840,574. Closures for resisting fluid pressure. SUBMARINE CABLES Ltd. Jan. 15, 1959 [Jan. 22, 1958], No. 2230/58. Class 123(1) [Also in Groups XXVI and XXXVI] The housing H for the repeater mechanism of an underwater cable C and a bulkhead B are sealed (Group XXVI) against fluid pressure by rings 9, 10 located in grooves 8, 11 in the bulkhead, a recess formed in the housing and/or the bulkhead on the pressure side of the sealing rings and filled with a fluid medium such as grease and a sealing element 14 so arranged in the recess that it is exposed to the fluid medium on one side and to the external pressure on the other whereby the latter pressure is transmitted through the sealing element to the fluid medium. As shown in Fig. 1, two sealing elements 14, 141 of compressible material, are arranged back-toback with the outer element 14 covered by a metal washer 16 located between the element and the bulkhead retaining ring 3. In operation, the sealing elements are forced into contact with the bulkhead and housing by the sealing medium which is compressed by the water pressure transmitted through ports 16 in the ring 13 to act on the washer and sealing elements. In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the recess 12 is enlarged adjacent the washer 16 and houses a sealing element 23 and an intermediate member 25 which is in contact with a smaller crosssectional element 24, a pressure differential being thus maintained between the water and the fluid medium. Specifications 734,525 and 742,837 are referred to.
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