Mechanical split seal

Abstract

A split seal component includes two seal face segments in two holder halves and a method of assembly and installation. Each seal face segment has a primary sealing surface and a section extending axially from each primary sealing surface. The holder halves are adapted to be joined together to rigidly hold the circular seal face. The holder being constructed and arranged to mount to a shaft. In a unitized design (FIGS. 29/30 ) a rotary assembly of seal face segment ( 206 ) and rotary holder half ( 102 ) may have a contact surface ( 712 ) to contact abutment surface ( 714 ) of a stationary holder half ( 370 ) of a stationary assembly. A biasing device (e.g., spring 514 ) pushes stationary seal face segment ( 406 ) against rotary seal face segment ( 206 ) thereby to push contact surface ( 712 ) into contact with abutment surface ( 714 ). After the stationary assembly is fixed in place around a shaft, the contact and abutment surfaces ( 712, 714 ) may be axially displaced (FIG. 30 ) to provide operational clearance and the rotary assembly then attached around the shaft. Contact between the surfaces ( 712, 714 ) can thus provide pre-installation retention of a rotary holder half by a stationary holder half for unitized assembly, prior to axial displacement as assembly is completed.

1 . A method of assembly of a split seal, comprising: 
 (a) inserting seal face segments of a rotary seal face into first and second rotary holder halves to provide a rotary assembly;    (b) inserting seal face segments of a stationary seal face into first and second stationary holder halves to provide a stationary assembly;    (c) inserting one of said rotary holder halves into each of said stationary holder halves so that a biasing device in the stationary holder half pushes a contact surface of the rotary assembly against an abutment surface of the stationary assembly to provide pre-installation retention of the rotary holder halves; and    (d) fastening the first and second stationary holder halves to each other in position around a shaft.    
   
   
       2 . A method as in  claim 1 , additionally comprising: 
 (e) displacing the rotary holder halves axially along the shaft to terminate said pre-installation retention thereof.    
   
   
       3 . A method as in  claim 2 , additionally comprising: 
 (f) fastening the first and second rotary holder halves to each other in position around the shaft.    
   
   
       4 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said biasing device is a spring and step (c) comprises partially compressing said spring so that the spring pushes said contact surface against said abutment surface.  
   
   
       5 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises inserting said rotary holder halves so that the biasing device pushes a contact surface on a rotary holder half of the rotary assembly against said abutment surface.  
   
   
       6 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises inserting said rotary holder halves so that the biasing device pushes a contact surface on the rotary seal face of the rotary assembly against said abutment surface.