Grid coupling seal and method

A grid coupling, comprising:

• two housing halves that are connectable to one another to form a housing having an internal cavity, and an opening disposed at each of a first axial end and a second axial end of the housing;
• a rotating group at least partially disposed within the internal cavity, the rotating group having two hubs rotatably engaged by a spring element to rotate about a rotational axis, each of the two hubs having a cylindrical bearing surface that extends axially along at least a portion of each of the two hubs and along the rotational axis such that, when the grid coupling is assembled, the cylindrical bearing surface extends through the opening disposed at each of the first axial end and the second axial end;
• wherein the rotating group is adapted for mechanical connection between a driver shaft and a driven shaft to transfer rotational motion between the driver and driven shafts;
• wherein each of the two housing halves is generally saddle shaped and includes two flanges that are coplanar along a plane that extends parallel to the rotational axis from the first axial end to the second axial end, wherein the two housing halves are connected to form the housing at the two flanges,
• wherein each of the two housing halves further includes a channel disposed at each of the first axial end and the second axial end, the channel extending peripherally around the opening at each of the first axial end and the second axial end, the channel being oriented perpendicularly to the rotational axis, and
• two combined seal members, each of the two combined seal members comprising:
• at least one gasket seal portion, and
• at least one radial seal portion;
• wherein each of the two combined seal members includes two gasket seal portions that sealably engage both of the two flanges of one of the two housing halves, and two radial seal portions, each of the two radial seal portions having a semicircular shape, and wherein each of the two combined seal members is formed as an integral structure from an elastomeric material;
• and
• wherein, when the grid coupling is assembled, each of the two combined seal members is configured to be insertable around the rotating group while the rotating group remains connected between the driver and driven shafts and the housing is removed, such that, when the two housing halves are assembled around the rotating group with the two combined seal members, the internal cavity is sealed by at least one gasket seal portion from one of the two combined seals is disposed in sealing relation between two opposed flanges, and the at least one radial seal portion is disposed in the channel in sealing and sliding relation between the channel and the cylindrical bearing surface.