Apparatus for deforming a gasket
AssigneePont-A-Mousson S.A.
InventorAlain Le Floch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for seating a ring gasket 100 in a groove 41 in the end socket of a pipe or coupling includes a plurality of radially oriented prong hooks 7 spaced at regular intervals around a circle, and cooperable with an equal plurality of interposed, upstanding studs 24 extending between a circular lower disk 22 and a sectored upper disk 23 defining radial slots 27 to accomodate the prongs. The prongs are driven inwardly together on a support 1 capable of translational motion along an axis X-X perpendicular to the plane of the prongs, and reduce the diameter of a gripped gasket by deforming it into an undulating polygonal configuration. The gasket may then be inserted into the pipe end, whereafter the prongs are disengaged and the gasket expands elastically to seat in its pipe groove 41.
Claims9
An apparatus for seating a ring gasket (100) in a groove (41) defined within a cylindrical space formed by a pipe socket (40) or the like that is to be sealed, comprising:
- a plurality of radially oriented prongs (7) disposed at regularly spaced intervals around the circumference of a first support member (1), a second support member (22) disposed below the first support member, an equal plurality of studs (24) upstanding from the second support member, said studs being disposed in a circular orientation and interleaved with said prongs, means (14) for reciprocably driving said prongs together in a radial direction on the first support member, and means for translating the first support member and prongs along an axis (X--X) perpendicular to the plane of radial motion of the prongs such that a gasket may be engaged by the prongs and studs at spaced intervals around its outer periphery and elastically deformed into an undulating polygonal configuration of reduced maximum diameter by the radially inward movement of the prongs, inserted into the pipe socket, and released to expand into the groove by the axial withdrawal of the support members and prongs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.