Abstract: A single or multiple stage mechanical seal assembly in which one seal ring is resiliently coupled to a rotatable shaft and the other seal ring is resiliently urged toward the first seal ring by axially-arranged identical springs received in spring pockets in a spring retainer, some pockets opening at one radial surface of the retainer and others opening at the other radial surface of the retainer. The outer surfaces of the seal rings are protected against deflection by being encircled by cylindrical members and one seal ring is resiliently coupled to its encircling cylindrical member. A balance sleeve means partly supports the axially movable seal ring and is capable of angular adjustment to compensate for shaft misalignment.

Abstract: A mechanical seal assembly comprising rotatable and stationary seal rings with faces opposing one another. Means are provided to insure a pressure balance on the outside surface and on the inside surface of the softer seal ring, so that this seal ring does not deflect and distort, and wear in an undesirable manner.

Abstract: A mechanical seal assembly having a rotatable sealing ring means mounted for rotation on a shaft and a stationary sealing ring means connected to a housing flange, the sealing ring means having opposed sealing surfaces. The assembly also has means urging the sealing surfaces toward one another. The rotatable sealing ring means is of stepped configuration and constructed as an integral pair of equal axial length ring portions, one portion having its inner and outer diameters larger than the respective diameters of the other. Generally, the ring portion having the smallest inner and outer diameter is that ring portion having the sealing surface--one that opposes the sealing surface of the stationary sealing ring means.The degree of deflection of the sealing surface because of hydraulic load or pressure can be selected by selecting the diameters of the pair of ring portions, i.e.

Abstract: A mechanical seal assembly comprising stationary rotating seal rings having opposed faces which remain parallel to one another during operation or defect to become convex in order to provide a convergent path for leakage across the opposed faces.

Abstract: A mechanical seal assembly adapted to be associated with a rotatable shaft and a housing and having three seal rings, one connected to the shaft and thus rotatable, another connected to the housing and thus stationary, and the third or center intermediate the rotatable and the stationary seal rings. The center seal ring has spaced faces each engaging an adjacent face of the adjacent ring. The center or intermediate seal ring has its seal faces defined by circular boundaries radially offset from one another and from the axial center of the assembly. In other words, the seal faces of the center ring eccentric to one another and each is eccentric to the contact face of the adjacent ring.

Abstract: A mechanical seal assembly adapted to be associated with a rotatable shaft and a housing and having a rotatable seal ring and a stationary seal ring, each having seal faces which engage seal faces on a central seal ring, the latter seal ring being centered only on its outer diameter and being free to rotate relative to the other seal rings thus reducing the speed at the seal faces to the intermediate speed. An aspect of the disclosure is a double spring system wherein seal ring means associated with a shaft and a housing are urged toward one another.

Abstract: An improved mechanical seal in which the elastomer U-cup has a controlled contact area with a rotating member and the cavity for receiving the U-cup is contoured without the conventional, relatively sharp axially extending lip. A low coefficient of friction exists between the U-cup and the rotating member, providing improved life to the seal assembly.The cavity in one of the seal rings is formed with defining walls having portions normal to each other and to the intersected surfaces of the seal ring, one of the defining surfaces being normal to the rotatable shaft. The U-cup has a surface in full contact with the cavity defining wall; the controlled contact area being a cylindrical surface contacting the rotatable shaft.

Abstract: An improved heat exchanger especially for use with a mechanical seal cartridge applicable for a pump-motor combination. The heat exchanger comprises an axial flow pump for supplying cooling fluid to the seal and axial shrouded fins and passages respectively surrounding a housing for the seals and inwardly in the housing, there being a path for the cooling fluid between the shrouded fins and the passages. Means are provided to direct cooling air through the passages and along the fins.

Abstract: A mechanical seal assembly having a rotary sealing ring and a nonrotatable sealing ring carried by a housing flange including means to provide improved fluid cooling of the face of the nonrotatable sealing ring and a self-compensating sealing face that increases the fluid leak rate through the seal as a function of heat at the sealing faces.

Abstract: The relatively rotatable sealing faces of mechanical seal are provided with circumferentially spaced pockets which provide a path of fluid flow across the sealing faces during rotation of the rotatable sealing ring but no path when there is no relative rotation therebetween. The fluid flow enhances the lubrication and cooling of the faces.

Abstract: A mechanical seal cartridge applicable for a pump-motor combination which cartridge has a stub shaft adapted to be connected at one end to the motor shaft and at the other end to the pump shaft and which is enclosed in a housing located between the motor and the pump, the housing having an opening permitting access to the cartridge whereby it may be replaced as a unit.