Spectacle & Line Blinds & Spacers

Spectacle & Line Blinds & Spacers

Spectacle & Line Blinds & Spacers are a safety device used to isolate a section of line or piece of equipment when the line or equipment needs to be inspected or removed from service.  Line Blinds come in three basic forms with different names. These names include Spectacle Blinds, Figure Eights, Paddle Blinds, Skillet Blinds, and Spades. Therefore, these names describe devices used to isolate or “turn off” portions of piping systems. Spectacle & Line Blinds & Spacers are generally a piece of metal, that are made from different material, that is made to fit between two pipe flanges.

Line blinds can be used together with a valve or instead of a valve. The spectacle blind has both an open and a closed position. The spectacle blind is sometimes sold split into two parts, the line blank, and the ring spacer. By itself, the solid side of the spectacle blind is called a line blank, skillet blind, paddle blank, paddle blind, or spade. Whether as half a spectacle blind or used by itself, the line blank forms a positive shut-off. The line is a “wafer style” device, meaning it fits inside the bolt hole circle.

In order to maintain the spacing of the flanges when the line is open, a ring spacer is used. A spectacle blind is a pressure retaining plate with one solid end and one open end connected with a small nose piece. The use of spectacle blanks ensures that the companion spacer or blind is on hand when needed. For maintenance or other reasons, a spectacle blind may be the ideal solution.