Friction-spring arrangement for shaft seals

Claim 1

A FLUID SEAL FOR AN AXIALLY MOVEABLE ROTATING SHAFT COMPRISING A SEALING HOUSING ABOUT SAID SHAFT, A SEALING FACE FORMED ON ONE WALL THEREOF, AN ANNULAR SEALING RING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND ENCIRCLING SAID SHAFT AND MEANS ARRANGED IN SAID HOUSING GIRDING SAID SHAFT IN NON-SEALING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH AND ABUTTING SAID SEALING RING FOR BIASING SAID SEALING RING AGAINST SAID SEALING FACE WITH A FORCE VARYING WITH THE DIRECTION OF AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT, SAID FORCE BEING INCREASED AS THE AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT TENDS TO SEPARATE SAID SEALING RING FROM SAID SEALING FACE AND SAID FORCE BEING DIMINISHED AS THE AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT TENDS TO URGE SAID SEALING RING TOWARD SAID SEALING FACE, SAID BIASING MEANS COMPRISING AN OUTER ANNULAR SPLIT-RING, AND INNER SOLID ANNULAR RING AND A SPRIAL SPRING ENCIRCLING SAID SPLIT-RING AND APPLYING A RADIALLY-DIRECTED FORCE THERETO, SAID SOLID RING HAVING A CONICAL OUTER SURFACE, SAID SPLIT-RING HAVING A CONICAL INNER SURFACE IN MATING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID CONICAL OUTER SURFACE AND SLIDABLE RELATIVE THERETO AND SAID SPLIT-RING HAVING AN ANNULAR PLANE SURFACE ABUTTING THE RIM OF THE SEALING RING.