Packing ring with load bearing body and process for making same

Claim 1

A PACKING RING OF MOLDED CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING, A LOAD BEARING BODY HAVING RESILIENT SEALING MEANS INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE SEALING LIP OF AN ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL MOLDED ABOUT AT LEAST ONE OF ITS RADIALLY INNER AND RADIALLY OUTER SURFACES, SAID LOAD BEARING BODY COMPRISING AN INNER CORE OF A FIBROUS MATERIAL IMPREGNATED WITH A THERMOSETTING MATERIAL, SAID THERMOSETTING MATERIAL BEING OF A FLOWABLE NATURE WHILE BEING MOLDED AND CURED DURING MANUFACTURE OF THE RING BUT A RIGID, SUBSTANTIALLY INCOMPRESSIBLE NATURE AFTER BEING MOLDED AND CURED, AND AN OUTER FLEXIBLE SHEATH OF A MATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY IMPERVIOUS TO THE THERMOSETTING MATERIAL HAVING PARTS CONFININGLY ENCLOSING THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID INNER CORRE FOR PREVENTING THE THERMOSETTING MATERIAL CONTAINED THEREIN FROM FLOWING INTO SAID FLEXIBLE SEALING LIPS DURING THE MOLDING AND CURING OPERATIONS, SAID INNER CORE AND ITS OUTER CONFINING SHEATH BEING SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE BEFORE BEING MOLDED AND CURED TO PERMIT THEM TO BE SHAPED INTO A LOAD BEARING BODY OF DESIRED ANNULAR CONFIGURATION FOR MOLDING WITH SAID SEALING MEANS.