Abstract: A spiral wound gasket made of an elongate band with a portion of the elongate band jacketed by a resilient filler material, the jacketed elongate band wrapped in a plurality of overlapping turns to define a radially thick reinforcing member with the band in each turn enclosed by resilient filler material that abuts contactingly to the resilient filler material in an adjacent turn, the overwrapped portions of the elongate band defining opposing sealingly resilient lateral surfaces, with a leading portion and a trailing portion of the elongate band lacking the jacketing resilient filler material and adjacent turns of the leading portion secured together to fix an inner diameter and adjacent turns of the trailing portion secured together to fix an outer diameter. A method and apparatus is disclosed to wind an elongate band jacketed by a filler material around the perimeter of a die until a desired radially thick spiral wound gasket is formed.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods of manufacturing seamless gaskets using expanded intercalated graphite worms, in which an annular die cavity has a central column with a charge inlet in a perimeter wall. Expanded intercalated graphite worms communicate from a source through the charge inlet in the annular die cavity for depositing a charge of expanded intercalated graphite worms within the die cavity. An upper pusher is movable from a first position distally spaced from an open end of the die cavity to a second position within the die cavity for compressing a first charge of expanded intercalated graphite worms. A lower pusher is movable from a first position to a second position during the compressing of the first charge of expanded intercalated graphite worms in the die. The upper pusher causes the lower pusher to move to the second position, so that a second charge of expanded intercalated graphite worms is received in substantially the same volume as the first charge.

Abstract: A spiral wound gasket made of an elongate band jacketed by a sealing material, with the elongate band wrapped in overlapping turns to define a radially thick gasket with an inner diameter for being exposed to a material to be sealed and an outer diameter, in which the jacket of the sealing material defines interior portions of the gasket having the sealing material with a first density between adjacent overlapping turns of the elongate band and defining opposing flange sealing faces of the sealing material with a second density lower than said first density, for use in sealing applications.

Abstract: A gasket (10) for sealing flange connections in piping systems for media, while changing a natural frequency of the gasket to avoid resonance in the flange connection, comprising a plate (12) that defines a opening (14) for passage of media through the flange connection sealed with the plate, with opposing sealing surfaces (18) between an edge (20) of the opening and an outer perimeter edge (22) of the plate, and a channel (26) received around an outer perimeter edge of the plate and unloaded in the flange connection whereby the channel being unloaded but in engagement to the plate changes a natural frequency of the plate to avoid resonance in the flange connection.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for manufacturing rubber-based spiral wound gaskets,in which a length of an elongate band (22) passes through a bath (34) for applying a coating of a rubber sealing material and then is wound in overlapping relation on a die (100) to make a spiral wound gasket. Wire brushes (70) remove the rubber sealing material from selected portions of the band, to define interior and exterior diameter portions of the wound gaskets. The die (100) defines a slot (102) extending inwardly from a perimeter for receiving a distal end portion of the elongate band (22) so that the gasket does not unwind. A fixing device (120) secures selected portions of the wound elongate band together at the interior and exterior diameters. A cutter (90) severs the elongate band (22) in order to remove the spiral wound gasket from the apparatus (10). A tapper (134) moves strikingly against a perimeter portion of the die to dislodge the spiral wound gasket.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods of manufacturing seamless gaskets using expanded intercalated graphite worms, in which an annular die cavity has a central column with a charge inlet in a perimeter wall. Expanded intercalated graphite worms communicate from a source through the charge inlet in the annular die cavity for depositing a charge of expanded intercalated graphite worms within the die cavity. An upper pusher is movable from a first position distally spaced from an open end of the die cavity to a second position within the die cavity for compressing a first charge of expanded intercalated graphite worms. A lower pusher is movable from a first position to a second position during the compressing of the first charge of expanded intercalated graphite worms in the die. The upper pusher causes the lower pusher to move to the second position, so that a second charge of expanded intercalated graphite worms is received in substantially the same volume as the first charge.

Abstract: A ball valve comprising a seat having a first opening thereon, a housing over the seat having a second opening defined by a flap having an inner and outer diameter, and a ball in the housing, the ball having a diameter great than the inner diameter of the flap. The seat may be formed directly onto a metal insert of a bonded piston seal, or directly onto a wall of any chamber needing a ball valve therein. The housing may be formed as an extension of a piece of rubber used to seal the periphery of the insert or chamber wall. Hence, the housing and insert or chamber wall may be molded together as part of a unitarily formed chamber and ball valve combination.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a large-diameter gasket in which a pair of holding presses have press members which selectively bears against an elongate band while a bending press pivots against a portion of the band. The drive press bears against a portion of the band, and with the holding presses released, moves longitudinally to move a next portion of the band into the bending press. A method of manufacturing the large-diameter gasket is disclosed, together with a jig for applying a patch of sealing material to a joint formed between opposing distal ends of the gasket.

Abstract: A packing material having a resilient core and a uniform non-seamed exterior surface comprising a plurality of discrete compressible particles attached to the flexible core and to each other, the particles being compressed after attachment. The method comprises surrounding the flexible elongate core with a plurality of powder-like particles which together feed through a plurality of aligned pairs of feed groove rollers. The core, with the attached particles, wraps under tension around an arcuate sector of a cylinder or wheel passing between a pair of spaced-apart walls. A roller pushes against the core to compress the powder particles together and to bias the length of packing material into a spiral coil.

Abstract: A gasket made of a plate having an annular central opening with an annular region concentric to the central opening, the annular region having a plurality of concentric deformable ridges and opposite facing grooves in a first and second surface of the plate. A sealing material comprising a plurality of expanded intercalated graphite worms overlies the annular region with the particles fixed to adjacent particles by compression. The ridges and the sealing material provide a plurality of seals having varying density and thickness that incrementally changes from a first edge of the sealing material to a second edge. The gasket is manufactured by compress the worms and the plate between dies to form the sealing material.

Abstract: A liveload assembly for communicating a load to packing material through a flange member of a fluid flow apparatus while pre-stressing a stud holding the flange member with a different loading, in which a first set of compressible belleville washers are received on an open-ended sleeve of a stack guide and rest on a seat defined by a flange at one end of the sleeve, the stack guide and washers received into a recess of a retainer cup having a partially closed end which defines a threaded bore for threadingly engaging the retainer cup to a stud extending from the stuffing box and freely through a gland follower, whereby the first set of belleville washers, being compressed, communicate a load through the flange member to the packing material. A second set of belleville washers are received on the stud and rest on a beveled face of the retainer cap. A nut screwed onto the stud compresses the second set of belleville washers against the beveled face of the retainer cup for pre-stressing the stud.