Double cup seal

Claim 2

A valve seal assembly for valves in internal combustion engines, said assembly adapted to be telescoped over a valve stem of a valve of an internal combustion engine and an extending shoulder of a valve guide in which said valve is mounted; said assembly including in combination inner and outer coaxial retaining members laterally movably retaining a flexible, resilient, heat-resistant, lubricious plastic sealing member between portions thereof; said inner member being slidable axially within said outer member; said outer member including an inturned permanently deformable flange means for retaining said assembly on said shoulder when telescoped thereover and for sliding said inner member to engage, compress and retain said sealing member between said portions in alignment with the valve stem; said flange means extending inwardly and toward said portions.

Claim 3

The valve seal assembly of claim 1 wherein said retaining members are cylindrical cups each including a closed end having a central circular aperture therein and an open end; said sealing member having aperture means for sealingly receiving said shaft; said aperture means, said apertures and open ends being substantially aligned along the common axis of said cylindrical cups for receiving a valve stem therethrough.

Claim 4

The valve seal assembly of claim 2 wherein said sealing member includes a generally frusto-conical portion including said aperture means and an integral annular flange, said annular flange being laterally movably retained between said closed ends of said cylindrical cups.

Claim 5

The valve seal assembly of claim 2 wherein said inner retaining member is mounted in axially sliding engagement within said outer retaining member.

Claim 6

A fluid seal assembly adapted for use in combination with a shaft reciprocally mounted in a shaft guide which includes an extending shoulder portion; said assembly being telescopable over said extending shoulder portion and thereafter sealingly engaging said shaft; said assembly comprising in combination inner and outer coaxial retaining cups each having an open end and a generally closed end including a central aperture therein, and a flexible, resilient sealing member having aperture means for sealingly receiving said shaft, said aperture means being substantially aligned with said central apertures in said closed ends, said sealing member being laterally movably mounted between said closed ends; said outer cup including a permanently deformable, inturned flange extending inwardly and toward said closed ends from said open end thereof; said inner cup being axially shiftable within said outer cup between said flange and said closed end of said outer cup; said flange being adapted to deform permanently toward said closed ends during telescoping of said assembly over said shoulder; the relative axial measurements of said inner and outer cups being such that said flange engages said inner cup during such permanent deformation and shifts the same axially toward the closed end of said outer cup such that said sealing member is engaged, compressed and laterally stabilized between said closed ends aNd thereafter held in alignment with said shaft once said flange has deformed toward said closed ends a predetermined amount; said sealing member shifting laterally prior to such lateral stabilization to accommodate any eccentricity in the alignment of said shaft and said shoulder.

Claim 7

A fluid seal assembly adapted for use in combination with a shaft reciprocally mounted in a shaft guide which includes an extending shoulder portion; said assembly being telescopable over said extending shoulder portion and thereafter sealingly engaging said shaft; said assembly comprising in combination inner and outer coaxial retaining cups each having an open end and a generally closed end including a central aperture therein, and a flexible, resilient sealing member having aperture means for sealingly receiving said shaft, said aperture means being substantially aligned with said central apertures in said closed ends, said sealing member being laterally movably mounted between said closed ends; said outer cup including a permanently deformable, inturned flange extending inwardly and toward said closed ends from said open end thereof; said inner cup being axially shiftable within said outer cup between said flange and said closed end of said outer cup; said flange being adapted to deform permanently toward said closed ends during telescoping of said assembly over said shoulder; the relative axial measurements of said inner and outer cups being such that said flange engages said inner cup during such permanent deformation and shifts the same axially toward the closed end of said outer cup such that said sealing member is engaged, compressed and laterally stabilized between said closed ends aNd thereafter held in alignment with said shaft once said flange has deformed toward said closed ends a predetermined amount; said sealing member shifting laterally prior to such lateral stabilization to accommodate any eccentricity in the alignment of said shaft and said shoulder.

Claim 8

The assembly of claim 5 wherein said sealing member is a heat-resistant, resilient, lubricious, plastic seal having a generally frusto-conical portion including said aperture means and an integral annular flange extending generally perpendicular to the axis of said frusto-conical portion, said annular flange being mounted between said closed cup ends.

