Sealing arrangement

Claim 2

A sealing arrangement, comprising housing means having a pressure chamber and an outlet; reciprocable means mounted in said housing means; a deformable sealing sleeve in said housing means surrounding said reciprocable means and having inner and outer surfaces one of said surfaces forming with one of said means an annular axial gap communicating at one end thereof with said pressure chamber and at the other end thereof with said outlet so that the pressure in said gap decreases from said one end to said other end, and the other surface forming with the other one of said means a closed control chamber along the length of said sleeve communicating with said pressure chamber so that equal high pressure in said control chamber opposes the pressure acting in said gap on said sleeve whereby said sleeve is deformed and the diameter thereof is reduced in the region of said other end of said gap; and mounting means mounting said sleeve for limited radial and angular self-centering displacement transversely of said reciprocable means, said mounting means including a spherically curved axial face, said mounting means establishing at least an indirect connection between said sealing sleeve and said housing means.

Claim 3

Arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said one surface is said inner surface of said sleeve and said other surface is the outer surface of said sleeve; and wherein said one means is said reciprocable means and said other means is said housing means so that said gap is formed between said reciprocable means and said sleeve, and said control chamber is formed between said housing means and said sleeve.

Claim 4

Arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said gap is open at said other end.

Claim 5

Arrangement as defined in claim 1, comprising drive means reciprocating in axial direction of said reciprocable means; and coupling means supporting said reciprocable means on said drive means for movement therewith.

Claim 6

Arrangement as defined in claim 4, wherein said coupling means includes a convex coupling portion at one end of said reciprocable means, and a part of said drive means cooperating with said convex coupling portion.

Claim 7

Arrangement as defined in claim 5, wherein said part has a concave seat, and wherein said convex coupling portion has a part-spherical surface abutting said concave seat of said part of said drive means.

Claim 8

A sealing arrangement, comprising housing means having a pressure chamber and an outlet; reciprocable means mounted in said housing means; drive means reciprocating in axial direction of said reciprocable means; coupling means supporting said reciprocable means on said drive means for movement therewith and including a convex coupling portion at one end of said reciprocable means, and (abuttingly received in a concave) seat of said drive means; a deformable sealing sleeve in said housing means surrounding said reciprocable means and having inner and outer surfaces, one of said surfaces forming with one of said means an annular axial gap communicating at one end thereof with said pressure chamber and at the other end thereof with said outlet so that the pressure in said gap decreases from said one end to said other end, and the other surface forming with the other one of said means a closed control chamber along the length of said sleeve communicating with said pressure chamber so that equal high pressure in said control chamber opposes the pressure acting in said gap on said sleeve whereby said sleeve is deformed and the diameter thereof is reduced in the region of said other end of said gap; and mounting means mounting said sleeve for limited radial and angular self-centering displacement transversely of said reciprocable means.

Claim 9

A sealing arrangement, comprising housing means having a pressure chamber and an outlet; reciprocable means mounted in said housing means; drive means reciprocating in axial direction of said reciprocable means; coupling means supporting said reciprocable means on said drive means for movement therewith and including a convex coupling portion at one end of said reciprocable means, and (abuttingly received in a concave) seat of said drive means; a deformable sealing sleeve in said housing means surrounding said reciprocable means and having inner and outer surfaces, one of said surfaces forming with one of said means an annular axial gap communicating at one end thereof with said pressure chamber and at the other end thereof with said outlet so that the pressure in said gap decreases from said one end to said other end, and the other surface forming with the other one of said means a closed control chamber along the length of said sleeve communicating with said pressure chamber so that equal high pressure in said control chamber opposes the pressure acting in said gap on said sleeve whereby said sleeve is deformed and the diameter thereof is reduced in the region of said other end of said gap; and mounting means mounting said sleeve for limited radial and angular self-centering displacement transversely of said reciprocable means.

Claim 10

Arrangement as defined in claim 7, wherein said coupling means includes cooperating coupling portions on said drive means and said reciprocable means, and biasing means urging said coupling portions into coupling engagement with one another.

Claim 11

A sealing arrangement, comprising housing means having a pressure chamber and an outlet; reciprocable means mounted in said housing means; a deformable sealing sleeve in said housing means surrounding said reciprocable means and having inner and outer surfaces, one of said surfaces forming with one of said means an annular axial gap communicating at one end thereof with said pressure chamber and at the other end thereof with said outlet so that the pressure in said gap decreases from said one end to said other end, and the other surface forming with the other one of said means a closed control chamber along the length of said sleeve communicating with said pressure chamber so that equal high pressure in said control chamber opposes the pressure acting in said gap on said sleeve whereby said sleeve is deformed and the diameter thereof is reduced in the region of said other end of said gap, said control chamber having an end portion remote from said pressure chamber; and mounting means mounting said sleeve for limited radial and angular self-centering displacement transversely of said reciprocable means, said mounting means comprising a washer surrounding said reciprocable means in the region of said end portion of said control chamber and having a spherically curved first axial end face and a second axial end face, one of said end faces abutting said sealing sleeve.

