Stuffing box assembly and sealing assembly for use therein

Abstract

A stuffing box assembly for use in sealing between a fixed housing and a rotatable member extending through the fixed housing comprising a housing forming a sealing assembly chamber, a rotatable member extending through the housing and a sealing assembly received in the chamber, the sealing assembly including an annular seal ring carrier, an annular seal ring carried by the carrier, the seal ring having an annular radially outer portion and an annular radially inwardly extending sealing lip, an annular seal ring spreader operatively engaged with the seal ring, an elastic biasing member operatively engaged with the seal ring spreader and an annular adjustable follower selectively axially immovable with respect to the housing, the spreader exerting a greater force on the sealing lip than the radially outer portion of the seal lip when the spreader is biased towards the seal ring.

1 . A sealing assembly for use in sealing between a housing and a member extending into said housing, said housing and said member being relatively rotatable comprising: 
 an annular seal ring carrier;    an annular seal ring carried by said carrier, said seal ring having an annular, radially outer portion and an annular, radially inner portion;    an annular seal ring spreader operatively engaged with said seal ring;    an elastic biasing member operatively engaged with said seal ring spreader; and    an annular, adjustable follower, said spreader exerting a greater force on one of said radially inner or outer portions than the other of the said radially inner or outer portions of said seal ring when said spreader is biased toward said seal ring by said biasing member.    
     
     
         2 . The sealing assembly of  claim 1  wherein said housing is fixed relative to said member and said seal ring carrier comprises an axially extending skirt and a radially inwardly projecting flange, said skirt and said flange cooperating to form a radially opening annular recess, said seal ring, said spreader and said biasing member being received in said recess.  
     
     
         3 . The sealing assembly of  claim 2  wherein said radially inner portion of said seal ring comprises a radially inwardly extending sealing lip and said spreader exerts said greater force on said inner portion of said seal ring.  
     
     
         4 . The sealing assembly of  claim 2  wherein there are a plurality of said biasing members.  
     
     
         5 . The sealing assembly of  claim 3  wherein there are plurality of said biasing members.  
     
     
         6 . The sealing assembly of  claim 3  wherein said radially inwardly extending sealing lip has an axially facing, frustoconical sealing lip surface and said spreader has an axially facing, frustoconical engagement surface, said frustoconical sealing lip surface and said frustoconical engagement surface being complimentary to one another, the smallest diameter of said frustoconical engagement surface being radially inwardly, the largest diameter of said frustoconical sealing lip surface being radially outwardly.  
     
     
         7 . The sealing assembly of  claim 2  wherein said radially inner portion comprises a radially inwardly extending sealing lip having an axially facing, frustoconical sealing lip surface and said spreader has an axially facing, frustoconical engagement surface, said frustoconical sealing lip surface and said frustoconical engagement surface being complimentary to one another, the smallest diameter of said frustoconical engagement surface being radially inwardly, the largest diameter of said frustoconical sealing lip surface being radially outwardly.  
     
     
         8 . The sealing assembly of  claim 1  wherein said housing is fixed relative to said member and said seal ring carrier has an axially and radially inwardly opening notch and said radially outer portion of said seal ring is received in said notch.  
     
     
         9 . The sealing assembly of  claim 8  wherein said spreader and said biasing member are disposed radially inwardly of said carrier.  
     
     
         10 . The sealing assembly of  claim 9  wherein there are a plurality of said biasing members.  
     
     
         11 . The sealing assembly of  claim 8  wherein said radially inner portion of said seal ring comprises a radially inwardly extending sealing lip and said spreader exerts said greater force on said carrier portion.  
     
     
         12 . The sealing assembly of  claim 11  wherein said sealing lip has an axially facing, frustoconical sealing lip surface and said spreader has an axially facing frustoconical engagement surface, said frustoconical sealing by surface and said frustoconical spreader surface being complimentary to one another, the smallest diameter of said frustoconical engagement surface being radially inwardly, the largest diameter of said frustoconical sealing lip surface being radially outwardly.  
     
     
         13 . The sealing assembly of  claim 9  wherein there are a plurality of said biasing members.  
     
     
         14 . A stuffing box assembly for use in sealing between a fixed housing and a rotatable member extending into said housing, comprising: 
 a housing having a bore for receipt of said rotatable member and forming a sealing assembly chamber;    a sealing assembly received in said chamber, said sealing assembly comprising: 
 an annular seal ring carrier having a bore therethrough, said bore in said seal ring carrier and said housing being in register;  
 an annular seal ring carried by said carrier, said seal ring having an annular, radially outer portion and an annular, radially inwardly extending lip for sealingly engaging said rotatable shaft;  
 an annular seal ring spreader operatively engaged with said seal ring;  
 an elastic biasing member operatively engaged with said seal ring spreader; and  
 an annular, adjustable follower selectively, axially moveable with respect to said housing, said spreader exerting a greater force on said sealing lip than said radially outer portion, when said spreader is biased towards said seal ring by said biasing member.  
   
     
     
         15 . The stuffing box assembly of  claim 14  wherein said seal ring carrier comprises an axially extending skirt and a radially inwardly projecting flange, said skirt and said flange cooperating to form an annular recess, said seal ring, said spreader and said biasing member being received in said recess.  
     
     
         16 . The stuffing box assembly of  claim 14  wherein said radially outer portion of said seal ring comprises a sealing lip.  
     
     
         17 . The stuffing box assembly of  claim 14  wherein there are a plurality of said biasing members.  
     
     
         18 . The stuffing box assembly of  claim 15  wherein there are a plurality of said biasing members.  
     
     
         19 . The stuffing box assembly of  claim 14  wherein said radially inwardly extending sealing lip has an axially facing, frustoconical sealing lip surface and said spreader has an axially facing, frustoconical engagement surface, said frustoconical sealing lip surface and said frustoconical engagement surface being complimentary to one another, the smallest diameter of said frustoconical engagement surface being radially inwardly, the largest diameter of said frustoconical sealing lip surface being radially outwardly.  
     
     
         20 . The stuffing box assembly of  claim 15  wherein said radially inwardly extending sealing lip has an axially facing, frustoconical sealing lip surface and said spreader has an axially facing, frustoconical engagement surface, said frustoconical sealing lip surface and said frustoconical engagement surface being complimentary to one another, the smallest diameter of said frustoconical engagement surface being radially inwardly, the largest diameter of said frustoconical sealing lip surface being radially outwardly.  
     
     
         21 . The stuffing box assembly of  claim 14  wherein said carrier has an axially and radially inwardly opening notch and said radially outer portion of said seal ring is received in said notch.  
     
     
         22 . The stuffing box assembly of  claim 21  wherein said spreader and said biasing member are disposed radially inwardly of said carrier.  
     
     
         23 . The stuffing box of  claim 21  wherein there are a plurality of said biasing members.  
     
     
         24 . The stuffing box assembly of  claim 22  wherein sealing lip has an axially facing, frustoconical sealing lip surface and said spreader has an axially facing frustoconical engagement surface, said frustoconical sealing by surface and said frustoconical spreader surface being complimentary to one another, the smallest diameter of said frustoconical engagement surface being radially inwardly, the largest diameter of said frustoconical sealing lip surface being radially outwardly.  
     
     
         25 . The stuffing box assembly of  claim 22  wherein there are a plurality of said biasing members.  
     
     
         26 . The sealing assembly of any of claims  1 ,  4 ,  5 ,  10  or  13  wherein said biasing member(s) comprises a wave spring(s).  
     
     
         27 . The stuffing box of any of claims  14 ,  17 ,  18 ,  23  or  25  wherein said biasing member(s) comprises a wave spring(s).