Abstract: An accumulator piston for an automatic transmission. The piston comprises two components, the first and second being cup elements welded together with their closed ends in abutting relation. The lower cup includes a curled back portion with a radial flange having an axially extending bi-directional oil seal thereon, and spaced apart recesses in the curled back portion to permit oil to flow therein. The upper cup includes a radial flange of reduced diameter compared to the lower cup flange. The flange also has a lip seal thereon. The piston is spring-loaded and moves up and down in a bore and counterbore in response to fluid flow on either side of the piston to absorb shifting shocks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for devulcanizing cured or cross-linked elastomers. The method includes subdividing elastomeric raw material into small particle form, confining the particles of elastomer under high force, as in a screw extruder or the like and, as the particles remain confined, imparting ultrasonic energy to the mass to effect devulcanization. Energy is fed to the confined particles transversely of the axis along which they are advancing, and energy from a source is reflected off a portion of the apparatus and back into the treatment zone so as to achieve maximum energy utilization. In particular instances, reflection of energy is achieved by providing opposed, powered ultrasonic horns that resonate in phase with each other. In another embodiment, oppositely directed, resonantly tuned horns are used, with less than all such horns being powered and the remainder being passive or unpowered reflecting horns who resonant frequency is tuned to that of the powered horn.

Abstract: A fluid seal including a casing unit and an elastomeric lip body portion. Frustoconical air and oil side surfaces of the lip body meet at an inner diameter portion to form a fluid seal band contacting an associated shaft in use. A continuous, circumferentially extending garter spring is embedded in the seal lip body. An axially inner surface of the lip body is defined in part by plural spaced apart ribs and the remainder is defined by pockets having portions lying closely adjacent the radially and axially innermost portions of the garter spring. In the free state of said seal, the garter spring exerts a radially inwardly directed preload force so as to resist radial expansion of said seal. The spring also resists dimensional shrinkage of the seal band and the remainder of the seal body.

Abstract: An end face seal especially adapted for use in severe service environments such as for sealing track pins or track rollers of crawler type tractors. The seal includes a primary annular seal ring, having a radially extending flange with a portion for contacting a mating surface on a machine part in face sealing engagement and an axially extending flange portion, as well as a secondary annular sealing ring positioned in use about the axial flange portion. The secondary seal ring includes an abradable auxiliary excluder lip that contacts a portion of the machine part with the mating surface so as to initially exclude grit from the seal band area of contact between the seal ring and the machine part.

Abstract: A liquid seal unit having a seal ring with an annular end face cooperating with a seal mating ring on an associated component to form a liquid-tight dynamic seal. A composite multi-functional member with a flexible finger spring embedded in a unitary elastomeric body urges the seal ring and the mating ring together. The spring has an annular continuous outer body portion and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, radially inwardly extending flexible spring fingers. The unitary elastomeric body includes radially spaced, first and second annular load bearing formations that extend in axially opposite directions. The elastomeric body still further includes an axially extending sealing ring positioning collar lying radially between the load bearing formations and having an inner surface that engages a seating surface in the seal ring to provide a secondary seal.

Abstract: A fluid seal including a casing unit and an elastomeric lip body portion. Frustoconical air and oil side surfaces of the lip body meet at an inner diameter portion to form a fluid seal band contacting an associated shaft in use. A continuous, circumferentially extending garter spring is embedded in the seal lip body. An axially inner surface of the lip body is defined in part by plural spaced apart ribs and the remainder is defined by pockets having portions lying closely adjacent the radially and axially innermost portions of the garter spring. In the free state of said seal, the garter spring exerts a radially inwardly directed preload force so as to resist radial expansion of said seal. The spring also resists dimensional shrinkage of the seal band and the remainder of the seal body.

Abstract: A pillow block assembly comprising a hollow housing having axially spaced end walls, an opening in at least one end wall for a rotable shaft member, a bearing in the housing to rotatably support the shaft member in the housing and a seal in the wall of the housing defining said opening including a labyrinth seal member mounted on the shaft, and first and second resilient sealing members disposed between the labyrinth seal member and the housings and between the shaft and the labyrinth seal member, respectively.

Abstract: A liquid seal unit having a seal ring with an annular end face cooperating with a seal mating ring on an associated component to form a liquid-tight dynamic seal. A composite multi-functional member with a flexible finger spring embedded in a unitary elastomeric body urges the seal ring and the mating ring together. The spring has an annular continuous outer body portion and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, radially inwardly extending flexible spring fingers. The unitary elastomeric body includes a radially outer mounting collar with a generally radially inwardly directed inner surface, a web portion extending radially inwardly from the outer collar and enclosing the flexible finger spring. The body also includes radially spaced, first and second annular load bearing formations that lie in axially opposite directions. The elastomeric body still further includes an axially extending sealing ring positioning collar engaging the seal ring to provide a secondary seal.

Abstract: A protective filter unit for use with a fluid seal assembly. The filter unit includes a screen positioning unit and a filter screen extending inwardly of portions of the positioning unit and terminating in an inner screen edge spaced just apart by a working clearance from a shaft forming a part of the sealed mechanism. The filter is associated in use with a seal having a seal casing which may be aligned with the screen positioning unit of the filter, and an elastomeric seal body having portions defining a seal band which engages the sealed shaft and another portion bonded to the seal casing. Preferably the screen positioning unit includes inner and outer support rings held apart by spacers, and the support rings, the spacers, and the screen are all made from plastic materials.

