Arrangement for reducing seal damage between rotatable and stationary members

In an arrangement for rotatably supporting a cutter on the spindle of a cutter shank, the improvement comprising:

• a pair of seals which are radially spaced from each other;
• rotatable means extending between said pair of radially spaced seals to position one of said pair of radially spaced seals to sealingly engage between said rotatable means and the cutter and to position the other of said pair of radially spaced seals to sealingly engage between said rotatable means and the spindle;
• and
• propelling means responsive to rotation of the cutter to rotate said rotatable means at a substantially reduced rotational speed relative to the rotational speed of the cutter to inhibit damage to said pair of radially spaced seals.

In an arrangement for reducing the damage to a sealing relationship between a rotatable and stationary member, the improvement comprising:

• an inner annular surface on the rotatable member having an annular groove therein;
• an outer annular surface on the stationary member;
• a rotatable cage between said inner and outer annular surfaces, said cage having a groove therein adjacent said outer annular surface;
• a seal for the groove in said inner annular surface for sealably engaging between the rotatable member and said cage;
• a seal for the groove in said cage for sealably engaging between the stationary member and said cage;
• and
• propelling means responsive to rotation of said rotatable means for rotating said cage at a reduced rotational speed relative to the rotational speed of said rotatable means to inhibit damage to said seals.

In an arrangement for reducing the damage to a sealing relationship between a rotatable and stationary member wherein a pair of radially spaced seal means are provided to form the sealing relationship between the rotatable and stationary member, the improvement comprising:

• means to substantially reduce the rotational speed adjacent the sealing relationship between the rotatable and stationary member, said means including:
• first means extending between and sealingly engaging the radially spaced pair of seal means forming the sealing relationship;
• and
• second means operable by rotation of the rotatable member to rotate said first means about the stationary member at a substantially reduced rotational speed relative to the rotational speed of the rotatable member to inhibit damage to the radially spaced seal means.

In an arrangement for reducing the damage to a sealing relationship that forms a lubricant chamber portion between a rotatable and stationary member wherein radially spaced first and second seals are provided to form the sealing relationship between the rotatable and stationary member, the improvement comprising:

• means to substantially reduce the rotational speed adjacent the seals that form the sealing relationship between the rotatable and stationary member, said means including:
• first means sealingly engaging and extending into the radial space between the first and second seals forming the sealing relationship;
• second means operable by rotation of the rotatable member to rotate said first means about the stationary member at a substantially reduced rotational speed relative to the rotational speed of the rotatable member to inhibit damage to the radially spaced seals;
• and
• the chamber portion receiving said first and second means and wherein the stationary member includes a lubricant chamber portion, means for communicating the lubricant chamber portions, piston means sealably engageable in the stationary member chamber portion and movable therein in one direction in response to pressure externally of the chamber portions for equalizing pressure externally of the chamber portions with the pressure in the chamber portions, one-way valve means in said piston means for conducting lubricant into the stationary member chamber portion, said valve means operative to prevent reverse flow of lubricant therethrough and means to limit travel of said piston means in the other direction in the spindle.

An arrangement for reducing the damage to a sealing relationship between a rotatable and stationary member including:

• first and second radially spaced seals for forming the sealing relationship between the rotatable and stationary members;
• cage means between the rotatable and stationary members and extending into the radial space between said first and second seals for sealingly engaging said seal means;
• and
• means for reducing the relative rotational speed of said cage means in relation to the rotational speed of the rotatable member adjacent said first and second seals that form the sealing relationship to inhibit damage to the radially spaced seals.