Interlocking end members for an expandable compression ring
AssigneePress-Seal Gasket Corporation
InventorMichael R. Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Interlocking end members for expandable compression rings. Compression rings are formed by attaching the interlocking members to the ends of a flexible strip and coupling the interlocking members together. The interlocking members include a recess for receiving the ends of a flexible strip and a jaw structure for engagement with one another. The jaw structure includes two or more offset opposed jaw members which include angled teeth. The teeth of opposed jaw members of coupled interlocking members engage one another in a locking relationship, whereby the resulting compression ring can be expanded and locked into a range of positions.
Claims17
An expandable compression ring which comprises:
- a strip of resiliently flexible material having first and second ends;
- and
- an interlocking member coupled to each of the first and second ends of the strip, each interlocking member including a jaw having at least two offset jaw members which is incrementally engagable with a similar jaw of another interlocking member, each of the at least two jaw members having free ends and opposed fixed ends, the fixed ends being fixed with respect to one another.
An interlocking member for expandingly securing together the ends of a flexible strip which comprises:
- a main body portion;
- a recess in an end of the main body portion for receiving the ends of a flexible strip;
- and
- a jaw having at least two offset jaw members which is incrementally engagable with a similar jaw of another interlocking member, each of the at least two jaw members having free ends and opposed fixed ends, the fixed ends being fixed with respect to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.