clamp bolt keeper with a hairpin-shaped member including two cantilever beams joined at one end and interfacing teeth disposed at a free end of one of the two cantilever beams, and engaging the interfacing teeth with the clamp bolt head to retain the preload on the clamp bolt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.