Shaft seal

Claim 1

A SHAFT SEAL WHICH COMPRISES AN ANNULUS METAL CASING OF U-SHAPED CROSS SECTION AND HAVING AN OUTER PERIPHERAL WALL, AN INNER PERIPHERAL WALL IN SPACED CONCENTRIC RELATION INWARDLY FROM THE OUTER PERIPHERAL WALL AND A BACK WALL CONNECTING THE INNER AND OUTER PERIPHERAL WALLS, SAID OUTER PERIPHERAL WALL BEING FREE FROM INDENTATIONS AND ADAPTED TO BE PRESS FITTED INTO A PATH TO BE SEALED IN COMPLETE MATING CONTACT WITH SAID PATH AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE RESILIENT SEAL RING THEREAROUND AT ANY PLACE ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF IN COMPLETE SEALING CONTACT THEREWITH, AND ELONGATED METAL RIB ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID OUTER PERIPHERAL WALL AND EXTENDING GENERALLY AXIALLY ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID WALL IN FIXED RELATION THEREWITH, A METAL CARRIER SLEEVE SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CASING BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER PERIPHERAL WALLS THEREOF, A GRAPHITIC CARBON SEAL RING CARRIED BY THE FORWARD END OF SAID SLEEVE, A SPRING IN THE CASING BETWEEN THE SLEEVE AND BACK WALL OF THE CASING URGING THE SEAL RING DORWARDLY FROM THE CASING FOR SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH A PART TO BE SEALED, SAID SLEEVE HAVING AN OPEN ENDED SLOT IN THE OUTER PERIPHERAL THEREOF ACROSS THE LENGTH THEREOF RECEIVING SAID RIB TO FORM A KEY AND KEYWAY ASSEMBLY TO HOLD THE SLEEVE AGAINST ROTATION IN THE CASING, SAID RIB TERJECTING REARWARDLY FROM THE OPEN END OF SAID SLOT UNDER ALL POSITIONS OF THE SLEEVE IN THE CASING AND SAID RIB TERMINATING INWARDLY FROM THE FRONT END OF THE SLOT UNDER ALL POSITIONS OF THE SLEEVE IN THE CASING WHEREBY WEAR GROOVES FORMED IN EITHER THE RIB OR KEY SLOT WILL BE FREE OF ABUTMENT SHOULDERS INTERFERING WITH FORWARD SHIFTING OF THE SLEEVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE SPRING.