Patent ID: 8006749

Claim:
A seal for a tubular heat exchanger comprising: a channel header wherein a gasket is provided at a shoulder of a channel within a groove, the groove having an inner edge; a tongue of a diaphragm having a front face extending in a radial direction and an inner edge of the tongue parallel to an axis of the channel, the front face extending beyond a radial width of the groove and in an inward direction and overlapping the shoulder of the channel in which the groove is provided, the tongue of the diaphragm being thus kept from entering the groove, the diaphragm having flexibility to permit deflection of the tongue; an internal compression ring that loads the tongue of the diaphragm from an outer side of the diaphragm, the internal compression ring being loaded in turn by the a threaded push bolt being fitted in a threaded hole on a periphery of a threaded lock ring, this load being ultimately transferred to a joint between the gasket and the front face of the tongue to achieve leak-proof gasketed joint; and a vent hole being provided between the gasketed joint and the threaded lock ring so as to avoid pressure build up in case of leakage from the gasketed joint.