Sealing assembly employing oppositely directed wedges and complementary recesses

A sealing assembly for sealing a pair of flanges together against the passage of liquid therepast, said sealing assembly comprising

• a continuous elastomeric gasket comprising a gasket body, said gasket body defining an integral first elastomeric wedge extending outwardly from said gasket body in a first direction and an integral second elastomeric wedge in line with said first wedge and extending outwardly from said gasket body in the opposite direction, each said wedge defining an inclined surface extending at an angle of at least about five degrees from its base,
• and a pair of flanges, one of said flanges defining a first recess complementary to said first wedge and the other of said flanges defining a second recess complementary to said second wedge, each of said recesses having an inclined surface extending at an angle of at least about five degrees from its base, and
• means for clamping said flanges and said gasket to force said wedge inclined surfaces into sealing engagement with said recess inclined surfaces, thereby to provide sealing contact between said wedges and said recesses only along said inclined surfaces.