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US 9,556,734 B2Granted
Tunnel segment cross gasket
AssigneeCsi Tunnel Systems
InventorDennis Carr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tunnel segment radial cross gasket includes a base side or face and a top side or face. A plurality of longitudinally extending spaced parallel grooves are disposed on the base side. One or more longitudinally oriented bores, which are spaced from each other, extend through the gasket. The top face of the gasket includes first and second sections, with the second section being tapered or angled in relation to the first section.
Claims18
A tunnel segment cross gasket comprising:
- a gasket body including a bottom face configured to be positioned against a surface of an associated tunnel segment, a top face located opposite the bottom face and including a tapered portion and a sealing portion, the sealing portion being adapted for sealing against an adjacent surface, a left face extending between the bottom face and the top face, and a right face extending between the bottom face and the top face;
- wherein the gasket includes a plurality of spaced grooves opening to the bottom face;
- wherein a plurality of bores extend through the gasket body, at least two of the plurality of bores having different cross-sectional shapes or sizes, and at least one of the plurality of bores being located entirely between the tapered portion of the top face and the bottom face;
- and
- wherein the top face includes a portion thereof that is oriented parallel with the bottom face when the gasket is in an uncompressed state, and a portion thereof that is angled with respect to the bottom face when the gasket is in the uncompressed state such that the left face is larger than the right face.
2 more elements
A tunnel segment for a tunnel ring composed of a plurality of tunnel segments, the tunnel segment comprising:
- a tunnel segment body;
- a groove located in a radial surface of the tunnel segment body;
- and
- a tunnel gasket disposed in the groove;
- wherein the tunnel gasket includes a gasket body having a bottom face positioned against a surface of the groove, a top face located opposite the bottom face and including a portion angled with respect to the bottom face when the gasket is in an uncompressed state and a portion oriented parallel with the bottom face when the gasket is in the uncompressed state for sealing against a surface of an adjacent tunnel segment, a left face extending between the bottom face and the top face, a right face extending between the bottom face and top face wherein the left face is larger than the right face when the gasket is in the uncompressed state, a plurality of spaced grooves opening to the bottom face, and a plurality of bores extending through the gasket body, at least two of the plurality of bores having different cross-sectional shapes or sizes, and at least one of the bores being located entirely between the angled portion of the top face and the bottom face.
2 more elements
A sealing system for sealing adjacent precast tunnel segments that can be installed by longitudinally translating the segments into position, the sealing system comprising:
- first and second tunnel segment gaskets, each of the first and second tunnel segment gaskets comprising a gasket body including a bottom face configured to be positioned on a radial face of an associated respective tunnel segment, a top face located opposite the bottom face wherein the top face includes a portion thereof that is oriented parallel with the bottom face when the gasket is in an uncompressed state, and a portion thereof that is angled with respect to the bottom face when the gasket is in the uncompressed state, the top face being adapted for sealing against the top face of the other gasket, a left face extending between the bottom face and the top face, and a right face extending between the bottom face and top face, a plurality of spaced grooves opening to the bottom face, and a plurality of bores which extend through the gasket body, at least two of the plurality of bores having different cross-sectional shapes or sizes, and at least one of the bores being located entirely between the tapered portion of the top face and the bottom face;
- and
- whereby when the first and second gaskets are installed in opposite orientations in radial grooves in respective adjacent tunnel segments, the tunnel segments can be longitudinally translated in an axial direction into position such that the angled surfaces of each tunnel gasket top face make initial contact with each other before the top faces of the first and second gaskets are fully aligned.
A method of assembling a tunnel ring composed of a plurality of tunnel segments, a final segment of which being longitudinally translated into position between adjacent tunnel segments, the method comprising:
- providing a final segment including a radial cross gasket having a gasket body with a bottom face positioned against a bottom surface of a groove in a radial surface of the final segment, a top face located opposite the bottom face for sealing against a surface of an adjacent tunnel segment wherein the top face includes a portion thereof that is oriented parallel with the bottom face when the gasket is in an uncompressed state, and a portion thereof that is angled with respect to the bottom face when the gasket is in the uncompressed state, a left face extending between the bottom face and the top face, a right face extending between the bottom face and top face wherein the left face is larger than the right face when the gasket is in the uncompressed state, a plurality of spaced grooves opening to the bottom face, and a plurality of bores which extend through the gasket body, at least two of the plurality of bores having different cross-sectional shapes or sizes;
- and
- longitudinally translating the final segment into position to complete the tunnel ring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.