Rotary shaft bearing isolator seal

Abstract

A bearing isolator seal having a shaft seal assembly that includes a stator housing comprising two components, an interior and an exterior component, the two stator housing components being selectively connectable, and axially positionable (relative to the radial faces of the rotor), disconnectable via screw threads on similar structures formed thereon to enable a perishable rotor component to be readily replaced with the stator components being reusable with a new rotor, the assembled stator housing, having an inner radially extending face with a pair of spaced concentric annular flanges of substantially frusto-conical shape extending from a larger diameter end that is fixed to the inner radially extending face to a smaller diameter free end, and a rotor having a peripherally extending radial flange that is fixed to a hub of the rotor and has a contact sealing surface that contacts the free end of the annular flanges of the stator housing. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, drain ports are provided at a radially inner side of the fixed end of a radially outermost one of the annular flanges of the stator housing, and radially extending grooves are provided in an end surface of a frusto-conical wall extending axially from the sealing face of the radial flange of rotor so as to cause lubricant to be propelled radially outwardly against the radially outermost annular flange of the stator housing, along which it is caused to flow to and through axially extending holes forming the drain ports under dynamic sealing conditions and methods for achieving desired axial clearances for both the original and the replacement rotors.