Pressurized bearing seal assembly
AssigneePotlatch Corporation
InventorMichael A. Smetana
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pressurized bearing seal which uses pressurized air (1) to expand a sealing member which surrounds a shaft supported by the bearing to create a seal between the shaft and bearing, and (2) for an air purge from the bearing along the shaft to prevent intake of foreign particles into the bearing along the shaft. A ring assembly, which is secured to the bearing, surrounds the expandable member and has a conduit formed therein for purging or bleeding pressurized air along the shaft to the atmosphere.
Claims25
A pressurized seal assembly for a bearing which rotatably supports a shaft for rotation about an axis, comprising:
- an expandable member adapted to surround the rotatable shaft, the expandable member having a first inner annular surface for sealing engagement with the rotatable shaft and a second outer annular surface for sealing engagement with a stationary portion of the bearing;
- cavity means within the expandable member, the cavity means being disposed between the inner and outer annular surfaces for receiving pressurized air and causing respective outward and inward expansion of the outer and inner annular surfaces;
- and
- conduit means in communication with the cavity means for bleeding pressurized air therefrom axially along the shaft for preventing contaminants from entering the bearing along the shaft.
A pressurized seal assembly for a bearing which rotatably supports a shaft for rotation about an axis, comprising:
- first ring means for encircling the rotatable shaft and defining a sealing space between the first ring means and the shaft, the first ring means being adapted to be secured to a stationary bearing support structure;
- an expandable member adapted to be received within the sealing space and surround the rotatable shaft, the expandable member having cavity means for receiving pressurized air for causing expansion of the expandable member within the sealing space;
- second ring means for encircling a shaft, the second ring means being adapted to be secured to the stationary bearing support structure through the first ring means whereby the first ring means is positioned between the second ring means and stationary bearing support structure, the second ring means being in fluid communication with the cavity means;
- and
- conduit means integrally formed in the second ring means for bleeding pressurized air from the cavity means axially along the shaft for preventing contaminant from entering the bearing along the shaft.
A bearing apparatus for rotatably supporting a shaft for rotation about an axis, comprising:
- a bearing support structure;
- an annular bearing member supported by the bearing support structure, the annular bearing member adapted to contact and rotatably support the shaft;
- and
- a pressurized seal assembly comprising:
- an expandable member adapted to surround the rotatable shaft, the expandable member having a first inner annular surface for sealing engagement with the rotatable shaft and a second outer annular surface for sealing engagement with a stationary portion of the bearing;
- cavity means within the expandable member, the cavity means being disposed between the inner and outer annular surfaces for receiving pressurized air and causing respective outward and inward expansion of the outer and inner annular surfaces;
- and
- conduit means in communication with the cavity means for bleeding pressurized air therefrom axially along the shaft for preventing contaminant from entering the bearing apparatus along the shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.