Patents Examined by John L. Beres
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Patent number: 6206378Abstract: A sealing device in a gas turbine that uses steam for cooling high temperature portions of the gas turbine and then recovers the steam. The sealing device prevents the steam from leaking at a spindle bolt portion of the turbine disc (8). The spindle bolt (1) passes through a seal hole (4) formed in the turbine disc (8). The sealing device is disposed in the seal hole and includes a seal piece (3), having a smaller coefficient of linear expansion relative to the spindle bolt (1), and a seal piece cover (5) for covering the seal piece (3). A pressure hole is bored through the seal piece cover (5) such that high pressure side steam pressure is introduced through the pressure hole (6) and into an inner side of the seal piece cover (5) so that the seal piece (3) is urged into contact with a sheet surface (7) of the seal hole (4).Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 1998Date of Patent: March 27, 2001Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Kaoru Sakata, Takeshi Nakamura
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Patent number: 6206381Abstract: A metal gasket is disclosed in which a sealing stress exerted on a deck-surface from any one of confronting bead plates is dispersed slantwise along the direction leaving its associated cylinder bore aperture so that the cylinder bores are protected from deformation owing to the high sealing stress occurring in the open-end portions of the cylinder bores. The bead plates have sealing beads confronting flanges of an first intermediate plates at their borderlines smaller radially of their associated cylinder bore apertures while confronting the first intermediate plate, less in thickness than the flanges, at their borderlines larger radially of their associated apertures. The sealing stress on the deck-surfaces of the cylinder block and cylinder liner due to deformation of the beads may be dispersed uniformly over the flanges to thereby reduce the influence of the sealing stress on the liner section of the cylinder liner.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 1998Date of Patent: March 27, 2001Assignee: Nippon Gasket Co., Ltd.Inventors: Naoki Ii, Hiroshi Uemura, Yuji Fukui
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Patent number: 6203021Abstract: An abradable seal is provided utilizing a laser to cut a pattern into the surface effective to improve abradability in the area of the pattern.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 1999Date of Patent: March 20, 2001Assignee: Chromalloy Gas Turbine CorporationInventors: Thomas Albert Wolfla, James Joseph Ferguson
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Patent number: 6196552Abstract: A seal assembly especially suitable for use as the sealing element in the annular cylindrical bore of a concentric cylinder assembly. The seal assembly includes an annular insert structure of rigid material and an annular seal member of elastomeric material bonded to the insert structure. The annular insert structure has an I-beam cross-sectional configuration including an outer annular flange structure centered on an axis, an inner annular flange structure centered on the axis concentrically within the outer annular flange structure, and annular web structure extending radially between the inner and outer annular flange structures. The web structure coacts with the flange structures to define left and right continuous annular grooves in the left and right faces of the insert structure and defines a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes extending axially through the web structure between the left and right grooves.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 1998Date of Patent: March 6, 2001Assignee: Automotive Products (USA), Inc.Inventors: David C. Peterson, Rajiv Iyer
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Patent number: 6193236Abstract: A packing seal is provided which is intended in particular for reciprocating piston engines and which can be placed into a circumferential groove of a piston of such a reciprocating piston engine. The packing seal includes a first segment ring (1), which has at least two sealing segments (3) and locking segments (4) arranged between them in alternating order. These locking segments (4) and sealing segments (3) taper wedge-shaped in opposite directions radially inward and outward, respectively. In addition, the packing seal includes at least one additional or second segment ring (20) which also has at least two sealing segments (23) and locking segments (24) arranged between them in alternating order. The sealing segments (23) and locking segments (24) both taper radially inward in this case. The locking segments (24) extend over a larger arc area than the sealing segments (23).Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 1999Date of Patent: February 27, 2001Inventor: Hans Helpap
