Abstract: A sealing-enhancing coating for a gasket or a portion of a gasket includes flaky particles of chemically exfoliated vermiculite, at least 90% by weight of the particles having a thickness of no more than 30 microns, and no dimension greater than 1 mm. The particles form 10 to 90 wt. % of the coating. The coating also includes 50 to 10 wt. % of an organic polymer binder which when formed into a film 1 mm or less in thickness and heated to 300° C. in free air for 24 hours either does not decompose or decomposes leaving a residue of at least 20% by weight of film.

Abstract: A flexible protective sleeve (10; 32 to 37) comprises a supporting layer (11) formed from a strip (12) which has the general shape of a helix having a gap (14) between successive turns thereof. The sleeve (10; 32 to 37) also comprises a bridging layer (16) which is supported by said supporting layer (11) and bridges said gap (14). The bridging layer (16) is formed from flexible sheet material (18; 48) which is arranged to deform to allow said gap (14) to locally change in width to accommodate deformations of the sleeve.

Abstract: A gasket (10; 40; 50; 70) comprises a sealing member which forms a closed loop extending around a hole. The sealing member is formed from resilient metal and has a transverse cross section which is generally X-shaped and comprises two arms (12, 14) which project inwardly of the hole, and two arms (16, 18) which project outwardly of the hole. The inwardly projecting arms form a first seal around said hole, and the outwardly projecting arms form a second seal around said hole. Each arm extends from a junction (22) with the remainder of the gasket to a tip (24) of the arm which engages one of the bodies. Each arm has its greatest thickness at said junction (22) and its smallest thickness at a point adjacent to or at said tip (24), the arm continuously reducing in thickness between said junction and said point. The gasket can yield from the tips of the arms inwardly as the pressure on the gasket increases.

Abstract: A gasket (10) comprises a first sealing member (12) and a second sealing member (14) both made of springy metal, and a clamping member (16) which holds the first and the second sealing members in an overlying relationship. The first sealing member (12) has an arm portion (12a) projecting from the clamping member (16), the arm portion being adapted to resiliently form a seal with a first body. The second sealing member (14) has an arm portion projecting from the clamping member (16), the arm portion being adapted to resiliently form a seal with a second body. A compression limiting stop (16e) is provided.

Abstract: A head gasket which acts, when clamped between a head and a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine, to form a seal around at least one lubricant or hydraulic fluid passage which extends between the head and the block. The gasket also comprises a non-return valve which extends across said passage and allows flow of liquid in said passage towards the head but prevents flow of liquid in said passage towards the block.

Abstract: Sealing material comprises from 45% to 90% by weight exfoliated graphite, from 5% to 20% by weight thermosetting resin and from 5% to 50% by weight fibrous filler which is heat resistant at 250° C. The fibrous filler has fibres at least 90% of which have a fibre length of less than 200 &mgr;m, and an aspect ratio of less than 10:1.

Abstract: A composite panel is formed by bonding together at least two overlying sheets of metal. The method comprises performing a first corrugating operation on each of said sheets, and positioning said sheets in overlying relationship with the corrugations of each sheet extending in a common first direction and the corrugations of each sheet nested into those of the other sheet. The method also comprises performing a second corrugating operation arranged to produce corrugations which extend in a second direction which is inclined at an angle of at least 10.degree. to said first direction. Each sheet is formed into parallel upstanding ridges separated by troughs. The troughs in each sheet are received within the ridges of the other sheet. The troughs have reentrant side walls and the ridges vary in width along their length.