Rotary fluid joint

Claim 2

A rotary fluid joint comprising a housing having a passageway therethrough for the flow of pressurized fluid, a conduit having an inner end portion thereof mounted within said housing in fluid communication with said passageway, bearing means mounted in said housing and surroundingly engaging said conduit permitting rotational movement of the conduit in said housing, sealing means positioned within said housing and cooperating with the housing and the inner end portion of said rotatable conduit preventing substantial leakage of pressurized fluid between the conduit and the housing, substantially flat, circular disk slinger means in said housing mounted on said rotatable conduit against relative movement thereto, said slinger means surroundingly engaging and extending radially outwardly from said conduit for deflecting radially outwardly from said conduit and away from said bearing means such fluid as may leak past said sealing means to thereby protect the bearing means from contact by the fluid, and said housing having at least one vent hole in said housing generally aligned with said circular disk slinger means receiving the radially deflected fluid and permitting drainage thereof from the housing.

Claim 3

A rotary fluid joint according to claim 1, wherein said disk is positioned closely adjacent said bearing means and has a radial extent overlapping at least the major portion of the radial extent of the bearing means to protectingly shield the bearing means from contact by the fluid leakage.

Claim 4

A rotary fluid joint according to claim 1, wherein said bearing means comprises an antifriction bearing having an inner race carried by said conduit and an outer race carried by said housing, and wherein said circular disk has the radially outermost portion thereof positioned in closely spaced relation with the outer race of said antifriction bearing for relative movement therebetween to thereby define a fluid boundary layer preventing passage of said fluid leakage into the antifriction bearing.

Claim 5

A rotary fluid joint according to claim 1, wherein said sealing means comprises first and second cooperating sealing elements respectively carried by said housing and said rotatable conduit and having opposed mutually contacting seal faces for preventing substantial leakage of pressurized fluid between the housing and the conduit.

Claim 6

A rotary fluid joint according to claim 4, wherein said first sealing element comprises a tubular member mounted for axial movement in said housing and having a radial flange at one end thereof defining a generally planar seal face thereon, the tUbular member communicating at the flanged end thereof with said conduit and at the opposite end thereof with the fluid passageway in said housing, and wherein said conduit has a counterbore in the inner end thereof and said second sealing element comprises an annular sleeve mounted in said counterbore for rotation with said conduit and having an exposed end surface protruding beyond the inner end of the conduit and defining a generally planar seal face cooperating with the seal face of said first sealing element, and wherein spring means is provided cooperating with said housing and with said first sealing element for biasing the seal face thereof axially toward the seal face of said second sealing element for facilitating maintaining a tight seal therebetween and for compensating for any wear of the seal faces.

Claim 7

A rotary fluid joint according to claim 1, wherein said slinger means has the radially outermost portion thereof positioned in closely spaced relation with the outer race of said antifriction bearing means for relative movement therebetween to thereby define a fluid boundary layer preventing passage of said fluid leakage into the antifriction bearing means.

Claim 8

A rotary fluid joint according to claim 6, wherein said circular disk is positioned with one side thereof abutting the inner race of said antifriction bearing means for rotational movement therewith and wherein means are provided abutting the opposite side of the circular disk for retaining the disk and the antifriction bearing means on said cylindrical conduit.

Claim 9

A rotary fluid joint according to claim 7 wherein said housing has three vent holes extending radially outwardly therethrough from the enlarged annular inner wall of the housing, said vent holes being spaced substantially equal distances apart around the housing and positioned radially outwardly beyond said opposite side of said circular disk for receiving the radially deflected fluid and permitting drainage thereof from the housing.

Claim 10

A rotary fluid joint comprising a housing having an axial passageway therethrough for the flow of pressurized fluid and having an enlarged annular inner wall at one end thereof, means mounted for axial movement in said housing and defining a first generally planar seal surface surrounding said passageway and perpendicular to the axis thereof, an elongate generally cylindrical conduit having an inner end portion thereof positioned within the annular inner wall of said housing and in fluid communication with said passageway, means at the innermost end of said conduit defining a second generally planar seal surface cooperating with said first seal surface for preventing substantial leakage of pressurized fluid therebetween, means in said housing for biasing said first seal surface axially toward said second seal surface for facilitating maintaining a tight seal therebetween and for compensating for any wear of the seal surfaces, antifriction bearing means including an outer race mounted in the enlarged annular inner wall of said housing and an inner race surroundingly engaging said generally cylindrical conduit to permit rotational movement of the conduit in said housing, substantially flat, circular disk slinger means in said housing mounted on said rotatable conduit against relative movement thereto, said slinger means surroundingly engaging said conduit and extending radially outwardly therefrom between said cooperating seal surfaces and said antifriction bearing means for deflecting radially outwardly from said conduit such fluid as may leak past said seal surfaces to thereby protect the bearing means from contact by the fluid, and said housing having at least one vent hole extending radially outwardly from said circular disk slinger means for receiving the radially deflected fluid and permitting drainage thereof from the housing.

Claim 11

A rotary fluid joint comprising a housing having an axial passageway therethrough for the flow of pressurized fluid and having an enlarged annular inner wall at one end thereof, means mounted for axial movement in said housing and defining a first generally planar seal surface surrounding said passageway and perpendicular to the axis thereof, an elongate generally cylindrical conduit having an inner end portion thereof positioned within the annular inner wall of said housing and in fluid communication with said passageway, means at the innermost end of said conduit defining a second generally planar seal surface cooperating with said first seal surface for preventing substantial leakage of pressurized fluid therebetween, means in said housing for biasing said first seal surface axially toward said second seal surface for facilitating maintaining a tight seal therebetween and for compensating for any wear of the seal surfaces, antifriction bearing means including an outer race mounted in the enlarged annular inner wall of said housing and an inner race surroundingly engaging said generally cylindrical conduit to permit rotational movement of the conduit in said housing, substantially flat, circular disk slinger means in said housing mounted on said rotatable conduit against relative movement thereto, said slinger means surroundingly engaging said conduit and extending radially outwardly therefrom between said cooperating seal surfaces and said antifriction bearing means for deflecting radially outwardly from said conduit such fluid as may leak past said seal surfaces to thereby protect the bearing means from contact by the fluid, and said housing having at least one vent hole extending radially outwardly from said circular disk slinger means for receiving the radially deflected fluid and permitting drainage thereof from the housing.