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Patent number: 6189891Abstract: A gas turbine seal structure provided between end portions of a moving blade platform and a stationary blade inside shroud. The sealing performance of the seal structure is improved by increasing the resistance to the flow of air. A seal plate (21, 31) is mounted to an end portion of a platform (2, 2′) of the moving blade (1) and a seal portion is formed by seal fins (22, 32) and a honeycomb seal (16, 17) disposed on a lower surface of an end portion (12a, 12b) of an inside shroud (12) of a stationary blade (11). Sealing air from the stationary blade (11) produces a high temperature in a cavity (14) and flows into a space (18, 19), and also air leaking from the cooling air of the moving blade (1) is able to escape into a high temperature combustion gas passage through a seal portion. However, since the seal plate has three seal fins (22, 32) that are inclined in a direction so as to oppose the air flow, air resistance is increased and the flow of air into the combustion gas passage is prevented.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 1998Date of Patent: February 20, 2001Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Yasuoki Tomita, Kazuharu Hirokawa, Hiroki Fukuno, Kiyoshi Suenaga, Yukihiro Hashimoto, Eisaku Ito
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Patent number: 6182972Abstract: A mechanical labyrinth seal for rotating shafts having first and second ring members. The first ring member, includes a series of annular axially extending grooves and flanges. The second ring member is adopted for insertion into said first ring member with a plurality of complimentary inwardly extending flanges and grooves to form a well known labyrinth seal. There is a slot or channel through the labyrinth or maze connecting the exterior atmosphere to the interior of the seal assembly. The second ring member is adapted to rotate with the shaft and includes an annular recess near the shaft and inwardly toward the housing. There is a recess in the first ring member to be opposite the recess in said second ring member and a strip of material is inserted via a passage into the recesses of said first and second ring member. The recess second ring member being slightly larger in axial direction than the strip of material.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 1998Date of Patent: February 6, 2001Assignee: IsoTech of Illinois, Inc.Inventor: David C. Orlowski
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Patent number: 6182975Abstract: The follow-up performance to the operation of a shaft is improved by forming an annular space between a rubber seal lip formed of a rubber-like elastic material and a resin seal lip so as to prevent the resin seal lip from interfering with the rubber seal lip. The follow-up performance to the shaft is further improved by increasing the flexibility of the resin seal lip by forming a plurality of annular grooves parallel to one another to the side surface of the annular gap side of the resin seal lip. A PTFE sheet is inserted as in the form of a flat washer shape into a mold, it is adhesively baked to a first seal member formed of rubber together with the vulcanization formation, a plurality of annular grooves and a helical groove are formed to the PTFE sheet by utilizing a mold clamping pressure, and the PTFE sheet is bent at the mold separation time after the molding process.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 1995Date of Patent: February 6, 2001Assignee: NOK CorporationInventors: Noboru Matsushima, Satoshi Yamanaka
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Patent number: 6179297Abstract: A seal that is particularly suitable for use in a gas spring (and other high pressure hydraulic and pneumatic sealing applications) and that minimizes leakage of relatively high pressure gas and lubricating oil from the rod end of the gas spring. The generally annular seal body includes a radially inwardly facing surface, force directing lobes and either a plastic wiper insert or a wiper lobe that are designed for minimizing the leakage of oil between the radially inwardly facing surface of the seal body and the adjacent, radially outwardly facing surface of the gas spring's piston rod, and that include a corner edge that projects radially inwardly beyond the plane of the seal body's radially inwardly facing surface. When the seal body is compressed for use in a gas spring and is thus subjected to the high-pressure gas, the induced stresses in the seal body result in the corner edge being forced against the adjacent surface of the piston rod to effectively prevent the leaking of oil therebetween.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 1999Date of Patent: January 30, 2001Assignee: AVM, Inc.Inventors: Walter Douglas Bauman, James B. Chamberlin, Archie L. Evans, Mark S. Jeffries, Jack R. Roach
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Patent number: 6179299Abstract: In a sealing gasket, multiple metallic gasket layers are interlocked together by cooperating self-aligning gripping members that mesh together. First and second gasket layers each have an engagement surface, a sealing surface and an aperture therethrough. Each engagement surface has disposed thereon a plurality of gripping members extending radially outwardly from a periphery of the apertures. The engagement surfaces of the first and second gasket layers are brought into face-to-face engagement such that the gripping members of the first gasket layer mesh together with the gripping members of the second layer to maintain the proper alignment of the first and second gasket layers and prevent lateral movement of the gasket layers with respect to one another.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 1998Date of Patent: January 30, 2001Assignee: Dana CorporationInventor: David J. Schweiger
