Pipe coupling

Claim 1

A FLEXIBLE, PIPE-COUPLING ARRANGEMENT FOR COUPLING TWO SUBSTANTIALLY AXIALLY ALIGNED PIPES COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A UNITARY ELASTOMERIC COUPLING MEMBER WITH AN INNER CYLINDRICAL WALL HAVING INWARDLY PROJECTING FLANGES AT BOTH ENDS THEREOF, SAID FLANGES TERMINATING IN TWO AXIALLY EXTENDING FACES, ON OF SAID FLANGE FACES RESTING ON EACH PIPE, AND CYLINDRICAL GROOVES EXTENDING ALONG EACH OF THE OUTER PERIPHERAL ENDS OF THE COUPLING MEMBER, A RADIUS OF EACH GROOVE BEING NORMAL TO THE AXIS AND BISECTING ONE OF SAID FACES, SAID GROOVES BEING SIZED TO PARTIALLY RECEIVE FLEXIBLE CYLINDRICAL RING MEANS THEREIN AND BEING LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY DISTANT FROM THE CENTER OF SAID COUPLING MEMBER; FLEXIBLE CYLINDRICAL RING MEANS DISPOSED AND RETAINED IN SAID GROOVES, THE OUTERMOST PORTION OF SAID RING MEAND PARTIALLY EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID COUPLING MEMBER, SAID RING MEANS INCLUDING TELESCOPING GUIDE MEANS; AND, A SECTIONAL HOUSING CONSISTING OF AT LEAST TWO SECTIONS ADAPTED TO COMPLETELY ENCIRCLE SAID PIPES, EACH OF SAID SECTIONS HAVING INWARDLY PROJECTING LEGS AT BOTH ENDS THEREOF AND AN AXIALLY EXTENDING WEB SIZED TO SNUGLY EMCOMPASS THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID COUPLING MEMBER AND SAID RING MEANS AND INCLUDING ADJUSTABLE FASTENING MEANS TO FASTEN SAID CLOSURE FIRMLY, CONTRACTING SAID RING MEANS ON SAID COUPLING MEMBER, SAID INWARDLY PROJECTING LEGS DIVERGING AXIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE OUTER MARGINS OF SAID COUPLING MEMBER SO AS TO AFFORD A CLEARANCE THEREBETWEEN TO PERMIT SAID LEG PORTIONS TO PIVOT ABOUT SAID RINGS IN RESPONSE TO PRESSURE DIFFERENCES EXERTED ON SAID ELASTOMERIC COUPLING MEMBER.