Back to results
US 5,624,290 AGranted
Seal arrangement for propeller shafts of ships
AssigneeBlohm + Voss Holding AG
InventorsErnst-Peter Von Bergen, Gunter Pietsch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seal arrangement for controlling any large bearing clearance in the vicinity of a propeller shaft, such as for a propeller drive system for ships with two concentric propeller shafts rotating in opposite directions, has a housing ring for supporting the sealing lips and a supporting ring for supporting the housing ring and defining a clearance therebetween. This clearance can be sealed, and maintained by means of elastic ring walls disposed between and interconnecting the housing to the supporting ring, so that compensation can be achieved for changes in the clearance during rotation of the propeller shaft.
Claims6
A seal arrangement for providing seals about a propeller shaft arrangement of a ship, the shaft arrangement including inner and outer propeller shafts disposed concentrically to one another and passing through the hull, said seal arrangement comprising:
- first seal means for sealing between the outer propeller shaft and the hull, said first seal means being disposed to provide a fluid-tight seal between the outer propeller shaft and the hull;
- and
- second seal means for being disposed between the inner and outer propeller shafts, said second seal means being disposed to provide a fluid tight seal between the inner and outer propeller shafts, said second seal means comprising:
- a housing for being disposed about the inner shaft, said housing having an inner portion disposed towards the inner shaft, and an outer portion disposed away from the inner shaft;
- support means for maintaining a position of said housing about the inner shaft, said support means for being mounted to the outer propeller shaft, said support means being disposed about said housing and spaced radially from said outer portion of said housing to define at least a first clearance between said support means and said housing;
- at least two sealing elements for being disposed between the inner shaft and said housing, said at least two sealing elements being first and second sealing elements, each of said first and second sealing elements having a portion for being disposed in sealing engagement with the inner shaft;
- two flexible members disposed between said housing and said support means to seal said at least a first clearance between said housing and said support means, each of said two flexible members being configured for allowing radial movements between the inner shaft and the outer shaft;
- said two flexible members being a first flexible member and a second flexible member;
- each of said first and second flexible members sealing between said housing and said support means comprising an element separate and distinct from said first and second sealing elements sealing between said housing and the inner shaft;
- each of said first and second flexible members extending between said support means and said housing;
- each of said first and second sealing elements extending between said housing and the inner shaft;
- each of said first and second flexible members being disposed at a substantial distance from said first and second sealing element;
- said housing comprising a tubular member for being disposed about the inner propeller shaft, said housing having an exterior surface disposed towards said support means, an interior surface for being disposed towards the inner shaft, a first axial end for being disposed towards the hull of the ship, and a second axial end disposed opposite said first end;
- each of said first and second flexible members comprising an outer peripheral edge connected to said support means, and an inner edge connected to said housing;
- each of said first and second sealing elements comprising an outer peripheral edge connected to said housing and an inner edge for being disposed about the inner shaft, said inner edge of each of said first and second sealing elements comprising said sealing portion;
- said housing comprising means for separately clamping each of:
- said outer peripheral edges of said first and second sealing elements, and said inner edges of said first and second flexible members, to said housing;
- said means for separately clamping comprising:
- a first annular recess and a second annular recess both being disposed about said exterior surface of said housing;
- said first annular recess being disposed for receiving said inner edge of said first flexible member therewithin;
- said second annular recess being disposed for receiving said inner edge of said second flexible member therewithin;
- a third annular recess being disposed about said interior surface of said housing for receiving said outer peripheral edge of said first sealing element therewithin;
- and
- first ring means being disposed adjacent each of said first, second, and third annular recesses to clamp said inner edge of each of said first and second flexible members to said housing and clamp said outer edges of said first and second sealing elements to said housing;
- said support means comprising a tubular member disposed concentrically about said housing, said support means having an interior surface disposed towards said housing;
- said support means comprising a first annular recess and a second annular recess both being disposed about said interior surface thereof;
- said first annular recess of said support means being disposed for receiving said outer peripheral edge of said first flexible member therein;
- said second annular recess of said support means being disposed for receiving said outer peripheral edge of said second flexible member therein;
- said support means comprising second ring means disposed about said support means and adjacent said first annular recess and said second annular recess of said support means to clamp said outer peripheral edge of each of said first and second flexible members to said support means;
- said first flexible member being disposed adjacent said first axial end of said housing, and said second flexible member being disposed adjacent said second axial end of said housing;
- each of said first and second flexible members comprising a flexible ring-shaped member having an inner edge disposed towards said housing and an outer peripheral disposed towards said support means;
- each said inner edge of said first and second flexible members being fixedly attached by said first ring means to said housing in a corresponding one of said first and second annular recesses of said housing, and each said outer peripheral edge of said first and second flexible members being fixedly attached by said second ring means to said support means in a corresponding one of said first and second annular recesses of said support means;
- said first sealing element being disposed adjacent said second axial end of said housing;
- said first ring means comprising a first ring being disposed axially adjacent said second axial end of said housing for axially clamping both said second flexible member and said first sealing element to said second axial end of said housing;
- said first ring having a first side disposed towards said support means and a second side disposed axially opposite said first side;
- said second side comprising an annular recess for receiving said second sealing element therein;
- and
- said first ring means additionally comprising a second ring being disposed axially adjacent said first ring for axially clamping said second sealing element in said annular recess of said second side of said first ring.
