Patent ID: 7849575

Claim:
A seal removal tool comprising a cup element having first and second opposed ends, the first end being open with a circular perimeter and a barbed knife-edge thereat, said perimeter having a diameter substantially equal to an inside diameter of an inner circular edge of an annular seal that fits snuggly around an exposed end of a shaft having therein an axially oriented threaded cavity with a predetermined diameter, the second end being partially closed with an enlarged threaded opening therein having a diameter greater than the predetermined diameter of the cavity, an advancing device for the cup element comprising a first threaded elongated rod element and a pressing element for pressing against the partially closed second end, said first rod element having a diameter that is less than the diameter of the enlarged threaded opening to enable said first rod element to pass freely through the enlarged threaded opening and be screwed into the threaded cavity so that, as the advancing device is rotated in a first direction, the pressing element bears against the second end to move the cup element inward and force the barbed knife-edge against the annular seal near the inner circular edge of the seal until the barbed knife-edge deflects the seal and moves inward past the seal's inner circular edge and between the shaft and the inner circular edge, and a extracting device comprising a second threaded elongated rod element having an enlarged tip for engaging the exposed end of the shaft after disengaging the advancing device by rotation in a second direction opposite the first direction, said enlarged tip configured to screw into the enlarged threaded opening and to advance axially and press against the exposed end of the shaft as the second threaded elongated rod element is rotated, thereby moving the cup element away from the exposed end of the shaft so the barbed edge grips the seal's inner circular edge and pulls said seal away from the shaft.