Mechanical joint restraint

A mechanical joint comprising:

• a piping element comprising a flange and defining a socket;
• a pipe length positioned inside the socket;
• a mechanical joint restraint securing the pipe length to the piping element, the mechanical joint restraint comprising a gasket defining an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining a bore, the bore defining an axis therethrough, the gasket defining a first gasket end and a second gasket end, the gasket defining a rib on one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the gasket;
• a gland;
• a gripping ring positioned between the gasket and the gland with the mechanical joint restraint in an assembled condition, the gripping ring being a split ring defining a pair of circumferential ends;
• and
• a bridge in contact with each of the pair of circumferential ends of the gripping ring and extending in a circumferential direction of the gripping ring.

A method of using a mechanical joint restraint, the method comprising:

• assembling the mechanical joint restraint to each of a pipe length and a socket of a piping element, the mechanical joint restraint defining an axis and comprising:
• a gasket defining a first gasket end engaging the socket and a second gasket end positioned distal from the first gasket end in an axial direction along the axis of the mechanical joint restraint;
• a gland positioned axially outward from the gasket with respect to the first gasket end;
• a gripping ring positioned between the gasket and the gland, the gripping ring being a split ring defining a pair of circumferential ends and a gap therebetween;
• and
• a bridge engaging each of the pair of circumferential ends of the gripping ring and extending in a circumferential direction of the gripping ring across the gap therebetween;
• and
• drawing the gland of the mechanical joint restraint towards a flange of the piping element to compress the gasket into sealing engagement with each of the piping element and the pipe length, a force resulting from movement of the gland being transferred to an entire circumference of the gasket by a surface of the gripping ring and a surface of the bridge.