Self-energizing seal for high pressure flanged connections

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED HIGH PRESSURE SEAL CONSTRUCTION, COMPRISING A PAIR OF BODIES EXTENDING IN FACE TO FACE RELATION AND HAVING WALLS FORMING OPPOSITE GROOVES SUNK IN THE BODY FACES, THE GROOVES CONFIGURED TO TAPER AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, AND MEANS TO SEAL OFF BETWEEN THE BODIES INCLUDING A METALLIC ANNULUS RECEIVED IN BOTH GROOVES TO PRESSURALLY CONTACT THE GROOVE FORMING WALLS AND TO FORM THEREWITH ANNULAR POCKETS LOCATED BETWEEN THE GROOVE BOTTOMS AND THE ANNULUS, SAID MEANS INCLUDING RINGS IN THE POCKETS AND FORMED OF RELATIVELY RIGID INTERNALLY TENACIOUS MATERIAL, SAID BODIES GRIPPING THE ANNULUS THEREBETWEEN, THE ANNULUS, GROOVES AND RINGS BEING GENERALLY COAXIAL, THE POCKETS INCLUDING ANNULAR RECESSES ADJACENT THE GROOVE BOTTOMS AND SIZED TO CLOSELY RECEIVE THE RINGS SO THAT THE RINGS ARE COMPRESSED BETWEEN THE GROOVE BOTTOMS AND ANNULUS, THE RECESSES HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS WIDTH THANT THE POCKET OVERALL WIDTH RADIALLY OF THE RING AXIS, THE RINGS BEING FREE OF ATTACHMENT TO THE ANNULUS, THE GROOVE BOTTOMS BLOCKING ACCESS THERETHROUGH TO THE RINGS, THE ANNULUS BEING DEFORMABLE UNDER SUFFICIENTLY HIGH FLUID PRESSURE EXERTED AGAINST ONE SIDE THEREOF AND ACTING TO URGE THE ANNULUS AGAINST BODY WALLS AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ANNULUS SO THAT SAID FLUID PRESSURE MAY BE APPLIED