Glazing Gaskets
Glazing gaskets were invented in 1952 by The General Motors Corporation, and were manufactured by their Inland Manufacturing Division under the trademark "Inlock." Basically, the Neoprene rubber seals were an adaptation of the patented two piece automotive windshield gasket then being made by Inland. In 1955, The Standard Products Company developed its own line of architectural glazing gaskets, using a one-piece design so as not to infringe on the Inland two-piece patents. In 1961, Standard Products purchased from The General Motors Corporation their technology, tooling and experience in glazing gaskets, and employed the engineering personnel who held the original patents. In 1989, Griffith Rubber Mills purchased the StanLock Division of Standard Products. Griffith continues to manufacture and market a complete line of two-piece gaskets under the StanLock name.
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Easy to Install
StanLock Glazing Gaskets are preformed elastomeric mechanical seals used to attach a panel, usually of glass, to a supporting framework of metal, concrete or other construction material. To attain the sealing pressures which are required to secure and seal panels to frames, StanLock gaskets are made in two parts: the gasket itself and a separate locking strip.

An essential feature of the two piece gasket design is the use of a separate locking strip. This strip is 10 points harder in durometer (Shore A) than the gasket itself. This extra hardness of the locking strip means that more pressure can be transmitted to the gasket's sealing lips. To effect the seal, the locking strip is inserted progressively, with a special tool, into a groove that is provided in the gasket. This puts the entire gasket under sufficient compression to produce the required sealing pressure. Insertion of the locking strip resembles the action of a zipper, hence the term "zipper gasket" is sometimes used to describe this type of product.
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Custom Sizes
StanLock gaskets are usually made in single units to fit specified openings. This is done at the factory in two separate operations. First the straight lengths of the gasket are extruded and cut to size. Then the corner ends are joined together, by a process called injection molding, to make up the complete unit. This injection molding process forces uncured rubber compound into a mold that joins the gasket ends and simultaneously vulcanizes the rubber splice. The most common kind of joint made in this way is a 90-degree corner. Another kind of injection-molded connection that is frequently used is a T-joint. This connects a straight length to both sides of a preformed gasket to form a muntin (horizontal cross-member). Still another type of injection-molded connection is a cross-shaped joint. This permits joining of one or more muntins and mullions within a single preformed gasket.
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Field-Tested Over 40 years
Neoprene is used in StanLock Glazing Gaskets because it is the only elastomer that has withstood over 60 years of actual exposure to the elements without showing appreciable deterioration. The exclusive Neoprene compound developed for StanLock gaskets has itself been proven by more than 35 years of use in building seals, and has been successfully used by architects in thousands of installations throughout the world.

An essential component of any Neoprene compound that possesses such outstanding exposure characteristics is carbon black. For this reason, StanLock Glazing Gaskets are available only in black. Because of the narrow sight line they produce, they provide an attractive shadow line for building designs, and complement color schemes used in modern construction.

Other characteristics of Neoprene that make it the preferred material for StanLock Glazing Gaskets are flame resistance, oil and chemical resistance, good performance at high and low temperatures, and low compression set characteristics.
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How They Achieve Contemporary Design
StanLock Glazing Gaskets provide the architect a wide selection of shapes for building fenestrations. One such shape is a gasket with a single cross-member. This permits use of a glass panel and a spandrel panel, or a glass panel and an operable window, in the same frame opening. Another gasket shape possesses two or more cross-members, and is frequently called a "ladder' gasket. This shape may have the cross-members running horizontally or have the cross-members running vertically. A third shape is a grid-type design, which consists of a series of rectangles within a peripheral gasket. Gaskets may also be made for a radiused frame or in the shape of an arch, oval or circle. This is done by joining the ends of the straight lengths together at the factory.
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How They Reduce Building Costs
StanLock Preformed Glazing Gaskets are low in cost and typically require fewer man-hours to install than most conventional curtainwall or window sealing systems. They can be set quickly and easily by workmen with little instruction or experience. These characteristics result in a low installed cost. The on-site cost of installing StanLock gaskets is especially low. One reason is that the exclusive StanLock design has an open leg that accepts glass more readily and this saves installation time.

Once StanLock gaskets are installed, little or no maintenance is required. There is no shrinkage or cracking. As a result, no caulking, painting, or special cleaning is needed. If a glass or panel is broken, replacement is simply a matter of "unzipping" the gasket, inserting the new glass or panel and locking it back into place in the same gasket. (New locking strip may be desired.)

StanLock gaskets seal against the elements - rain, snow, sleet and wind. They absorb shocks, such as hurricane-force winds, high vibrations of jet planes and earthquake racking, thus contributing to glass performance. They continue to function through wide temperature variations and compensate for thermal stresses. In addition, they can help reduce noise by cushioning glass and panels. Most important of all, StanLock glazing gaskets withstand exposure to the elements with little or no deterioration.
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