An End Ring for a Sleeve, a Sleeve adapted to receive such an End Ring, and a Sleeve Assembly incorporating such an End Ring

A sleeve assembly comprising a pair of annular end rings and an annular sleeve in each end of which said end rings are substantially disposed, said sleeve being provided internally with an annular radially compressible liner substantially symmetrically disposed within said sleeve between the end rings and being of a length such that the annular end surfaces of said liner are disposed proximate and adjacent the innermost annular end surfaces of said end rings, said liner being adhered or otherwise affixed to the interior cylindrical surface of the sleeve around its outer cylindrical surface, each of said end rings having both an exterior generally cylindrical surface which extends axially and is, in use, disposed adjacent a corresponding interior generally cylindrical, axially extending surface of said sleeve, and an inner annular end surface which extends radially and is, in use, disposed adjacent a corresponding annular and radially extending end surface of said liner, said outer cylindrical surfaces of said end rings, in first portions thereof, being provided with or functioning as connection means which interact with corresponding portions of the cylindrical surfaces of the sleeve and whereby said end rings are secured to and substantially within said sleeve at either end thereof, second portions of said outer cylindrical surfaces of said end rings being those portions thereof axially outwith the first portions,

• wherein:
• At least one of said end rings is provided with at least one continuous excavation formation in at least one of:
• the second portion of the outer cylindrical surface of said end ring, in which case said continuous excavation formation depends radially inwardly of the end ring, and
• said inner annular end surface of said end ring, in which case said excavation formation depends axially within said end ring away from said inner annular end surface thereof,
• And a corresponding continuous channel is provided in at least one of:
• The corresponding cylindrical surface of the sleeve adjacent which the outer cylindrical surface of the end ring is, in use, disposed, and
• The corresponding annular end surface of the liner adjacent which, in use, the inner annular end surface of the end ring is disposed,
• The respective axial and/or radial dispositions of said end ring excavation formation and the corresponding continuous channel provided in one or both of the sleeve or the liner being such that, when the end ring is fully inserted within and secured to the sleeve, said at least one excavation formation of the end ring and said corresponding continuous channel of the sleeve and/or liner axially and/or at least partially radially overlap whereby an amount of an initially fluent curable gasket forming composition deposited substantially within or over said at least one end ring excavation formation can unite with a corresponding gasket or amount of gasket forming composition disposed in said corresponding continuous channel provided in the sleeve or the liner so as to form, once the initially fluent curable gasket forming composition cures, one or both of:
• A continuous annular barrier seal which extends radially across the interstice defined between adjacent corresponding cylindrical surfaces of end ring and sleeve, and
• A continuous rib barrier seal which extends axially across the interstice defined between adjacent corresponding annular end surfaces of end ring and liner.