Neck seal

A neck seal for use in an oil film bearing assembly for a roll in a rolling mill, the roll having a neck with an intermediate tapered section leading to a reduced diameter end section contained within a sleeve, with the sleeve being fixed in relation to the roll neck and being journalled for rotation in a bushing fixed within a chock, said neck seal being adapted to be mounted on the tapered section of the roll neck for rotation therewith at a location surrounded by a seal end plate fixed to the chock, said neck seal comprising:

• a flexible circular body having axially spaced radially outwardly projecting first and second flanges configured and dimensioned to sealingly contact the seal end plate;
• a metal retaining band encircling the exterior of said body between said first and second flanges;
• first and second axially spaced ridges projecting radially inwardly from said body for contact with the tapered section of the roll neck, said first and second ridges being respectively aligned substantially radially with and radially joined to said first and second flanges by solid intermediate portions of said body;
• and
• a third ridge protecting radially inwardly from said body for contact with the tapered section of the roll neck, said third ridge being located between and spaced axially from both said first and second ridges, and being radially aligned with and radially spaced from said retaining band by a solid intermediate portion of said body.