US3661398A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sanitary seal
Assignee: Durametallic Corp
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Filing: 1970-09-21
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Granted: 1972-05-09
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Expires: 1990-09-21
Abstract
Abstract An improved cartridge-type seal construction, particularly for use under conditions requiring a high level of sanitation, same having an annular insert fixedly secured to a housing and an annular seal ring nonrotatably secured relative to a shaft. The seal ring is nonrotatably connected to a collar by means of headed drive pins which prevent the collar and seal ring from being axially separated. A spring is confined within and coacts between the collar and the seal ring for resiliently urging the seal ring into abutting, sealing engagement with a mating face on the insert. The corners and recesses on the seal ring and insert are preferably provided with rounded, substantially smooth contours for preventing collection of bacteria or other contaminating material. The collar and seal ring, together with the spring confined therebetween, are removable from the shaft as a unit to facilitate assembly or disassembly of the seal construction. The insert and seal ring surround and cooperate with the shaft so as to define an internal chamber, which chamber communicates with the interface area between the abutting seal faces and is connected to a supply of cleaning fluid, particularly steam, whereupon the cleaning fluid supplied to the chamber flows radially outwardly between the abutting seal faces for cleaning same.
Inventors
- 👤 Herbert B Hummer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 03:18
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16J; F16J15/00; F16J15/16; F16J15/34; F16J15/38
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
367 words
A mechanical seal construction for use between a wall and a shaft rotatable relative to said wall and extending through an opening therein, said seal construction comprising: first seal means including a first annular seal member fixable with respect to said wall, said first seal member including a sleeve portion sealingly disposed within said opening in surrounding relationship to said shaft and having a first annular seal face thereon substantially transverse to the axis of said shaft; second seal means affixable to said shaft for rotation therewith, said second seal means including a second annular seal member disposed in surrounding relationship to said shaft and mounted for at least limited floating movement relative to said shaft, said second seal member having a second annular seal face thereon substantially transverse to the axis of said shaft and disposed adjacent to and directly opposite said first seal face; said second seal means further including an annular collar nonrotatably affixable to said shaft; said second seal means also including coupling means coacting between said second seal member and said collar 1. for transmitting torque from said collar to said second seal member for rotating same with said shaft in response to rotation in one direction, 2. for normally preventing said collar and said second seal member from being axially disconnected while permitting limited relative axial movement therebetween, and 3. for permitting said collar and said second seal member to be axially disconnected in response to relative rotation therebetween in the opposite direction; said second seal means still further including spring means disposed between said second seal member and said collar in surrounding relationship to said shaft for normally resiliently urging said second seal face into rotatable sliding sealing contact with said first seal face; and means for cleaning said first and second seal faces when disposed in rotatable sliding sealing contact with one another, said cleaning means including a closed annular chamber between said shaft and said first and second seal members, said chamber communicating with the inner edges of said seal faces and means for supplying cleaning fluid to said chamber, whereby said cleaning fluid will flow radially outwardly between said first and second seal faces for cleaning same.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
367 words
A mechanical seal construction for use between a wall and a shaft rotatable relative to said wall and extending through an opening therein, said seal construction comprising: first seal means including a first annular seal member fixable with respect to said wall, said first seal member including a sleeve portion sealingly disposed within said opening in surrounding relationship to said shaft and having a first annular seal face thereon substantially transverse to the axis of said shaft; second seal means affixable to said shaft for rotation therewith, said second seal means including a second annular seal member disposed in surrounding relationship to said shaft and mounted for at least limited floating movement relative to said shaft, said second seal member having a second annular seal face thereon substantially transverse to the axis of said shaft and disposed adjacent to and directly opposite said first seal face; said second seal means further including an annular collar nonrotatably affixable to said shaft; said second seal means also including coupling means coacting between said second seal member and said collar 1. for transmitting torque from said collar to said second seal member for rotating same with said shaft in response to rotation in one direction, 2. for normally preventing said collar and said second seal member from being axially disconnected while permitting limited relative axial movement therebetween, and 3. for permitting said collar and said second seal member to be axially disconnected in response to relative rotation therebetween in the opposite direction; said second seal means still further including spring means disposed between said second seal member and said collar in surrounding relationship to said shaft for normally resiliently urging said second seal face into rotatable sliding sealing contact with said first seal face; and means for cleaning said first and second seal faces when disposed in rotatable sliding sealing contact with one another, said cleaning means including a closed annular chamber between said shaft and said first and second seal members, said chamber communicating with the inner edges of said seal faces and means for supplying cleaning fluid to said chamber, whereby said cleaning fluid will flow radially outwardly between said first and second seal faces for cleaning same.