US 4,819,999 AGranted

End face seal assembly

AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.

InventorsRichard E. Livesay, Robert J. Purcell, Blair A. Maust

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Abstract

An end face seal assembly is disclosed for use in severe service applications, such as for use in sealing a track joint. The seal assembly includes a rubber load ring, an L-shaped metal seal ring and a polyurethane seal ring. The polyurethane seal ring is mounted in a groove provided in the end face of the track bushing and has a seal lip which dynamically seals against a radial sealing surface of the metal seal ring. The load ring mounts the metal ring in the counterbore of the outer track link and provides the axial force for urging the metal seal ring into axial sealing engagement against the seal lip. The seal assembly eliminates grooving of the bushing end face which occurs with the use of prior art seals which use such end face as a dynamic sealing surface. The metal seal ring of the present seal assembly is made of an extremely hard and corrosion resistant material so as to virtually eliminate such grooving.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An end face seal assembly adapted for use in sealing a joint wherein a first member of said joint is pivotable about an axis relative to a second member thereof, said first member having an annular, axially opening seal cavity about said axis, said seal assembly comprising:

a first seal ring (50) of a rigid metal construction positionable within said seal cavity and having an L-shaped cross sectional configuration defining a radially outwardly extending flange portion and an axially extending flange portion said radial flange portion having a hard, wear and corrosion resistant radial sealing surface;
a resilient second seal ring having an annular seal lip of a wear resistant polyurethane, said lip being disposed for axial sealing engagement against said radial sealing surface of said rigid first seal ring;
an elastomeric load ring being positionable between said seal cavity and said rigid first seal ring for axially urging said radial sealing surface into axial sealing engagement against said seal lip of said resilient second seal ring;
and
means for maintaining said second seal ring in a fixed, non-rotative relationship relatively to said second member during pivoting of said joint, said means including said second member having an annular groove opening toward said radial sealing surface of said first seal ring and said second seal ring having a body portion positionable within said groove.

2 more elements

A track joint, comprising:

an inner end link portion having a bushing bore;
a bushing having a pin receiving bore and an end face, said bushing being fixedly secured within said bushing bore of said inner end link portion;
an outer end link portion having a pin bore and an inwardly opening counterbore about said pin bore, said counterbore being positionable in opposing relation to said bushing end face;
a pin fixedly secured within said pin bore of said outer end link portion and pivotably disposed within said pin receiving bore of said bushing whereby said inner end link portion and said bushing of said track joint are pivotable relative to said outer end link portion and said pin thereof;
an end face seal assembly having a first seal ring and a second seal ring, said first seal ring being disposed within said counterbore and having an L-shaped cross sectional configuration including a radially outwardly extending flange portion and an axially extending flange portion, said flange portions defining a seat and said radially extending flange portion defining a radial sealing surface of a hard, wear resistant metal alloy opposing said bushing end face;
and said second seal ring having an annular seal lip of a wear resistant polyurethane;
means for maintaining said second seal ring in a fixed, non-rotative relationship relative to said second member during pivoting of said joint, said means including said second member having an annular groove opening toward said radial sealing surface of said first seal ring and said second seal ring having a body portion positionable within said groove;
and
means for resiliently mounting said first seal ring to said outer end link portion and for urging said radial sealing surface into axial sealing engagement against said seal lip of said second seal ring, said means including a rubber load ring disposed within said seat of the first seal ring.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.