Apparatus for providing a watertight seal for manhole pipe connections including a foldable gasket and clamping band assembly and expansion means for installing the gasket and clamping band assembly

In combination, a gasket assembly for resiliently supporting a pipe within an opening having an annular surface for supporting the gasket assembly and for sealing the annular region between the outer surface of the pipe and the surface of the opening, and an expansion assembly for installing said gasket assembly, comprising:

• a gasket formed of a resilient, compressible material and having an outer flange adapted to be positioned against the surface of the opening;
• said gasket having a pipe receiving portion defined by an annular-shaped peripheral portion of substantially circular cross-section forming a pipe opening;
• the diameter of the outer flange being greater than the diameter of said pipe receiving portion;
• an intermediate, conical-shaped section normally axially displacing said outer flange from said annular-shaped peripheral portion prior to installation and being foldable after insertion and placement of the outer flange upon the gasket supporting surface of said opening and before insertion of said pipe into said pipe receiving portion to axially move said annular peripheral portion into the confines of said first mentioned opening whereby, after movement of said annular peripheral portion into the confines of said first mentioned opening, said conical-shaped section assumes a substantially V-shaped contour defined by a first portion sloping downwardly and away from said outer flange and a second portion sloping upwardly and away from said annular peripheral portion with said first and second portions of said conical section being joined to form a curved contour at said fold, said pipe receiving portion lying within said opening;
• an annular clamping band formed of a plastic material substantially impervious to corrosive influences normally encountered in sewage systems and arranged to be positioned to engage the inner periphery of said outer flange;
• said clamping band being of substantially uniform thickness and resiliency over its entire length and having a discontinuity to define first and second free ends thereof, whereby said first and second ends are moved into abutment with one another when the clamping band is expanded against said outer flange to lock said clamping band into the locked position and maintain said outer flange under compression, the interactive forces between the compressed flange and the clamping band serving to retain the clamping band in the locked position against the inner periphery of said outer flange, the outer periphery of said outer flange being pressed into intimate engagement with the gasket supporting surface of said first mentioned opening;
• said clamping band being expanded and said gasket flange being compressed and its outer surface being urged against the surface of said opening by means of said expansion assembly positioned within the hollow region surrounded by said clamping band;
• said expansion assembly comprising expansion jack means having first and second elongated projection means at opposing ends of the expansion jack means and displaceably movable apart from one another upon the application of pressure to said expansion jack;
• said clamping band including first and second elongated projection receiving means for respectively receiving and positioning said first and second elongated projection means whereby the first and second projection means of the expansion assembly engage and apply circumferential expanding forces directly to said clamping band for expanding said clamping band and locking said clamping band into position with the ends of said band in abutment and said band lying within the recess of the inner periphery of said outer flange;
• and
• said first and second projection means being elongated and the interior concave periphery of said clamping band being provided with said first and second projection receiving means each comprising an elongated groove extending in a direction parallel to the axis of said opening for respectively receiving and positioning the first and second elongated projecting means for expanding the band to the locked position;
• said grooves being substantially V-shaped and having one sidewall arranged substantially perpendicular to the interior periphery of the clamping band, the second sidewall being diagonally aligned relative to the interior periphery of said clamping band.

In combination, a gasket assembly for resiliently supporting a pipe within an opening having an annular surface for supporting the gasket assembly and for sealing the annular region between the outer surface of the pipe and the surface of the opening, and an expansion assembly for installing aid gasket assembly, comprising:

• a gasket formed of a resilient, compressible material and having an outer flange adapted to be positioned against the surface of the opening;
• said gasket having a pipe receiving portion defined by an annular-shaped peripheral portion of substantially circular cross-section forming a pipe opening;
• the diameter of the outer flange being greater than the diameter of said pipe receiving portion;
• an intermediate, conical-shaped section normally axially displacing said outer flange from said annular-shaped peripheral portion prior to installation and being foldable after insertion and placement of the outer flange upon the gasket supporting surface of said opening and before insertion of said pipe into said pipe receiving portion to axially move said annular peripheral portion into the confines of said first mentioned opening whereby, after movement of said annular peripheral portion into the confines of said first mentioned opening, said conical-shaped section assumes a substantially V-shaped contour defined by a first portion sloping downwardly and away from said outer flange and a second portion sloping upwardly and away from said annular peripheral portion with said first and second portions of said conical section being joined to form a curved contour at said fold, said pipe receiving portion lying within said opening;
• an annular clamping band formed of a plastic material substantially impervious to corrosive influences normally encountered in sewage systems and arranged to be positioned to engage the inner periphery of said outer flange;
• said clamping band being of substantially uniform thickness and resiliency over its entire length and having a discontinuity to define first and second free ends thereof, whereby said first and second ends are moved into abutment with one another when the clamping band is expanded against said outer flange to lock said clamping band into the locked position and maintain said outer flange under compression, the interactive forces between the compressed flange and the clamping band serving to retain the clamping flange, the outer periphery of said outer flange being pressed into intimate engagement with the gasket supporting surface of said first mentioned opening;
• said clamping band being expanded and said gasket flange being compressed and its outer surface being urged against the surface of said opening by means of said expansion assembly positioned within the hollow region surrounded by said clamping band;
• said expansion assembly including an expansion jack comprised of a cylinder housing and a reciprocating piston;
• a piston rod coupled to said piston and extending outwardly from one end of said cylinder;
• a first elongated member having first and second ends, one end being pivotally mounted to said cylinder housing, an intermediate portion of said first member being slidably engaged by the free end of said piston rod;
• a second member rigidly connected to the end of said cylinder opposite said piston rod;
• said first and second members each being provided with at least one projection at their free ends;
• and
• each of said projections being of a size and shape adapted to be received n a cooperating groove provided along the inner periphery of said clamping band adjacent one end thereof.

