Seal assembly

A unitary seal apparatus for maintaining a fluid on one side of a housing and isolating the fluid from the internal parts of the seal apparatus and from a rotatable shaft extending from the other side of the housing, the housing having an aperture through which said rotatable shaft is allowed to pass to the one side of said housing, said shaft being enclosed at one end in sealing engagement with a rotatable bearing member having a first bearing surface positioned on the one side of said housing, said seal apparatus comprising:

• seal retaining means adapted to be attached in sealing engagement to the housing in said aperture, the seal retaining means having an annular inside surface defining a first orifice, the annular inside surface having an annular groove therein;
• a rotationally static bearing member extending through the first orifice and having a second orifice through which the shaft is allowed to pass, the rotationally static bearing member being axially movable relative to the seal retaining means and having a second bearing surface adapted to be positioned adjacent to and form a dynamic and static seal with the first bearing surface;
• means within the seal retaining means for pressing the second bearing surface against the first bearing surface to provide the dynamic and static seal, the dynamic and static seal separating the fluid on the one side of the housing from the other side of the housing, said pressing means operating in a linear manner on the second bearing surface;
• and,
• rotationally static seal means positioned in the annular groove of the seal retaining means, the rotationally static seal means providing a seal between the annular inside surface of the seal retaining means and the rotationally static bearing member.

A seal apparatus for sealing a fluid in a housing through which a rotatable shaft apparatus extends, the shaft apparatus having a shaft enclosed at one end in sealing engagement with a bearing portion, the bearing portion having a first bearing surface positioned in the interior fluid containing portion of the housing apparatus, the seal apparatus comprising:

• seal retaining means attached in sealing engagement to the housing apparatus, the seal retaining means having a circumferential inside surface defining an orifice, the circumferential inside surface having a circumferential groove therein;
• a rotationally static bearing member extending through the orifice and around the shaft, said rotationally static bearing member being axially movable relative to the shaft apparatus, the rotationally static bearing member having a second bearing surface positioned adjacent to and facing the first bearing surface;
• means for pressing the second bearing surface against the first bearing surface to provide a dynamic and static seal, said pressing means operating in a linear manner on the second bearing surface to seal the fluid containing portion of the housing apparatus and the non-fluid containing portion of the housing apparatus;
• and,
• rotationally static seal means positioned in the circumferential groove in the circumferential inside surface of the seal retaining means for sealing the junction between the circumferential inside surface of the retaining means and the rotationally static bearing member.

A seal apparatus for sealing a fluid in a housing apparatus having an orifice through which a rotatable shaft apparatus extends, comprising:

• dynamic and static seal means positioned in the interior of the housing, said dynamic and static seal means comprising a first member attached in sealing engagement to the end of the shaft apparatus and a second member positioned adjacent to the first member, the second member being rotationally static and axially movable relative to the shaft apparatus, the second member having a cylindrical surface extending through the housing apparatus orifice and around the shaft apparatus;
• static seal means for sealing the junction between the cylindrical surface of the second member and the housing apparatus, the static seal means comprising a flange bearing in sealing engagement against the housing apparatus orifice, a circumferential groove, and a seal positioned in the circumferential groove and bearing against the cylindrical surface of the second member;
• and,
• means operating in a linear manner on the second bearing member for pressing the second member against the first member for maintaining the dynamic and static seal.