High vacuum rotary seal and bearing combination

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A ROTARY SEAL, A ROTATABLE SHAFT, SAID ROTARY SEAL COMPRISING A HOUSING MEMBER ENCOMPASSING A LENGTH OF SAID SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY EXTENDING RINGS ON SAID HOUSING CONCENTRIC WITH SAID SHAFT, A SHAFT PLATE AFFIXED TO SAID SHAFT HAVING A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY EXTENDING CONCENTRIC RINGS ADAPTED TO MATE WITH THE RINGS AFFIXED TO THE HOUSING TO DEFINE A LABYRINITH THEREBETWEEN AN EXTENSION ON SAID HOUSING AN AXIAL OPPOSITION TO THE RINGS ON THE HOUSING, SAID EXTENSION ENCOMPASSING A LENGTH OF SAID ROTATABLE SHAFT, A PAIR OF SPACED APART SUPPORT BEARING DISPOSED IN SAID EXTENSION, A SOURCE CONTAINING INERT GAS, MEANS FOR DIRECTING SAID GAS FROM SAID SOURCE AROUND SAID SHAFT AWAY FROM SAID LABYRINTH AND TOWARDS SAID BEARINGS INTO SAID EXTENSION TO IMMERSE SAID BEARINGS INTO A FLOW OF SAID GAS, SAID MEANS INCLUDING AN ANNULAR GROOVE ON SAID SHAFT AND STEPPED ANNULAR REGIONS IN SAID HOUSING AROUND SAID SHAFT AND MEANS FOR REMOVING SAID GAS FROM SAID EXTENSION, SAID REMOVAL MEANS BEING DISPOSED IN SAID EXTENSION BETWEEN SAID SPACED APART BEARING THEREBY PREVENTING VAPORS FROM SAID BEARINGS FROM ENTERING SAID LABYRINTH.