Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
207 words
A shaft sealing assembly for attachment about a rotatable shaft for preventing leaking along the shaft comprising: an elongated housing defining a chamber therein, the housing positioned about the shaft, the shaft extending through the chamber; end plate means having an opening therethrough, the end plate means enclosing one end of the chamber with the shaft passing through the opening therethrough; at least one packing means positioned in the chamber and encircling the shaft, the packing means positioned adjacent one another along the shaft, each packing means comprising: a compressible packing encircling the shaft; a fluid filled elastomeric compression ring encircling the compressible packing, the compression ring having an enclosed, hollow toroidal region therein for retaining the fluid; and spacer means positioned around the shaft, and axially adjacent to the compressible packing and the elastomeric compression ring, each spacer means being axially movable relative to the shaft; and gland follower means positioned for exerting a force against the packing means for axially compressing each packing means in the housing chamber between the end plate means and the gland follower means, each compression ring thereupon exerting a radial compression force against the radially adjacent packing ring for pressing the packing ring uniformly against the shaft about its circumference.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
207 words
A shaft sealing assembly for attachment about a rotatable shaft for preventing leaking along the shaft comprising: an elongated housing defining a chamber therein, the housing positioned about the shaft, the shaft extending through the chamber; end plate means having an opening therethrough, the end plate means enclosing one end of the chamber with the shaft passing through the opening therethrough; at least one packing means positioned in the chamber and encircling the shaft, the packing means positioned adjacent one another along the shaft, each packing means comprising: a compressible packing encircling the shaft; a fluid filled elastomeric compression ring encircling the compressible packing, the compression ring having an enclosed, hollow toroidal region therein for retaining the fluid; and spacer means positioned around the shaft, and axially adjacent to the compressible packing and the elastomeric compression ring, each spacer means being axially movable relative to the shaft; and gland follower means positioned for exerting a force against the packing means for axially compressing each packing means in the housing chamber between the end plate means and the gland follower means, each compression ring thereupon exerting a radial compression force against the radially adjacent packing ring for pressing the packing ring uniformly against the shaft about its circumference.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The shaft sealing assembly of claim 1 wherein each spacer means is a lantern ring.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The shaft sealing assembly of claim 1 wherein each spacer means has an enclosed circumferential chamber therein, the circumferential chamber having an input port and an exit port.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The shaft sealing assembly of claim 3, the elongated housing having a longitudinal slot means therealong, the input and exit ports being aligned with the slot means for providing connection access thereto at any of a plurality of axial locations of the axially movable spacer means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The shaft sealing means of claim 3, each spacer means further having a radial passageway therethrough, each radial passageway having an opening adjacent to the surface of the shaft for providing a means through which lubrication can be applied to the shaft.