Face seals

Claim 2

The combination of a pair of mating seal rings and loading means for applying a load to the rings in an axial direction to engage the seal rings in rotary, fluid-sealing contact, each of said rings comprising a sealing member comprising a formed sheet metal, frustoconical annulus having a larger diameter end and a smaller diameter end, each annulus having a generally radially outwardly extending flexible flange joined to its larger diameter end, which flange defines a face portion which is in sealing contact with the corresponding face portion of the mating seal ring over a sealing band radially inward of the outermost flange portion thus defining an annular ''''v'''' shaped notch with the open end of the ''''v'''' being at said outermost flange portion and the bottom of the ''''v'''' being at the radially outermost portion of the sealing band.

Claim 3

The seal rings as defined in claim 1 further including a longitudinally extending, cylindrical lip portion which is joined to the smaller diameter end of each frustoconical annulus, thereby to provide a surface for toric retention and positioning and thus facilitate installation of said seal rings.

Claim 4

The seal rings defined in claim 2 wherein said extending lip portion is of a diameter less than that of the smaller end of the frustoconical annulus to which it is joined such that the lip portion is stepped with respect to said annulus.

Claim 5

The combination of a seal ring and loading means for applying a load to the ring in an axial direction for engaging the ring with a relatively rotatable mating part, said seal ring comprising a sealing member comprising a formed sheet metal, frustoconical annulus having a larger diameter end and a smaller diameter end, said annulus having a generally radially outwardly extending flexible flange joined to its larger diameter end, which flange defines a face portion for mating with said mating part over a sealing band radially inward of the outermost flange portion thus defining an annular ''''v'''' shaped notch with the open end of the ''''v'''' being at said outermost flange portion and the bottom of the ''''v'''' being at the radially outermost portion of the sealing band.

Claim 6

The combination of a seal ring and loading means for applying a load to the ring in an axial direction for engaging the ring with a relatively rotatable mating part, said seal ring comprising a sealing member comprising a formed sheet metal, frustoconical annulus having a larger diameter end and a smaller diameter end, said annulus having a generally radially outwardly extending flexible flange joined to its larger diameter end, which flange defines a face portion for mating with said mating part over a sealing band radially inward of the outermost flange portion thus defining an annular ''''v'''' shaped notch with the open end of the ''''v'''' being at said outermost flange portion and the bottom of the ''''v'''' being at the radially outermost portion of the sealing band.

Claim 7

The seal ring as defined in claim 4 further including a longitudinally extending, cylindrical lip portion which is joined to the smaller diameter end of said frustoconical annulus, thereby to provide a surface for toric retention and positioning and thus facilitate installation of said seal ring.

Claim 8

The seal ring defined in claim 5 wherein said extending lip portion is of a diameter less than that of the smaller end of the frustoconical annulus such that the lip portion is stepped with respect to said annulus.

Claim 9

A seal member comprising a formed sheet metal, axially extending frustoconical annulus having a larger diameter end and a smaller diameter end, said annulus having a generally radially outwardly extending flexible flange joined to the larger diameter end, which flange defines a face portion for sealing against a relatively rotating surface, said face portion being constructed of the same material as the remainder of the seal member producing a seal member of homogeneous material, said frustoconical annulus defining an inclined outer surface on the axial portion engaged by a compressible toric ring which applies a load which serves to hold said face against said relatively rotating surface and means whereby the area of sealing contact between the face portion and the mating surface is over the entire face portion when the seal member is unloaded by said toric ring and narrowing down to a sealing band located inwardly of the outermost flange portion when the seal member is loaded by the toric ring, and further including a second one of said seal members and a toric ring engaged therewith, said seal members being in face-to-face contact over a sealing band radially inward of the outermost Flange portion thus defining an annular ''''v'''' shaped notch with the open end of the ''''v'''' being at said outermost flange portion and the bottom of the ''''v'''' being at the radially outermost portion of the sealing band.

Claim 10

A seal member comprising a formed sheet metal, axially extending frustoconical annulus having a larger diameter end and a smaller diameter end, said annulus having a generally radially outwardly extending flexible flange joined to the larger diameter end, which flange defines a face portion for sealing against a relatively rotating surface, said face portion being constructed of the same material as the remainder of the seal member producing a seal member of homogeneous material, said frustoconical annulus defining an inclined outer surface on the axial portion engaged by a compressible toric ring which applies a load which serves to hold said face against said relatively rotating surface and means whereby the area of sealing contact between the face portion and the mating surface is over the entire face portion when the seal member is unloaded by said toric ring and narrowing down to a sealing band located inwardly of the outermost flange portion when the seal member is loaded by the toric ring, and further including a second one of said seal members and a toric ring engaged therewith, said seal members being in face-to-face contact over a sealing band radially inward of the outermost Flange portion thus defining an annular ''''v'''' shaped notch with the open end of the ''''v'''' being at said outermost flange portion and the bottom of the ''''v'''' being at the radially outermost portion of the sealing band.

Claim 11

The seal members of claim 7 wherein said seal members are of uniform thickness and the shape of said flange defines a smooth curve transcending from the larger diameter end of each annulus.

Claim 12

The seal members as defined in claim 7 further including a longitudinally extending, cylindrical lip portion joined to the smaller diameter end of each frustoconical annulus, thereby to provide a surface for toric retention and positioning and thus to facilitate installation of the seal members.

Claim 13

The seal member defined in claim 9 wherein said cylindrical lip portion is of a diameter less than the smaller end of the frustoconical annulus to which it is joined such that the lip portion is stepped with respect to said annulus.