Abstract: A device is for supporting within a coating chamber a mechanical seal face (8) having an annular sealing surface. The device includes a frame (1) housing first support means (9) for supporting the seal face when the device is in a first orientation with the annular sealing surface resting on a surface of said first support means. Second support means (2) within the frame supports the seal face when the device is in a second orientation.

Abstract: A gas seal assembly includes a pair of mutually rotatable sealing members, each of which has a front face adjacent a gap between the two members which constitutes a leakage path through the seal assembly. The two sealing member are urged, in use, in a direction to close the gap and a gas bleed arrangement is provided for allowing gas from a high pressure side of the seal to bleed into the gap so as to apply a force tending to separate the members. The gas bleed arrangement includes a bore extending between the front face and a rear face of one of the sealing members, a generally radial groove formed in the rear face of the sealing member and a plate overlying the rear face to cover the groove and thereby define between the rear face of the sealing member and the plate a bleed passage connecting the bore to the high pressure side of the seal.