GB1527344A - All-metal seals - Google Patents

Abstract

1527344 Seals KEMPCHEN & CO GmbH 28 March 1977 [29 April 1976] 12874/77 Heading F2B An all-metal seal, for flange-joints &c., comprises a spirally-wound metal spring core 1 having a cladding of soft metal 2 applied to at least the upper and lower surfaces 4, 3 of the core 1, the spring core 1 being formed as a tightly wound spiral ring from a V-shaped cross-section metal strip 5 with the ends of the V-limbs 6 lying closely pressed together and the ends of the V-limbs 6 being formed to provide flat upper and lower surfaces 4, 3 on the spring core 1. As shown, the flat surfaces 4, 3 may be readily achieved by using a V-shaped metal strip with bevelled edges or by simply machining, e.g. grinding, the core end faces after spirally winding the core 1. Alternatively (Figs. 3 and 4, not shown) the V-limbs 6 of the metal strip may be thickened, e.g. flanged portions (8) or in Fig. 5 (not shown) have foldedover edge portions, to provide the flat surfaces 3, 4. To ensure the spirally wound layers are tightly pressed together to obviate gaps between the spiral layers, into which such gaps the soft metal cladding 2 could creep and penetrate after installation, only the limbs 6 (as shown) are in actual contact, a spacing cavity 7 being left free at the base of the V-channel sections (Fig. 2) and (Figs. 3 and 5, not shown). Alternatively (Fig. 4, not shown), the base of the V-sections may also be thickened (9) whereby the intermediate side wall portions of the V- limbs 6 overlap each other with a clearance cavity therebetween to ensure the outer ends of the V-limbs 6 are tightly pressed together. The V-section metal strip 5 may be of steel or bronze and the soft metal cladding 2 may be of silver, gold, aluminium, copper or indium or alloys of these materials.