Claim 12

A sealing arrangement, comprising housing means having a pressure chamber and an outlet; reciprocable means mounted in said housing means; a deformable sealing sleeve in said housing means surrounding said reciprocable means and having inner and outer surfaces, one of said surfaces forming with one of said means an annular axial gap communicating at one end thereof with said pressure chamber and at the other end thereof with said outlet so that the pressure in said gap decreases from said one end to said other end, and the other surface forming with the other one of said means a closed control chamber along the length of said sleeve communicating with said pressure chamber so that equal high pressure in said control chamber opposes the pressure acting in said gap on said sleeve whereby said sleeve is deformed and the diameter thereof is reduced in the region of said other end of said gap, said control chamber having an end portion remote from said pressure chamber; and mounting means mounting said sleeve for limited radial and angular self-centering displacement transversely of said reciprocable means, said mounting means comprising a washer surrounding said reciprocable means in the region of said end portion of said control chamber and having a spherically curved first axial end face and a second axial end face, one of said end faces abutting said sealing sleeve.

Claim 13

Arrangement as defined in claim 9, said sealing sleeve having a longitudinal center axis; and wherein the center of curvature of said spherically curved first axial end face is located at least substantially on said center axis.

Claim 14

Arrangement as defined in claim 9; further comprising a stationary component located in said housing means; and wherein said first axial end face engages said stationary component, and said second axial end face is planar in direction normal to said central axis and engages said sealing sleeve.

Claim 15

Arrangement as defined in claim 9; further comprising a stationary component located in said housing means and which is engaged by the other of said axial end faces; and sealing means sealing said washer with reference to said stationary component and said sleeve against fluid flow axially of said control chamber past said washer.

Claim 16

Arrangement as defined in claim 9; further comprising a stationary component located in said housing means, the other of said axial end faces axially engaging said stationary component and defining at least one annular recess which surrounds said reciprocable means and communicates with said control chamber.

Claim 17

Arrangement as defined in claim 9; further comprising a stationary component located in said housing means and surrounding said reciprocable means, the other of said axial end faces being in sealing engagement with said stationary component; and further comprising biasing means biasing said sealing sleeve into said abutment with said one axial end face.

Claim 18

Arrangement as defined in claim 9, wherein said one surface of said inner surface of said sleeve and said other surface is the outer surface of said sleeve; and wherein said one means is said reciprocable means and said other means is said housing means so that said gap is formed between said reciprocable means and said sleeve, and said control chamber is formed between said housing means and said sleeve.

Claim 19

Arrangement as defined in claim 9, wherein said gap is open at said other end.

Claim 20

Arrangement as defined in claim 9, comprising drive means reciprocating in axial direction of said reciprocable means; and coupling means supporting said reciprocable means on said drive means for movement therewith.

Claim 21

Arrangement as defined in claim 17, wherein said coupling means includes a convex coupling portion at one end of said piston means, and a part of said drive means cooperating with said convex coupling portion.

Claim 22

A sealing arrangement, comprising housing means having a pressure chamber and an outlet; reciprocable means mounted in said housing means; a deformable sealing sleeve in said housing means coaxial with said reciprocable means and having inner and outer surfaces, one of said surfaces forming with one of said means an annular axial gap communicating at one end thereof with said pressure chamber and at the other end thereof with said outlet so that the pressure in said gap decreases from said one end to said other end, and the other surface forming with the other one of said means a closed control chamber along the length of said sleeve communicating with said pressure chamber so that equal high pressure in said control chamber opposes the pressure acting in said gap on said sleeve whereby said sleeve is deformed and the diameter thereof is reduced in the region of said other end of said gap, said control chamber having an end portion remote from said pressure chamber; and mounting means mounting said sleeve for limited radial and angular self-centering displacement transversely of said reciprocable means, said mounting means comprising a washer surrounding said reciprocable means in the region of said end portion of said control chamber and having a spherically curved first axial end face and a second axial end face, one of said end faces abutting said sealing sleeve.

Claim 23

A sealing arrangement, comprising housing means having a pressure chamber and an outlet; reciprocable means mounted in said housing means; a deformable sealing sleeve in said housing means coaxial with said reciprocable means and having inner and outer surfaces, one of said surfaces forming with one of said means an annular axial gap communicating at one end thereof with said pressure chamber and at the other end thereof with said outlet so that the pressure in said gap decreases from said one end to said other end, and the other surface forming with the other one of said means a closed control chamber along the length of said sleeve communicating with said pressure chamber so that equal high pressure in said control chamber opposes the pressure acting in said gap on said sleeve whereby said sleeve is deformed and the diameter thereof is reduced in the region of said other end of said gap, said control chamber having an end portion remote from said pressure chamber; and mounting means mounting said sleeve for limited radial and angular self-centering displacement transversely of said reciprocable means, said mounting means comprising a washer surrounding said reciprocable means in the region of said end portion of said control chamber and having a spherically curved first axial end face and a second axial end face, one of said end faces abutting said sealing sleeve.