Multiple-lip seal

Claim 1

A MULTIPLE-LIP RADIAL-TYPE SINGLE-MOLDED UNITARY ANNULAR SEAL FOR INSTALLATION BETWEEN TWO RELATIVELY ROTATING MACHINE PARTS FOR RETAINING LUBRICANT ON ONE SIDE OF SAID SEAL AND EXCLUDING THE ENTRY OF DIRT AND OTHER FOREIGN MATTER FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID SEAL, COMPRISING A RIGID, CLOSED, CONTINUOUS ANNULAR METAL REINFORCING MEMBER HAVING ONE CYLINDRICAL WALL FOR ENGAGING ONE OF SAID TWO MACHINE PARTS, AND AN INTEGRAL, ANNULAR, CONTINUOUS UNITARY SYNTHETIC RUBBER, LUBRICANT-RESISTANT ELASTOMER MOLDED AND BONDED TO A SECOND CYLINDRICAL WALL OF SAID REINFORCING MEMBER AND HAVING AT LEAST THREE COAXIAL RADIAL LIPS FOR ENGAGING THE OTHER OF SAID TWO MACHINE PARTS, SAID LIPS BEING OF IDENTICAL PERIPHERY, EACH BEING RECTANGULAR IN CROSS-SECTION AND WITH AT LEAST ONE EDGE SHARP, SHARP LIP EDGES BEING ON THE SAME SIDE OF ALL LIPS FOR ENGAGEMENT OF SAID OTHER MACHINE PARTS UPON INSTALLATION OF SAID SEAL WITH FLEXURE OF SAID LIPS TOWARD THE SIDE FROM WHICH DIRT MIGHT ENTER, CONCENTRICITY OF PARTS AND PROPER SUPPORT AND DIMENSIONAL TOLERANCES BEING ASSURED BY THE INTEGRALITY OF THE REINFORCING MEMBER AND THE UNITARY ELASTOMERIC MEMBER, SAID LIPS BEING SPACED APART AXIALLY BY RADIAL GROOVES THAT ARE SUFFICIENTLY WIDER THAN SAID LIPS, SO THAT THE LIPS CAN BE FLATTENED AT THEIR ENDS WITH MARGINAL PORTIONS OF THE RADIAL LIPS EXTENDING AXIALLY WITHOUT TOUCHING ONE ANOTHER, SAID GROOVES HAVING ROUNDED CONCAVE TERMINAL SURFACES THAT ARE SEMI-TOROIDAL, TO AVOID CORNERS AND THEREBY ENABLE MOLD REMOVAL WITHOUT TEARING SAID SURFACES.