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Patent number: 6173958Abstract: A seal is provided between relatively moving parts and includes plural layers of woven material such as metal, polymer or ceramic materials. The layers are secured to one another and to a first part of the relatively moving first and second parts and extend freely from that first part into engagement with the second part. The woven material layers accommodate shape variations between the parts. In a further form, bristles are disposed between layers of woven material and secured at one end to one part. The free ends of the bristles and the free marginal portion of the woven material project toward the second part in sealing engagement therewith.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 1998Date of Patent: January 16, 2001Assignee: General Electric Co.Inventors: Osman S. Dinc, James Maynard, Bharat S. Bagepalli, Robert H. Cromer
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Patent number: 6170830Abstract: Dual functioning seals for use in forming a lubricant seal in a rotary rock bit comprise an annular elastomeric seal body having a dynamic seal surface for sealing against a dynamic surface and a static seal surface for sealing against a static surface. The seal body has an asymmetric axial cross-sectional geometry the dynamic seal surface having a greater radius of curvature than that of the static seal surface. The dynamic and static seal surfaces are formed from different elastomeric materials, and the dynamic seal surface is formed from an elastomeric material that is harder and more wear resistant than the elastomeric material used to form the static seal surface. A rotary rock bit seal constructed in this manner is well adapted to accommodate the different operating conditions and sealing requirements that exist both at the dynamic and static surfaces of the seal to ensure optimal seal performance and, thereby enhance the service life of the rock bit.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 1998Date of Patent: January 9, 2001Assignee: Smith International, Inc.Inventors: Chris E. Cawthorne, Sujian Huang, Zhigang Fang, Michael A. Siracki
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Patent number: 6164664Abstract: An interface seal between a gas flow line within a support surface for a pod and a flow valve mounted within the pod. The kinematic coupling between a pod and support surface aligns a pair of inlet and outlet valves on a bottom surface of the pod with a corresponding pair of inlet and outlet holes in the support surface, through which gas may be injected into and removed from the pod, respectively. The interface according to the various embodiments of the invention provides a durable seal substantially preventing leakage between the pod and support surface while at the same time being compatible with kinematic couplings. In embodiments of the invention, the seal is thin and flexible, and expands into engagement with the pod to establish the seal. This type of interface seal will not interfere with the proper seating of the pod on the kinematic pins.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1998Date of Patent: December 26, 2000Assignee: Asyst Technologies, Inc.Inventors: William J. Fosnight, Joshua W. Shenk, Perry Peterson
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Patent number: 6164657Abstract: A seal between a housing and a shaft is formed of two ring members interlocked together. The two ring members include a rotor and a stator which are interlocked so as to provide a labyrinth passageway for preventing contaminants from reaching a rotating shaft. The stator includes a main portion, which functions to direct fluid from the rotating shaft back into a housing, and a cover portion which covers the rotor, cooperates with the rotor to provide the labyrinth passageway, and includes all opening for directing the contaminants out of the seal. The stator main portion includes a plurality of annular ridges and grooves and an axial groove. The stator cover portion includes an annular recess, which receives an annular protrusion of the rotor. The stator main portion is located axially adjacent to the rotor, while the cover portion is located radially adjacent to the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 1998Date of Patent: December 26, 2000Assignee: JM Clipper CorporationInventors: Robert A. Merkin, George Fedorovich, Kenneth J. Sharrer
