Patent ID: 8366118

Claim:
A method of retaining an inflatable seal comprising: forming a channel for receiving the inflatable seal having a foot, an inflatable bulb and a neck, the channel having a closed end and a pair of projecting legs; forming a plurality of spaced apertures in each of the projecting legs along a longitudinal axis of the channel, each of the plurality of spaced apertures of one of the projecting legs aligning with one of the plurality of spaced apertures of the other one of the projecting legs; inserting a spacer between the closed end of the channel and the foot of the inflatable seal; inserting a first set of pins into each of the plurality of spaced apertures of one of the projecting legs, each of the pins having a threaded portion and a non-threaded portion; threadingly engaging the threaded portion of the first set of pins with a first set of nuts, each of the nuts fixedly secured to an inner surface of one of the projecting legs; inserting the inflatable seal into the channel; aligning a portion of the neck of the inflatable seal with the non-threaded portions of the first set of pins; inserting a second set of pins into each of the plurality of spaced apertures of the other one of the projecting legs, each of the second set of pins having a threaded portion and a non-threaded portion; threadingly engaging the threaded portion of the second set of pins with a second set of nuts, each of the nuts fixedly secured to an inner surface of the other one of the projecting legs; and positioning the non-threaded portion of each of the first and second sets of pins towards the neck to dispose the foot intermediate the first and second sets of pins and the closed end, wherein the non-threaded portions of the first and second set of pins overlap at least half of the foot.