Abstract: A mechanical seal assembly having dual seals in which the seal faces of the primary seal members remain essentially perpendicular to the shaft of the equipment being sealed regardless of any misalignment between the shaft and the equipment has a sleeve for mounting on the shaft to provide a support structure wherein all primary seal member faces are aligned with respect to this support structure regardless of loading. The primary seals are biased toward the support structure by the combination of net hydraulic pressure at the mated seal faces plus steady bias from a minimally flexing biasing source, such as compression springs, at one end of the sleeve. Another embodiment further includes a gland mounted to the equipment concentrically to the equipment shaft and an axially floating annular flow ring located within the gland. The ring non-rotatably mates with the primary seal members and the gland, and can shift axially.

Abstract: A mechanical seal assembly is disclosed in which the seal faces of the primary seal members remain essentially perpendicular to the shaft of the equipment being sealed regardless of any misalignment between the shaft and the equipment. The seal assembly has a sleeve for mounting on the shaft, the sleeve providing a support structure wherein all primary seal member faces are aligned with respect to this support structure regardless of loading. The primary seals are uniformly and persistently urged toward the support structure by the combination of net hydraulic pressure at the mated seal faces plus steady bias from a minimally flexing biasing source, such as compression springs, at one end of the sleeve. In a double balanced double seal embodiment of the invention, each primary seal piston area and the seal face contact area of the associated mated primary seals is determined without regard to location or thickness of secondary seals.

Abstract: A universal gland defining a central opening for mounting the gland coaxially about a machine shaft to the machine housing, the mounting done with a plurality of bolts at bolt hole positions in the housing. A gland body includes a mounting surface for placement adjacent the housing, and facing away from the mounting surface at least one tab-engaging surface is engaged by tabs for transferring forces from the bolts to the machine via the gland body. Bolt-mounting tabs are configured to extend radially beyond the periphery of the gland body a distance at least to the bolt hole positions of the machine. The tabs are angularly adjustable about the gland body.

Abstract: An axially floating annular flow ring is provided for use in a gland mounted to rotary equipment concentrically to the equipment shaft. The ring has an outer circumferential surface for mounting to the gland interior adjacent to gland port mouths opening out of the gland interior surface and axially between the ends of primary seal members associated with the gland. The ring non-rotatably mates with the primary seal members and the gland, and can shift axially. The ring supplies a fluid flow channel in conjunction with fluid-flow vanes associated with the shaft and which ring can travel axially with the vanes to accommodate shaft endplay.