Patent ID: 7284602

Claim:
A self-aligning stuffing box for a rod comprising: an upper tubular housing having a bore formed therethrough adapted for accepting the rod passing therethough along an axis, the bore having a first axis; a lower tubular housing having a bore formed therethrough adapted for accepting the rod passing therethrough, the bore having a second axis; a spherical joint between the upper tubular housing and the lower tubular housing having an upwardly recessed, substantially concave circumferential groove, having an outer spherical surface, formed about a lower end of the upper tubular housing and defining a central, downwardly depending portion therein; and an upwardly extending substantially convex spherical surface formed at an upper end of the lower tubular housing having a central recess formed therein for accepting the downwardly depending central portion of the upper tubular housing and permitting retained engagement of the concave and convex spherical surfaces for sealed universal movement therebetween for misaligning the first axis from the second axis and adapted for aligning the first axis relative to the rod axis; and at least a first sealing means housed within the bore of the downwardly depending central portion of the upper tubular housing, comprising: (i) a plurality of stacked circumferential seals adapted for sealing about the rod; (ii) a first retainer positioned in the bore for retaining the stacked circumferential seals against a first shoulder; and (iii) biasing means positioned in the bore for compressing the stacked seals between the first retainer and the first shoulder.