A steam trap having an improved means for sealing a control chamber within the body of the trap, particularly with respect to the inlet and outlet passages. The body of the trap has a bore with a threaded counterbore and the bore receives a cylindrical valve seat element.Hydraulic control valves A beveled annular shoulder is formed between the bore and the counterbore and an adjacent beveled annular shoulder is formed in the seat so that the two shoulders together form a V-shaped annular groove that receives a radially expansible annular metal sealing gasket with a convexly curved bottom surface. The bottom surface of the gasket bears initially, Forged Steel Valveswhen unflexed, against only the shoulder in the seating element. However, when the gasket is forced downward and outward during assembly of the trap,BALANCING VALVES it is rolled and radially expanded into continuous sealing engagement with the shoulder formed between the bore and counterbore as well as with the shoulder of the valve seat element. A seal for an annular joint between a body having a bore and a cylindrical element received in said bore and having a circular end face facing away from said bore, said seal comprising a beveled annular shoulder on said element at the edge of said circular end face and a beveled annular shoulder at the edge of said bore location adjacent to and slightly below and radially outward from said shoulder on said element, said shoulders defining with one another a V shaped groove, a radially expansible gasket having a convexly curved bottom surface that fits in said groove and that initially bears circumferentially only against said shoulder of said element when said gasket is in its original condition, and said gasket when forced downwardly into said groove being expanded and rolled downwardly and outwardly into sealing engagement with said beveled shoulder of said body to provide a continuous annular seal between said gasket and said body and another continuous seal between said gasket and said element. Steam traps of the type to which the invention has particular utility use a floating disc for example located in a control chamber, to open and close the inlet and outlet passages of the trap. The floating disc is adapted to contact valve seats in the control chamber to shut off the flow of fluid into the control chamber from a steam inlet port and out of the control chamber through an outlet port for condensate and air. The force exerted against the disc by the fluid in the control chamber determines whether or not the disc is in contact with the seats adjacent the ports or spaced therefrom. When air and condensate are passing through the trap the sealing disc is pushed away from the seating surfaces by the force of the fluid in the system bearing against the sealing disc. This condition permits the free flow of condensate through the trap. When substantially all of the condensate has passed through the trap, steam tends to accumulate in the control chamber behind the disc until its pressure causes a resultant force sufficient to cause the disc to move into contact with seats of the inlet and outlet ports.

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