Abstract: A mechanical seal assembly having an improved packing arrangement between the gland and the insert. The packing arrangement utilizes a laminated graphite packing positioned within an annular recess formed between the gland and the insert. One of the annular seats for the packing, such as the inner annular surface defined on the insert, is provided with a slightly tapered configuration so that the continual urging of the insert toward the gland, coupled with the tapered configuration of the seating surface, causes the packing to be continuously compressed and reseated against the inner and outer seating surfaces, whereby leakage of corrosive and/or high temperature fluid past the packing is greatly reduced.

Abstract: A mechanical seal construction having an annular face ring, preferably of hard material such as tungsten or silicon carbide, interference fitted within an annular flange formed on a seal ring. One of the face and seal rings is undercut so that the effective holding force between the flange and the face ring, as created by the interference fit, acts effectively only at, or at least adjacent, the central transverse plane of the face ring to substantially prevent distortion of the face ring. The inner end face of the face ring is axially spaced from the opposed end face on the seal ring, so that the face ring is supported on and engaged with the seal ring solely by the engagement therebetween substantially along the central transverse plane.

Abstract: A conventional outside seal assembly is disposed outside the stuffing box which surrounds a rotatable shaft. A thermally conductive packing structure is disposed within the stuffing box in concentric and surrounding relationship to the shaft. The packing structure facilitates the transfer of heat from the shaft and the fluid radially outwardly to the stuffing box, and then to the surrounding atmosphere. The packing structure has thermal insulators associated therewith for preventing heat from being transmitted axially toward the seal assembly, thereby permitting the seal assembly to operate at a lower temperature. This packing structure, in a preferred embodiment, utilizes a plurality of annular packing rings constructed of a thermally conductive material, which packing rings are axially aligned and are spaced apart by intermediate washerlike insulators. The seal assembly preferably has a bladed fan secured to the rotatable part thereof for increasing the air flow across the seal faces and the stuffing box.