Seal construction for steam traps

Claim 2

A seal for an annular joint between a body having a bore and a cylindrical element received in said bore and having a circular end face facing away from said bore, said seal comprising a beveled annular shoulder on said element at the edge of said circular end face and a beveled annular shoulder at the edge of said bore location adjacent to and slightly below and radially outward from said shoulder on said element, said shoulders defining with one another a V shaped groove, a radially expansible gasket having a convexly curved bottom surface that fits in said groove and that initially bears circumferentially only against said shoulder of said element when said gasket is in its original condition, and said gasket when forced downwardly into said groove being expanded and rolled downwardly and outwardly into sealing engagement with said beveled shoulder of said body to provide a continuous annular seal between said gasket and said body and another continuous seal between said gasket and said element.

Claim 3

A seal for an annular joint between a body having a bore and a cylindrical element received in said bore and having a circular end face facing away from said bore, said seal comprising a beveled annular shoulder on said element at the edge of said circular end face and a beveled annular shoulder at the edge of said bore location adjacent to and slightly below and radially outward from said shoulder on said element, said shoulders defining with one another a V shaped groove, a radially expansible gasket having a convexly curved bottom surface that fits in said groove and that initially bears circumferentially only against said shoulder of said element when said gasket is in its original condition, and said gasket when forced downwardly into said groove being expanded and rolled downwardly and outwardly into sealing engagement with said beveled shoulder of said body to provide a continuous annular seal between said gasket and said body and another continuous seal between said gasket and said element.

Claim 4

A seal for an annular joint between a body having a bore and a cylindrical element received in said bore and having a circular end face facing away from said bore, said seal comprising a beveled annular shoulder on said element at the edge of said circular end face and a beveled annular shoulder at the edge of said bore location adjacent to and slightly below and radially outward from said shoulder on said element, said shoulders defining with one another a V shaped groove, a radially expansible gasket having a convexly curved bottom surface that fits in said groove and that initially bears circumferentially only against said shoulder of said element when said gasket is in its original condition, and said gasket when forced downwardly into said groove being expanded and rolled downwardly and outwardly into sealing engagement with said beveled shoulder of said body to provide a continuous annular seal between said gasket and said body and another continuous seal between said gasket and said element.

Claim 5

A seal according to claim 1 having a gasket composed of steel.

Claim 6

A seal according to claim 2 wherein the top surface of the gasket is flat.

Claim 7

In a steam trap including a body having a sealed control chamber therein, a valve seating element secured within said body and having a circular end face within said control chamber, a port in said seating element opening into said control chamber, and valve means in said control chamber for controlling the opening and closing of said port, the improvement which comprises: a beveled annular shoulder on said seating element at the edge of said circular end face, a beveled annular shoulder in said body located radially outward from and adjacent to and slightly below said shoulder in said seat element, said shoulders defining with one another a V shaped annular groove with the legs of the V slightly offset from one another, an annular, radially expansible gasket having a convexly curved bottom surface that fits in said groove and that initially bears circumferentially only against said shoulder of said seating element and is spaced from said shoulder in said body when said gasket is in its original condition, and means for forcing said gasket downwardly into said groove whereby said gasket is advanced downwardly and outwardly into sealing engagement with said beveled shoulder of said body to provide a continuous annular seal line between said gasket and said body and another continuous annular seal line between said gasket and said seating element.

Claim 8

In a steam trap including a body having a sealed control chamber therein, a valve seating element secured within said body and having a circular end face within said control chamber, a port in said seating element opening into said control chamber, and valve means in said control chamber for controlling the opening and closing of said port, the improvement which comprises: a beveled annular shoulder on said seating element at the edge of said circular end face, a beveled annular shoulder in said body located radially outward from and adjacent to and slightly below said shoulder in said seat element, said shoulders defining with one another a V shaped annular groove with the legs of the V slightly offset from one another, an annular, radially expansible gasket having a convexly curved bottom surface that fits in said groove and that initially bears circumferentially only against said shoulder of said seating element and is spaced from said shoulder in said body when said gasket is in its original condition, and means for forcing said gasket downwardly into said groove whereby said gasket is advanced downwardly and outwardly into sealing engagement with said beveled shoulder of said body to provide a continuous annular seal line between said gasket and said body and another continuous annular seal line between said gasket and said seating element.

Claim 9

A steam trap as defined in claim 4 wherein said gasket has a flat top surface and said bore has a threaded counterbore and wherein said means for forcing said gasket downwardly comprises a cap with a threaded hollow shaft received in said threaded counterbore and having a curved annular bottom edge that makes sealing engagement with the flat top surface of said gasket.