US 12,066,109 B2
Seal assembly and method of using the same
Steven George Scheer, Selma, AL (US)
Assigned to INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY, Memphis, TN (US)
Filed by Steven George Scheer, Selma, AL (US)
Filed on May 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/663,525.
Application 17/663,525 is a continuation of application No. 16/671,632, filed on Nov. 1, 2019, granted, now 11,353,113.
Prior Publication US 2024/0011565 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. F16J 15/3284 (2016.01)
CPC F16J 15/3284 (2013.01) 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for preventing contamination of a sealed chamber, the method comprising:
fixedly coupling a first annular rotor member and a second annular rotor member to a rotatable shaft such that rotational and axial movement of the first and second annular rotor members relative to the rotatable shaft are prevented, wherein an outer surface of each of the first and second annular rotor members comprises one or more helical threads;
providing a first annular stator member and a second annular stator member that are fixedly coupled to a housing configured to receive the rotatable shaft;
inserting the rotatable shaft into the housing such that the outer surface of the first annular rotor member is adjacent to an inner surface of the first annular stator member and the outer surface of the second annular rotor member is adjacent to an inner surface of the second annular stator member to generate the sealed chamber, wherein:
the one or more helical threads of the first annular rotor member are configured such that an interaction between the outer surface of the first annular rotor member and the inner surface of the first annular stator member generates a first rotary pump comprising a first flow direction extending from inside the housing to outside the housing along a rotation axis of the rotatable shaft,
the one or more helical threads of the second annular rotor member are configured such that an interaction between the outer surface of the second annular rotor member and the inner surface of the second annular stator member generates a second rotary pump comprising a second flow direction extending from inside the housing to outside the housing along the rotation axis; and
rotating the rotatable shaft about the rotation axis such that the first rotary pump pumps materials in the first flow direction and the second rotary pump pumps materials in the second flow direction opposite to the first flow direction along the rotation axis.