Patent ID: 7207606

Claim:
A mechanical pipe joint for sealing and restraining adjoining fluid piping members along an axis, said joint comprising: a male piping member defining an outer surface; a female piping member comprising a bell socket for receiving the male piping member, the bell socket defining an inner surface having a circumference larger than the outer surface of the male piping member so as to define a sealing cavity therebetween; a gland extending at least partially around the male piping member and being configured for axial engagement with the bell socket, the gland defining at least one bearing surface that is forced axially as the gland is axially engaged with the bell socket; and a restraining gasket for sealing and restraining the male piping member relative to the female piping member, the restraining gasket being formed at least in part of an elastomeric material and comprising: a sealing portion that fits substantially within the sealing cavity and provides a fluid seal between the inner surface of the bell socket and the outer surface of the male piping member; and a restraining portion that surrounds the male piping member predominantly outside of the sealing cavity when the mechanical pipe joint is assembled, and wherein said restraining portion comprises a plurality of circumferentially-spaced arcuate locking members formed from a rigid material and configured to be operably engaged between the bearing surface of the gland and the outer surface of the male piping member as the gland is axially attached to the bell socket so as to restrain the male piping member within the bell socket, wherein the locking members are retained relative to each other and are each circumferentially interconnected by the sealing portion before the attachment of the gland to the bell socket.