Rod seal assemblies for machines with crossheads and sealed oscillating rods

A rod seal assembly for a machine comprising a crosshead and a sealed piston rod, wherein the rod seal assembly comprises:

• a seal housing, a rod seal, a bushing and a rod seal base,
• wherein the rod seal, bushing and the rod seal base are annular and can be laterally moved in relation to the seal housing,
• wherein the housing axially supports the rod seal base,
• wherein the rod seal base is adapted to be arranged around the piston rod and is provided with a base portion,
• wherein the base portion comprises:
• a lower axial surface directed in a first axial direction;
• and an upper axial surface directed in a second axial direction,
• wherein the lower axial surface abuts the housing and the upper axial surface is provided with a rod seal seat,
• wherein the rod seal is adapted to be arranged around the piston rod, and has a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the first end portion is arranged to connect to the rod seal base in the first axial direction,
• wherein the bushing is arranged to abut the rod seal in the first axial direction, and wherein the rod seal base and the bushing are arranged to have an axial overlap,
• wherein the rod seal base comprising a lateral bearing arranged to allow a lateral displacement of the rod seal base and the seal housing, and
• wherein the lateral bearing comprises a plurality of bearing rods extending from the housing in a first axial direction towards the rod seal base, which is suspended in the bearing rods, or a plurality of laterally displaceable, longitudinally pendulous rods arranged to abut the housing in a first axial direction from the rod seal base, or a circular ball bearing or a laminated bearing comprising a plurality of polymer layers between rigid layers.