Bellows seal with vibration damper

Claim 1

A mechanical seal construction for sealing a shaft which is relatively rotatable with respect to a houring, said seal construction having collar means surrounding and nonrotatably fixed to said shaft, a rotary seal portion disposed in surrounding relationship to the shaft and including a rotary support ring and a rotary carbide face ring fixed to said support ring, said rotary support and face rings being radially spaced from said shaft to define a substantial annular clearance therebetween, an axially elongate metal bellows disposed in surrounding relationship to said shaft and extending axially between said collar means and said rotary support ring, said bellows means having one end thereof fixedly anchored to said collar means and the other end thereof fixedly anchored to said rotary support ring, and a stationary seal portion including a gland ring fixed relative to said housing and a stationary carbide face ring fixed to said gland ring, said gland and stationary face rings being disposed in surrounding relationship to said shaft and spaced radially therefrom by substantial annular clearance spaces therebetween, said rotary and stationary face rings defining thereon axially opposed and generally planar seal faces which are maintained in relatively rotatable sliding engagement with one another to create a seal radially thereacross, comprising the improvement wherein a vibration dampening ring is concentrically disposed within said rotary face ring in surrounding relationship to said shaft, said vibration dampening ring being constructed of carbon and fixedly secured within said rotary face ring by means of an interference or press fit therebetween, said vibration dampening ring having an inner diameter which is only slightly larger than the outer diameter of said shaft to define a small radial clearance therebetween, said vibration dampening ring being of substantial axial extent to function as a vibration damper.