Bulged sphincteral seals for electroplating racks

Claim 1

A rack comprising a hanger having a metallic spine and a sheath of flexible plastic material encasing the spine, characterized in that said sheath tends to harden in use reducing the flexibility thereof, said sheath and spine having at least one set of aligned connector - admitting apertures, article mounting connector means having current - conducting connection means for connection with the spine through the apertures therein, and a contiguous plastic sealing element encasing said connection means and providing a wedging section apexed toward the sheath and adapted to enter into the aperture in the sheath and bulge the contiguous portions thereof attendant to tightening of the connecting means, and thereby increasing the transverse thickness of the portions of the sheath about the connections and developing a sphincteral embracement by the contiguous bulged portions of the sheath to perfect a seal therebetween, the increased cross-sectional area of the bulged portions tending to maintain the flexibility of that portion of the sheath to maintain the sphincteral effect and wherein the aperture in the spine has a countersunk portion providing a frusto-conical wedging surface, and said connection means having a frustoconical section in tight engagement with the wedging surface, and said countersunk portion being of greater diameter than said opening in said sheath and said sheath having a portion overhanging the opening of the frusto-conical wedging surface and said wedging section of the sealing element comprising a frustoconical segment complemental to said frusto-conical section and formed as an extension thereof, and wedging apart saId overhanging portion of the sheath.