Metal vacuum joint

Claim 1

A HIGH VACUUM JOINT COMPRISING: A PAIR OF SPACED FLANGE MEMBERS ADAPTED FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A LONGITUDINAL AXIS TOWARD EACH OTHER; SAID FLANGE MEMBERS HAVING SHOULDER PORTIONS WITH INNER WALLS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND FACING SURFACES DIRECTLY OPPOSITE EACH OTHER IN CONFRONTING RELATIONSHIP INTERSECTING SAID INNER WALLS AND ADAPTED FOR CONTACT TO EACH OTHER; A SOFT METAL GASKET POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID FLANGE MEMBERS AND HAVING AN EDGE CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID INNER WALLS; EACH OF SAID FLANGE MEMBERS HAVING A RIDGE PORTION PROJECTING TOWARD AND CONTAINING SAID GASKET AND BEING PROVIDED WITH A WALL OPPOSITE SAID INNER WALL, SLOPING TOWARD SAID INNER WALL AT AN ACUTE ANGLE BETWEEN 45*-75* AND FORMING A GROOVE, SAID RIDGE PORTIONS BEING DIRECTLY OPPOSITE EACH OTHER IN CONFRONTING RELATIONSHIP; SAID GROOVE BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE SOFT METAL OF SAID GASKET UPON PENETRATION OF SAID GASKET BY SAID RIDGE PORTIONS, THE EXPECTED FLOW OF THE SOFT METAL INTO SAID GROOVE BEING LESS THAN THE VOLUME OF SAID GROOVE; AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING EXTRUSION OF THE SOFT METAL FROM SAID GROOVE AND AWAY FROM SAID SLOPING WALLS, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A CONTINUOUS WALL FORMED BY SAID INNER WALLS WHEN SAID FACING SURFACES MEET; WHEREBY, UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID FLANGE MEMBERS TOWARD EACH OTHER ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS, SAID GASKET IS PENETRATED BY SAID RIDGE PORTIONS TO CAUSE FLOW OF THE SOFT METAL TOWARD SAID INNER WALLS WHERE IT IS RESTRICTED BY SAID INNER WALLS TO CREATE A SEAL OF GREAT PRESSURE ALONG SAID SLOPING WALLS.