Gasket

Claim 1

A resilient gasket for use in sealing the junction between a bell and a spigot in a plastic piping system comprising an annulus of generally U-shaped cross sectional configuration; the annulus comprising a base, a thin forward wall and a thicker rearward wall, the forward and rearward walls integrally extending radially inwardly from the base, the base terminating axially rearwardly in a small radius, circular, seating corner and axially forwardly in a circular corbelled corner, the forward and rearward walls defining a radially inwardly open rectangular groove therebetween, the width of the rectangular groove being greater than the combined thicknesses of the forward and rearward walls, and a hard plastic retaining ring seated within the groove, the retaining ring being substantially rectangular in cross sectional configuration, the retaining ring having an outer peripheral surface in contact with the gasket base and an inner peripheral surface not in contact with the basket, the retaining ring having a width that is greater than the combined thicknesses of the gasket forward and rearward walls, the forward gasket wall terminating radially inwardly in an angled, circular leading lip, the leading lip comprising a rounded, rearwardly facing projection, the rearwardly facing projection radially partially covering a forward portion of the inner periphery of the retaining ring to discourage relative movement between the gasket and the ring.