Poly-tec Products, Inc.

James Mirales

James A Westhoff

James A Kelly

Method and apparatus for providing inserts, such as lift inserts and step inserts, in cast members. The inserts have breakaway tabs mounted in receiving slots in either a reusable holder or disk-shaped member. The assembled insert and holder are inserted through a collar on the outer jacket of a mold assembly and a locking pin passes through cooperating openings in the holder and collar to retain the lift insert/holder in place during the casting operation. The disk-shaped member is fixed to a jacket of the mold assembly. The breakaway tabs break away from the insert when the cast member is separated from the mold assembly, the breakaway tabs being discarded and the holder (disk-shaped member) being reusable many times for subsequent casting operations. The slots, in one embodiment, have a locking shoulder to lock the tabs in their slots. In another embodiment, a cam surface on the tabs lock the tabs in the slots. In another embodiment, one slot and one tab differ in radial or circumferential length from the other tabs and slots to permit alignment between the slots and tabs in only one position to assure that the tabs are properly mounted in the holder.

Inserts and reusable holder therefor

A package comprising gasket mounting clamps and instructions for mounting same. The mounting clamps include an expansion clamp and a takedown clamp. The expansion clamp engages an interior of a gasket inserted. The takedown clamp is looped in the gasket. The takedown clamp is urged against surface of either the expansion clamp or the gasket. A flexible fastener loops through the expansion clamp and around the takedown clamp passing through an opening in an instruction card retaining the card and takedown clamp within the gasket. The expansion clamp enables installation of gasket and expansion of the clamp without removing the fastener and without interference of the takedown clamp, fastener and card and permits observation of the card. The fastener loops through the expansion clamp and does not interfere with the expansion operation. The fastener remains intact until mounting a pipe to the gasket, assuring retention of the takedown clamp and instructions. The fastener retains either the card or the takedown clamp.

Packaging design incorporating gasket clamping assemblies and installation instructions

An annular-shaped, expansion type clamping band has laterally overlapping ends, each having a skewed surface, the skewed surfaces slidably engaging one another. The ends are further provided with elongated guide slots for receiving a threaded bolt. A threaded nut threadly engaging the bolt, when tightened, moves the overlapping ends toward a longitudinal central axis of the band whereby the band expands to exert an outward radial force against an interior surface of a gasket to provide a liquid-tight fit between the gasket and an opening having a surface engaging an outer periphery of the gasket. The band may be a one-piece or two-or-three-piece assembly and may be formed of an suitable metallic or plastic material. The threaded member is slidable along the aforesaid guide slots enabling the bolts to be self-centered. The nut and bolt assembly, in one embodiment is designed to require only one tightening tool.

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Jamison, PA, United States of America

James Mirales