Remote clamp connector

An apparatus for remotely disconnecting first and second pipes from each other, each of the pipes having a hub with a face perpendicular to a longitudinal axis and an external flange having a conical shoulder, the pipes being connectable to each other with the faces in abutment with each other and a seal located between, the apparatus comprising in combination:

• a clamp having at least two segments pivotally mounted to each other for movement between a radially expanded open position and a radially contracted closed position, each of the clamp segments having a pair of wedge surfaces which engage the conical shoulders of the flanges;
• a remotely actuable powered drive member for moving the clamp segments between the open position and the closed position;
• a carriage mounted to the clamp;
• at least one upper roller rotatably supporting the carriage on the first pipe;
• and
• remotely actuable retraction means for moving the carriage and the clamp longitudinally away from the hubs after the clamp has moved to the open position, to allow disconnection of the pipes from each other.

An apparatus for remotely connecting and disconnecting first and second pipes from each other, each of the pipes having a hub with a face perpendicular to a longitudinal axis and an external flange having a conical shoulder, the apparatus comprising in combination:

• a clamp having three segments pivotally mounted to each other for movement between a radially expanded open position and a radially contracted closed position, each of the clamp segments having a pair of wedge surfaces which engage the conical shoulders of the flanges to hold the faces of the hubs in abutment with each other;
• a remotely actuable powered drive member for moving the clamp segments between the open position and the closed position;
• a carriage mounted to the clamp;
• at least one upper roller rotatably supporting the carriage on an upper surface of the first pipe;
• at least one lower roller rotatably mounted to the carriage and in engagement with a lower surface of the first pipe;
• a hydraulic retracting cylinder mounted to the carriage and the first pipe for moving the carriage and the clamp longitudinally away from the abutting hubs after the clamp has moved to the open position;
• pipe moving means mounted to one of the pipes for moving the hub of said one of the pipes away from the other of the pipes after the retracting cylinder has moved the clamp away from the abutting hubs, to allow disconnection of the pipes from each other;
• and
• sensing means for determining whether the clamp is fully in the open position, and for automatically preventing the retracting cylinder from operating unless such has occurred.