Two component pin seal

Abstract

A pair of pivoting parts are held together with a pin, with a first part, such as a rod end of a hydraulic actuator, positioned between two flanges of a bracket, with the flanges having surfaces mating with sides surfaces of the rod end. A seal is placed in each of a pair of recesses on the opposite side surfaces of the rod end to provide an annular seal around the surface of the pin as the parts pivot, and also having a flange forming a side seal that seats on one of the mating surfaces of the bracket at a location spaced outwardly from the pin and extending annularly around the pin. The seal portion engaging the pin is spaced inwardly from the respective side surface of the bracket, and the outer annular lip seals a space surrounding the pin to form a pocket to receive grease that is used to lubricate the pin relative to the rod end.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         5 . A seal for use with first and second interfitting members having bores that align with the pin passing through the bores, the first member having first and second side surfaces generally perpendicular to an axis of the pin, and the second member having spaced surfaces engaging the first and second surfaces of at least during a portion of operation, the seal being mounted on the first member and recessed into an annular groove surrounding the pin on at least one side surface of the first member, the seal having an elastomeric ring encircling the pin and having a first seal portion engaging the pin, the elastomeric ring having a second seal portion spaced outwardly from the pin, and extending annularly around the pin, said second seal portion forming a lip resiliently engaging the surface of the second member which engages the at least one side surface of the first member. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         12 . A method of inhibiting external contaminants from entering a bore in a first member wherein there is a pin in the bore extending outwardly from the bore to pivotally hold the first member relative to a second member, wherein the first and second members have mating facing surfaces transverse to a central axis of the pin, the method comprising providing a recess in the first member open to the mating transverse surface of the second member and surrounding the pin, providing a seal having a resilient ring surrounding and engaging the pin, and forming a first pocket between the resilient ring, the pin and the first member and forming a second pocket between the resilient ring, the pin and the mating adjacent transverse surface of the second member with an annular portion of the seal, and filling a lubricant into the first pocket and then into the second pocket, and maintaining the lubricant in the second pocket to inhibit contaminants from moving from the second pocket to the first pocket. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , including providing a bushing seated in the bore, the bushing configured to receive and surround the pin, and forming the first pocket between the resilient ring, the pin and the bushing. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , and positioning the mating transverse surfaces of the first and second members to be substantially contiguous to each other, and extending the pin into a bore in the second member to permit pivoting of one of the members relative to the other about the central axis of the pin. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , and further configuring the resilient ring to permit lubricant to flow from the first pocket into the second pocket and from the second pocket outwardly past the annular portion of the seal and along the mating transverse surfaces, and forming the resilient ring to permit flow of lubricant from the first pocket in direction along the pin out of the first pocket. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , including forming the annular portion of the seal as a annular lip surrounding the pin, the annular lip extending from the recess to engage a mating transverse surface of the second member at a radial distance spaced from the pin. 
     
     
         17 . A method of lubricating a pivot pin in aligning bores of first and second members, to permit the first and second members to move about an axis of the pin, the first member having a first bore receiving the pin and having a generally planar first surface transverse to the pin axis, the first member having an annular cavity in the first surface surrounding the first bore and open toward the second member, the first surface extending radially outwardly from the annular cavity, the second member having a second bore receiving the pin and having a generally planar second surface mating with the first surface at locations radially outwardly from the annular cavity, the method comprising providing an annular seal positioned in the annular cavity and surrounding the pin, providing the seal with a first annular lip engaging the second surface radially outwardly from the pin, providing the seal with a second lip engaging the pin, the first annular lip extending from an inner portion of the cavity toward the second surface, positioning the first lip to define an annular pocket between the first annular lip of the seal, the second surface and the pin, filling the annular pocket with a lubricant and configuring the second lip to permit passage of lubricant from the first bore of the first member into the annular pocket and to resist passage of lubricant from the annular pocket toward the first bore in the first member to trap contaminants entering the annular pocket from moving from the annular pocket toward the first bore of the first member. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , including providing a passage for injecting lubricant into the first bore of the first member at a position spaced from the annular cavity. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , including providing a bushing in the first bore of the first member, the bushing surrounding the pin, and extending an end portion of the bushing into the annular cavity, mounting the seal on the end portion of the bushing, and extending the second lip past the end portion of the bushing to engage the pin. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , including configuring the first annular lip to flexibly engage the second surface at a position spaced radially outwardly from the second lip, the second lip being configured to permit lubricant to be moved from the first bore along the first and second surfaces radially outwardly from the annular cavity. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  including providing the passage to an exterior of the first member, and providing a grease fitting on the passage. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the first member is a rod end of a hydraulic cylinder having first surfaces on opposite ends thereof, and the second member has a pair of walls each facing one end of the rod end and each wall having a second surface, the method including providing cavities in each first surface, and providing a seal in each cavity with the first annular lips of the seals engaging a respective second surface.