Expansion gap sealing device

Claim 2

A sealing device for an expansion gap between opposite surfaces of structural members, comprising a body of elastomeric material having cross wall means, side wall means, and joint means between said side wall means and said cross wall means to define a substantially closed body, a pair of stiff non-rubber connecting strips, only one surface of each connecting strip being vulcanized to a separate side wall means, whereby the other sides of said connecting strips are free of said body and connectable to said opposite surfaces, said cross wall means having foldably inclided wall portions, said joint means having cavities therein providing reduced joint wall thicknesses as compared with the wall thickness of said body outside of said joint means for facilitating the movement of said wall means relative to each other, said cavities having curvatures arranged so that cavities at diametrically opposite joints of said body are oppositely directed relative to each other, and wherein said joint means have double walls defining said cavities therebetween, said cavities having sickle-shaped cross sections, whereby the walls at each of said joint means may move relative to each other.

Claim 3

A sealing device for an expansion gap between opposite surfaces of structural members, comprising a body of elastomeric material having cross wall means, side wall means, and joint means between said side wall means and said cross wall means to define a substantially closed body, a pair of stiff non-rubber connecting strips, only one surface of each connecting strip being vulcanized to a separate side wall means, whereby the other sides of said connecting strips are free of said body and connectable to said opposite surfaces, said cross wall means having foldably inclided wall portions, said joint means having cavities therein providing reduced joint wall thicknesses as compared with the wall thickness of said body outside of said joint means for facilitating the movement of said wall means relative to each other, said cavities having curvatures arranged so that cavities at diametrically opposite joints of said body are oppositely directed relative to each other, and wherein said joint means have double walls defining said cavities therebetween, said cavities having sickle-shaped cross sections, whereby the walls at each of said joint means may move relative to each other.

Claim 4

A sealing device for an expansion gap between opposite surfaces of structural members, comprising a body of elastomeric material having cross wall means, side wall means, and joint means between said side wall means and said cross wall means to define a substantially closed body, a pair of stiff non-rubber connecting strips, only one surface of each connecting strip being vulcanized to a separate side wall means, whereby the other sides of said connecting strips are free of said body and connectable to said opposite surfaces, said cross wall means having foldably inclided wall portions, said joint means having cavities therein providing reduced joint wall thicknesses as compared with the wall thickness of said body outside of said joint means for facilitating the movement of said wall means relative to each other, said cavities having curvatures arranged so that cavities at diametrically opposite joints of said body are oppositely directed relative to each other, and wherein said joint means have double walls defining said cavities therebetween, said cavities having sickle-shaped cross sections, whereby the walls at each of said joint means may move relative to each other.

Claim 5

The sealing device of claim 1, in which said cavities have sickle-shaped cross sections formed of a concave wAll and a convex wall at the respective joint, the concave walls being on the sides of the cavities toward the surface of said body at the respective joint that has an increasing angle upon compression of said body.

Claim 6

The sealing device of claim 1, wherein said cross walls have folds intermediate therein, further comprising sickle-shaped cavities at said folds.

Claim 7

The sealing device of claim 1, wherein said cavities have sickle-shaped cross sections, each formed of a concave wall and a convex wall, at least one joint means between a side wall means and a cross wall means forming an acute angle at the inside of said body, the concave wall of the cavity at the respective joint facing toward the outer surface of said body.

Claim 8

The sealing device of claim 1, in which said cavities have sickle-shaped cross sections, each formed of a concave wall and a convex wall, at least one of said joint means between a cross wall means and a side wall means having an obtuse angle toward the inside of said body, the concave wall of the cavity at said one joint means facing toward the inner surface of said body.

Claim 9

The sealing device of claim 1, wherein said body further comprises a dividing wall joining said cross wall means, the joints between said dividing and said cross wall means having reduced thickness as compared with the wall thickness of the body outside said joint means for facilitating the movement of said wall means relative to each other.

Claim 10

The sealing device of claim 6, wherein the joint means between said dividing wall and cross wall means have double walls defining a free space therebetween, whereby a free space is provided at each joint means between said dividing wall and said cross wall means.

Claim 11

The sealing device of claim 7, wherein said free spaces are sickle-shaped, each having a concave wall and a convex wall, wherein an acute angle is formed between one cross wall means and an adjoining side wall means, the concave surfaces of said free surfaces of said one cross wall means being on the sides of said cross wall means toward the inside of said body.

Claim 12

The sealing device of claim 7, wherein said free spaces are sickle-shaped and each formed of a concave wall and a convex wall, wherein an obtuse angle is formed at the inside of said body between one cross wall means and an adjoining side wall means, the concave walls of said free spaces in said one cross wall means facing toward the outer surface of said one cross wall means.

