Seal puller

Abstract

A seal puller pulls an annular seal from the interior of a cylindrical housing. The seal puller includes a hollow elongated externally threaded support rod and an elongated externally threaded adjustment rod passing through the hollow interior of the support rod. A tapered jaw spreader is carried on the end of the actuating rod. A support ring is rigidly affixed to the support rod. A plurality of elongated flexible jaws are rigidly affixed to the support ring and extend alongside the tapered jaw spreader. A depth guide sleeve carried on the support ring has an annular end wall spaced from flanged tips of the jaws. The axial position of the sleeve on the support ring is adjustable to pre-set the spacing between the end wall of the sleeve and the tips of the jaws to match the seal thickness. A pressure plate is slidable on the support rod, and a pressure adjustment nut is threaded onto the support rod adjacent the pressure plate. An actuating nut is threaded onto an end portion of the actuating rod which protrudes from the end of the support rod opposite the jaws. The tool is inserted into the seal housing so the jaw spreader and the jaws, in a retracted position, can pass through a central opening in the seal. The end wall of the sleeve acts as a stop to engage a front face of the seal. The actuating nut is then tightened against the support rod to draw the jaw spreader out of the housing. The wider tapering jaw spreader expands the jaws to engage the rear face of the seal. The pressure adjustment nut is then tightened against the pressure plate to apply pressure to the end wall of the housing for drawing the support rod out of the housing. This draws the jaws axially out of the housing which pulls the seal from its seat in the housing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.