Installation and deployment sleeves for lip seals

• US 20030173746A1
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ashbridge & Roseburgh, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ashbridge & Roseburgh, Inc.
• Inventors: Ramsay, Thomas W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,059,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 277/549
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/008 with provision to put out of action at least one sealing; One sealing sealing only on standstill; Emergency or servicing sealings F16J15/164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3268 Mounting of sealing rings

Abstract

This invention relates to a seal cartridge comprising at least two back-to-back lip seals. A first, generally L-shaped sleeve is applied against the back wall of the seal ring such that its axially extending cylindrical surface retracts the lip portion of the outboard seal into a non-deployed position. A second, generally L-shaped sleeve is fitted up against the back of the first sleeve so as to place the lip end of the inboard seal in a similarly raised or retracted position. Upon installation of the seal ring about the shaft and in the shaft housing, the second, innermost sleeve is removed, such that the inboard lip seal is deployed against the surface of the shaft. Upon detection of leakage past the inboard seal, the first sleeve is retracted to thus deploy the remaining outboard lip seal.

Claims

1. A lip seal cartridge for sealing a region between a shaft and surrounding structure, comprising:

a. a seal ring having a front end and a back end, the seal ring annularly encasing a lip seal, the lip seal being biased radially inwardly toward the shaft and being selectively engageable with the shaft; and

b. an installation sleeve axially aligned with the seal ring, the installation sleeve comprising an annular barrier separating the lip seal from the shaft when the installation sleeve is in an initial position, the installation sleeve being axially movable along the shaft away from the initial position, whereupon the annular barrier ceases to separate the lip seal from the shaft, thereby enabling the lip seal to engage the shaft.

2. The lip seal cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a. a radially directed backplate of the seal ring, the backplate having a central opening therein with a diameter spaced axially outwardly from an outer diameter of the shaft; and

b. an upstanding wall of the installation sleeve, the upstanding wall having a front face abutting the backplate of the seal ring when the installation sleeve is in the initial position.

3. The lip seal cartridge of claim 1, wherein the installation sleeve comprises a step register disposed at an inside corner between the annular barrier and the upstanding wall of the installation sleeve, the step register abutting the backplate of the seal ring at the central opening therein when the installation sleeve is in its initial position.

4. The lip seal cartridge of claim 1, wherein the annular barrier of the installation sleeve comprises a rigid plastic material.

5. The lip seal cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a generally cylindrical plug member having a frustroconical lead surface, a constant diameter mid-surface, and a rear cylindrical portion having a smaller diameter than the mid-surface, the generally cylindrical plug member being received within the lip seal cartridge with the rear cylindrical portion being positioned concentrically within the annular barrier of the installation sleeve and the mid-surface and frustroconical lead surface positioned forwardly of a front end of the annular barrier.

6. The lip seal cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a. a second lip seal, the second lip seal being biased radially inward toward the shaft and being selectively engageable with the shaft; and

b. a lip seal deployment sleeve axially aligned with the seal ring, the lip seal deployment sleeve comprising an annular barrier separating at least one of the lip seal or the second lip seal from the shaft when the lip seal deployment sleeve is in an initial position, the lip seal deployment sleeve being axially moveable along the shaft away from the initial position, whereupon the annular barrier ceases to separate on of the plurality of lip seals from the shaft, thereby enabling the lip seal to engage the shaft;

wherein the installation sleeve has an annular barrier disposed between the shaft and both the lip seal and second lip seal, the annular barrier of the installation sleeve being further disposed between the shaft and the annular barrier of the lip seal deployment sleeve, the installation sleeve being axially removable from the lip seal cartridge, whereupon the shaft is engaged by either the lip seal or second lip seal not initially separated from the shaft by the lip seal deployment sleeve.

7. A lip seal cartridge for sealing a region between a shaft and surrounding structure, comprising:

a. a seal ring having a front end and a back end, the seal ring annularly encasing a plurality of lip seals, each of the lip seals being biased radially inwardly toward the shaft and at least one of the plurality of lip seals being selectively engageable with the shaft; and

b. a lip seal deployment sleeve axially aligned with the seal ring, the lip seal deployment sleeve comprising an annular barrier separating at least one of the plurality of lip seals from the shaft when the lip seal deployment sleeve is in an initial position, the lip seal deployment sleeve being axially movable along the shaft away from the initial position, whereupon the annular barrier ceases to separate one of the plurality of lip seals from the shaft, thereby enabling the lip seal to engage the shaft.

8. The lip seal cartridge of claim 7, further comprising:

a. a radially directed backplate of the seal ring, the backplate having a central opening therein with a diameter spaced axially outwardly from an outer diameter of the shaft; and

b. an upstanding wall of the lip seal deployment sleeve, the upstanding wall having a front face abutting the backplate of the seal ring when the lip seal deployment sleeve is in the initial position.

