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US 6,957,817 B2Granted
Seal assembly and method of forming seal
AssigneeMar Don Corporation
InventorKevin Goll
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seal assembly comprising an elastomeric gland having insert openings and fastener openings. Elastomeric inserts are removably disposed in the gland insert openings. The inserts have removable portions to form cable openings. Cable(s) can be placed in the cable openings. End plates are disposed at each end of the inserts and gland. The end plates are formed of complementary plate members, which, when mated together, form an unitized end plate having fastener openings and cable openings. Upon installing the seal assembly in an elongate container opening, fasteners, which extend through the gland and end plates, are tightened. The gland expands outward and contacts the wall forming the container opening. The gland constricts on the inserts, and, in turn, the inserts constrict on the cable(s) located in an insert.
Claims49
A seal assembly for sealing cables in an elongate container opening, said assembly comprising:
- an elastomeric gland of unitary construction having an outer surface and two spaced ends and adapted to be inserted in said container opening;
- said gland having a plurality of spaced insert openings and spaced fastener openings;
- an elastomeric insert releasably disposed in each of said insert openings;
- said inserts each comprising a shaped member having a length and a plurality of spaced first slits, each slit extending in one direction along substantially the length of said insert and forming a plurality of removable portions in said insert;
- at least one second slit extending in a second direction in said insert traversing said first slits;
- a pair of spaced substantially rigid end plates, each end plate having at least one fastener opening and at least one cable opening;
- and,
- at least one releasable fastener extending through said fastener opening in said end plates whereby, upon fastening of said fastener, said end plates are compressed against said gland such that the outer surface of the gland is forced against the inner wall of said container and the inserts constrict around any cables present therein.
5 more elements
A seal assembly for sealing cables in a container having an elongate container opening, said assembly comprising:
- an elastomeric gland of unitary construction having an outer surface and two spaced ends and adapted to be inserted in said container opening, said gland including a plurality of spaced insert openings and spaced fastener openings;
- an elastomeric insert releasably disposed in at least one of said insert openings;
- said insert comprising a shaped member having a length and a plurality of spaced first slits, each first slit extending in one direction along substantially the length of said insert and forming a plurality of removable portions in said insert;
- a second slit extending in a second direction in said insert traversing said first slits;
- a pair of spaced, substantially rigid unitized end plates, each unitized end plate being located adjacent an end of said gland;
- each unitized end plate comprising at least two complementary plate members, each plate member having spaced fastener openings and spaced insert openings;
- said plate members, when mated, forming a unitized end plate adapted to be disposed adjacent a gland end;
- and,
- at least one releasable fastener extending through said fastener opening in said end plates and gland, whereupon fastening of said fastener, said unitized end plates are compressed against said gland such that the outer surface of the gland is forced against the inner wall of said container and the inserts constrict around any cables present therein.
6 more elements
A seal assembly for sealing cables in a shaped container having an elongate opening therein, said assembly comprising:
- a shaped elastomeric gland of unitary construction adapted to be inserted into said container opening, said gland having an outer surface and two spaced ends and including a plurality of insert openings and a plurality of spaced fastener openings;
- an elastomeric insert releasably disposed in each of said gland insert openings;
- said inserts each comprising a shaped member having a length and a removable portion extending along the length of said insert;
- a pair of spaced substantially rigid end plates, each plate being located adjacent an end of said gland;
- said end plates each having spaced fastener openings and spaced cable openings;
- and,
- releasable fasteners extending through said fastener openings in said end plates and gland whereby, upon fastening of said fasteners, said end plates compress against said gland ends such that the outer surface of the gland is forced against the inner wall of said container and the inserts constrict around any cables present therein.