Claim 13

A sealing device for an expansion gap defined between opposite surfaces of structural members, comprising a body of elastomeric material including cross wall means, connecting strip means for securing said cross wall means to said opposite surfaces, and a vulcanized bond between said body of elastomeric material and a region of one side of said connecting strip means, said connecting strip means comprising a material, other than natural and synthetic rubber, which is compatible with said vulcanized bond, the region of the other side of said strip means opposite said region on said one side thereof being free of elastomeric material and being connectable to said opposite surfaces, and wherein said body of elastomeric material comprises folds formed by oppositely inclined wall portions in said cross wall means, side wall means, and junction means for interconnecting said side wall means with said cross wall means and adjacent ones of said wall portions to each other to form a substantially closed body, said junction means comprising joint means with cavities therein having sickle-shaped cross sections including a convex and a concave curvature for facilitating the movement of said wall means and wall portions relative to each other, said cavities reducing the wall thickness at the junction means as compared to the wall thickness outside said joint means, said cavities having curvatures arranged so that the curvatures of cavities at diametrically opposite points of said body are oppositely directed.

Claim 14

A sealing device for an expansion gap defined between opposite surfaces of structural members, comprising a body of elastomeric material including cross wall means, connecting strip means for securing said cross wall means to said opposite surfaces, and a vulcanized bond between said body of elastomeric material and a region of one side of said connecting strip means, said connecting strip means comprising a material, other than natural and synthetic rubber, which is compatible with said vulcanized bond, the region of the other side of said strip means opposite said region on said one side thereof being free of elastomeric material and being connectable to said opposite surfaces, and wherein said body of elastomeric material comprises folds formed by oppositely inclined wall portions in said cross wall means, side wall means, and junction means for interconnecting said side wall means with said cross wall means and adjacent ones of said wall portions to each other to form a substantially closed body, said junction means comprising joint means with cavities therein having sickle-shaped cross sections including a convex and a concave curvature for facilitating the movement of said wall means and wall portions relative to each other, said cavities reducing the wall thickness at the junction means as compared to the wall thickness outside said joint means, said cavities having curvatures arranged so that the curvatures of cavities at diametrically opposite points of said body are oppositely directed.

Claim 15

A sealing device for an expansion gap defined between opposite surfaces of structural members, comprising a body of elastomeric material including cross wall means, connecting strip means for securing said cross wall means to said opposite surfaces, and a vulcanized bond between said body of elastomeric material and a region of one side of said connecting strip means, said connecting strip means comprising a material, other than natural and synthetic rubber, which is compatible with said vulcanized bond, the region of the other side of said strip means opposite said region on said one side thereof being free of elastomeric material and being connectable to said opposite surfaces, and wherein said body of elastomeric material comprises folds formed by oppositely inclined wall portions in said cross wall means, side wall means, and junction means for interconnecting said side wall means with said cross wall means and adjacent ones of said wall portions to each other to form a substantially closed body, said junction means comprising joint means with cavities therein having sickle-shaped cross sections including a convex and a concave curvature for facilitating the movement of said wall means and wall portions relative to each other, said cavities reducing the wall thickness at the junction means as compared to the wall thickness outside said joint means, said cavities having curvatures arranged so that the curvatures of cavities at diametrically opposite points of said body are oppositely directed.

Claim 16

A sealing device for an expansion gap defined between opposite surfaces of structural members, comprising a body of elastomeric material including cross wall means, connecting strip means for securing said cross wall means to said opposite surfaces, and a vulcanized bond between said body of elastomeric material and a region of one side of said connecting strip means, said connecting strip means comprising a material, other than natural and synthetic rubber, which is compatible with said vulcanized bond, the region of the other side of said strip means opposite said region on said one side thereof being free of elastomeric material and being connectable to said opposite surfaces, and wherein said body of elastomeric material comprises folds formed by oppositely inclined wall portions in said cross wall means, side wall means, and junction means for interconnecting said side wall means with said cross wall means and adjacent ones of said wall portions to each other to form a substantially closed body, said junction means comprising joint means with cavities therein having sickle-shaped cross sections including a convex and a concave curvature for facilitating the movement of said wall means and wall portions relative to each other, said cavities reducing the wall thickness at the junction means as compared to the wall thickness outside said joint means, said cavities having curvatures arranged so that the curvatures of cavities at diametrically opposite points of said body are oppositely directed.

Claim 17

The sealing device according to claim 10, wherein said vulcanized bond is provided between said side wall means and said connecting strip means.

Claim 18

The sealing device according to claim 10, wherein said material of said connecting strip means is a substantially stiff material.

Claim 19

The sealing device according to claim 10, wherein said joint means comprise double walls defining said cavity means between adjacent double walls.

Claim 20

The sealing device according to claim 13, wherein said cavity means have a length corresponding substantially to that of the sealing device.

Claim 21

The sealing device according to claim 13, wherein each of said joint means has an inner and an outer joint face, said convex curvature facing toward said outer joint face.

Claim 22

The sealing device of claim 10, wherein the material of said connecting strip means is a metal.

Claim 23

The sealing device of claim 10, wherein the material of said connecting strip means is a synthetic material.

Claim 24

The sealing device of claim 10, wherein the material of said connecting strip means comprises a fabric of natural fibers.

Claim 25

The sealing device of claim 10, wherein said cavities are formed with a concave wall and a convex wall, the concave walls being on the sides of the cavities toward the surface of said body at the respective joint that has an increasing angle upon compression of said body.