Pipe coupling hinge

A pipe coupling hinge for hingedly connecting adjacent ends of arcuate pipe coupling segments having relatively narrow, band-like, arcuate walls, which segments are aligned and connected together at adjacent ends to form a generally circular casing for surrounding and coupling adjacent ends of a pair of pipes, with an end of one segment having a hinge loop and the corresponding end of the adjacent segment having a hinge hook engaged with said loop for providing a hinge connection between the segments and fastening means at the ends of said segments opposite said adjacent ends, the improvement comprising:

• said hinge loop being generally U-shaped and formed of a pair of spaced apart side legs which are integral with, and extend radially outwardly from an adjacent segment wall, and an integral base forming a substantially straight hinge axle spaced outwardly of the segment wall and substantially parallel to the casing axis to provide an elongated, generally rectangular slot-like opening defined by said legs and base and the segment wall;
• said hook being generally U-shaped with a fixed leg integral with said corresponding end and a free leg and a base for fitting through the loop opening and overlapping the axle, with the hook being generally rectangular in cross-section and substantially filling, but being slightly smaller in dimensions than the loop opening, so that the hinge is loose relative to the loop opening;
• an outwardly extending bump formed on the exterior of the hook base at one side thereof, so that the bump is located near one of the legs forming the loop;
• a depression formed in the axle adjacent said one leg and opening towards the segment wall portion which is overlapped by the axle;
• and said hook being sufficiently loose relative to the loop opening, so that one of the segments may be manually moved relative to the other and relative to the casing axis, to fit a corner portion of the hook within the depression in the axle for clearing the bump through the loop opening to permit disengaging the hook from the loop, and with the bump being of sufficient height to normally engage the adjacent segment wall portion defining the loop when the hook is moved relative to the loop, and to otherwise prevent separation of the hook from the loop, when the segments are in axial alignment;
• whereby said segments may be stored and handled separately and may be assembled together by inter-engaging the hook and loop thereof;