Combination bearing and rotary mechanical seal

Claim 1

A COMBINATION BEARING SUPPORT AND ROTARY MECHANICAL SEAL FOR A SHAFT ROTATABLE TO TRANSMIT ROTARY MOTION THROUGH A BARRIER WALL HAVING AN OPENING WHILE PREVENTING THE TRANSMISSION OF A RADIO-ACTIVE AND SIMILAR DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES COMPRISING: (A) A HOUSING INCLUDING AN ENCLOSED CHAMBER DEFINED BY A FIRST CUP-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING AN END WALL WITH AN AXIAL OPENING AND A SECOND CUP-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING AN END WALL WITH AN AXIAL OPENING SECURED TO THE FIRST CUP-SHAPED MEMBER, ONE OF SAID CUPSHAPED MEMBERS HAVING MEANS FOR AXIALLY POSITIONING SAID HOUSING IN THE OPENING IN SAID BARRIER WALL, (B) A SHAFT EXTENDED AXIALLY THROUGH SAID FIRST CUPSHAPED MEMBER AND SAID SECOND CUP-SHAPED MEMBER, (C) BEARING MEANS POSITIONED IN THE END WALL OPENINGS AND MOUNTED ON SAID END WALLS FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING THE SHAFT ON SAID END WALLS, (D) AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF MATING SEAL RING SURFACES ENCLOSED WITHIN THE HOUSING CHAMBER, (I) ONE OF SAID SEAL RING SURFACES BEING INTEGRAL WITH A FIRST SEAL RING SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT, SAID SEAL RING HAVING AN INSIDE DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID SHAFT WHEREBY SAID FIRST SEAL RING HAS LIMITED LATERAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE ADJACENT MATING SEAL RING SURFACE, (II) MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY SUPPORTING SAID FIRST SEAL RING FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT ALONG THE AXIS OF THE SHAFT, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A THIN FLEXIBLE TUBULAR GASTIGHT BARRIER WALL SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT AND SECURED TO SAID FIRST RING IN GASTIGHT RELATIONSHIP, (III) THE OTHER OF SAID SEAL RING SURFACES BEING INTEGRAL WITH A SECOND SEAL RING SURROUNDING THE SHAFT AND FIXED AGAINST MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE HOUSING IN A DIRECTION ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SHAFT.