Patent ID: 7938404

Claim:
In combination with a shaft extending along and rotatable about an axis and a housing surrounding a portion of the shaft, a seal assembly comprising: an inner ring fixed on and rotatable with the shaft and having a pair of axially oppositely directed outer faces each formed with a respective radially outwardly open groove; a pair of outer slide rings axially flanking the inner ring and having inner faces axially sealed on the inner-ring outer faces; respective support rings in the grooves of the inner-ring outer faces and engaging the outer-ring inner faces, the outer rings, the housing, the support rings, and the inner ring forming an annular housing compartment surrounding the shaft; a liquid in the compartment; radially projecting vanes in the housing compartment on the inner ring, whereby as the inner ring rotates in the housing compartment its vanes move the liquid therein; a respective groove having axially spaced flanks and open radially outwardly into the housing compartment on each of the outer rings; respective radially inwardly projecting elements fixed in the housing and each having a threaded inner end in the compartment aligned radially with a respective one of the grooves; and respective nuts threaded and rotatable on the inner ends, received in the respective grooves of the outer rings, and angularly engageable with the flanks of the respective grooves of the outer rings for preventing free radial rotation of the outer rings in the housing.