Core metal insert for use in a sealing assembly

A core metal insert for use in a sealing assembly, said core metal insert being manufactured by a process including the steps of (i) cutting a plurality of inboard slits in a metal blank so as to create a slitted metal blank, each of said plurality of inboard slits extending continuously from a respective left lateral slit end to a respective right lateral slit end, and (ii) coining a swath in said slitted metal blank so that said slitted metal blank is expanded to create said core metal insert with a plurality of inboard gaps defined therein which are aligned in a column,

• wherein said coining step includes the step of displacing a quantity of metal of said slitted metal blank so as to create a coin-formed bridge with said quantity of metal which (i) is positioned within each of said plurality of inboard gaps, and (ii) divides each inboard gap of said plurality of inboard gaps into a first inboard subgap and a second inboard subgap, and
• wherein each of said first inboard subgap and said second inboard subgap extends through said core metal insert,
• wherein said cutting step includes the step of forming at least one linearly aligned column of inboard slits,
• wherein said coining step includes the step of forming a linear coin swath which traverses each inboard slit of said at least one linearly aligned column of inboard slits, and
• wherein said linear coin swath is spaced apart from both said respective left lateral slit end and said respective right lateral slit end of each inboard slit of said at least one linearly aligned column of inboard slits during said linear coin swath forming step.

A core metal insert for use in a sealing assembly, said core metal insert being manufactured by a process including the steps of:

• cutting a plurality of left lateral outermost inboard slits and a plurality of right lateral outermost inboard slits in a metal blank so as to create a slitted metal blank, each of said plurality of left lateral outermost inboard slits and each of said plurality of right lateral outermost inboard slits extending continuously from a respective left lateral slit end to a respective right lateral slit end;
• and
• coining said slitted metal blank so that said core metal insert is manufactured with (i) a plurality of left lateral outermost inboard gaps defined therein which are aligned in a left lateral column, (ii) a plurality of right lateral outermost inboard gaps defined therein which are aligned in a right lateral column, (iii) a left lateral coin-formed bridge which is positioned within each left lateral outermost inboard gap of said plurality of left lateral outermost inboard gaps and which divides each left lateral outermost inboard gap into a first left lateral outermost inboard subgap and a second left lateral outermost inboard subgap, each of said first left lateral outermost inboard subgap and said second left lateral outermost inboard subgap extends through said core metal insert, and (iv) a right lateral coin-formed bridge which is positioned within each right lateral outermost inboard gap of said plurality of right lateral outermost inboard gaps and which divides each right lateral outermost inboard gap into a first right lateral outermost inboard subgap and a second right lateral outermost inboard subgap, each of said first right lateral outermost inboard subgap and said second right lateral outermost inboard subgap extends through said core metal insert,
• wherein said cutting step includes the step of forming a first linearly aligned column of inboard slits and a second linearly aligned column of inboard slits,
• wherein said coining step includes the steps of (i) forming a left lateral linear coin swath which traverses each inboard slit of said first linearly aligned column of inboard slits, and (ii) forming a right lateral linear coin swath which traverses each inboard slit of said second linearly aligned column of inboard slits,
• wherein said left lateral linear coin swath is spaced apart from both said respective left lateral slit end and said respective right lateral slit end of each inboard slit of said first linearly aligned column of inboard slits during said left lateral linear coin swath forming step, and
• wherein said right lateral linear coin swath is spaced apart from both said respective left lateral slit end and said respective right lateral slit end of each inboard slit of said second linearly aligned column of inboard slits during said right lateral linear coin swath forming step.

A core metal insert for use in a sealing assembly, said core metal insert being manufactured by a process including the steps of:

• forming at least one column of inboard slits in a metal blank so as to create a slitted metal blank, each inboard slit of said at least one column of inboard slits extending continuously from a respective left lateral slit end to a respective right lateral slit end;
• and
• forming a linear coin swath in said slitted metal blank which traverses each inboard slit of said at least one linearly aligned column of inboard slits so that said slitted metal blank is expanded to create a plurality of inboard gaps defined therein which are aligned in a column,
• wherein said linear coin swath is spaced apart from both said respective left lateral slit end and said respective right lateral slit end of each inboard slit of said at least one linearly aligned column of inboard slits during said linear coin swath forming step, and
• wherein said linear coin swath forming step includes the step of displacing a quantity of metal of said slitted metal blank so as to create a coin-formed bridge with said quantity of metal which (i) is positioned within each of said plurality of inboard gaps, and (ii) divides each inboard gap of said plurality of inboard gaps into a first inboard subgap and a second inboard subgap.