Shut off valve assembly about a shaft of a device having an entry into a vessel

A shut-off seal assembly for use with a vessel for holding a flowable material, said vessel having a wall and an orifice in said wall and having a vessel mechanical seal for assisting in preventing the escape of the flowable material from said vessel, said assembly comprising:

• a rotatable shaft extending through said orifice, said shaft having a first end operably connected to a mixing apparatus for mixing the flowable material, a second end operably connected to a rotational drive apparatus for rotating said shaft, a longitudinal axis and an outer surface;
• a seal carrier comprising:
• a substantially cylindrical body having a first side facing the vessel and a second side facing away from the vessel;
• at least one notch in said body, said at least one notch having at least one engageable portion;
• a plurality of seal carrier holes extending through said body;
• a plurality of connectors corresponding to said plurality of seal carrier holes extending through said respective slots in said body;
• and
• a seal on said second side of said body;
• a plurality of angled slots on said outer surface of said shaft, each of said slots corresponding to and able to receive said respective connectors extending through said seal carrier holes;
• a seal seat secured to said shaft at the base of said seal carrier for engaging with said seal when said assembly is in operation;
• a moveable rotation restriction device for restricting the rotation of said shaft engageable with said engageable portion of said seal carrier notch in response to the movement of said rotation restriction device;
• and
• a mounting flange for mounting said assembly to the vessel mechanical seal, said mounting flange having a first side facing said vessel and a second side facing away from said vessel, said mounting flange including a sealing ring on said side facing said vessel for engaging with said seal when said assembly is in operation, wherein said seal, said seal seat and said sealing ring are configured to form a flowable material-tight engagement when said assembly is in use.

A shut-off seal assembly for use with a vessel for holding a flowable material employing a rotatable shaft extending through an orifice in a wall of said vessel and having a vessel mechanical seal for assisting in preventing the escape of the flowable material along the shaft, the shaft having a longitudinal axis, said assembly comprising:

• a seal carrier comprising:
• a substantially cylindrical body having a first side facing the vessel and a second side facing away from the vessel;
• a notch in said body, said notch having two opposing lipped edges;
• a plurality of seal carrier holes extending through said body;
• a plurality of drive pins corresponding to said plurality of seal carrier holes extending through said respective slots in said body;
• and
• a seal on said second side of said body, said seal comprising:
• an annular beveled end extending outwardly from said seal carrier in the direction away from said vessel, said beveled end comprising two opposing beveled faces whereby one of said faces is angled towards the longitudinal axis of the shaft and the other of said faces is angled away from the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and wherein said faces meet at a 90° angle;
• an annular sleeve having a cross-sectional diameter around which said seal carrier extends comprising:
• a substantially cylindrical body having a cross-sectional interior diameter for securely receiving said shaft, said body having an outer surface;
• a first body end;
• a second body end;
• and
• a plurality of angled slots on said outer surface of said body, each of said slots corresponding to and able to receive said respective drive pins;
• a seal seat secured to said sleeve for engaging with said seal when said assembly is in operation, said seal seat comprising:
• a first end secured to said sleeve at said second end of said sleeve, the first end of said seal seat having an equal diameter to that of said sleeve;
• a second end having a flat annular surface facing away from the vessel;
• an annular wall extending from said seal seat second end towards said first end;
• and
• an angled face extending from said annular wall to said first end, said angled face angled away from the longitudinal axis of the shaft and configured to form a fluid-tight engagement with said face of said seal angled towards the longitudinal axis of said shaft;
• a pivotable pawl pivotable towards and away from said seal carrier, said pawl comprising:
• a first pawl end having a head, said head having at two opposing prongs;
• a second pawl end having a pivot point;
• a body extending from said first end to said second end;
• and
• a handle operably connected to said pivot point by a shaft,
• wherein one prong of said two prongs engages said notch on said seal carrier by abutting said notch underneath one lip of said two opposing lips in response to the pivoting of said pawl by operation of said handle;
• a mounting flange for mounting said assembly to the vessel mechanical seal, said mounting flange having a first side facing said vessel and a second side facing away from said vessel, said mounting flange including an annular sealing ring on said side facing said vessel for engaging with said seal when said assembly is in operation, said sealing ring comprising an annular recessed wall at said side facing said vessel, said wall angled towards the longitudinal axis of the shaft and configured to form a fluid-tight engagement with said face of said seal angled away from the longitudinal axis of the shaft, wherein said seal, said seal seat and said sealing ring are configured to form a flowable material-tight engagement when said assembly is in use;
• and
• a collar having an annular body, said collar secured to said sleeve between said seal carrier and said vessel.