35 more elements
A propeller shaft arrangement of a ship, said propeller shaft arrangement comprising:
- an inner propeller shaft and an outer propeller shaft disposed concentrically with respect to one another and for passing through the hull of a ship;
- a seal arrangement for providing seals about said propeller shaft arranqement, said seal arrangement comprising:
- first seal means for sealing between said outer propeller shaft and the hull, said first seal means being disposed to provide a fluid-tight seal between said outer propeller shaft and the hull;
- and
- second seal means disposed between said inner and outer propeller shafts, said second seal means being disposed to provide a fluid tight seal between said inner and outer propeller shafts, said second seal means comprising:
- a housing disposed about said inner shaft, said housing having an inner portion disposed towards said inner shaft, and an outer portion disposed away from said inner shaft;
- support means for maintaining a position of said housing about said inner shaft, said support means being mounted to said outer propeller shaft, said support means being disposed about said housing and spaced radially from said outer portion of said housing to define at least a first clearance between said support means and said housing;
- at least two sealing elements being disposed between said inner shaft and said housing, said at least two sealing elements being a first sealing element and a second sealing element, each of said first and second sealing elements having a portion being disposed in sealing engagement with said inner shaft;
- two flexible members disposed between said housing and said support means to seal said at least a first clearance between said housing and said support means, each of said two flexible members being configured for allowing radial movements between said inner shaft and said outer shaft;
- said two flexible members being a first flexible member and a second flexible member;
- each of said first and second flexible members sealing between said housing and said support means comprising an element separate and distinct from said first and second sealing elements sealing between said housing and said inner shaft;
- each of said first and second flexible members extending between said support means and said housing;
- each of said first and second sealing elements extending between said housing and said inner shaft;
- each of said first and second flexible members being disposed at a substantial distance from said first and second sealing elements;
- said housing comprising a tubular member being disposed about said inner propeller shaft, said housing having an exterior surface disposed towards said support means, an interior surface disposed towards said inner shaft, a first axial end for being disposed towards the hull of the ship, and a second axial end disposed opposite said first end;
- each of said first and second flexible members comprising an outer peripheral edge connected to said support means, and an inner edge connected to said housing;
- each of said first and second sealing elements comprising an outer peripheral edge connected to said housing, and an inner edge being disposed about said inner shaft, said inner edge of each of said first and second sealing elements comprising said sealing portion;
- said housing comprising means for separately clamping each of:
- said outer peripheral edges of said first and second sealing elements, and said inner edges of said first and second flexible members, to said housing;
- said means for separately clamping comprising:
- a first annular recess and a second annular recess both being disposed about said exterior surface of said housing;
- said first annular recess being disposed for receiving said inner edge of said first flexible member therewithin;
- said second annular recess being disposed for receiving said inner edge of said second flexible member therewithin;
- a third annular recess being disposed about said interior surface of said housing for receiving said outer peripheral edge of said first sealing element therewithin;
- and
- first ring means being disposed adjacent each of said first, second, and third annular recesses to clamp said inner edge of each of said first and second flexible members to said housing and clamp said outer edges of said first and second sealing elements to said housing;
- said support means comprising a tubular member disposed concentrically about said housing, said support means having an interior surface disposed towards said housing;
- said support means comprising a first annular recess and a second annular recess both being disposed about said interior surface thereof;
- said first annular recess of said support means being disposed for receiving said outer peripheral edge of said first flexible member therein;
- said second annular recess of said support means being disposed for receiving said outer peripheral edge of said second flexible member therein;
- said support means comprising second ring means disposed about said support means and adjacent said first annular recess and said second annular recess of said support means to clamp said outer peripheral edge of each of said first and second flexible members to said support means;
- said first flexible member being disposed adjacent said first axial end of said housing, and said second flexible member being disposed adjacent said second axial end of said housing;
- each of said first and second flexible members comprising a flexible ring-shaped member having an inner edge disposed towards said housing and an outer peripheral edge disposed towards said support means;
- each said inner edge of said first and second flexible members being fixedly attached by said first means to said housing in a corresponding one of said first and second annular recesses of said housing, and each said outer peripheral edge of said first and second flexible members being fixedly attached by said second ring means to said support means in a corresponding one of said first and second annular recesses of said support means;
- said first sealing element being disposed adjacent said second axial end of said housing;
- and
- said first ring means comprising a first ring being disposed axially adjacent said second axial end of said housing for axially clamping both said second flexible member and said first sealing element to said second axial end of said housing;
- said first ring having a first side disposed towards said support means and a second side disposed axially opposite said first side;
- said second side comprising an annular recess for receiving said second sealing element therein;
- and
- said first ring means additionally comprising a second ring being disposed axially adjacent said first ring for axially clamping said second sealing element in said annular recess of said second side of said first ring.
38 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.