Sealing means for a vacuum gripping device

Claim 1

SEALING MEANS FOR A VACUUM GRIPPING PAD COMPRISING, A FLEXIBLE RING SECURED TO THE GRIPPING FACE OF SAID PAD AND EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY AROUND THE PAD ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, SAID RING BEING GENERALLY U-SHAPED IN CROSS SECTION THEREBY DEFINING INNER AND OUTER CONTINUOUS LIPS, WHICH LIPS SEALINGLY ENGAGE SAID FACE OF THE PAD THEREBY DEFINING A CLOSED GENERALLY ANNULAR SPACE WITHIN SAID RING, A RESILIENT RING SECURED TO SAID FACE OF SAID PAD AND EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY AROUND THE PERIPHERY THEREOF WITHIN SAID SPACE, SAID FLEXIBLE RING HAVING THE BIGHT PORTION THEREOF IN SPACED RELATION WITH SAID RESILIENT RING, WHEREBY SAID FLEXIBLE RING READILY CONFORMS TO THE CONTOUR OF A SURFACE TO BE GRIPPED UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE SAME AND SAID RESILIENT RING LIMITS FLEXING OF THE FLEXIBLE RING UPON VACUUMIZING OF THE GRIPPING PAD.