what's a flange? what's a blind flange?

Question

Some pictures would be helpful.

Answer 1

Flanges are flat plates attached to the ends of pipes and associated fittings such as valves, auto mufflers, etc. Their purpose is to provide an attachment surface for bolting two such fittings together. An ordinary flange has a hole to accommodate flow through the fitting; a blind flange has no hole and is used to close off a fitting with a mating flange. See the ref.

Answer 2

A flange is an external or internal rib, or rim, for strength, as the flange of an iron beam or I-beam; or for a guide, as the flange of a train wheel; or for attachment to another object, as the flange on the end of a pipe, steam cylinder, etc. Thus a flanged rail is a rail with a flange on one side to keep wheels, etc., from running off. The term "flange" is also used for a kind of tool used to form flanges.

A flange can also be a plate or ring to form a rim at the end of a pipe when fastened to the pipe (for example, a closet flange). A blind flange is a plate for covering or closing the end of a pipe. A flange joint is a joint, as that of pipes, where the connecting pieces have flanges by which the parts are bolted together.

Other uses of flange
The flange is also the underside of a golf club.

After a Not the Nine O'Clock News sketch "Gerald the Intelligent Gorilla" used flange as a comic collective noun for baboons the usage has stuck and gained popularity. OED Collective nouns

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flange"

For pictures visit http://images.google.co.in/images?q=of+flange&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&tab=wi&sourceid=tipimg

Answer 3

A flange is a method of joining two pipes together, or attaching various appurtenances like valves and other things. Generally a flange is a "lip" attached to the pipe that allows bolts to pass through.
A blind flange is a plate fabricated to mate to the flange, usually to close or end a section of pipe.