Claim 9

The assembly of claim 6 wherein said sealing member is Teflon.

Claim 10

The assembly of claim 5 wherein said inner and outer retaining cups are cylindrical in shape; said central apertures and said aperture means are circular; and said permanently deformable flange is annular and includes a relatively sharp edge forceably engaging said extending shoulder portion when said assembly is telescoped thereover.

Claim 11

The assembly of claim 8 wherein: said central apertures have a diameter larger than the diameter of said shaft; the diameter of said aperture means is slightly smaller than said shaft diameter; and the inner diameter of said annular flange is smaller than the diameter of said shoulder portion.

Claim 12

The assembly of claim 9 wherein said sealing member includes a sharp edge adapted to contact and form a tight, fluid seal about said shaft.

Claim 13

The assembly of claim 10 wherein said sealing member is Teflon.

Claim 14

The assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said inner and outer cups includes a right circular cylindrical section and a radially inwardly extending annular lip forming said closed end, the lip and cylindrical section of each cup being integrally formed from a metal such as cold-rolled steel, the maximum diameter of said seal assembly being no greater than the diameter of the cylindrical section of said outer cup.

Claim 15

The assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said permanently deformable flange extends about the complete periphery of the open end of said outer cup.

Claim 16

A fluid seal assembly adapted for use in an internal combustion engine, the engine having a valve guide including an extending shoulder portion and a valve including a valve stem reciprocally mounted within said guide, said assembly being adapted to be telescoped over said shoulder portion and thereafter to sealingly engage said reciprocating valve stem; said assembly including in combination inner and outer concentric, cylindrical retaining members each having an open end and a closed end including a central aperture therein; said inner retaining member having an outside diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of said outer member such that said inner member is slidably received in said outer member with its closed end adjacent the closed end of said outer member; said inner member having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of said shoulder portion; said assembly further including a frusto-conical, flexible, resilient, heat-resistant, lubricious plastic sealing member laterally movably retained between said adjacent closed ends; said outer member including an inturned flange on its open end engaging the open end of said inner member; said flange being permanently deformable toward said closed ends when said assembly is telescoped over said shoulder portion thereby axially shifting the closed end of said inner member toward the closed end of said outer member while said sealing member is moving laterally into alignment with said valve stem; the axial shift of said inner member engaging and compressing a portion of said sealing member between said closed ends thereby holding said sealing member in lateral alignment with said valve stem.

Claim 17

A fluid seal assembly adapted for use in an internal combustion engine, the engine having a valve guide including an extending shoulder portion and a valve including a valve stem reciprocally mounted within said guide, said assembly being adapted to be telescoped over said shoulder portion and thereafter to sealingly engage said reciprocating valve stem; said assembly including in combination inner and outer concentric, cylindrical retaining members each having an open end and a closed end including a central aperture therein; said inner retaining member having an outside diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of said outer member such that said inner member is slidably received in said outer member with its closed end adjacent the closed end of said outer member; said inner member having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of said shoulder portion; said assembly further including a frusto-conical, flexible, resilient, heat-resistant, lubricious plastic sealing member laterally movably retained between said adjacent closed ends; said outer member including an inturned flange on its open end engaging the open end of said inner member; said flange being permanently deformable toward said closed ends when said assembly is telescoped over said shoulder portion thereby axially shifting the closed end of said inner member toward the closed end of said outer member while said sealing member is moving laterally into alignment with said valve stem; the axial shift of said inner member engaging and compressing a portion of said sealing member between said closed ends thereby holding said sealing member in lateral alignment with said valve stem.

Claim 18

The assembly of claim 14 wherein said retaining members are each integrally formed cold-rolled steel cups and said sealing member is a TefLon seal permanently formed in said frusto-conical shape.

Claim 19

The assembly of claim 14 wherein said permanently deformable flange on said outer member is at an angle to the plane of the open end thereof; said angle being within the range of between about 30* and 45*.