Seal assembly

Claim 1

A SEAL ASSEMBLY FOR INSERTION INTO AN INTERNAL ANNULAR GROOVE PROVIDED AT MATING SURFACE OF A PAIR OF FLUID CONDUITS HAVING FLANGES TO BE SECURED TOGETHER, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN ANNULAR FLAT GASKET MADE OF PLASTIC MATEIRAL AND DISPOSED ALONG EACH OF THE OPPOSITE WALLS OF SAID ANNULAR GROOVES, AN ENDLESS INNER METAL COMPRESSION RING HAVING A CENTER OPENING THERETHROUGH, DISPOSED TO BE IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH FLUID FLOW THERETHROUGH FROM ONE CONDUIT TO THE OTHER, AND A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED BEVELED SURFACES ON ONE SIDE THEREOF RECEDING AS THEY EXTEND AWAY FROM ADJACENT THE CENTER OF SAID ONE SIDE, SAID SURFACES BEING HARD CHROME PLATED TO PROVIDE EFFECTIGE SEAL SURFACES, A FIRST ENDLESS OUTER RING HAVING A FLAT SURFACE DISPOSED IN ABUTTING RELATION WITH ONE OF SAID GASKETS AND FURTHER HAVING A SURFACE ON ONE SIDE THEREOF INCLINED TO MATE TO ONE OF SAID BEVELED SURFACES, A SECOND ENDLESS OUTER RING HAVING A FLAT SURFACE DISPOSED IN ABUTTING RELATION WITH THE OTHER OF SAID GASKETS AND FURTHER HAVING A SURFACE ON ONE SIDE THEREOF IN MATING FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT WITH THE OTHER OF SAID BEVELED SURFACES, WHEREBY SAID SEAL ASSEMBLY IS ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN SAID INTERNAL ANNULAR GROOVE OF SAID CONDUIT FLANGES AND WHEN SAID FLANGES ARE CLAMPED TOGETHER, TO PLACE SAID FIRST AND SECOND OUTER RINGS IN TENSION AND SAID INNER RING IN COMPRESION TO PROVIDE A LEAKPROOF SEAL BETWEEN THE CONDUIT FLANGES AND BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER RINGS UNDER HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS.