PIPE CONNECTION HAVING STAGGERED BOLT CONFIGURATION

摘要

A pipe connection having flange members which are configured so that the bolts which secure the two flanges of the connection together are staggered axially. One embodiment comprises a first flange member, a second flange member and a set of bolts and corresponding nuts. Each flange member has bolt holes sized to accommodate the bolts. The bolts are positioned in the bolt holes, and the nuts are tightened onto the bolts to secure the first flange member to the second flange member. Each of the bolt holes has a corresponding bolt seat against which one of the bolts' heads or nuts is seated, and the bolt seats of adjacent bolt holes are staggered axially (i.e., in the direction of an axis of symmetry through the flange members) so that each bolt's corresponding nut can be tightened without interference from the adjacent bolts or the corresponding nuts.