9. The lip seal cartridge of claim 7, further comprising:

a. an installation sleeve comprising an annular barrier disposed between the shaft and all of the plurality of lip seals, including those initially separated from the shaft by the lip seal deployment sleeve, the annular barrier of the installation sleeve being further disposed between the shaft and the annular barrier of the lip seal deployment sleeve; and

b. the installation sleeve being axially removable from the lip seal cartridge, whereupon the shaft is engaged by any of the plurality of lip seals not initially separated from the shaft by the lip seal deployment sleeve.

10. The lip seal cartridge of claim 9, further comprising:

a. a radially directed backplate of the seal ring, the backplate having a central opening therein with a diameter spaced axially outwardly from an outer diameter of the shaft; and

b. an upstanding wall of the lip seal deployment sleeve, the upstanding wall having a front face abutting the backplate of the seal ring when the lip seal deployment sleeve is in the initial position;

wherein the installation sleeve comprises an upstanding end wall, the upstanding end wall abutting the upstanding wall of the lip seal deployment sleeve prior to axial removal of the installation sleeve.

11. The lip seal cartridge of claim 9, wherein at least one of the annular barrier of the lip seal deployment sleeve and the annular barrier of the installation sleeve comprises a rigid plastic material.

12. The lip seal cartridge of claim 11, wherein the rigid plastic material comprises Acrylic.

13. The lip seal cartridge of claim 8, further comprising an annular sealing member secured to a back face of the upstanding wall of the lip seal deployment sleeve, the annular sealing member comprising a flexible lip portion engaging an outer diameter of the shaft to exclude atmospheric contaminants from entering the lip seal cartridge.

14. The lip seal cartridge of claim 13, further comprising:

a. an installation sleeve comprising an annular barrier disposed between the shaft and all of the plurality of lip seals, including those initially separated from the shaft by the lip seal deployment sleeve, the annular barrier of the installation sleeve being further disposed between the shaft and the annular barrier of the lip seal deployment sleeve and between the shaft and the annular sealing member secured to the back face of the upstanding wall of the lip seal deployment sleeve;

b. the installation sleeve further comprising an upstanding end wall, the upstanding end wall abutting the upstanding wall of the lip seal deployment sleeve prior to axial removal of the installation sleeve;

c. the installation sleeve further comprising a recess within the upstanding end wall to accommodate the lip portion of the annular sealing member; and

d. the installation sleeve being axially removable from the lip seal cartridge, whereupon the shaft is engaged by any of the plurality of lip seals not initially separated from the shaft by the lip seal deployment sleeve and by the annular sealing member.

15. The lip seal cartridge of claim 7, wherein the lip seal deployment sleeve further comprises a step register disposed at an inside corner between the annular barrier and the upstanding wall of the lip seal deployment sleeve, the step register abutting the backplate of the seal ring at the central opening therein when the lip seal deployment sleeve is in its initial position.

16. The lip seal cartridge of claim 7, further comprising a generally cylindrical plug member having a frustroconical lead surface, a constant diameter mid-surface, and a rear cylindrical portion having a smaller diameter than the mid-surface, the generally cylindrical plug member being received within the lip seal cartridge with the rear cylindrical portion being positioned concentrically within the annular barrier of the lip seal deployment sleeve and the mid-surface and frustroconical lead surface positioned forwardly of a front end of the annular barrier.

17. A lip seal cartridge for sealing a region between a shaft and surrounding structure, comprising:

a. a seal ring having a front end and a back end, the seal ring annularly encasing a plurality of lip seals, each of the lip seals being biased radially inwardly toward the shaft and at least one of the plurality of lip seals being selectively engageable with the shaft;

b. a lip seal deployment sleeve axially aligned with the seal ring, the lip seal deployment sleeve comprising an annular barrier separating at least one of the plurality of lip seals from the shaft when the lip seal deployment sleeve is in an initial position, the lip seal deployment sleeve being axially movable along the shaft away from the initial position, whereupon the annular barrier ceases to separate one of the plurality of lip seals from the shaft, thereby enabling the lip seal to engage the shaft;

c. an installation sleeve having an annular barrier disposed between the shaft and all of the plurality of lip seals, including those initially separated from the shaft by the lip seal deployment sleeve, the annular barrier of the installation sleeve being further disposed between the shaft and the annular barrier of the lip seal deployment sleeve; and

d. the installation sleeve being axially removable from the lip seal cartridge, whereupon the shaft is engaged by any of the plurality of lip seals not initially separated from the shaft by the lip seal deployment sleeve.