Symmetrical gasket for a pipe joint with increased surface contact

A pipe joint comprising:

• an outer pipe;
• an inner pipe inserted into said outer pipe, wherein one of said outer pipe and said inner pipe comprises an annular groove;
• and
• a gasket positioned within said annular groove and adapted to provide a seal between said outer pipe and said inner pipe, said gasket comprising:
• an annular gasket body formed of a resilient material, said gasket body having a centerline and including a base adapted to sealingly engage said groove;
• first and second projections running along the gasket body and extending away therefrom, and said first and second projections being located on opposed sides of the centerline;
• a first annular bore extending in said gasket body, said first bore comprising a central region bridging first and second spaced apart lobes and at least one annular projection extending into said first bore from said central region, said first bore being located in said gasket body such that it is bisected by said centerline thereof;
• and
• a second annular bore extending in said gasket body, said second bore being spaced from said first bore and from said projections.

A pipe joint comprising:

• an outer pipe;
• an inner pipe inserted into said outer pipe, wherein one of said outer pipe and said inner pipe comprises an annular groove;
• and
• a gasket positioned within said annular groove and adapted to provide a seal between said outer pipe and said inner pipe, said gasket comprising:
• an annular gasket body formed of a resilient material, said gasket body having a centerline and including a base adapted to sealingly engage said groove;
• first and second projections running along the gasket body and extending away therefrom, and said first and second projections being located on opposed sides of the centerline;
• an annular bore extending in said gasket body, said bore comprising a central region bridging first and second spaced apart lobes and an annular projection extending into said bore from said central region, said bore being located in said gasket body such that it is bisected by said centerline thereof;
• and,
• a recess formed on a surface of the gasket body.

A pipe joint comprising:

• an outer pipe;
• an inner pipe inserted into said outer pipe, wherein one of said outer pipe and said inner pipe comprises an annular groove;
• a first gasket positioned within said annular groove and adapted to provide a seal between said outer pipe and said inner pipe, said first gasket comprising:
• an annular gasket body formed of a resilient material, said gasket body having a centerline and including a base adapted to sealingly engage said groove;
• first and second projections running along the gasket body and extending radially therefrom, and said first and second projections symmetrically spaced apart about the centerline;
• and
• an annular bore extending in said gasket body, said bore comprising a central region bridging first and second spaced apart lobes, said bore central region having a height dimension less than a height dimension of at least one of said first and said second spaced apart lobes, said bore being located in said gasket body such that it is bisected by said centerline thereof;
• and
• a second gasket positioned within a second annular groove formed in one of said inner and outer pipes, the second gasket adapted to provide a second seal between said outer pipe and said inner pipe.

A non-directional gasket which is insensitive to axial gasket orientation, comprising:

• an annular gasket body formed of a resilient material, said gasket body having an axial centerline and a base adapted to sealingly engage an annular groove on a pipe;
• first and second projections running along the gasket body and extending radially therefrom, and said first and second projections being symmetrically spaced apart about the centerline;
• and
• an annular bore extending in said gasket body, said bore comprising a central region bridging first and second transversely spaced apart lobes and an annular projection extending into said annular bore from said central region, said bore being located in said gasket body such that it is bisected by said centerline thereof.

A gasket for sealing an annular space in a bell-and-spigot pipe joint, comprising:

• an annular elastomeric web having an inner peripheral surface formed to sealingly engage an outer periphery of an associated spigot, said web having a centerline;
• first and second elastomeric protrusions projecting away from said web, said protrusions being spaced apart and disposed on opposite sides of the centerline, said protrusions being deflectable to engage an inner periphery of an associated bell;
• a central recess defined between said first and second protrusions, said central recess being bisected by said centerline;
• and,
• a closed-wall annular bore extending in said elastomeric web, said bore being spaced from said protrusions and being so located on said elastomeric web that it is bisected by said centerline thereof, said annular bore comprises a central region bridging first and second transversely spaced apart lobes and an annular projection extending into said annular bore from adjacent said central region;
• and
• wherein the gasket can be installed in an associated pipe joint in either direction along a longitudinal axis of the associated pipe joint.

A pipe joint which can accommodate one or more defects in a sealing surface forming said pipe joint to form a functional seal, said pipe joint comprising:

• an outer pipe;
• an inner pipe inserted into said outer pipe, wherein one of said outer pipe and said inner pipe comprises an annular groove;
• and
• a gasket positioned within said annular groove and adapted to provide a seal between said outer pipe and said inner pipe, said gasket comprising:
• an annular gasket body formed of a resilient material, said gasket body having a centerline and including a base adapted to sealingly engage said groove;
• first and second projections running along the gasket body and extending away therefrom, and said first and second projections being symmetrically spaced apart about the centerline and defining a recess therebetween, said gasket body being deformable to increase a surface contact area when the inner pipe is inserted into the outer pipe;
• and
• an annular bore extending in said gasket body, said bore adapted to equalize pressure transversely across the surface contact area when the inner pipe is inserted into the outer pipe, said annular bore including an annular projection bisected by said gasket centerline and extending partially across said annular bore.

A non-directional gasket that is insensitive to axial gasket orientation for compressive installation between an inner pipe and an outer pipe, said gasket comprising:

• a gasket body having an axial centerline;
• a first and a second exterior annular projections extending outwardly from said gasket body;
• an annular bore in said gasket body that is substantially bisected by said centerline;
• and
• an interior annular projection extending from said gasket body into said annular bore.