Seals for stuffing boxes and the like permitting flushing thereof

Claim 1

A STRUCTURE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED COMPRISING AN IMPELLER, A DRIVING SHAFT THEREFOR, A HOUSING HAVING A CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER THEREIN THROUGH WHICH SAID SHAFT IS DISPOSED, THERE BEING AN INWARDLY PROJECTING SHOULDER AT THE END OF SAID CHAMBER ADJACENT SAID IMPELLER, A SHAFT SEAL MEANS SPACED FROM SAID SHOULDER AXIALLY OF SAID SHAFT, A SPLIT ANNULAR COLLAR, SCREW MEANS ENGAGED WITH THE EDGES OF THE SPLIT OF SAID COLLAR FOR EXPANDING THE COLLAR INTO CLAMPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WALL OF THE CHAMBER, A SEAL MEMBER OF SPRINGABLY YIELDABLE PLASTIC SUPPORTEDLY DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID COLLAR AND SAID SHOULDER AND COMPRISING AN ANNULAR BODY PORTION HAVING AN ANNULAR RIBLIKE PORTION IN THRUST ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SHOULDER, SAID SEAL MEMBER HAVING AN INTEGRAL INWARDLY PROJECTING FLEXIBLY YIELDABLE CONICAL LIP DISPOSED IN YIELDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SHAFT AND HAVING A RADIAL GROOVE IN THE INNER SIDE THEREOF, SAID COLLAR HAVING A LUG THEREON PROJECTING INTO SAID RADIAL SLOT IN SAID SEAL MEMBER PREVENTING ROTATIVE MOVEMENT THEREOF, AND A FLUSHING LIQUID INLET OPENING TO SAID CHAMBER SO THAT THE FLUSHING LIQUID ENTERING FLOWS AROUND SAID PACKING AND THROUGH SAID COLLAR AND SAID SEAL MEMBER, SAID LIP ON SAID SEAL MEMBBER ACTING TO PREVENT THE REVERSE FLOW OF LIQUID INTO SAID CHAMBER.