Flexible shaft seal having a tilting sealing tip

Claim 1

A FLEXIBLE SEAL FOR A SHAFT, COMPRISING AN ANNULAR BODY PORTION FORMED FROM ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL AND HAVING AN INNER WALL AND AN OUTER WALL, A SUPPORT SURFACE FOR SAID BODY PORTION, SAID BODY PORTION ALSO INCLUDING A BASE END ADAPTED TO REST AGAINST SAID SUPPORT SURFACE, AND AN OPPOSITE THRUST RECEIVING END, AN ANNULAR SEALING LIP PROJECTING INWARDLY FROM SAID INNER WALL APPROXIMATE SAID THRUST RECEIVING END AND INCLINED FROM THE PLANE OF THE THRUST RECEIVING END TOWARD SAID BASE END, SAID SEALING LIP HAVING AN INNER SEALING SURFACE, SAID BASE END HAVING AN ANNULAR BEARING SURFACE, SAID THRUST RECEIVING END HAVING AN ANNULAR THRUST RECEIVING SHOULDER ADJACENT SAID OUTER WALL AND SPACED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE MEDIAN DIAMETER OF SAID BASE BEARING SURFACE, SAID BASE END OF THE BODY PORTION BEING NORMALLY OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SUPPORT SURFACE AT ITS OUTER EDGE PORTION TO PERMIT CANTING OF THE SEALING LIP SO THAT WHEN THRUST IS APPLIED TO SAID THRUST RECEIVING SHOULDER A TURNING MOVEMENT IS SET UP THROUGHOUT THE SEAL, TENDING TO CANT SAID SEALING TIP TOWARD SAID THRUST RECEIVING END AND COMPRESS THE SEALING LIP SO THAT ITS INNER SEALING SURFACE HAS A SMALLER DIAMETER THAN WHEN NO THRUST IS APPLIED TO SAID SEAL.