4 more elements
A seal assembly for sealing cables in an elongate container opening, said assembly comprising:
- an elastomeric gland of unitary construction having a length, an outer surface and two spaced ends and adapted to be inserted in said container opening, said gland having a plurality of spaced insert openings and spaced fastener openings;
- an elastomeric insert releasably disposed in each of said insert openings;
- each insert comprising a shaped member having a length and a plurality of removable portions;
- a pair of substantially rigid end plates, each end plate having a plurality of spaced fastener openings and a plurality of spaced cable openings;
- and,
- a plurality of releasable fasteners, each fastener being adapted to be inserted through a fastener opening in said end plates and gland, whereupon, in assembly, one of said end plates is disposed adjacent one end of said gland and inserts wherein when the end plates compress the gland the outer surface of the gland is forced against the inner wall of said container and the inserts constrict around any cables present therein.
3 more elements
A dual seal assembly for sealing cables in an elongate container, said dual seal assembly comprising:
- a first and second seal assembly, each of said seal assemblies comprising an elastomeric gland of unitary construction having a length, an outer surface and two spaced ends, said gland having a plurality of spaced insert openings and spaced fastener openings;
- an elastomeric insert releasably disposed in each of said insert openings;
- each insert comprising a shaped member having a length and a plurality of removable portions;
- a substantially rigid end plate having a plurality of spaced fastener openings and a plurality of spaced cable openings;
- at least one releasable fastener assembly;
- said seal assemblies being positioned relative to each other whereby said glands of each seal assembly abut one another at one gland end and an end plate is located at the remaining gland end of each seal assembly;
- and,
- said fastener assembly extending through one of said fastener openings in each seal assembly gland and end plate, said fastener assembly being adapted to compress against said end plates such that the outer surface of the gland is forced against the inner wall of said container and the inserts constrict around any cables present therein.
5 more elements
The method of forming a cable seal assembly in a container having a elongate container opening with a seal assembly comprising a shaped elastomeric gland of unitary construction having an outer surface, a length and two spaced ends, said gland including at least one insert opening and a plurality of spaced fastener openings;
- an elastomeric insert comprising a shaped member having a length and a plurality of removable portions extending along the length of said insert;
- a pair of spaced substantially rigid end plates, each end plate having a plurality of spaced fastener openings and at least one cable opening;
- at least one releasable fastener, said method comprising the steps of:
- removing at least one of said removable portions from said insert to form an insert opening;
- inserting a cable in said insert opening;
- inserting said insert and cable in said gland insert opening;
- placing an end plate adjacent each end of said gland and aligning said gland fastener openings with said end plate fastener openings;
- inserting a fastener in said fastener opening in said gland and end plates;
- inserting said assembly in said container opening;
- and
- closing said fastener to draw said end plates against said gland and insert to cause said gland to expand in and be forced against said container opening and constrict on said insert and said insert to constrict on said cable.
8 more elements
The method of forming a cable seal assembly in a container having an elongate opening with a dual assembly comprising:
- a first and second seal assembly, each of said seal assemblies including an elastomeric gland of unitary construction having a length, an outer surface and two spaced ends, said gland having a plurality of spaced insert openings and spaced fastener openings;
- an elastomeric insert releasably disposed in each of said insert openings, each insert comprising a shaped member having a length and a plurality of removable portions;
- a substantially rigid end plate having a plurality of spaced fastener openings and a plurality of spaced cable openings;
- and a back up member, said method comprising the steps of:
- removing at least one of said portions from an insert to form an insert opening in said first and second assemblies;
- inserting a cable in said insert opening in said first and second seal assemblies;
- placing said first seal assembly against said second seal assembly whereby one gland end of the first seal assembly abuts a gland end of the second seal assembly;
- placing an end plate against the remaining gland end of each gland;
- inserting a fastener in said fastener openings of both said first and second seal assemblies;
- inserting said dual assembly in said container opening whereby said container contacts the outer gland surface of one of the seal assembly glands;
- placing said back up member over the outer gland surface of the gland of the remaining seal assembly;
- and,
- closing said fastener to draw said end plates against said glands to cause said one gland to expand in said container opening and said remaining gland to expand against said back up member such that the outer surface of the gland is forced against the inner wall of said container and the inserts constrict around any cables present.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.