Abstract: A heavy duty vehicle hubcap preferably made from a plastic material and having a sidewall, an end wall with a transparent window insert formed therein, and further including a radial mounting flange. The mounting flange is reinforced with a mounting ring insert made from a rigid, preferably metal body. The mounting flange and the ring insert include radially elongated bosses and openings. The hubcap also includes an access port formed in the hubcap body sidewall and a plug removably positioned in liquid tight relation within the access port. Preferably, the hubcap is vented to permit passage of gas and vapor therethrough without permitting liquid to pass into the sealed region. An insert molding method is described wherein the ring insert and the window are separately formed and then bonded to the hubcap body.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for rapidly determining the cure state of an annular rubber or elastomeric article is provided. The article is placed so that an inner hole portion fits over separable parts of a test fixture, and tension is induced in a stepwise manner by moving the separable parts apart in discrete incremental steps. The tension is allowed to relax between the steps. By generating a force/deflection curve in this way, the user may optimize the cure state of the tested articles by controlling the cure time and temperature of a manufacturing process in response to the measured data.

Abstract: A hub cap for heavy duty axles. The hub cap includes a breather vent disc made from a non-metallic material partially fused so as to permit air flow therethrough in both a grease-free and a greased condition, such vent disc being mechanically secured to a disc carrier, and the carrier being received in fluid-tight relation to the end wall portion of the hub cap body.

Abstract: A refrigerant device comprising at least one bearing disposed in a housing having a refrigerant flow path. The bearing is contacted with a lubricant charge of a small quantity of lubricant dissolved in liquid refrigerant. At least a portion of the liquid refrigerant proximate the bearing is vaporized to deposit lubricant on the bearing in sufficient quantity to provide for the lubrication thereof. The refrigerant may be vaporized by heat or by pressure drop, or by both. A sensor may be provided to monitor or control temperature and pressure conditions to insure that sufficient refrigerant is vaporized to form a lubricant liquid of at least about 75% lubricant by volume.

Abstract: A protective filter unit for use with a fluid seal assembly. The filter unit includes a screen positioning unit and a filter screen extending inwardly of portions of the positioning unit and terminating in an inner screen edge spaced just apart by a working clearance from a shaft forming a part of the sealed mechanism. The filter is associated in use with a seal having a seal casing which may be aligned with the screen positioning unit of the filter, and an elastomeric seal body having portions defining a seal band which engages the sealed shaft and another portion bonded to the seal casing. Preferably the screen positioning unit includes inner and outer support rings held apart by spacers, and the support rings, the spacers, and the screen are all made from plastic materials.

Abstract: A fluid seal assembly with a primary seal element and a wear sleeve element. The primary seal includes a casing and a seal element that contacts a sealing surface on the wear sleeve. The wear sleeve has a cylindrical portion that overlies a portion of the sealed mechanism, and the cylindrical portion has a surface pattern thereon formed by metal cold flow, preferably by drawing and ironing. The surface pattern includes at least one hydrodynamic pumping element having a contoured portion that is radially offset from the remainder of the cylindrical portion of the sleeve.

Abstract: A method for forming a composite seal is disclosed. The seal includes a seal ring made from a lubricous fluorocarbon material affixed by a positioning collar to a seal casing having axial and radial flanges. The casing radial flange has an inner margin and a given outer diameter, and the seal ring has contact and non-contact faces. The seal ring also includes at least an outer margin of frustoconical configuration, terminating in an outer edge of a given diameter. The method includes positioning the seal ring and the casing in a multi-element mold, closing the mold and filling the mold cavity thus formed with a fluent, curable elastomer which is permitted to cure into a solid collar positioning the seal ring and affixing it to the casing. Thereafter, portions of the positioning collar are cut away to leave the seal ring secured to the casing by a positioning collar of substantially reduced, thin cross-section.

Abstract: A fluid seal assembly for use in high pressure sealing applications. The assembly includes a seal with a rigid casing having a radial casing flange and an elastomeric seal body bonded to the casing. The assembly also includes an annular lip reinforcing ring, made from a low friction material. The ring has a trapezoidal cross-section with an inner cylindrical surface closely spaced from the shaft to be sealed, an outer end face directly contacting the inner end face of the casing flange, and a beveled surface engaging and supporting an air side surface of the elastomertc seal body.

Abstract: A unitized seal assembly for vehicle wheel hubs and the like. The seal assembly includes a primary seal component and a wear sleeve component. The primary seal component includes an elastomeric seal body with a primary sealing lip contacting a first portion of the wear sleeve component, an intermediate excluder lip facing another portion of the wear sleeve, and an outer, excluder seal portion with a cylindrical contact surface. The wear sleeve component has a casing with providing an interior cylindrical contact surface and an elastomeric exterior excluder lip with a seal band portion facing the cylindrical contact surface portion of the outer excluder seal. The seal body is reinforced by a stiffener that engages one part of the wheel hub and the wear sleeve casing is mounted on the other part of the hub.

Abstract: A screw compressor assembly, comprising a housing, a pair of rotors rotatably journaled in said housing, a bearing system supporting the rotors including a radial cylindrical roller bearing and thrust bearing means rotatably supporting the journals in the housing including a first angular contact thrust ball bearing having a predetermined contact angle in the range of between about 30.degree. and 35.degree., and a second back-up angular contact bearing having a contact angle less than said contact angle of said first thrust bearing and in the range of between about 15.degree. and 20.degree., the difference between the contact angles of the thrust bearing and backup bearing being at least between about 10.degree. and 20.degree. whereby the internal force due to centrifugal force is small and therefore the induced axial force in the bearing system is minimized.