In a combination, a gasket assembly for providing a water-tight seal with an opening having a surface for supporting the gasket assembly and an expansion means for installing said gasket assembly, comprising:

• a substantially tubular-shaped gasket having a hollow interior and being, formed of a resilient compressible material and having an end portion adapted to be positioned against the surface of the opening;
• an annular clamping band formed of a material substantially impervious to corrosive influenced normally encountered in sewage systems and arranged to be positioned against the inner periphery of the end portion positioned within said opening;
• said band having a discontinuity to define first and second ends thereof;
• said first and second ends being positionable in abutting relationship to lock the band against the outer flange and maintaining the outer flange under compression between said band and said gasket supporting surface;
• said band encircling a hollow region when said first and second ends are in abutting relationship;
• said expansion means being releasably positioned within the hollow region surrounded by said clamping band for expanding the clamping band outwardly and against the outer flange so that substantially all of said expansion means is in said hollow region;
• said expansion means including first and second member engaging the clamping band and means for moving said first and second members apart;
• said first and second members having projections with elongated ends engaging the clamping band for expanding the clamping band when the first and second members are moved apart;
• the inner periphery of the band being provided with first and second elongated grooves each arranged a spaced distance inward from said first and second ends, at least one of said grooves receiving the elongated end of one of said projections.

In combination, a gasket assembly for providing a water-tight seal with an opening having a surface for supporting the gasket assembly, and an expansion means for installing said gasket assembly, comprising:

• a substantially tubular-shaped gasket having a hollow interior and being formed of a resilient compressible material and having an end portion adapted to be positioned against the surface of the opening;
• an annular clamping band formed of a material substantially impervious to corrosive influences normally encountered in sewage systems and arranged to be positioned against the inner periphery of the end portion positioned within said opening;
• said band having a discontinuity to define first and second ends thereof;
• said first and second ends being positionable in abutting relationship to lock the band against the outer flange and maintaining the outer flange under compression between said band and said gasket supporting surface;
• said band encircling a hollow region when said first and second ends are in abutting relationship;
• said expansion means being releasably positioned within said clamping band for expanding the clamping band outwardly and against the outer flange so that substantially all of said expansion means is in said hollow region;
• said expansion means including first and second members engaging the clamping band and means for moving said first and second members apart;
• said first and second members having projections engaging the clamping band for expanding the clamping band when the first and second members are moved apart;
• the inner periphery of the band being provided with first and second elongated grooves each arranged a spaced distance inward from said first and second ends, at least one of said grooves receiving one of said projections;
• and
• said grooves being V-shaped and having one surface perpendicular to an imaginary line tangent to the inner periphery of the clamping band and a surface diagonally aligned relative to the inner periphery of the clamping band;
• said one surface being more remote from the adjacent end surface of the clamping band than said diagonally aligned surface.

In combination, a gasket assembly for providing a water-tight seal with an opening having a surface for supporting the gasket assembly, and an expansion means for installing said gasket assembly, comprising:

• a substantially tubular-shaped gasket formed of a resilient compressible material and having an end portion adapted to be positioned against the surface of the opening;
• an annular clamping band formed of a material substantially impervious to corrosive influences normally encountered in sewage systems and arranged to be positioned against the inner periphery of the end portion position within said opening;
• said band having a discontinuity to define first and second ends thereof;
• said first and second ends being positionable in abutting relationship to lock the band against the outer flange and maintaining the outer flange under compression between said band and said gasket supporting surface;
• said expansion means being releasably positioned within said clamping band for expanding the clamping band outwardly and against the outer flange;
• said expansion means including first and second members engaging the clamping band and means for moving said first and second members apart;
• said first and second members having projections engaging the clamping band for expanding the clamping band when the first and second members are moved apart;
• the inner periphery of the band being provided with first and second elongated grooves each arranged a spaced distance inward from said first and second ends, at least one of said grooves receiving one of said projections;
• the clamping band being provided with a groove along the inner periphery thereof spaced inwardly from said first end;
• the projection of said first member being positioned in said groove and the projection of said second member engaging the second end of said band for expanding said clamping band as said first and second members are moved apart;
• said expansion means comprises an expansion jack for moving said first and second members apart;
• said expansion jack comprising a cylinder;
• a piston arranged for reciprocating movement in the cylinder;
• a piston rod coupled to said piston and extending outwardly from said piston and beyond one end of said cylinder;
• one of said first and second members being pivotally mounted to said cylinder and having one surface portion being slidably engaged by the free end of said piston rod to move the free end of the pivotally mounted member along a curved path;
• and
• the remaining one of said first and second members being coupled to said cylinder.