Federal-mogul Corporation

The Timken Company

Jon A Chandler

John D Butler

Dennis L Otto

Mark E Baker

Joseph A Abbruzzi

John J Lorenz

An annular elastomeric sealing member includes a static sealing lip and a series of projections facing the lubricant. Each projection has a convex front surface that provides two oppositely facing pumping faces and an angled rear surface that intersects the front surface at an acute angle so as to form a sharp leading edge. The sharp leading edge on each projection has a relatively small radial clearance with respect to the cylindrical surface that is to be sealed. This small clearance enables the projections to exert pumping forces on lubricant proximate to the cylindrical surface.

Hydrodynamic low-torque lubricant seal with pumping projections

A seal for a roll neck bearing has a two interlocked components - a rotating component fitted to the inner race of the bearing and a stationary component fitted to the outer race. The rotating component includes a shield which fits around the end of the inner race, and, while it establishes a static barrier along the inner race, it can float or be displaced axially on the inner race. The stationary component has a seal case which fits snugly in a bore that opens out of the end of the outer race, it being trapped in that bore by a chock into which the bearing fits. Both the shield and case have axial walls and radial walls, and at the ends of their radial walls carry elastomeric seal elements. The seal element of the shield contacts the axial wall of the seal case, whereas the seal element of the seal case contacts the axial wall of the shield and further establishes a labyrinth along the shield. The two seal elements include bumpers which are presented toward the radial walls and limit the distance the rotating component may be displaced axially relative to the stationary component.

Two component bearing seal with bumpers

A method of making an oil seal (10) having two separate annular lips (62, 64) formed by splitting a single lip liner blank (12). The lip liner blank is an annular wafer having an annular groove (14) formed on one side (15) of the wafer at the point on the wafer where the wafer is intended to be split into two annular pieces (49, 50). A mold (32) is loaded with the lip liner blank (12), a prep ring of elastomeric material (43) and a seal case (b 44) and then closed thereby clamping the prep ring and wafer between upper and lower dies (40 and 36) of the mold. In the molding step the prep ring and wafer are heated and compressed causing the prep ring to become molten as it flows over the wafer. The molten elastomeric material enters the groove and pressure exerted by the elastomeric material against the groove splits the wafer into two annular pieces (49, 50). A first annular piece (49) is displaced in the mold to the desired location of the excluder lip (64). A second annular piece of the wafer lines the main lip (62) of the oil seal (10).

Method of making an oil seal having two lips formed by splitting the

A method of making an oil seal (10) having two separate annular lips (62, 64) formed by splitting a single lip liner blank (12). The lip liner blank is an annular wafer having an annular groove (14) formed on one side (15) of the wafer at the point on the wafer where the wafer is intended to be split into two annular pieces (49, 50). A mold (32) is loaded with the lip liner blank (12), a prep ring of elastomeric material (43) and a seal case (44) and then closed thereby clamping the prep ring and wafer between upper and lower dies (40 and 36) of the mold. In the molding step the prep ring and wafer are heated and compressed causing the prep ring to become molten as it flows over the wafer. The molten elastomeric material enters the groove and pressure exerted by the elastomeric material against the groove splits the wafer into two annular pieces (49, 50). A first annular piece (49) is displaced in the mold to the desired location of the excluder lip (64). A second annular piece of the wafer lines the main lip (62) of the oil seal (10).

Oil seal having attached thereto two aligned polytetrafluoroethylene

A radial lip seal (10) having a sealing lip (16) made of first and second materials arranged in alternating regions (20,22) and forming a continuous contact band. The seal is a rotational seal for contacting a shaft or sleeve in a relatively rotatable relationship. The first and second materials have differing physical characteristics to increase hydrodynamic activity at the sealing lip (16). The first material may be a polytetrafluoroethylene material and the second material disclosed may be silicone, fluoroelastomer, nitrile, ethylene acrylic or polyacrylate elastomers. The boundaries (42) between the first and second materials at the contact band preferably intersect the circumferentially extending contact band at an angle. A method of making a radial lip seal is also disclosed wherein an annular wafer (32) of a first material having an undulating circumferential edge (34) with spaced radially recessed portions (36) is placed in a mold (44). A ring (45) of elastomeric material is placed in the mold (44) with the wafer (32). The radial lip seal (10) is then formed by molding the ring (45) of elastomeric material and wafer (32) into the desired seal configuration. The process is completed by forming the sealing lip (16) by cutting the molded wafer (32) and molded elastomeric material contained in the recesses (36) of the wafer (32).

Radial lip seal

Improved bore retention of a lip seal is provided by case structure having a series of interrupted, short angularly outwardly deflected portions barely covered by an elastomeric covering. The angularly outwardly deflected portions and the elastomeric covering are proportioned carefully relatively to the bore, which is provided with an annular groove at one end that aids in retaining the seal, in cooperation with displaced elastomer and the outwardly deflected case portions.

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Brighton, MI, United States of America

Jon A Chandler