Balanced mechanical seal

Claim 1

A MECHANICAL SEAL FOR EFFECTING A SEAL AGAINST THE PASSING OF A PRESSURIZED FLUID BETWEEN TWO RELATIVELY ROTATABLE SEALING RING SEALED WITH RESPECT TO ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS, AND A ROTARY SEALING RING SEALED WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER OF SAID ELEMENTS; SAID RINGS HAVING OPPOSED ANNULAR SEALING SURFACES WHICH ARE IN SLIDING SEALING ASSOCIATION, AND SAID RINGS BEING SUBJECT TO THE PRESSURE OF SAID FLUID, TENDING TO URGE THEM TOWARD EACH OTHER AND THEREBY TENDING TO MAINTAIN SAID OPPOSED SEALING SURFACES IN INTIMATE SLIDING ENGAGEMENT OVER THEIR ENTIRE AREAS; SAID SEALING SURFACE OF ONE OF SAID RINGS BEING ON A DISTORTABLE PORTION OF THE LATTER RING WHICH IS CAPABLE OF BEING SO DISTORTED AS TO CANT ITS SAID SEALING SURFACE AT ALL POINTS THEREAROUND RELATIVELY TO SAID OPPOSED SEALING SURFACE OF THE OTHER OF SAID RINGS TO FORM AN ANNULAR WEDGE-SHAPED SPACE BETWEEN SAID OPPOSED SEALING SURFACES AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH AN AMBIENT AREA ADAPTED FOR OCCUPANCY BY THE SEALED, PRESSURIZED FLUID, SAID DISTORTABLE PORTION HAVING A CIRCULAR, FLUID-PRESSURE RECEPTIVE SURFACE, ADDITIONAL TO SAID OPPOSED SEALING SURFACES, AND SO EXPOSED TO THE SEALED, PRESSURIZED FLUID AND LOCATED ON SAID DISTORTABLE PORTION AS TO RENDER THE LATTER RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE OF THE SEALED FLUID TO CAUSE IT THUS TO BE DISTORTED AND TO CANT ITS SAID SEALING SURFACE AND ADMIT THE PRESSURE OF THE SEALED FLUID INTO THE WEDGE-SHAPED SPACE FORMED BY SUCH CANTING WHEREBY TO ENABLE THE THUS ADMITTED PRESSURE TO OPPOSE THE TENDENCY OF THE SEALEDFLUID PRESSURE TO URGE THE SAID SEALING RINGS TOWARD EACH OTHER.