Seal ring system

Claim 2

A sealing ring system comprising: an annular outer member of non-deformable material adapted to be received in a peripheral groove formed in a reciprocating member in spaced relation to the bottom wall of said groove; an annular inner expander member adapted to be received in said groove betWeen said groove bottom wall and said outer member for urging the latter into pressure sealing engagement against the surface to be sealed; said expander member being formed of a material providing relatively high resistance to axial deformation and having an irregularly shaped outline in cross sectional configuration defining a peripheral bead on one surface thereof and a pair of axially spaced inner peripheral ribs on the other surface in sealing engagement with said outer member and said groove bottom wall surface, respectively, to impart a relatively light radial loading on said outer member under static sealing conditions.

Claim 3

A sealing ring system according to claim 1 wherein said outer member and said expander member are substantially axially coextensive with each other and with the axial length of said peripheral groove.

Claim 4

A sealing ring system according to claim 1 wherein said outer member is split and is provided with overlapping end portions defining a parting gap therebetween in parallelism with the axial end faces of said outer member; said expander member bead engagable with the inner surface of said split ring in substantial radial alignment with said parting gap.

Claim 5

A sealing ring system according to claim 1 wherein said expander member ribs are axially offset from said bead and engagable with said groove bottom wall.

Claim 6

A sealing ring system according to claim 4 wherein said inner ribs define a clearance therebetween in radial alignment with said bead enabling the same to yield radially inwardly.

Claim 7

A sealing ring system according to claim 1 wherein said expander member is formed of urethane.

Claim 8

A sealing ring system according to claim 1 wherein said expander member is substantially axially coextensive with said outer member and said peripheral groove; said outer member being split and provided with overlapping end portions defining a parting gap therebetween in parallelism with the axial end faces of said outer member; said expander member bead engagable with the inner surface of said split ring in substantial radial alignment with said parting gap and said expander member ribs being axially offset from said outer bead and engagable with said groove bottom wall; said ribs defining a clearance therebetween in radial alignment with said bead enabling the latter to yield slightly radially inwardly.

Claim 9

A sealing ring system according to claim 1 wherein said expander member is formed with a pair of axial end portions projecting laterally outwardly from said bead and having end faces engageable with the side wall surfaces of said groove.

Claim 10

A sealing ring system according to claim 8, wherein said end faces are flat.

Claim 11

A sealing ring system according to claim 8, wherein said expander member ribs are axially spaced from said end faces.

Claim 12

A sealing ring system according to claim 1, wherein said expander member comprises a body of generally rectangular cross section wherein the opposite ends thereof provide end faces engageable with the side wall surfaces of said groove and said peripheral bead is formed on one side thereof and said ribs are formed on the other side thereof.

Claim 13

A sealing ring system according to claim 11 wherein said ribs are spaced inwardly of said end faces.

Claim 14

An expander ring for use in a seal ring system adapted to be retained in a peripheral groove of a reciprocating member comprising: an endless annular body formed of a material of a relatively high durometer rating; said body having an axial length substantially coextensive with the axial length of the groove in which it is to be retained; a pair of end portions extending axially outwardly from said body and terminating in end faces engagable with the opposite side walls of such groove; said body having a peripheral bead on one side surface thereof centrally of said body engagable with an outer bearing ring and a pair of axially spaced peripheral ribs on the other side thereof axially offset from said bead and from said end faces and engagable With the bottom wall of such groove.

Claim 15

An expander ring for use in a seal ring system adapted to be retained in a peripheral groove of a reciprocating member comprising: an endless annular body formed of a material of a relatively high durometer rating; said body having an axial length substantially coextensive with the axial length of the groove in which it is to be retained; a pair of end portions extending axially outwardly from said body and terminating in end faces engagable with the opposite side walls of such groove; said body having a peripheral bead on one side surface thereof centrally of said body engagable with an outer bearing ring and a pair of axially spaced peripheral ribs on the other side thereof axially offset from said bead and from said end faces and engagable With the bottom wall of such groove.

Claim 16

An expander ring according to claim 13 wherein said expander ring is formed of urethane.

Claim 17

An expander ring according to claim 13, wherein said ribs and said bead have arcuately shaped bearing surfaces, and said ribs are relatively small compared to said bead.

Claim 18

A sealing ring system comprising: an annular seal member adapted to be received in a peripheral groove formed in a reciprocating member in spaced relation to the inner wall of said groove, said seal member being split and provided with overlapping end portions definng a parting gap therebetween in parallelism with the axial end faces of said sealing member and which parting gap is reduced to zero under hydraulic loading; and an annular expander member adapted to be received in said groove between said groove inner wall and said seal member for urging the latter into pressure sealing engagement against the surface to be sealed, said expander member having a bearing surface for sealing engagement against said seal member adjacent the area of said parting gap, said expander member being of a material having a relatively high durometer rating sufficient to resist axial deformation under high pressure conditions whereby said bearing surface remains in alignment with said parting gap.

Claim 19

A sealing ring system comprising: an annular seal member adapted to be received in a peripheral groove formed in a reciprocating member in spaced relation to the inner wall of said groove, said seal member being split and provided with overlapping end portions definng a parting gap therebetween in parallelism with the axial end faces of said sealing member and which parting gap is reduced to zero under hydraulic loading; and an annular expander member adapted to be received in said groove between said groove inner wall and said seal member for urging the latter into pressure sealing engagement against the surface to be sealed, said expander member having a bearing surface for sealing engagement against said seal member adjacent the area of said parting gap, said expander member being of a material having a relatively high durometer rating sufficient to resist axial deformation under high pressure conditions whereby said bearing surface remains in alignment with said parting gap.

Claim 20

A sealing ring system according to claim 16, wherein said seal member is of non-deformable material.

Claim 21

A sealing ring system according to claim 16, wherein said expander member is of synthetic plastic material having a durometer rating of at least about 90.

Claim 22

A sealing ring system according to claim 16, wherein said expander member has an irregularly shaped outline in cross sectional configuration defining a peripheral bead on one surface thereof and a pair of axially spaced inner peripheral ribs on the other surface in sealing engagement with said seal member and said groove inner wall surface, respectively, to impart a relatively light radial loading on said seal member under static sealing conditions.

Claim 23

An expander ring for use in a seal ring system adapted to be retained in a peripheral groove of a reciprocating member comprising: an endless annular body of generally rectangular cross section having an axial length substantially coextensive with the axial length of the groove in which it is to be retained and a radial width substantially less than the radial dimension of said groove, a central bead providing a relatively wide bearing surface area on one side of said body, and relatively small axially spaced annular ribs on the opposite side of said body.

Claim 24

An expander ring for use in a seal ring system adapted to be retained in a peripheral groove of a reciprocating member comprising: an endless annular body of generally rectangular cross section having an axial length substantially coextensive with the axial length of the groove in which it is to be retained and a radial width substantially less than the radial dimension of said groove, a central bead providing a relatively wide bearing surface area on one side of said body, and relatively small axially spaced annular ribs on the opposite side of said body.