Abstract: A restraining gasket for both sealing and preventing separation of a pipe joint used to join a bell end of a female ductile iron pipe to the male end of a mating ductile iron pipe. The gasket has a body formed from a compressible elastomeric material having a hardened metal ring located therein with gripping teeth. The hardened ring has an opening at one point in its circumference which is filled with rubber. The rubber-filled gap ensures that the gasket body seals first prior to engagement of the gripping teeth as the pipe joint is assembled.

Abstract: A manhole assembly for a manhole having generally cylindrical sidewalls defined between an outside surface and an inside surface separated by a wall thickness and having a wall opening communicating the outside and inside sidewall surfaces of the manhole for insertion of a mating pipe. The wall opening defines a peripheral surface relatively perpendicular to the outside and inside sidewall surfaces which receives a ring shaped elastomeric gasket. The gasket has a retaining ring whose location is precisely determined to allow the gasket to be obliquely inserted within the wall opening of the manhole and to be subsequently snap-fitted into position on the peripheral surface, whereby the gasket is securely retained in a locked-in position with respect to the wall opening in the sidewall of the manhole.

Abstract: A combination sealing and restraint system for an as-cast ductile iron fitting is shown for both sealing and preventing separation of an iron pipe fitting and a mating male pipe. The restraint system includes both a sealing ring and a combination gripping ring which are installed in a groove provided in a mouth region of the iron fitting. The gripping ring has teeth on an inner surface which are initially angled away from an outer surface of the male pipe. The teeth are forced into engagement with the exterior surface of the mating male pipe as the pipe joint at the fitting is assembled. The teeth are oriented to allow movement of the male pipe in a first direction relative to an end opening of the fitting during assembly, but to resist movement in a opposite direction after the fitting joint has been assembled. The sealing ring and gripping ring are installed in the annular groove of the as-cast iron fitting after the iron casting operation at the factory.

Abstract: A monitoring and location system for mobile objects is shown which includes a control center to monitor the movement of mobile objects to and from a prescribed local area and a prescribed wide area. Each mobile object is provided with a separate RFID tag which has a unique electronic indicia stored thereon for transmission by a radio frequency signal upon request from an RFID interrogation unit. The local areas includes egress zones and ingress zones, each zone having its own RFID interrogation unit for monitoring the ingress and egress, respectively, of its own group of RFID tags. When an RFID tag has egressed or ingressed one of the zones, the RFID transmits its unique electronic indicia to the RFID interrogation unit of one of the zones, and when the RFID interrogation unit has received the indicia, the RFID interrogation unit transmits a signal including such indicia to the control center.

Abstract: A pipe sealing gasket is shown which is designed to be received within a groove provided within a belled, socket end of a plastic pipe. The groove in the plastic pipe is preformed during manufacture and the gasket is installed thereafter. The gasket nominal diameter exceeds the internal diameter of the belled pipe end. A special installation tool is used to pull the gasket from an initially deformed, elliptical shape to a normal cylindrical shape. The installation tool uses only one fluid cylinder for power and can be hand installed and operated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for restraining pipe against both internal and external forces at a pipe or fitting connection and to join and seal at least two pipes to form a pipeline is shown featuring an improved restraining and sealing mechanism. The restraining and sealing mechanism includes a circumferential housing and a companion sealing ring which are received within a mating groove provided in the belled end of a female pipe. The circumferential housing has an interior region which contains a gripping ring insert. The sealing ring and housing are integrally located within a belled pipe end during belling operations.

Abstract: An asset tracking system is provided, having particular usefulness in connection with the marking and tracking of sealing gaskets of the type used in water and sewage systems and in fluid conveyance systems generally. Interrogation of RFID tags located on the sealing gaskets insures that the gaskets are properly tracked, identified and sorted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for restraining pipe against internal forces at a pipe or fitting connection and to join and seal at least two pipes to form a pipeline is shown featuring an improved restraining/sealing mechanism. The restraining/sealing mechanism includes a relatively rigid gripper ring and a companion sealing ring which are received within one or more mating grooves provided in the belled end of a female pipe. The gripper ring and sealing ring can be combined or attached, or they can be separate members located in the same retaining groove or separate grooves in the female belled pipe end.

Abstract: An improved pipe belling apparatus and method are shown in which a spiral strip of thermoplastic material is extruded and wrapped spirally about a mandrel and integral gasket. The heated material is allowed to cool and the connection thus formed is stripped from the mandrel. The gasket is retained within a groove which is simultaneously formed of the thermoplastic extrusion.

Abstract: An improved pipe belling process is shown which a gasket is installed on the outer working surface of a forming mandrel at one circumferential location. The heated socket end of a thermoplastic pipe is forced over the mandrel exterior and over the gasket causing the heated socket end of the pipe to flow over the gasket and form a retention groove for retaining the gasket before again contacting the working surface of the mandrel. The heated end of the pipe is cooled and retracted from the working surface of the mandrel. The gasket has a non-stick, anti-friction coating applied to portions of the exterior thereof.

Abstract: A pipe sealing gasket is shown which is designed to be received within a groove provided within a socket end of a thermoplastic pipe. The gasket includes a ring shaped body which, when viewed in cross-section includes a leading nose region and a radially inwardly slanting primary sealing surface which forms a lip seal for engaging a mating spigot end during insertion, the primary sealing surface being joined to a secondary sealing surface by an intermediate circumferential groove region, the secondary sealing surface comprising a planar circumferential region which terminates in an inside corner of the gasket, the inside corner being connected to an outermost wall region of the gasket by an exterior gasket surface, the outermost wall region of the gasket being connected to the nose region of the gasket by vertical step which joins a uniformly sloping external gasket surface.

Abstract: A pipe sealing gasket is shown which is designed to be received within a groove provided within a socket end of a thermoplastic pipe. The gasket has a ring shaped body of an elastomeric material and includes a metal reinforcing band. The metal reinforcing band has an angular profile, when viewed in cross-section, with an apex which is embedded within the gasket body but lies in close proximity to an exterior surface of the gasket. The apex provides a reinforced contact point during belling operations but is isolated from surrounding liquids passing through a pipe joint.

Abstract: A pipe sealing gasket is shown which is designed to be received within a groove provided within a socket end of a thermoplastic pipe. The gasket has a ring shaped body of an elastomeric material and includes a metal reinforcing ring. The elastomeric body includes a first portion of relatively low durometer rubber and a second portion of a relatively high durometer rubber. The regions of relative hardness and the placement of the reinforcing ring assist in retention of the gasket during the pipe belling process and in field installation.