Patents Examined by Robert S. Ward
  • Patent number: 4738453
    Abstract: An end face seal assembly having a seat and a nosepiece rotating relative thereto in which the nosepiece is fitted with a plurality of recesses that carry stool-like pads therein that operate as lift pads. A fluid dam is provided in association with the nose piece adjacent the lift pads. Essentially the lift pads have leg ligaments that permit the pads to rock under the action of pressure and friction to develop a wedge-like lift between the nosepiece and the seat. The ligaments may also be made flexible in a third direction to allow the pads to be equally loaded and be capable of adjusting for shaft misalignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1988
    Inventor: Russell D. Ide
  • Patent number: 4736956
    Abstract: First and second members have substantially different coefficients of thermal expansion, and mutually confronting surfaces. The confronting surface of the first member is covered by a layer of coating material such as protective paint. A jointing construction for jointing between these confronting surfaces includes a gasket sandwiched between the confronting surfaces of the first and the second members, and a layer of bonding material between the gasket and the confronting surface of the second member which bonds the gasket to the second member. Gasket extrusion due to repeated thermal cycling is thereby effectively prevented, and thus this jointing construction with gasket is effective for preventing tearing of the gasket due to extrusion forces acting thereupon, as well as being economical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Ask Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Yoshijima, Hayakawa Tsutomu
  • Patent number: 4735421
    Abstract: Sealing apparatus and method, comprising first and second surfaces or membranes, at least one of which surfaces is deformable, placed in proximity to one another. Urging means cause these surfaces to contact one another in a manner such that the deformable surface "deforms" to conform to the geometry of the other surface, thereby creating a seal. The seal is capable of undergoing multiple cycles of sealing and unsealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: William S. Neef, Donald R. Lambert
  • Patent number: 4733872
    Abstract: A temperature responsive fusible packing is inserted in a ring shaped space defined between the lower face of a bolt head and the bottom face of a recessed portion formed on the supply port of a gas chamber of an accumulator and then the bolt is tightened, so that the fusible packing can act as a packing which blocks both the gas passage and the inner passage formed through the shank of the bolt. In the event where, the temperature responsive fusible packing should melt due to a fire or the like, since the thus fused packing is expelled outside the device through a gap formed between the wall face of the recessed portion and the outer periphery of the bolt head, a vacant space would be formed there to expose the inner passage to an open air and allows the gas in the gas chamber to be discharged outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Sugimura
  • Patent number: 4733874
    Abstract: An assembly designed for use on the main drive gear output shaft of a motorcycle, and in similar applications, and including a seal which is press fitted into the cavity of a nut. The nut and seal combination is concentrically positionable over the output shaft, and the seal includes a rubber skirt having a spring positioned around its periphery. The spring maintains the skirt in contact with the output shaft to thus create the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Inventor: Bruce Fournier
  • Patent number: 4732397
    Abstract: A seal and closure member of elastomeric material adapted to be cast in situ and comprising a cylindrical body portion and an integral frusto-conical skirt therewithin. A radially outwardly extending flange is embedded in adjacent concrete. The skirt has a knock-out web at its smaller diameter end portion and the seal and closure member may thus be employed selectively as closure members for apertures in distribution boxes and the like and as seals for pipes in communication with the box interiors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1988
    Inventor: Norman Gavin
  • Patent number: 4732398
    Abstract: A rubber dirt-excluding and grease-retaining seal for use in machine assemblies such as furrow forming disc assemblies in grain drills, marker disc assemblies and the like comprises a generally cylindrical, accordian-like body formed of interconnected pocket like rings defined by generally radially extending interconnected walls rendering the body axially compressible and extensible. In use, the seal is compressed between a rotary disk like member on a shaft and a stationary hub like member and is useful in excluding dirt from the disc bearing while retaining grease therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1988
    Inventor: Elmer H. Biss
  • Patent number: 4730834
    Abstract: A mechanical shaft joint boot made of a resin comprises a bellows having four to seven crests between a large-diameter ring and a small-diameter ring, in which a crest excluding the first crest between the large-diameter ring and the center of the bellows has the maximum top curvature radius. By providing this structure, the thicknesses of these crests are made uniform and elongation-compression distortion is restrained from being concentrated at their tops. The widening of the tops of the crests also restrains any kinking phenomenon which may be produced. Therefore, the durability of the tops of these crests is increased and the durability of the boot as a whole is hence also increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1988
