Abstract: A bearing isolator assembly for sealing a rotating shaft with a porous sealing element including a rotor configured to sealingly engage with a shaft, and a stator configured to sealingly engage with a housing of an assembly. The rotor and stator are configured to engage with each other to define a labyrinthine pathway and one or more cavities, in which may be disposed a unitizing element and a porous sealing element. The porous sealing element provides a barrier to particulate contaminants from entering the interior of the housing, and to prevent egress of lubricants from the interior of the housing. The unitizing element limits axial and/or radial movement of the rotor with respect to the stator, and helps prevent wear of the rotor and/or stator by helping prevent the rotor from contacting the stator during operation.

Abstract: An annular unitizing element has a rotor engaging member, a stator engaging member, and a rear member. The radially outer surface of the unitizing element has two areas of differing diameter, one corresponding to the rotor engaging member and the other corresponding to the rear member. The stator engaging member extends radially inward from the radially inner side of the annular unitizing element. A sealing assembly for sealing a rotating shaft and a bearing housing has a rotor having an annular engagement flange extending in an axial direction comprising a groove on a radial side thereof, a stator having an annular engagement flange extending in an axial direction comprising a groove on a radial side thereof, and an annular unitizing element having a stator engaging member, a rotor engaging member, and a rear member.

Abstract: An annular unitizing element comprising a rotor engaging member, a stator engaging member, and a rear member. The radially outer surface of the unitizing element comprises two areas of differing diameter, one corresponding to the rotor engaging member and the other corresponding to the rear member. The stator engaging member extends radially inward from the radially inner side of the annular unitizing element. A sealing assembly for sealing a rotating shaft and a bearing housing comprising a rotor comprising, an annular engagement flange extending in an axial direction comprising a groove on a radial side thereof, a stator comprising, an annular engagement flange extending in an axial direction comprising a groove on a radial side thereof, and an annular unitizing element comprising, a stator engaging member, a rotor engaging member, and a rear member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a seal comprising an annular sealing body comprising a radially outer peripheral groove, an upper load concentrating projection, a lower load concentrating projection, a compression relief region extending from the center of the load concentrating projections to the radially inner edge of the seal, and a compression relief region extending from the center of the load concentrating projections to the radially outer edge of the seal. Additionally, aspects of the present invention relate to a seal retainer comprising a thin metal sheet comprising a seal retaining aperture comprising a reception lobe and a retention lobe; wherein the reception lobe has a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the seal to be retained therein, and the seal retaining aperture has a diameter larger than the minimum diameter of the arch portion of the outer peripheral groove.

Abstract: The present invention provides a labyrinth sealing assembly for placement between a shaft and a bearing housing comprising an annular stator having a body portion, an axially inner engagement surface, an axially inner extending portion extending from a radially outer end of the stator, an axially inner extending member extending from a radially inner end of the stator, and a keeper lip extending radially outward from the axially inner extending surface of the radially inner end of the stator, and an annular rotor having an axially outer engagement surface having a plurality of wear ridges on a radially outer engagement surface, and a keeper notch arrangement on a radially inner surface comprising a recess. The keeper lip engages the keeper notch to provide a snap fit between the rotor and stator.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for monitoring characteristics of a fluid lubricant contained within a lubricant chamber formed in a wheel hub mounted for rotation about a stationary wheel axle. The apparatus includes an annular bearing spacer configured for mounting on the wheel axle between axially opposed inboard and outboard bearings, the annular bearing spacer forming an interior lubricant reservoir between an inner surface of the spacer and the wheel axle, a guide vane for directing lubricant from the lubricant chamber to the interior lubricant reservoir during rotation of the wheel hub assembly about the wheel axle, and a sensor operatively associated with the interior lubricant reservoir for determining a condition of the lubricant.

Abstract: A gasket assembly is disclosed for use between adjacent flange surfaces which includes a reusable annular base plate having an inner periphery and opposed upper and lower surfaces, and replaceable a spring energized sealing ring releasably retained within the inner periphery of the base plate and including a resilient spring element surrounded by a deformable jacket that extends beyond the upper and lower surfaces of the base plate to conform to surface irregularities in the flange surfaces upon compression of the gasket between the flange surfaces.

Abstract: A grease purgeable dynamic labyrinth sealing device is disclosed which includes a stator having an annular engagement flange on a radially inner portion thereof and a rotor having an annular engagement flange on a radially outer portion thereof. The stator annular engagement flange and the rotor annular engagement flange have coacting means for mechanically interlocking the stator and the rotor. In one embodiment, means, such as, for example, a plurality of apertures, are operatively formed in the stator for allowing excess grease applied to the bearing housing to move through the stator and out of the stator such that the grease purgeable dynamic labyrinth sealing device maintains proper position relative to the bearing housing and is rotatable with the shaft.