Combined metal and elastomer seal

Claim 2

In combination: a vertical outer body member having an internal cylindrical sealing surface; a vertical inner body member within said outer body member and having an external cylindrical sealing surface; said inner member being radially spaced from said outer member to define an annular space between said sealing surfaces; one of said body members having an abutment; supporting means on said inner member and movable longitudinally toward said abutment; a packing assembly carried by said supporting means, said packing assembly comprising a packing sleeve of elastomeric material, an upper one-piece metallic ring carried by said supporting means, means securing said ring directly to the upper end portion of said packing sleeve, a lower one-piece metallic ring, means securing said lower ring directly to the lower end portion of said packing sleeve, said lower ring being supported wholly by said packing sleeve, each of said rings including inner and outer lip seals extending circumferentially around the inner and outer surfaces of said packing sleeve, said inner and outer lip seals of said rings confronting each other, said packing sleeve and inner and outer lip seals of both rings being adapted to be disposed in said annular space between said sealing surfaces; and means for moving said supporting means and packing assembly carried thereby longitudinally toward said abutment to engage said lower ring with said abutment and then shift said upper ring toward said lower ring to shorten and compress said packing sleeve therebetween and expand said sleeve into sealing engagement with said internal and external surfaces and to cause said packing sleeve to expand said inner and outer lip seals of both rings into bridging and metallic sealing engagement with said external and internal surfaces, respectively.

Claim 3

In a combination as defined in claim 1, said means securing said upper ring to said packing sleeve comprising an undercut groove in said upper ring receiving said upper end portion of said packing sleeve; said means securing said lower ring to said packing sleeve comprising an undercut groove in said lower ring receiving said lower end portion of said packing sleeve.

Claim 4

In a combination as defined in claim 1; said means securing said upper ring to said packing sleeve comprising a dovetailed groove in said upper ring receiving a complemental flange of said upper end portion of said packing sleeve; said means securing said lower ring to said packing sleeve comprising a dovetailed groove in said lower ring receiving a complemental flange of said lower end portion of said packing sleeve.

Claim 5

In well bore casing apparatus: a vertically disposed outer body having an internal cylindrical sealing surface; a vertically disposed inner body supported by said outer body and having an external cylindrical surface opposed to and laterally spaced from said internal surface to form an annular space therebetween; one of said bodies having an abutment below its sealing surface; supporting means on said inner body member movable downwardly toward said abutment; a packing assembly secured to said supporting means and movable downwardly into said annular space, said packing assembly comprising a packing sleeve of elastomeric material, an upper one-piece metallic ring carried by said supporting means, means securing said ring directly to the upper end portion of said packing sleeve, a lower one-piece metallic ring, means securing said lower ring directly to the lower end portion of said packing sleeve, said lower ring being supported wholly by said packing sleeve, each of said rings including inner and outer lip seals extending circumferentially around the inner and outer surfaces of said packing sleeve, said inner and outer lip seals of said rings confronting each other, said packing sleeve and inner and outer lip seals of both rings being dimensioned initially to move freely downwardly within said annular space for disposition between said sealing surfaces; and means for moving said supporting means and packing assembly carried thereby downwardly toward said abutment to engage said lower ring with said abutment and then shift said upper ring toward said lower ring to shorten and compress said packing sleeve therebetween and expand said sleeve into sealing engagement with said internal and external surface and to cause said packing sleeve to expand said inner and outer lip seals of both rings into bridging and metallic sealing engagement with said external and internal surfaces, respectively.

Claim 6

In well bore casing apparatus: a vertically disposed outer body having an internal cylindrical sealing surface; a vertically disposed inner body supported by said outer body and having an external cylindrical surface opposed to and laterally spaced from said internal surface to form an annular space therebetween; one of said bodies having an abutment below its sealing surface; supporting means on said inner body member movable downwardly toward said abutment; a packing assembly secured to said supporting means and movable downwardly into said annular space, said packing assembly comprising a packing sleeve of elastomeric material, an upper one-piece metallic ring carried by said supporting means, means securing said ring directly to the upper end portion of said packing sleeve, a lower one-piece metallic ring, means securing said lower ring directly to the lower end portion of said packing sleeve, said lower ring being supported wholly by said packing sleeve, each of said rings including inner and outer lip seals extending circumferentially around the inner and outer surfaces of said packing sleeve, said inner and outer lip seals of said rings confronting each other, said packing sleeve and inner and outer lip seals of both rings being dimensioned initially to move freely downwardly within said annular space for disposition between said sealing surfaces; and means for moving said supporting means and packing assembly carried thereby downwardly toward said abutment to engage said lower ring with said abutment and then shift said upper ring toward said lower ring to shorten and compress said packing sleeve therebetween and expand said sleeve into sealing engagement with said internal and external surface and to cause said packing sleeve to expand said inner and outer lip seals of both rings into bridging and metallic sealing engagement with said external and internal surfaces, respectively.

Claim 7

In apparatus as defined in claim 4; said means securing said upper ring to said packing sleeve comprising an undercut groove in said upper ring receiving said upper end portion of said packing sleeve; said means securing said lower ring to said packing sleeve comprising an undercut groove in said lower ring receiving said lower end portion of said packing sleeve.

Claim 8

In apparatus as defined in claim 4; said means securing said upper ring to said packing sleeve comprising a dovetailed groove in said upper ring receiving a complemental flange of said upper end portion of said packing sleeve; said means securing said lower ring to said packing sleeve comprising a dovetailed groove in said lower ring receiving a complemental flange of said lower end portion of said packing sleeve.