Patent ID: 7815225

Claim:
A combination sealing and restraint system for insertion within an annular groove provided within a mouth region located adjacent an end opening of an as-cast ductile iron fitting capable of both sealing and restraining the ductile iron fitting to a mating male pipe having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the sealing and restraint system comprising: a ring-shaped body having a relatively rigid, inflexible leading portion and a relatively more flexible trailing portion, the flexible portion being formed of a resilient elastomeric material, the flexible trailing portion of the body having an inner circumferential region and an outer circumferential region, the ring-shaped body being installed within the annular groove provided in the mouth region of the as-cast fitting so that the outer circumferential region forms a seal with the fitting mouth region and the inner circumferential region forms a sealing surface for a mating male pipe section; wherein the relatively rigid leading portion of the ring-shaped body has an exterior surface and an interior surface, and wherein the interior surface includes a C-shaped recess formed therein adjacent a leading nose portion of the ring-shaped body; a gripping ring installed within the C-shaped recess provided in the relatively rigid portion of the ring-shaped body, the gripping ring being a continuous circumferential body having a slit at one point in a circumference thereof and being made up of an inner planar surface and an outer planar surface separated by a thickness, and wherein the inner planar surface has at least one row of gripping teeth capable of engaging selected points on the exterior surface of the mating male pipe and apply a gripping force to the exterior surface; wherein the sealing surface of the annular gasket body extends further radially inward in a direction of a centerline of the mouth opening of the fitting than do the gripping teeth on the inner planar surfaces of the gripping segments; and wherein the C-shaped recess provided in the relatively rigid portion of the ring-shaped body includes a sloping wall portion which defines a ramp surface of the gripping ring as the mating male pipe is installed to form a pipe joint.