Shaft seal

Claim 2

In a shaft seal having a non-rotating seal assembly including a U-shaped cross section housing with an axially open-end, a primary seal associated member received in said housing for axial movement therein and restrained against rotation therein and a secondary seal between a portion of the primary seal associated member and a wall of the housing, the improvement of the secondary seal member comprising an O-ring received in a groove, the groove extending radially into an inner diameter wall of the housing, the groove having an axial length greater than the diameter of the O-ring, the O-ring having contact with the bottom wall of the groove and with an axially extending surface of the primary seal associated member, the O-ring free to roll within the groove to accommodate axial movement of the primary seal associated member, axial movement of the primary seal associated member being limited and the axial length of the groove is sufficient to allow the O-ring to roll in the groove to accommodate the axial movement of the primary seal associated member to the extent possible within the limits of movement of the primary seal associated member without sliding contact between the O-ring and the primary seal associated member or between the O-ring and the wall of the housing.

Claim 3

A non-rotating seal assembly for a rotary shaft seal comprising: a housing, said housing being a ring and U-shaped in cross section with inner and outer diameter axially extending legs and a radial wall interconnecting the legs at one axial end thereof, the other axial end open, a primary seal carrier ring received in said housing in axially movable relation, said carrier ring having a portion thereof received between the inner end and outer diameter legs, said portion having an inner diameter surface, spring means urging said carrier ring axially out of the open end, means limiting axial movement of the carrier ring, means preventing rotation of the carrier ring, a circumferential groove in the outer diameter of the inner diameter leg, an O-ring seal received in said groove, said O-ring seal in contact with the bottom wall of said groove and with the inner diameter surface of said carrier ring, the circumferential groove having an axial dimension greater than the diameter of said O-ring seal, said O-ring rotatable within said groove, and said O-ring seal accommodating axial movement of the carrier ring by rotation without sliding between the inner diameter surface of the carrier ring and the surface of the O-ring, the axial dimension of the cIrcumferential groove being substantially as long as the axial movability of the carrier ring within the limits set upon the axial movement of the carrier ring by the said means limiting axial movement of the carrier ring.

Claim 4

A non-rotating seal assembly for a rotary shaft seal comprising: a housing, said housing being a ring and U-shaped in cross section with inner and outer diameter axially extending legs and a radial wall interconnecting the legs at one axial end thereof, the other axial end open, a primary seal carrier ring received in said housing in axially movable relation, said carrier ring having a portion thereof received between the inner end and outer diameter legs, said portion having an inner diameter surface, spring means urging said carrier ring axially out of the open end, means limiting axial movement of the carrier ring, means preventing rotation of the carrier ring, a circumferential groove in the outer diameter of the inner diameter leg, an O-ring seal received in said groove, said O-ring seal in contact with the bottom wall of said groove and with the inner diameter surface of said carrier ring, the circumferential groove having an axial dimension greater than the diameter of said O-ring seal, said O-ring rotatable within said groove, and said O-ring seal accommodating axial movement of the carrier ring by rotation without sliding between the inner diameter surface of the carrier ring and the surface of the O-ring, the axial dimension of the cIrcumferential groove being substantially as long as the axial movability of the carrier ring within the limits set upon the axial movement of the carrier ring by the said means limiting axial movement of the carrier ring.