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikio Ukai, Kenji Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 4730833
    Abstract: For sealing the axle opening in a traction motor gearcase on the motor side thereof, an annular member of elastomeric material has a sleeve portion that is adapted to be clamped to a motor-supporting axle bearing thrust flange and a radially outwardly projecting flange portion that is adapted to fit inside an annular groove formed in an edge of the gearcase sidewall that surrounds the hub of an axle gear adjacent to the thrust flange. The seal further comprises a reinforcing ring having concentric outer and inner sections: the outer section is attached to the flange portion of the annular member to ensure a tight fit in the aforesaid groove, and the inner section extends from the groove to within close proximity of the axle gear hub and forms, with the axle-gear end of the sleeve portion, an annular trough for collecting axle bearing lube oil that escapes through the gear hub-thrust flange interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1988
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert B. Foster, Dale C. Walker
  • Patent number: 4730836
    Abstract: An insert which ensures contiguity and proper alignment during installation of a plurality of gasket elements used to seal the joint between the mating surfaces of components comprising an internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1988
    Assignee: Microdot Inc.
    Inventors: Paul H. Miller, Brian F. Rericha, Paul J. Stoeck
  • Patent number: 4730832
    Abstract: A radially-resilient seal can frequently pop out its annular groove defined in a carrier when the carrier and an overlapping housing are telescopically assembled. Such misorientation of the seal prevents proper seating of the seal against the housing and ultimately permits leakage of pressurized fluid past the seal. The present invention provides a compact sealed joint and fool-proof method of assembly which maintains proper orientation of a radially-resilient seal during telescopic assembly of a carrier and a housing. The sealed joint includes an annular member having a diametrically tapered internal surface. The annular member positively ensures that the seal will properly seat against a housing inner surface which is not only physically inaccessible to the assembler but is also hidden from the assembler's view by an outer casing during the telescopic assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1988
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Philip J. Cederwall, Boris Glezer
  • Patent number: 4729569
    Abstract: Means for preventing relative twisting between a seal ring and the parts of structure accommodating it by providing that in connection with high pressure shaft seals, the axial thrust resulting from the action of the pressure of the seal ring on its low pressure side radial face is taken up by a number of projections, the cross section of the seal ring undergoing undulating deformation as seen in the circumferential direction owing to the axial flexure of individual parts of the seal ring; it is furthermore possible to have additional projections as means for preventing twisting. As a consequence of the undulation of the entire cross section of the seal ring there will also be the useful effect of undulation of the seal interface edge, constituted by parts of this cross section, on the high pressure side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1988
    Assignee: Martin Merkel GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Heinz K. Muller, Andreas Wolf
  • Patent number: 4728111
    Abstract: A sheet gasket comprising a swelling sheet, a non-swelling layer laminated on the swelling sheet, and an adhesive layer coated on the surface of the non-swelling layer. This gasket is adapted to be inserted between flanges having different coefficients of thermal expansion, with the adhesive layer adhered to one of the flanges and the exposed swelling sheet adjacent to the other flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1988
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Asahi Asbestos Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Yoshijima, Tsutomu Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 4726595
    Abstract: A shaft sealing device has a body containing a spherical portion of a sealing element which also has a tubular portion extending outside the body. The shaft extends through both portions of the sealing element. A pair of annular wiper seals is located within the body and bear against the spherical portion of the sealing element. The wiper seals are separated by a cylindrical spacer. A thrust washer urges the wiper seals into contact with the spherical portion of the sealing element. A further sealing element surrounds the shaft outside the body and is partly engaged in a recess in the tubular portion of the sealing element. The sealing element has a curved outer surface and is urged into sealing contact with the recess in the tubular portion of the sealing element by means of a clamp nut screwed onto the outside of the tubular portion of the sealing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited
    Inventor: John E. Hanmore
  • Patent number: 4723783
