Oscillating spindle seal

Claim 2

A seal assembly for a shaft passing through an opening in a frame, said shaft and said frame being subjected to relative oscillation therebetween in a direction substantially transverse to the shaft axis, said seal assembly comprising: first seal means fixed to said frame in surrounding relationship to said opening and second seal means mounted on said shaft in surrounding relationship thereto, said second seal means being positioned sealingly adjacent said first seal means for relative movement therebetween; said first seal means comprising means substantially surrounding said frame opening and having an opening therein which is substantially aligned with the frame opening and which is large enough to permit both relative radial and axial movement between said shaft and said frame; said second seal means including plate-like means surrounding and substantially transverse to said shaft, said plate-like means being larger than the opening in said first seal means and being disposed in slidable sealing engagement with said first seal means; and said second seal means further including resilient sleeve means surrounding said shaft and connected between said plate-like means and said shaft for permitting limited axial movement therebetween, one end of said resilient sleeve means being fixedly and sealingly secured to said shaft and the other end of said resilient sleeve means being fixedly and sealingly secured to said plate-like means.

Claim 3

A seal assembly for a spindle housing wherein said spindle housing passes through an opening in a frame member, said spindle housing and said frame member being subjected to relative oscillation therebetween in a direction substantially transverse of the spindle axis, said seal assembly comprising: first seal means fixed to said frame member in surrounding relationship to said opening and second seal means mounted on said spindle housing in surrounding relationship thereto, said second seal means being positioned sealingly adjacent said first seal means for relative movement therebetween; said first seal means comprising plate means surrounding said frame member and having a central opening therein substantially aligned with said frame opening, said central opening being large enough to permit relative radial movement between said spindle housing and said frame; said second seal means including panel means surrounding and substantially transverse to said spindle housing, said panel means being larger than said central opening and being disposed in slideable sealing engagement with said plate means; and said second seal means further including resilient sleeve means surrounding said spindle housing and connected between said panel means and said spindle housing, one end of said resilient sleeve means being fixedly and sealingly secured to said spindle housing and the other end of said resilient sleeve means being fixedly and sealing secured to said panel means.

Claim 4

A seal assembly for a spindle housing wherein said spindle housing passes through an opening in a frame member, said spindle housing and said frame member being subjected to relative oscillation therebetween in a direction substantially transverse of the spindle axis, said seal assembly comprising: first seal means fixed to said frame member in surrounding relationship to said opening and second seal means mounted on said spindle housing in surrounding relationship thereto, said second seal means being positioned sealingly adjacent said first seal means for relative movement therebetween; said first seal means comprising plate means surrounding said frame member and having a central opening therein substantially aligned with said frame opening, said central opening being large enough to permit relative radial movement between said spindle housing and said frame; said second seal means including panel means surrounding and substantially transverse to said spindle housing, said panel means being larger than said central opening and being disposed in slideable sealing engagement with said plate means; and said second seal means further including resilient sleeve means surrounding said spindle housing and connected between said panel means and said spindle housing, one end of said resilient sleeve means being fixedly and sealingly secured to said spindle housing and the other end of said resilient sleeve means being fixedly and sealing secured to said panel means.

Claim 5

A seal assembly according to claim 2, wherein said plate means includes a first seal member completely surrounding said frame opening and having a central opening therein substantially aligned with said frame opening and laRge enough to permit relative radial movement to occur between said spindle housing and said frame; said plate means further including a second seal member fixedly connected to said first seal member in parallel relation therewith and spaced therefrom to define a clearance space therebetween, said first and second seal members being constructed of a plastic material; said plate means further including spacer plate means fixedly connected between and interconnecting said first and second seal members to define said clearance space therebetween, said spacer plate means being in tight sealing engagement with said first and second seal members, respectively; and the outer edges of said panel means extending into the clearance space defined between said first and second seal members to permit relative sliding movement between said panel means and said first and second seal members.

