Apparatus and method for repairing welded elbow joints in a core spray line

An apparatus for repairing welded joints connecting an elbow between first and second pipes, the apparatus comprising:

• a first and second clamp subassemblies for attachment to the first and second pipe, respectively, the first and second clamp subassemblies each being comprised of:
• a first and second clamp bodies,
• at least one clamp bolt extending through the first and second clamp bodies,
• at least one clamp bolt keeper nut threaded onto the at least one clamp bolt to join together the first and second clamp bodies on opposite sides of the first or second pipe in facing relation,
• at least one stop bolt inserted into the first clamp body and seated in a hole machined in the first or second pipe, and
• at least one stop bolt keeper located on the first clamp body and engaging the at least one stop bolt to prevent rotation of the at least one stop bolt and thereby retain a preload on the at least one stop bolt, and
• an elbow restraint subassembly for attachment to the elbow, the elbow restraint subassembly comprising:
• an inboard elbow restraint body including a protrusion curved to engage an inside radius of the elbow,
• an outboard elbow restraint body including a plurality of fingers shaped to engage an outside radius of the elbow,
• at least one restraint bolt extending through the outboard elbow restraint body and being threaded into the inboard elbow restraint body to draw together the outboard and inboard elbow restraint bodies and thereby secure the plurality of fingers and the curved protrusion on opposite sides of the elbow in facing relation to one another, and
• at least one restraint bolt keeper located on the outboard elbow restraint and engaging the at least one restraint bolt to prevent rotation of the at least one restraint bolt,
• the first and second clamp subassemblies having first and second struts inserted through parts of first and second clamp subassemblies, respectively,
• the elbow restraint subassembly further comprising a swivel mount subassembly and a connector bolt inserted through the first and second struts and attached to the swivel mount subassembly for attaching the first strut and the second strut to one another and to the elbow restraint subassembly so that the elbow restraint subassembly and the first and second clamp subassemblies are fixedly positioned with respect to one another, and thereby the first and second pipes prevented from separating from the elbow.