    Abstract: A composite aluminum faced, expanded graphite gasket includes at least one layer of aluminum mechanically secured to an expanded graphite layer. A plurality of projections or lugs extend from one surface of the aluminum layer and are mechanically clinched to the graphite layer to secure the layers together. The exposed surface of the aluminum is coated with a resilient sealing compound. A gasket including two aluminum layers mechanically clinched to the faces of the graphite layer as well as a method of fabricating both gasket configurations are also set forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1988
    Assignee: Dana Corporation
    Inventors: Jerome G. Belter, James H. Larsen
  • Patent number: 4723781
    Abstract: A liquid-sealed shaft seal for sealing the lead-through between an inner space and an outer space of a shaft with feed bores for a sealing liquid which is supplied at higher pressure than the pressure in the inner space. The seal includes partial seal gaps extending on both sides of these feed bores, and includes an inner partial seal gap in the form of a threaded shaft seal with recycling toward the sealing liquid feed. A disk with a larger outside diameter than the diameter of the inner partial seal gap is placed between the inner and outer partial seal gaps, and forms a pump chamber with the seal housing. A radial pressure increase of the supplied sealing liquid occurs in the pump chamber at higher speeds of rotation, and bores that are connected to a pressure chamber open into its radially outer area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1988
    Assignee: MAN Gutehoffnungshutte GmbH
    Inventors: Lubomyr Turanskyj, Manfred Heinen, Joachim Kotzur
  • Patent number: 4723782
    Abstract: An arrangement for sealing that point at which the axially movable rod of a hydraulic device passes through its housing wall, comprises a sealing ring consisting of a tough-elastic plastic material or a harder elastomeric material and a stressing ring consisting of a softer elastomeric material, the two rings being accommodated jointly in a groove in the housing wall in such a manner that the sealing ring projecting from the groove is in contact with the axially moving rod, while the stressing ring seals the sealing ring against the circumferential face of the groove. The sealing ring is provided, on its inner surface facing the rod, with two axially offset annular sealing edges. The annular space between these two sealing edges is connected with the outer surface of the sealing ring by a channel. The channel opens at a point where it is covered by the stressing ring and which is located near the high-pressure end of the common contact face of the sealing ring and the stressing ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1988
    Assignee: Busak + Luyken GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Heinz K. Muller
  • Patent number: 4722533
    Abstract: In the process for the machining of a rotary flat fluid-tight seal by grinding, the working surface of the grinding wheel has imparted to it an inclination with respect to the annular surface of the seal, in such a manner as to leave behind on the said surface of the seal traces which are termed "in half-sun" at the intersection of the grinding wheel and of the seal along a chord. The inclination is provided by modifying the height of one of two headstocks of a grinding machine and by pivoting the table of the grinding machine in a horizontal plane. The fluid-tight seal thus produced provides a leakage flow of lubricating fluid and thus can be used as an axial thrust seal and bearing of a rotary shaft, especially for pumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1988
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Constructions de Moteur d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventors: Claude G. E. Collin, Guy M. Desmat, Roland E. Legoff
  • Patent number: 4722534
    Abstract: A controllable mechanical seal for sealing a rotating body relative to a housing of a fluid device. The mechanical seal includes a pair of seal rings supported in juxtaposed relation in said housing. Each seal ring has a cylindrical outer surface and a radial end sealing face which, at a given operating condition of the machine, has a predetermined optimum convergence angle relative to the other seal ring face. The sealing faces are yieldably biased into contact with one another to define a dynamic seal there between. A seal ring support member is telescopically arranged about the outer cylindrical surface of one of said ring such that exposed surface area end regions of the cylindrical surface of the support ring are subjected to selectable differential pressures which cause the associated seal ring to distort thereby causing the seal face of the associated ring to assume a select angle of convergence relative to the seal face of the other seal ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1988
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Industrial Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert S. Wentworth
  • Patent number: RE32646
    Abstract: A mechanical seal assembly, especially for use in a slurry pump in which the seal rings are resiliently urged into sealing relation by at least one elastomeric assembly loaded in shear. The preferred embodiment is constructed as a carriage for installation and removal as a unit but it may also be constructed for installation in situ.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1988
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Corporation
    Inventor: Robert S. Wentworth