Claim 6

A seal assembly for a spindle housing wherein said spindle housing passes through an opening in a frame member, said spindle housing and said frame member being subjected to relative oscillation therebetween in a direction substantially transverse to the spindle axis, said seal assembly comprising; first seal means fixed to said frame member in surrounding relationship to said opening and second seal means mounted on said spindle housing in surrounding relationship thereto, said second seal means being positioned sealingly adjacent said first seal means for relative movement therebetween; said first seal means comprising plate means surrounding said frame opening and having a central opening therein substantially aligned with said frame opening, said central opening being large enough to permit both relative radial and axial movement between said spindle housing and said frame member; said second seal means including panel means surrounding and substantially transverse to said spindle housing, said panel means being larger than said central opening and being disposed in slideable sealing engagement with said plate means; said second seal means further including resilient sleeve means surrounding said spindle housing and connected between and in sealing engagement with said panel means and said spindle housing for permitting limited relative axial movement between said spindle housing and said panel means, one end of said resilient sleeve means being fixedly and sealingly secured to said spindle housing and the other end of said resilient sleeve means being fixedly and sealingly secured to said panel means.

Claim 7

A seal assembly for a spindle housing wherein said spindle housing passes through an opening in a frame member, said spindle housing and said frame member being subjected to relative oscillation therebetween in a direction substantially transverse to the spindle axis, said seal assembly comprising; first seal means fixed to said frame member in surrounding relationship to said opening and second seal means mounted on said spindle housing in surrounding relationship thereto, said second seal means being positioned sealingly adjacent said first seal means for relative movement therebetween; said first seal means comprising plate means surrounding said frame opening and having a central opening therein substantially aligned with said frame opening, said central opening being large enough to permit both relative radial and axial movement between said spindle housing and said frame member; said second seal means including panel means surrounding and substantially transverse to said spindle housing, said panel means being larger than said central opening and being disposed in slideable sealing engagement with said plate means; said second seal means further including resilient sleeve means surrounding said spindle housing and connected between and in sealing engagement with said panel means and said spindle housing for permitting limited relative axial movement between said spindle housing and said panel means, one end of said resilient sleeve means being fixedly and sealingly secured to said spindle housing and the other end of said resilient sleeve means being fixedly and sealingly secured to said panel means.

Claim 8

A seal assembly according to claim 4, wherein: said first seal means further includes a nonmetallic resilient gasket surrounding said frame opening and positioned between and in tight sealing engagement with said plate means and said frame member.

Claim 9

A seal assembly according to claim 4, wherein: said plate means includes a first seal member completely surrounding said frame opening and having a central opening therein substantially aligned with said frame opening, said central opening being large enough to permit relative movement to occur; said plate means further including a second seal member fixedly connected to said first seal member in parallel relation therewith and spaced therefrom so as to define a clearance space therebetween; and said panel means being positioned in said clearance space between said first and second seal members so as to permit relative sliding movement to occur between said panel means and said first and second seal members.

Claim 10

A seal assembly according to claim 6, wherein: said first seal means further includes spacer plate means fixedly positioned between and interconnecting said first and second seal members so as to define said clearance space therebetween, said spacer plate means being in tight sealing engagement with said first and second seal members, respectively.

Claim 11

A seal assembly according to claim 7, wherein: said second seal member is of a generally U-shape having a base Portion and a pair of parallel leg portions extending thereform; said base portion being positioned above said spindle housing and fixedly connected to said spacer plate means; said leg portions being integrally connected to said base portion and extending downwardly therefrom on opposite sides of said spindle housing; and said base portion and said leg portions extending radially inwardly toward said spindle housing so as to radially overlap said panel means.

Claim 12

A seal assembly according to claim 8, wherein: said first seal member and said second seal member are of a plastic material.

Claim 13

A seal assembly according to claim 4, wherein: said panel means is of a laminated construction and includes a plurality of thin plate-like members fixedly connected together; and said other end of said resilient sleeve means comprising an annular flange fixedly and clampingly disposed between a pair of said plate-like members.

Claim 14

A seal assembly according to claim 10, wherein: said annular flange has a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections fixedly secured thereto; and one of said plate-like members has a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein with the projections on said flange extending into said openings for fixedly securing said flange relative to said panel means.