Annular sealing elements

Claim 1

AN ANNULAR SEALING ELEMENT FOR FORMING A SEAL BETWEEN THE SURFACE PORTIONS OF TWO OPPOSED MEMBERS WHEREIN ONE OF THE MEMBERS IS FIXED RELATIVE TO THE ANNULAR SEALING ELEMENT AND THE OTHER HAS A SPHERICAL SURFACE PORTION ROTATABLE ABOUT ITS CENTER RELATIVE TO THE ANNULAR SEALING ELEMENT, THE ANNULAR SEALING ELEMENT INCLUDING A MAJOR AXIS AND COMPRISING AN ANNULAR WRAPPER PACKING OF LAYERS OF A STRIP OF RESILIENTLY BONDED NON-COMBUSTIBLE FIBERS WOUND CONCENTRICALLY ABOUT SAID MAJOR AXIS FOR FORMING A RING INCLUDING INNER AND OUTER CIRCUMFERENTIAL PERIPHERIES AND FIRST AND SECOND END FACES, AN INNER SHEATH RING FITTED WITHIN SAID ANNULAR WRAPPER PACKING FOR ABUTTING SAID INNER CIRCUMFERENTIAL PERIPHERY, THE DIAMSHEATH RING FITTED ABOUT SAID ANNULAR WRAPER PACKING FOR ABUTTING SAID OUTER CIRCUMFERETNTIAL PERIPHERY, THE DIAMMETERS OF SAID INNER AND OUTER SHEATH RINGS BEING SUCH THAT SAID ANNULAR WRAPPER PACKING IS SUBJECTED TO RADIAL COMPRESSION AND THE HEIGHT OF SAID INNER AND OUTER SHEATH RINGS BEING SUCH THAT ONLY THE FIRST AND SECOND END FACES OF SAID ANNULAR WRAPPER PACKING CAN CONTACT THE SURFACE PORTIONS OF THE TWO OPPOSED MEMBERS.