Abstract: To absorb thermal expansions and relative movements, as well as to transmit torques, compensators, which are provided with an overtensioning device, are installed between the tuyere connections of a blast furnace and the hot-blast circulating duct. During the regular replacement of expendable parts of the tuyere connection, at least the elbow (4) must be removed as well, so that the intermediate pipe section (5) lined with refractory material will hang freely on the compensator (1). To achieve short replacement times, the compensator (1) is fixed according to the present invention by means of a locking device, and again disengaged on completion of the maintenance work. The locking device includes two flat bars (6), which are rigidly connected at the upper compensator flange (7). Threaded bolts (9), which extend into the flat bars (6) through openings (12), are fastened at the lower compensator flange (8).