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Patent number: 6161838Abstract: A cartridge seal stack utilizes a plurality of rotary cartridge seals each including a cold flowable plastic ring having a body for sealably engaging a housing bore and a lip for sealably engaging a shaft rotating within the housing bore. A spring is provided and disposed between the body and the lip for biasing the lip against the shaft and a separable metal retainer is provided for fixing the plastic ring within the housing bore and around the shaft. The separable metal retainer includes a surface of revolution with a rear portion having a radius suitable for press fitting into the housing bore and a front portion of lesser radius ending the ring. An internal groove is provided in the body of the plastic ring for engaging the ring in order to latch the plastic ring and metal retainer together.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2000Date of Patent: December 19, 2000Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering, Co, Inc.Inventor: Peter J. Balsells
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Patent number: 6161835Abstract: An integrated barrier fluid sealing apparatus includes an annular pressure intensifier surrounding a shaft of an operational device and defining a chamber extending around and along the shaft and containing a barrier fluid. The integrated apparatus also includes an annular sealing arrangement mounted to the pressure intensifier and surrounding the shaft so as to provide a seal around the shaft such that the pressure intensifier and sealing arrangement cooperate to prevent leakage of process fluid along the shaft to an external environment. A visual barrier fluid volume indicator mechanism also is provided which cooperates with operation of the pressure intensifier to visually indicate the volume of barrier fluid in the chamber of the pressure intensifier.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 1999Date of Patent: December 19, 2000Inventor: Donald P. Arbuckle
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Patent number: 6152454Abstract: The present invention relates to a sealing device for rotating shaft, intended to prevent leaks of a lubricant medium at a bearing supporting the shaft of a machine, this device including, for this purpose, between stationary parts and rotating parts of the machine, a seal carrier mounted in sealed manner on a stationary part, this seal carrier carrying at least one first annular seal surrounding the shaft and provided with a flexible sealing lip capable of providing sealed contact with a rotating bearing surface integral with said shaft.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 1998Date of Patent: November 28, 2000Assignee: EurocopterInventor: Paul Henri Marnot
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Patent number: 6149163Abstract: The sealing ring seals between relatively rotating and vibrating machine parts such as parts of an aircraft propeller, and has several sealing lands. The shape and configuration of the lands are selected so that natural vibration frequencies of the ring or lands are not vibration frequencies to which the ring is subject in use.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 1997Date of Patent: November 21, 2000Assignee: Dowty Aerospace Gloucester LimitedInventors: Thomas Noel Brown, Stephen John Bowen Parker
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Patent number: 6149160Abstract: Properties of mechanical bearings and mechanical seals can be significantly improved by covering the load-bearing surfaces with fields of high aspect ratio microstructures (HARMs), such as microchannels or microposts. The HARMs can substantially enhance heat transfer capability and lubricant flow. The present invention uses microstructures and micro-channels manufactured by a modified LIGA process to enhance the performance of load bearing surfaces. Benefits include reduced operating temperatures, precise metering of lubricant flow to all affected surfaces, increased reliability, increased life, higher maximum rotational speed, and the ability of the seal or bearing to run "dry," that is, without periodic re-application of lubricant.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 1998Date of Patent: November 21, 2000Assignee: Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical CollegeInventors: Lyndon S. Stephens, Kevin W. Kelly
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Patent number: 6145844Abstract: A self-aligning, sealing assembly in accordance with the present invention includes a sealing apparatus and at least one preloading device. The sealing assembly is mounted in machinery which has a rotating shaft and a stationary member with an inner surface which is spaced from and surrounds a shaft. A slot is located in and extends around the inner surface of the stationary member. The slot has an upstream surface, a downstream surface, and an outer surface. The sealing apparatus is adjustably disposed in the slot and has an inner surface, an outer surface, an upstream surface and a downstream surface. Labyrinth seal teeth extend radially inward from the inner surface of the sealing apparatus. Each tooth is radially spaced from the shaft to form a non-contact seal. A space between the outer surface of the ring and the inner surface of the slot is designed to accommodate radial movement of the ring resulting from radial movement of the shaft.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 1998Date of Patent: November 14, 2000Assignee: Dresser-Rand CompanyInventor: John Waggott