Mechanical split seal

Abstract

A split seal component includes two seal face segments in two holder halves and a method of assembly and installation. Each seal face segment has a primary sealing surface and a section extending axially from each primary sealing surface. The holder halves are adapted to be joined together to rigidly hold the circular seal face. The holder being constructed and arranged to mount to a shaft. In a unitized design (FIGS. 29/30) a rotary assembly of seal face segment (206) and rotary holder half (102) may have a contact surface (712) to contact abutment surface (714) of a stationary holder half (370) of a stationary assembly. A biasing device (e.g., spring 514) pushes stationary seal face segment (406) against rotary seal face segment (206) thereby to push contact surface (712) into contact with abutment surface (714). After the stationary assembly is fixed in place around a shaft, the contact and abutment surfaces (712, 714) may be axially displaced (FIG. 30) to provide operational clearance and the rotary assembly then attached around the shaft. Contact between the surfaces (712, 714) can thus provide pre-installation retention of a rotary holder half by a stationary holder half for unitized assembly, prior to axial displacement as assembly is completed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.