Cheese vat having adjustable shaft seal assembly

A cheese process vat having an adjustable shaft seal assembly, the cheese process vat comprising:

• a vat body having an interior and an end with a wall having an inwardly facing surface;
• a shaft extending through the wall;
• the shaft including a concentric, annular inner face, with the inner face spaced a pre-determined and non-adjustable distance from the inwardly facing surface of the wall;
• and
• a shaft seal assembly, the shaft seal assembly including a plurality of elongated fasteners extending in a direction parallel to the shaft, a plurality of shims, an axially adjustable seal assembly subunit that is operatively connected to the plurality of elongated fasteners and operatively connected to the plurality of shims, the seal assembly subunit having a portion that extends into the interior of the vat body, the seal assembly subunit having an inner seal holder and an axially aligned resilient face seal, each of which surround and are concentric with the shaft;
• wherein the face seal is configured and arranged to engage the inner face of the shaft;
• and wherein by changing the number of shims in operative connection with the seal assembly subunit the seal assembly subunit can be moved in an axial direction and a distance between the face seal of the and the inner face of the concentric flange of the shaft can be adjusted so that the amount of pressure that can be exerted against the inner face by the face seal can be varied.

A method of repositioning a seal to provide a greater pressure between the seal and a shaft assembly in a cheese process vat;

• the method comprising the steps of:
• providing a cheese process vat having
• an interior and an end with a wall having an interior surface;
• a shaft extending through the wall;
• the shaft including a concentric, annular inner face, with the inner face spaced a pre-determined and non-adjustable distance from the interior surface of the wall;
• providing a shaft seal assembly including an inner seal holder that surrounds and is concentric with the shaft and includes an end that operatively engages a face seal that includes a seal body and a resilient seal lip;
• positioning the inner seal holder so that the end that operatively engages the face seal extends into the interior of the body of the vat, and the seal lip confronts the inner face of the concentric flange of the shaft;
• and
• adjusting the distance between the face seal lip and the inner face so as to vary the amount of pressure that can be exerted against the inner face by the face seal lip.

A cheese process vat having an adjustable shaft seal assembly, the cheese process vat comprising:

• a vat assembly including a vat body having an interior, an end with a wall and an inner flange ring connected to the wall;
• a shaft extending through the inner flange ring;
• the shaft including a concentric, annular inner face, with the inner face spaced a pre-determined and non-adjustable distance from an interior surface of the wall;
• and
• a shaft seal assembly including a plurality of elongated fasteners extending in a direction parallel to the shaft, a shim, an axially adjustable seal assembly subunit that is operatively connected to the plurality of elongated fasteners and operatively connected to the shim, the seal assembly subunit having a first end that extends into the interior of the vat body, and a radially oriented face seal, each of which surround and are concentric with the shaft;
• wherein the seal assembly subunit is interposed between the shaft and the inner flange ring, and wherein the seal assembly is adjustably secured to the inner flange ring such that by removing the shim, the face seal of the seal assembly subunit can be brought into engagement with the inner face of the shaft and the amount of pressure that can be exerted against the inner face by the face seal can be varied.