Machinery seal

• US 6,340,161 B1
• Filed: 02/16/2000
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SKF USA Incorporated (SKF)
• Original Assignee: Macrotech Polyseal, Inc.
• Inventors: Hagen, Todd, Zitting, Gordon T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pickard, Alison K.
• Application Number:
  US09/504,451
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 277/459, 277/446, 277/468, 277/489, 277/491, 277/496, 277/497, 277/546, 277/547, 277/548, 277/493, 277/494, 277/482, 277/483, 277/447, 277/467
• US Class Current: 277/459
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 9/06 using separate springs or elastic elements expanding the rings; Springs therefor ; Expansion by wedging
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 9/16 obtained by stacking of rings

Abstract

A seal assembly 20 for a groove 12 or seal gland in a relatively displaceable machine part 10 for sealing an axial machine part 18 extending therethrough comprises a pair of annular seal elements 30 and a support element 50 disposed between the annular elements 30 and a radially extending wall 14 of said groove 12. The annular seal elements 30 have an axial slot 32 therein and a key portion 36 extending therefrom, shaped to engage the axial slot 32. The seal elements 30 are arranged in an inverted nesting relationship to provide superior sealing characteristics when biased toward the machine part 18 by said support element 50.

Claims

1. A seal assembly for relatively movable cylindrical machine parts, one of said machine parts having a groove with first and second axially spaced walls and a radially extending wall, comprising:

a pair of annular seal elements each having an axial slot therein bounded by a pair of oppositely sloped axial surfaces and a male key portion extending axially from said elements, said elements arranged in an inverted nesting relationship whereby the axial surfaces of one of said elements engage the male key portion of the other of said elements; and

an annular support element having an axial width less than the axial width of said groove to facilitate expansion therein, said support element disposed radially inwardly of said annular seal elements whereby said support element biases said seal elements opposite the radially extending wall of said groove, thereby forcing the oppositely sloped axial surfaces of said seal elements into very close proximity with the male key portions thereof and preventing extrusion of said support element into the axial slots of said seal elements and providing retention of said annular seal elements in said groove,

wherein the male key portion has a radially inwardly directed delta shaped cross section comprising a flattened apex and opposed beveled surfaces sloped oppositely away from the apex and wherein the oppositely sloped axial surfaces of said annular element are shaped to engage the opposed beveled surfaces of the male key portion.

2. A seal assembly for relatively movable cylindrical machine parts, one of said machine parts having a groove with first and second axially spaced walls and a radially extending wall, comprising:

a pair of annular seal elements each having an axial slot therein bounded by a pair of oppositely sloped axial surfaces and a male key portion extending axially from said elements, said elements arranged in an inverted nesting relationship whereby the axial surfaces of one of said elements engage the male key portion of the other of said elements; and

an annular support element having an axial width less than the axial width of said groove to facilitate expansion therein, said support element disposed radially inwardly of said annular seal elements whereby said support element biases said seal elements opposite the radially extending wall of said groove, thereby forcing the oppositely sloped axial surfaces of said seal elements into very close proximity with the male key portions thereof and preventing extrusion of said support element into the axial slots of said seal elements and providing retention of said annular seal elements in said groove,

wherein the axial dimension of the key portion of said seal elements is nominally smaller than the axial slot of said elements thereby allowing the key portion to be tightly forced into the axial slot when subjected to pressure.

3. A seal assembly for relatively movable cylindrical machine parts, one of said machine parts having a groove with first and second axially spaced walls and a radially extending wall, comprising:

a pair of annular seal elements each having a radial, circumferential groove therein forming a pair of oppositely beveled surfaces, a notch located proximate the circumferential groove extending axially into but not through said seal elements, and a male key portion extending axially from said elements, said elements arranged in an inverted nesting relationship whereby the notch of one of said elements engages the male key portion of the other of said elements; and

an annular support element having an axial width less than the axial width of said groove to facilitate expansion therein, said support element disposed radially inwardly of said annular seal elements whereby said support element biases said seal elements opposite the radially extending wall of said groove thereby forcing the oppositely beveled surfaces into very close proximity when said assembly is disposed in said groove and providing retention of said annular seal elements therein

wherein the axial dimension of the key portion of said seal elements is nominally smaller than the axial notch of said seal elements thereby allowing the key portion to be tightly forced into the axial notch when subjected to pressure.