Empergency shaft sealing device

Claim 1

AN EMERGENCY SHAFT SEALING DEVICE FOR A TURBOMACHINE COMPRISING: (A) A CASING HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET THEREIN, (B) A SHAFT ROTATABLY DISPOSED IN SAID CASING AND CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF POWER, (C) AN IMPELLER MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT AND ADAPTED TO ENERGIZE FLUID IN SAID TURBOMACHINE, (D) A FIRST FLANGE FORMED ON THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID CASING INBOARD OF SAID IMPELLER AND EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY THEREFROM, (E) A MECHANICAL SEAL CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST FLANGE AND ENGAGING SAID SHAFT IN SEALED RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH, (F) A SLEEVE MEMBER SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN SAID CASING INWARDLY OF SAID FIRST FLANGE AND NORMALLY OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SHAFT, (G) A SECOND FLANGE FORMED ON THE END OF SAID SLEEVE MEMBER ADJACENT SAID FIRST FLANGE AND EXTENDING RADIALLY UPWARD TO SLIDABLY ENGAGE SAID CASING, (H) SAID SHAFT HAVING A TAPERED SECTION IN JUXTAPOSITION WITH SAID SLEEVE MEMBER, (I) SAID SLEEVE MEMBER HAVING A TAPERED INNER PERIPHERY CORRESPONDING TO SAID TAPERED SECTION OF SAID SHAFT, (J) SPRING MEANS URGING SAID SLEEVE MEMBER NORMALLY OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SHAFT, (K) THE SIDE OF SAID SECOND FLANGE ADJACENT SAID FIRST FLANGE NORMALLY SUBJECTED TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND ON FAILURE OF SAID MECHANICAL SEAL THE FLUID IN SAID TURBOMACHINE LEAKING THERETHROUGH TO SUBJECT THE SIDE OF SAID SECOND FLANGE TO A PRESSURE GREATER THAN THAT OF THE FORCE OF SAID SPRING MEANS TO FORCE SAID SLEEVE MEMBER TO ENGAGE SAID SHAFT AND FORM A SEALED RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH.