Retaining ring for sealing assembly

Claim 1

A sealing assembly comprising a circular gasket adapted to be compressed between opposing seating surfaces and adapted to make a continuous contact with the seating surfaces for primary sealing, and a circular retaining ring circumferentially continuously contacting and supporting the outer periphery of said gasket, said ring being in a single transverse plane substantially common to said gasket and adapted to make continuous contact with the seating surfaces for secondary sealing outwardly of said gasket, said retaining ring providing a backup for and limiting the compression of said encircled gasket, said ring being made of solid wire stock or the like having a thickness less than the initial gasket thickness, there being lugs secured to the ring at circumferentially spaced points on its outer periphery, each of said lugs hAving a cross-sectionalshape and dimension corresponding to those of said ring and formed with divergent arms to achieve an embracing relation to bolt fasteners mounted outwardly of the sealing assembly, the outer ends of said divergent arms being spaced apart, said lugs being in a common transverse plane with said ring and being correspondingly formed of the same solid wire stock or the like and having a corresponding thickness.