Sealing washer and fastening device

Claim 1

A WASHER FOR USE WITH A FASTENING ELEMENT, COMPRISING A SHANK HAVING A HEAD AT ONE END, SAID WASHER COMPRISING A BACKING MEMBER HAVING ONE FACE ADAPTED TO BEAR AGAINST SAID HEAD AND HAVING A HOLE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH TO RECEIVE SAID SHANK, A RUBBER-LIKE SEALING MEMBER SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE FACE OF SAID BACKING MEMBER AND HAVING A HOLE EXTENDING AT LEAST PARTIALLY THERETHROUGH AND BEING GENERALLY COAXIAL WITH THE HOLE IN SAID BACKING MEMBER FOR RECEIVING SAID SHANK, SAID SEALING MEMBER INCLUDING AN ANNULAR PORTION AROUND THE HOLE IN SAID SEALING MEMBER, THE VOLUME OF RUBBER-LIKE SEALING MATERIAL IN SAID ANNULAR PORTION BEING AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE VOLUME OF THE HOLE IN SAID SEALING MEMBER, THE RADIAL DISTANCE FROM THE AXIS OF SAID HOLES TO THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID ANNULAR PORTION BEING AT LEAST EQUAL TO ONE-HALF THE DISTANCE FROM SAID AXIS TO THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID BACKING MEMBER, SAID ANNULAR PORTION BEING CONSTRUCTED, PROPORTIONED AND ARRANGED SO THAT THE MAXIMUM VOLUME OF RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL IS PROVIDED ADJACENT TO THE SHANK WHERE NEEDED TO SEAL SAID HOLE IN SAID BACKING MEMBER AND TO SEAL THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID BACKING MEMBER AND RECEIVING MEMBER, AND SO THAT WHEN SAID SHANK IS INSERTED THROUGH SAID HOLES UNTIL SAID HEAD ENGAGES SAID ONE FACE AND THE SHANK OF SAID FASTENING ELEMENT IS INSERTED INTO A HOLE IN A FASTENER RECEIVING MEMBER BY AN AXIAL FORCE WITH SAID ANNULAR PORTION SANDWHICHED BETWEEN SAID BACKING MEMBER AND RECEIVING MEMBER, THE RUBBERLIKE ANNULAR PORTION WILL BE CROWDED INWARDLY INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHANK, THE HOLE IN THE RECEIVING MEMBER, AND THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID BACKING AND RECEIVING MEMBERS, AN INTEGRAL FILM EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID ANNULAR PORTION AND COVERING WITH SAID ANNULAR PORTION SAID FULL OPPOSITE FACE, SAID CENTER PORTION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THICKER THAN SAID FILM MEASURED AXIALLY FROM SAID OPPOSITE FACE, SAID ANNULAR PORTION AND FILM OF SAID SEALING MEMBER BEING INTEGRALLY FORMED OF THE SAME RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL AND BEING CONSTRUCTED SO THAT TIGHTENING SAID FASTENER TO APPLY AN AXIAL FORCE WILL CAUSE GOOD SEALING BY SAID SEALING MEMBER BUT WITH SAID FILM RESISTING OUTWARDLY SPREAD OF SAID ANNULAR PORTION BY THE COHESIONAL AND FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT FORCE BETWEEN THE SAME RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL IN EACH SO AS TO RESIST TRAVEL OF SAID SEALING MEMBER BEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID BACKING MEMBER AND TO PROVIDE FLUID SEAL LIPS BY THE OUTER EDGES OF SAID FILM AND SAID OUTWARDLY SPREAD ANNULAR PORTION SEALING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID BACKING AND RECEIVING MEMBERS IN SAID ASSEMBLED POSITION.