Inpro/seal LLC

Other

Isotech of Illinois, Inc.

Neil F Hoehle

David C Orlowski

Robert A Tejano

Chintan Shah

Shawn Horton

Chandhini Gowthaman

Dwight A Vicars

Morgan Pullias

Tom Horner

A shaft seal assembly comprises a stator configured to engage a housing and a rotor positioned within the stator. The stator may include a main body, a stator inward radial projection extending radially inward from the stator main body, and a collection groove adjacent the stator inward radial projection. The rotor may include a rotor main body and a rotor axial projection extending from the rotor main body. The rotor axial projection may be positioned adjacent a distal end of the stator inward radial projection.

Shaft seal assembly

An illustrative embodiment of a shaft seal assembly generally includes a fixed stator, a floating stator, and a sealing member. In the illustrative embodiment the fixed stator may be formed with one or more fluid conduits that are in fluid communication with one or fluid conduits formed in the floating stator. The fluid conduits in the floating stator may be in fluid communication with one or more fluid conduits formed in a sealing member. A rotational interface may exist between the sealing member and a shaft, and the various fluid conduits may be configured to create a fluid barrier at that interface. Other embodiments of a shaft seal assembly may create a fluid barrier at a rotational interface between a rotor and a floating stator.

An illustrative embodiment of a shaft seal assembly generally includes a first stator, a second stator, and a throttle member. In one illustrative embodiment, the second stator may be formed with a main body and an access plate positioned radially interior with respect to a portion of the first stator. The first stator and second stator may engage one another about a semi-spherical interface comprised of a convex surface on the second stator and a concave surface on the first stator. The second stator may include an internal channel in which a throttle member may be positioned, wherein a radially interior surface of the throttle member may be positioned a shaft.

A shaft seal assembly may include a stator and a rotor. The rotor may be configured to rotate with a shaft, and the stator may be engaged with a housing. The stator and rotor may be configured with radial and/or axial recesses and/or radial and/or axial projections. These various features may be configured such that the stator and rotor cooperate to form a ring cavity. A cooperating ring may be positioned in the ring cavity, and the cooperating ring may be configured such that is circumferentially expandable so that the cooperating ring changes size and/or shape when it rotates as opposed to when it is not rotating.

A bearing isolator and explosion-proof current diverting device may be configured to dissipate an electrical charge from a rotating piece of equipment to ground, such as from a motor shaft to a motor housing. One aspect of an explosion-proof current diverter ring may include a stator that may be mounted to the equipment housing and a rotor that may be mounted to a shaft. The rotor may rotate with the shaft. A conductive assembly may be positioned in a radial bore formed in the stator such that the conductive assembly contacts the rotor to conduct electricity from the shaft to the housing through the explosion-proof current diverting device. The explosion-proof current diverting device may be configured to define a flame path to achieve various explosion-proof certifications.

Explosion-proof current diverting device

The current diverter rings and bearing isolators serve to dissipate an electrical charge from a rotating piece of equipment to ground, such as from a motor shaft to a motor housing. One embodiment of the current diverter ring includes an inner body and an outer body configured to clamp at least one conductive segment between them. In the preferred embodiments of the current diverter ring, the conductive segments are positioned in radial channels. The outer body may be affixed to a shaft, a motor housing, a bearing isolator, or other structure. The bearing isolator may incorporate a retention chamber for holding conductive segments within the stator of the bearing isolator, or the bearing isolator may be fashioned with a receptor groove into which a current diverter ring may be mounted.

Current diverter ring

The current diverter rings (CDRs), captured CDRs, bearing isolators, and explosion-proof CDRs serve to dissipate an electrical charge from a rotating piece of equipment to ground, such as from a motor shaft to a motor housing. One embodiment of the explosion-proof CDR includes a stator that may be mounted to the equipment housing and a rotor that may be mounted to a shaft. The rotor may rotate with the shaft may be encompassed by stator and a cap, which cap may be secured directly to the stator or the housing. A conductive assembly may be positioned in a radial channel formed in the stator such that the conductive assembly contacts the shaft to conduct electricity from the shaft to the housing. Another embodiment of an explosion-proof CDR does not require a rotor. The explosion-proof CDR may be configured to define a flame path to achieve various explosion-proof certifications.

An illustrative embodiment of a multi-shaft seal assembly generally includes a first seal, a second seal, and a collar. In the illustrative embodiment the collar may be integrally formed with a portion of the first seal, and may serve to axially space the second seal from the first seal. The second seal may be formed with a cutaway therein to ensure proper clearance between the second seal and one of the shafts. Other embodiments of the multi-shaft seal assembly use a collar formed with the equipment housing or second seal. Still other embodiments include additional seals for additional shafts.

A pressure balanced shaft seal assembly that allows a seal to dynamically respond to angular or radial misalignment of a shaft includes a fixed stator, a floating stator, and a labyrinth seal. In one embodiment, the floating stator and labyrinth seal are mounted within an annular groove formed in the fixed stator such that the floating stator and labyrinth seal may move a predetermined amount in the radial direction with respect to the fixed stator. A spherical interface between the labyrinth seal and floating stator may allow the labyrinth seal to pivot with respect to the floating stator during angular misalignment of a shaft around which the pressure balanced shaft seal assembly is mounted. A pressure balancing annular channel formed in the floating stator allows pressurized seal fluid to balance the axial pressure exerted on the floating stator by the process fluid.

Pressure balanced shaft seal assembly

A method for monitoring a bearing is disclosed. The method involves positioning a non-contacting bearing isolator adjacent a bearing on a piece of rotating equipment so that at least one operating parameter of said bearing is communicated to said bearing isolator; and, positioning an energy detector within range of said bearing isolator so that said energy detector is able to monitor said at least one operating parameter of said bearing by detecting at least one operating parameter of said bearing isolator.

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Solon, IA, United States of America

Neil F Hoehle