Split mechanical face seal and method of assembly thereof

A split seal construction including rotating and stationary seal assemblies incorporating annular holders each including a pair of substantially half annular segments, said holders having opposing and remote axial ends, said opposing ends defining counterbores formed therein, substantially diametrically split rotating and stationary annular seal faces received in said counterbores of said rotating and stationary annular holders, respectively, a first diametrically split O-ring in said rotating holder counterbore sealing the outer periphery of said rotating seal face relative to the rotating holder, and a second diametrically split O-ring in the stationary holder counterbore sealing the outer periphery of said stationary seal face relative to the stationary holder, wherein at least one of said diametrically split O-rings includes a pair of O-ring halves, each O-ring half has a first end portion that is tapered and a second end portion that has a groove such that the end portions of the pair of O-ring halves, when assembled with the tapered ends inserted in the grooves, provide a tight seal at the end portions when the respective half annular segments are assembled and wherein the first end portions are fully received in the second end portions when the respective half annular segments are assembled and wherein each of said first end portions does not increase in cross-section when progressing toward its end.

A method of assembling and installing a split mechanical face seal around a shaft that extends from a housing, comprising:

• assembling two rotary seal face assembly halves, wherein each rotary seal face assembly half includes a rotary holder half having first and second axial ends, said first end having a counterbore therein, and a rotary seal face half in said counterbore;
• wherein assembling the two rotary seal face assembly halves includes securing each rotary seal face half within the counterbore of its respective rotary holder half prior to mounting the rotary seal face half around the shaft;
• mounting the two assembled rotary seal face assembly halves to each other around the shaft such that the assembled rotary seal face assembly halves rotate with the shaft;
• assembling two stationary seal face assembly halves, wherein each stationary seal face assembly half includes a stationary holder half having first and second axial ends, said first end having a counterbore therein, and a stationary seal face half in said counterbore;
• wherein assembling the two stationary seal face assembly halves includes securing each stationary seal face half within the counterbore of its respective stationary holder half prior to mounting the stationary seal face half around the shaft;
• mounting the two assembled stationary seal face assembly halves to each other around the shaft such that the rotary seal face halves are in opposed contacting relationship with the stationary seal face halves;
• and
• fastening the stationary holder halves to the housing.

A method of assembling and installing a split mechanical face seal around a shaft that extends from a housing, comprising:

• assembling two seal face assembly halves, wherein each seal face assembly half includes a holder half having first and second axial ends, said first end having a counterbore therein, and a seal face half in said counterbore;
• locating biasing means in the counterbore of the holder half of each seal face assembly half to bias the respective seal face half outwardly of the counterbore;
• locating resilient means in the counterbore of the holder half of each seal face assembly half to seal the respective seal face half relative to the holder half;
• securing the seal face half of each seal face assembly half within the counterbore of its respective holder half prior to mounting said seal face half around the shaft;
• and
• mounting the two seal face assembly halves to each other around the shaft.

A split mechanical face seal assembly for mounting around a shaft, comprising:

• two holder halves, each of said two holder halves having first and second axial ends, each first end defining a counterbore formed therein;
• a seal face half received in the counterbore of each of said two holder halves;
• resilient mounting means in the counterbore of each of said two holder halves to seal the respective seal face half relative to its holder half;
• means in the counterbore of each of said two holder halves biasing the seal face half outwardly of its counterbore;
• a separate split retainer ring half located between and engaging each biasing means and its respective seal face half;
• and
• means for securing the two holder halves to each other around the shaft.

A split mechanical face seal assembly for mounting around a shaft, comprising:

• two holder halves, each of said two holder halves having first and second axial ends, each first end defining a counterbore formed therein;
• a seal face half received in the counterbore of each of said two holder halves;
• resilient mounting means in the counterbore of each of said two holder halves to seal the respective seal face half relative to its holder half;
• means for securing the two holder halves to each other around the shaft;
• wherein the counterbore of each of said two holder halves defines a circumferentially inwardly opening groove and the resilient mounting means is a diametrically split O-ring half located in the circumferentially inwardly opening groove;
• wherein the O-ring half of each of said two holder halves has a tapered first end portion and a grooved second end portion;
• wherein the grooved second end portion of the O-ring half of one of said two holder halves closely corresponds in shape to the tapered first end portion of the O-ring half of the other of said two holder halves and the grooved second end portion of the O-ring half of the other of said two holder halves closely corresponds in shape to the tapered first end portion of the O-ring half of the one of said two holder halves;
• and
• wherein the O-ring half of each of said two holder halves is located in its respective groove with the tapered first end portion protruding out of the respective holder half and the grooved second end portion recessed within the respective holder half such that when the two holder halves are assembled, the tapered first end portions are received in the grooved second end portions.