US 12,227,364 B2
Screw conveyor shaft seal and related methods
Scott E. Gaston, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Assigned to Bridgestone Corporation, Chuo-ku (JP)
Appl. No. 17/922,357
Filed by Bridgestone Corporation, Chuo-ku (JP)
PCT Filed Apr. 30, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/030052
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 29, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/222680, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 4, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/018,050, filed on Apr. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0174313 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
Int. Cl. F16J 15/24 (2006.01); B65G 33/24 (2006.01); F16J 15/26 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 33/24 (2013.01) [F16J 15/24 (2013.01); F16J 15/26 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A shaft seal for a screw conveyor, the shaft seal comprising:
a housing including an outboard frame plate and an inboard frame plate with a shaft aperture extending axially therethrough;
an outboard compression plate and an inboard compression plate situated between the outboard frame plate and the inboard frame plate;
a wear plate inboard of the inboard compression plate, the wear plate configured to limit wear of the inboard frame plate, the wear plate having an outer diameter and including a wear pin aperture formed in the wear plate through the outer diameter thereof;
a wear pin extending outboard from an inner surface of the inboard frame plate and into the wear pin aperture in the wear plate;
an annular recess at least partially formed along at least one of the inboard compression plate and the outboard compression plate;
an inboard sealing device disposed between the inboard frame plate and the inboard compression plate along the shaft aperture;
an outboard sealing device disposed between the outboard frame plate and the outboard compression plate along the shaft aperture; and,
at least three intermediate sealing devices situated between the outboard compression plate and the inboard compression plate, the at least three intermediate sealing devices disposed within the annular recess with the inboard sealing device spaced axially inboard of the at least three intermediate sealing devices and the outboard sealing device space axially outboard of the at least three intermediate sealing devices such that the inboard sealing device and the outboard sealing device provide redundant seals along an associated shaft in addition to the at least three intermediate sealing devices.