Patent ID: 8528945

Claim:
A pipe coupling for sealingly coupling to a pipe end, comprising: a sleeve having a generally cylindrical body portion with open opposing ends; a split-ring gland configured to be positioned around one of the ends of the sleeve and said pipe, the split-ring gland including two partially-circular gland members with abutting ends securely coupled along one side of the split-ring gland and spaced ends along another side of the split-ring gland, the spaced ends defining a gap which is adjustable in length by a first fastener coupling the spaced ends, each gland member further including a partially-cylindrical annular wall; an armor positioned to span the gap between the spaced ends, the armor including a central wall extending from the annular walls of the gland members and having an arcuate shape and cooperating with the annular walls of the gland members to define a generally closed annular periphery; and an annular gasket including a gasket opening adapted to receive said pipe end, an outer circumferential surface engaging the split-ring gland and the armor, an inner circumferential surface defining the gasket opening, an inner side surface extending between the outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential surface and directed toward the sleeve, and an outer side surface extending between the outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential surface and directed away from the sleeve, the annular gasket positioned within the closed annular periphery defined by the split-ring gland and the armor, the annular gasket being radially inwardly compressible by the split-ring gland to seal said pipe end to the pipe coupling as the first fastener shortens the gap between the spaced ends of the gland members, the annular gasket including an annular pressure assist slot having a slot opening located at the inner side surface and facing the sleeve, and the annular gasket further including a plurality of cross grooves adjacent and extending into the slot opening at the inner side surface, each of the plurality of cross grooves also extending at least one of radially outward or radially inward from the slot opening at the inner side surface such that the plurality of cross grooves continues to communicate between the pressure assist slot and the inner side surface when the slot opening is clamped shut by compression of the annular gasket with the split-ring gland.