Inventors:
Tri C. Le - Houston TX
Bruce P. Noble - Houston TX
Assignee:
ACF Industries, Incorporated - New York NY
International Classification:
F16J 1506
Abstract:
A pressure energizable sealing connection for establishing a bore seal between first and second coaxially aligned and connected members (22, 10) having opposed internal recesses forming seat pockets at their adjoining ends. The invention comprises a sealing ring (40) having annular end surfaces (56, 54) and an internal diameter which corresponds to the bores of the coaxially aligned members (22, 10), the connection of which is to be sealed. The ring (40) is provided with a pair of circumferential projections (67, 68) separated by a groove (69) therebetween and each having an external surface of arcuate configuration. At their adjoining ends (25, 26) the opposed seat pockets of the adjoining members (22, 10) provide annular cylindrical walls (41, 42) for sealing engagement with the annular projections (67, 68) of the sealing ring (40). The external diameter of the ring (40) is slightly larger than the diameters of the seat pockets so that the resulting interference fit between the ring (40) and the cylindrical walls (41, 42) of the seat pockets provides an initial seal between the projections of the ring (40) and the coaxially connected members (22, 10). The axial dimension of the ring equals the sum of the axial dimensions of the seat pockets so there is no axial compression of the ring by the connected members (22, 10).