Patent ID: 8038177

Claim:
A flexible pipe joint comprising: a housing; an extension pipe extending from the housing; a first annular elastomeric flex element disposed in the housing; a second annular elastomeric flex element disposed in the housing; and a third annular elastomeric flex element disposed in the housing; wherein the first, second, and third flex elements have a common center of rotation, the first and second flex elements are stacked in a coaxial fashion on opposite sides of the common center of rotation, the first and second flex elements are disposed from the common center of rotation by a common inner radius, and the third flex element is disposed from the common center of rotation by an outer radius greater than the inner radius; and wherein the first and second flex elements are mechanically joined in series between the housing and the extension pipe, and the third flex element is mechanically joined to the housing and the extension pipe in parallel with the series combination of the first and second flex elements.