Flexible non-planar graphite sealing ring
First Claim
1. A shaft seal comprising:
- a shaft;
a stuffing box around the shaft;
a packing between the shaft and stuffing box comprising a graphite ring having at least one non-planar end face; and
means engaging each face of the ring for biasing at least one edge of the non-planar face of the ring toward the shaft or stuffing box for sealing against the shaft or stuffing box respectively; and
whereinthe ring is formed substantially entirely of axially compressed exfoliated graphite having bonded faces transverse to the axis of the shaft.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible non-planar graphite sealing ring is used to control leakage in a fluid handling device that is caused by a shaft extending through the wall of the device. The flexible graphite sealing ring comprises a chevron-shaped non-planar cross section having approximately complementary inner and outer end faces that are made from laminating sheets of graphite foil in layers transverse to the ring'"'"'s axis. A plurality of flexible graphite rings are inserted over the shaft and into the stuffing box, occupying the space area between the shaft and the stuffing box. The flexible graphite sealing rings are oriented so that each ring'"'"'s inner end face adjoins the outer end face of another ring. Upon application of a compressive force, either by internal pressure or by externally applied mechanical loading, the interaction between the dissimilar end faces cause an enhanced interference fit between the shaft and the stuffing box forming a seal.
91 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A shaft seal comprising:
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a shaft; a stuffing box around the shaft; a packing between the shaft and stuffing box comprising a graphite ring having at least one non-planar end face; and means engaging each face of the ring for biasing at least one edge of the non-planar face of the ring toward the shaft or stuffing box for sealing against the shaft or stuffing box respectively; and
whereinthe ring is formed substantially entirely of axially compressed exfoliated graphite having bonded faces transverse to the axis of the shaft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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- 6. A flexible graphite shaft packing for sealing a shaft extending through the wall of a fluid handling device, the shaft packing comprising a sealing ring made substantially entirely of exfoliated graphite having non-planar end faces and made by pressing and laminating sheets of exfoliated graphite foil having faces of lamination between adjacent sheets of graphite transverse to the shaft axis.
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11. A flexible graphite shaft packing for sealing the shaft of a fluid handling device, the shaft packing comprising a sealing ring having a chevron-shaped cross section with approximately complementary inner and outer end faces, the sealing ring being made substantial entirely from sheets of laminated graphite foil having planes of lamination between adjacent sheets of graphite extending in a chevron pattern parallel to the end faces of the ring.
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12. A valve comprising:
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a valve body including a fluid flow passage through the valve; means for closing the fluid flow passage; a shaft for actuating the means for closing the fluid flow passage; and a seal between the shaft and valve body, the seal comprising; an annular cavity surrounding the shaft; a plurality of packing rings in the cavity, each of the packing rings having a concave non-planar end face and a convex non-planar end face, and being formed substantially entirely of axially compressed exfoliated graphite having lamination bonded faces transverse to the axis of the shaft; and means engaging each face of the rings for biasing at least one edge of a concave non-planar face of each ring toward the shaft for sealing against the shaft. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification