US4020910A — Sealing between relatively rotating members in bo…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 169 words

In boring apparatus having a working member mounted for rotation on a lubricated bearing about a shaft member, said apparatus being of the type in which substantial radial and axial relative motion between said members occurs in response to radial and axial loading conditions encountered by said working member during operation in an abrasive laden external environment, that improvement comprising a seal assembly between said members for sealing said bearing from said environment while accommodating said radial and axial relative motion, said seal assembly comprising a seal carrier mounted in a space between said members, a dynamic seal element supported between said carrier and one of said members to form a dynamic seal therebetween, and a static seal element supported between said carrier and a radially extending surface of the other of said members, said dynamic seal element being axially slidable along said one member to accommodate said axial relative motion, said static seal element being deformable and radially slidable along said surface to accommodate said radial relative motion.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 169 words

In boring apparatus having a working member mounted for rotation on a lubricated bearing about a shaft member, said apparatus being of the type in which substantial radial and axial relative motion between said members occurs in response to radial and axial loading conditions encountered by said working member during operation in an abrasive laden external environment, that improvement comprising a seal assembly between said members for sealing said bearing from said environment while accommodating said radial and axial relative motion, said seal assembly comprising a seal carrier mounted in a space between said members, a dynamic seal element supported between said carrier and one of said members to form a dynamic seal therebetween, and a static seal element supported between said carrier and a radially extending surface of the other of said members, said dynamic seal element being axially slidable along said one member to accommodate said axial relative motion, said static seal element being deformable and radially slidable along said surface to accommodate said radial relative motion.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 16 words

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said surface is perpendicular to the axis of said rotation.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 19 words

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said dynamic seal element is supported between said carrier and said shaft member.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 64 words

The improvement of claim 3 wherein said static seal element is squeezed between one end of said carrier and said surface, and the other end of said carrier slidingly contacts a second radially extending surface of said working member to maintain said static seal element in its squeezed condition, said second surface being on the side of said seal assembly closest to said bearing.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 40 words

The improvement of claim 4 wherein at least the first mentioned of said radially extending surfaces is provided by a seal retainer portion of said working member, said retainer portion being fixed to the main portion of said working member.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 35 words

The improvement of claim 5 wherein said seal assembly is located in a counterbore of said working member, and said retainer portion is an annular member of L-shaped cross-section which is fixed in said counterbore.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 28 words

The improvement of claim 3 wherein said carrier is an annular member having a groove facing said shaft member, and said dynamic seal element is in said groove.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 42 words

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said dynamic seal element is sufficiently resistant to radial distortion so that substantially all of said radial relative movement between said members will be accommodated by relative radial movement between said carrier and said one member.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 51 words

The improvement of claim 3 wherein said surface terminates short of said shaft to provide clearance for accommodation of substantially all of said radial relative movement between said members, and a lip is provided between said static seal and said shaft to prevent extrusion of said static seal into said clearance.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 13 words

The improvement of claim 9 wherein said lip is part of said carrier.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 21 words

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said dynamic seal element is a quad ring and said static seal is an "O"-ring.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 91 words

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said seal assembly is at the upper end of said working element, and there is provided at the lower end of said working element a thrust bearing, a dynamic seal element located between said thrust bearing and one of said members, and a static seal element located between said thrust bearing and the other of said members, there being an enlarged clearance between said thrust bearing and said other member to accommodate radial relative motion between the bottom of said working member and said shaft.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 55 words

The improvement of claim 12 wherein said working member is a conically shaped cutter with its major diameter at its upper end, so that said radial relative motion between the bottom of said cutter and said shaft will generally be less than said radial relative motion between the top of said cutter and said shaft.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 32 words

The improvement of claim 12 wherein said static and dynamic seals at the bottom of said working member are spaced axially to allow canting of said thrust bearing relative to said shaft.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 52 words

The improvement of claim 1 further comprising a secondary seal assembly comprising a washer surrounding and slidingly contacting the outer surface of said shaft member, and a resilient ring in circumferential contact with an oblique peripheral surface of said washer to bias said washer axially against a surface of said working member.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 36 words

The improvement of claim 15 further comprising a second washer adjacent said first mentioned washer, said washers having adjacent chamfered peripheries between which is located said resilient ring to bias said washers apart from each other.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 137 words

In boring apparatus having a working member mounted for rotation on a lubricated bearing about a shaft member, said apparatus being of the type in which substantial radial and axial relative motion between said members occurs in response to radial and axial loading conditions encountered by said working member during operation in an abrasive laden external environment, that improvement comprising a primary seal assembly between said members for sealing said bearing from said environment while accommodating said radial and axial relative motion, and a secondary seal assembly adjacent said primary seal assembly, said secondary seal assembly comprising a washer surrounding and slidingly contacting the outer surface of said shaft member and a resilient ring in circumferential contact with an oblique peripheral surface of said washer to bias said washer axially against a surface of said working member.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 137 words