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
for normally preventing said collar and said second seal member from being axially disconnected while permitting limited relative axial movement therebetween, and
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
for normally preventing said collar and said second seal member from being axially disconnected while permitting limited relative axial movement therebetween, and
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
188 words
A seal construction according to claim 1, in which said coupling means includes a drive pin extending axially between said collar and said second seal member, said drive pin having one end thereof fixedly secured to one of said collar and said second seal member, the other end of said drive pin being slidably received within and extending through a recess formed within the other of said collar and said second seal member, the other end of said drive pin having a radially enlarged head portion fixedly secured thereto, and said recess including a first slot portion having a width large enough to axially accommodate therein the head portion of said drive pin, and said recess furTher including a second slot portion communicating with said first slot portion and having a width large enough to slidably accommodate therein the main body portion of said drive pin but smaller than said head portion, whereby said collar and said second seal member are axially connected together by said drive pin when same is disposed in said second slot portion while said drive pin still permits limited relative axial movement therebetween.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A seal construction according to claim 2, in which said first slot portion opens in a radial direction, and said second slot portion extending transversely of said radial direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
141 words
for permitting said collar and said second seal member to be axially disconnected in response to relative rotation therebetween in the opposite direction; said second seal means still further including spring means disposed between said second seal member and said collar in surrounding relationship to said shaft for normally resiliently urging said second seal face into rotatable sliding sealing contact with said first seal face; and means for cleaning said first and second seal faces when disposed in rotatable sliding sealing contact with one another, said cleaning means including a closed annular chamber between said shaft and said first and second seal members, said chamber communicating with the inner edges of said seal faces and means for supplying cleaning fluid to said chamber, whereby said cleaning fluid will flow radially outwardly between said first and second seal faces for cleaning same.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
141 words
for permitting said collar and said second seal member to be axially disconnected in response to relative rotation therebetween in the opposite direction; said second seal means still further including spring means disposed between said second seal member and said collar in surrounding relationship to said shaft for normally resiliently urging said second seal face into rotatable sliding sealing contact with said first seal face; and means for cleaning said first and second seal faces when disposed in rotatable sliding sealing contact with one another, said cleaning means including a closed annular chamber between said shaft and said first and second seal members, said chamber communicating with the inner edges of said seal faces and means for supplying cleaning fluid to said chamber, whereby said cleaning fluid will flow radially outwardly between said first and second seal faces for cleaning same.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
96 words
A seal construction according to claim 2, in which the one end of said drive pin is fixedly connected to said second seal member, and wherein said recess is formed within said collar, and the head portion of said pin is disposed adjacent the axial side of said collar opposite from said second seal member, said second seal member and said collar being axially disconnected by relative rotation therebetween so as to angularly displace said drive pin into said first slot portion for enabling said head portion to freely axially move through said first slot portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
141 words
A seal construction according to claim 2, in which a pin-and-slot connection is provided between said collar and said shaft for nonrotatably affixing said collar to said shaft, said pin-and-slot connection including a pin fixedly secured to said shaft and extending radially beyond the periphery thereof, and a slot extending axially of said collar and extending inwardly from the inner radial periphery thereof, the pin on said shaft extending into the slot in said collar for nonrotatably relating said collar to said shaft, said slot on said collar being provided with a smooth surface free of sharp edges or corners for preventing collection of bacteria or the like, and the slot portions of said recess also being formed with smooth surfaces which are free of sharp edges or corners so as to also prevent the collection of bacteria or the like.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
