The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 12, 2006
Filed:
Jul. 06, 2004
Ronald W Neuhaus, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
James W Skinner, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
Ronald W Neuhaus, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
James W Skinner, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
Press-Seal Gasket Corporation, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
Abstract
An expansion ring assembly for sealing a gasket with respect to an annular wall of a rigid structure. The expansion ring assembly includes a drive mechanism for engaging and driving apart the opposing ends of an expansion ring to thereby radially expand the ring. The drive mechanism generally includes a pair of block members, formed of steel or a rigid plastic, for example, having oppositely threaded bores therethrough, and a bolt having oppositely threaded ends which are threaded within respective threaded bores of the block members. The block members are interlockingly engaged with respective opposite ends of the expansion ring. Rotation of the bolt in a first direction simultaneously drives the block members apart from one another along the bolt to radially expand the expansion ring, and rotation of the bolt in a an opposite, second direction simultaneously drives the block members toward one another along the bolt to allow the expansion ring to radially contract.