In boring apparatus having a working member mounted for rotation on a lubricated bearing about a shaft member, said apparatus being of the type in which substantial radial and axial relative motion between said members occurs in response to radial and axial loading conditions encountered by said working member during operation in an abrasive laden external environment, that improvement comprising a primary seal assembly between said members for sealing said bearing from said environment while accommodating said radial and axial relative motion, and a secondary seal assembly adjacent said primary seal assembly, said secondary seal assembly comprising a washer surrounding and slidingly contacting the outer surface of said shaft member and a resilient ring in circumferential contact with an oblique peripheral surface of said washer to bias said washer axially against a surface of said working member.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 36 words

The improvement of claim 17 further comprising a second washer adjacent said first mentioned washer, said washers having adjacent chamfered peripheries between which is located said resilient ring to bias said washers apart from each other.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 123 words

A seal assembly for use in sealing between relatively rotating working and shaft members in boring apparatus, comprising an annular retainer of generally U-shaped cross-section providing opposing internal radially extending surfaces, an annular carrier within said retainer a dynamic seal element located in a radially inwardly opening recess of said carrier, for use as a dynamic seal against said shaft member, and a static seal element squeezed between one of said opposing surfaces and one end of said carrier, thereby biasing the other end of said carrier against the other said opposing surface, said static seal element and said other end of said carrier being slidable radially along said opposing surfaces, respectively, to accommodate relative radial motion between said working and shaft members.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 123 words

A seal assembly for use in sealing between relatively rotating working and shaft members in boring apparatus, comprising an annular retainer of generally U-shaped cross-section providing opposing internal radially extending surfaces, an annular carrier within said retainer a dynamic seal element located in a radially inwardly opening recess of said carrier, for use as a dynamic seal against said shaft member, and a static seal element squeezed between one of said opposing surfaces and one end of said carrier, thereby biasing the other end of said carrier against the other said opposing surface, said static seal element and said other end of said carrier being slidable radially along said opposing surfaces, respectively, to accommodate relative radial motion between said working and shaft members.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 33 words

The seal assembly of claim 19 wherein said assembly has a lip positioned radially inwardly of said static seal member to prevent said static seal member from being extruded out of said retainer.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 13 words

The improvement of claim 20 wherein said lip is part of said carrier.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 14 words

The seal assembly of claim 19 wherein said retainer comprises two portions crimped together.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 171 words

In boring apparatus having a working member mounted for rotation on a lubricated bearing about a shaft member, said apparatus being of the type in which substantial radial and axial relative motion between said members occurs in response to radial and axial loading conditions encountered by said working member during operation in an abrasive laden external environment, that improvement comprising an upper seal assembly between the upper end of said working member and said shaft member for sealing said bearing from said environment while accommodating said radial and axial relative motion, and a lower seal assembly for sealing between the lower end of said working element and said shaft, comprising a thrust bearing, a dynamic seal element located between said thrust bearing and one of said members, and a static seal element located between said thrust bearing and the other of said members, there being an enlarged clearance between said thrust bearing and said other member to accommodate radial relative motion between the bottom of said working member and said shaft.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 171 words

In boring apparatus having a working member mounted for rotation on a lubricated bearing about a shaft member, said apparatus being of the type in which substantial radial and axial relative motion between said members occurs in response to radial and axial loading conditions encountered by said working member during operation in an abrasive laden external environment, that improvement comprising an upper seal assembly between the upper end of said working member and said shaft member for sealing said bearing from said environment while accommodating said radial and axial relative motion, and a lower seal assembly for sealing between the lower end of said working element and said shaft, comprising a thrust bearing, a dynamic seal element located between said thrust bearing and one of said members, and a static seal element located between said thrust bearing and the other of said members, there being an enlarged clearance between said thrust bearing and said other member to accommodate radial relative motion between the bottom of said working member and said shaft.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 55 words

The improvement of claim 23 wherein said working member is a conically shaped cutter with its major diameter at its upper end, so that said radial relative motion between the bottom of said cutter and said shaft will generally be less than said radial relative motion between the top of said cutter and said shaft.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 32 words

The improvement of claim 23 wherein said static and dynamic seals at the bottom of said working member are spaced axially to allow canting of said thrust bearing relative to said shaft.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-05-02	1980-11-01	1981-05-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-05-02	1984-11-01	1985-05-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-05-02	1988-11-01	1989-05-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Sealing between relatively rotating members in boring apparatus

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