Submersible bearing assembly

Abstract

A submersible bearing assembly for a shaft includes a stationary housing that is horizontally split and a roller bearing mounted within the housing and which is also horizontally split. One end of the housing is closed and the other is open. A labyrinth seal seals the open end of the housing and has internal O-rings engaged with and sealing against the shaft. A seal chamber is mounted about the shaft adjacent the open end. The chamber includes a cartridge seal ring that is bolted to the housing about the open end, a shaft seal ring that is axially spaced from the cartridge ring and mounted upon and sealed to the shaft, and a chamber seal surrounding the shaft in the space between the cartridge seal ring and shaft seal ring and which seals against both rings. The chamber seal is formed of a pair of halves each including a rigid portion with a flat radial surface in contact with the like surface of the other half and a flexible portion that seals with a respective ring and urges the rigid portions into contact. A lubricating fluid is disposed in the seal chamber and means are provided for circulating the lubricating fluid through the chamber and for allowing visual inspection of the circulated fluid.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.