108 words
A seal construction according to claim 5, wherein said housing includes a removable housing cover having said opening therein, and a second pin-and-slot connection coacting between said removable cover and said first seal member for nonrotatably interconnecting same, said second pin-and-slot connection including a second pin fixedly secured to and extending inwardly from said cover and a second slot extending axially through a portion of said first seal member adjacent the outer periphery thereof with said second pin extending into said second slot, said second slot being formed with a smooth surface free of sharp edges or corners for preventing the collection therein of bacteria or the like.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
142 words
A seal construction according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning means includes a port formed in said housing with the outer end of said port being connected to a source of pressurized cleaning fluid, the inner end of said port terminating adjacent said first seal member, and said first seal member including a passage extending radially therethrough with the outer end of said passage communicating with the inner end of said port and the inner end of said passage communicating with said annular chamber, a first resilient elastomeric seal ring disposed between and sealingly engaging said first seal member and said shaft for sealingly closing one axial end of said annular chamber, and a second resilient elastomeric seal ring disposed between and sealingly engaging said second seal member and said shaft for sealingly closing the other axial end of said annular chamber.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
A seal construction according to claim 7, wherein said spring means includes a compression spring having one end thereof coacting with said second elastomeric seal ring for resiliently urging said second seal ring into sealingly engagement with a rounded shoulder formed on said second seal member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
192 words
A seal construction according to claim 8, in which said coupling means includes an axially extending drive pin extending between said collar and said second seal member, said drive pin having one end thereof fixedly secured to one of said collar and said second seal member, the other end of said drive pin being slidably received within and extending through a recess formed within the other of said collar and said second seal member, the other end of said drive pin having a radially enlarged head portion fixedly secured thereto, and said recess including a radially directed slot portion having a width large enough to axially accommodate therein the head portion of said drive pin, and said recess further including a transversely extending slot portion communicating with said radially directed slot portion and having a width large enough to slidably accommodate therein the main body portion of said drive pin but smaller than said head portion, whereby said collar and said second seal member are axially connected together by said drive pin when same is disposed in said transverse slot portion while said drive pin still permits limited relative axial movement therebetween.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
274 words
A seal construction according to claim 9, wherein said one end of said drive pin is fixedly connected to said second seal member, wherein said recess is formed within said collar, the head portion of said pin being disposed adjacent the axial side of said collar opposite from said second seal member, said second seal member and said collar being axially disconnected by relative rotation therebetween so as to angularly displace said drive pin into said radially directed slot portion for enabling said head portion to freely axially move through said radial slot portion, wherein a first pin-and-slot connection is provided between said collar and said shaft for nonrotatably affixing said collar to said shaft, said first pin-and-slot connection including a first pin fixedly secured to said shaft and extending radially beyond the periphery thereof, and a first slot extending axially of said collar and extending inwardly from the inner radial periphery thereof, said first pin extending into said first slot for nonrotatably affixing said collar to said shaft, wherein said housing includes a removable housing cover having said opening therein, and a second pin-and-slot connection coacting between said removable cover and said first seal member for nonrotatably interconnecting same, said second pin-and-slot connection including a second pin fixedly secured to and extending inwardly from said cover, and a second slot extending axially through a portion of said first seal member adjacent the outer periphery thereof with said second pin extending into said second slot, said first and second slots and said recess being formed with smooth surfaces free of sharp edges or corners for preventing the collection therein of bacteria or the like.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3218085A
Cited
US3467396A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-05-09 | 1975-11-08 | 1976-05-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-09 | 1979-11-08 | 1980-05-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-09 | 1983-11-08 | 1984-05-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |