Self-sealing gasket for pipe joints

Claim 1

A PIPE JOINT ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING A PAIR OF ALIGNED CYLINDRICAL PIPE ENDS HAVING THEIR EDGES IN CONFRONTING RELATION AND AN ANNULAR ELASTOMERIC GASKET RING HAVING INTEGRAL EXTENSIONS PROJECTING AXIALLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INTERNAL SURFACES OF BOTH PIPE BORES, SAID EXTENSIONS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL FRUSTRO-CONICAL INNER AND OUTER SURFACES DIVERGING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM A CENTRAL PORTION WHEN IN THE UNSTRESSED, UNCONFINED CONDITION, EACH OF SAID OUTER SURFACES HAVING AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER AT SAID CENTRAL PORTION WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE PIPE BORE AND AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER AT ITS OUTER END WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY GREATER THAN SAID INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE PIPE BORE, WHEREBY THE INHERENT RESILIENCE OF THE GASKET IS INITIALLY INTENDED TO DEFORM AND PRESS SAID OUTER SURFACES INTO COMPLETE SEALING CONTACT WITH THE PIPE BORES, AND A INTEGRAL FLANGE PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FORM SAID CENTRAL PORTION AN DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID CONFRONTING EDGES OF THE PIPE ENDS, THE RADIALLY INSAID SECTION OF THE GASKET HAVING AN AXIAL LENGTH AT LEAST AS GREAT AS SAID FLANGE, THE RADIAL AND AXIAL LENGTHS OF SAID FLANGE AND SAID SECTION DEFINING A ZONE, AND A