Claims
- 1. A seal arrangement comprising:a structural ring; a multi-axis support attached to and supporting said structural ring to hold a seal ring in sealing engagement with an end of a rotary tube kiln; a bellows having first and second ends, the first end attached to one of the structural ring and said seal ring, the second end attached to a stationary hood; and a biasing device applying force to said structural ring in a direction such that the structural ring biases the seal ring against the end of said rotary tube kiln.
- 2. A seal arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said multi-axis support comprises:a bracket attached to said stationary hood; a first shaft attached to said bracket, a longitudinal axis of said first shaft being substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said rotary tube kiln; a second shaft connected to said first shaft at one end through a bushing mounted around said first shaft, said bushing allowing limited rotation of said second shaft about the longitudinal axis of said first shaft; a linear bearing at another end of said second shaft; a spherical bearing mounted about said linear bearing and supporting said structural ring.
- 3. A seal arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said biasing device comprises at least two pneumatic cylinders, each attached at one end to said structural ring and at another end to said stationary hood.
- 4. A seal arrangement according to claim 1, where the end of said rotary tube kiln includes a flange.
- 5. A seal arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said biasing device is a clamping device comprising:a spring bearing on a surface of said structural ring; a cam follower bearing on a surface of said flange; and a connecting shaft supporting said spring and said cam follower so that the said structural ring is biased toward said flange.
- 6. A seal arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said structural ring comprises steel.
- 7. A seal arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said stationary hood includes a thermal shroud that protects said bellows from heat.
- 8. A seal arrangement comprising:a stationary hood; a rotary tube kiln; a seal ring slidably engaging an end of said rotary tube kiln; a structural ring attached to said seal ring; a bellows connected at one end to said stationary hood and at another end to said structural ring and seal ring; and a multi-axis support connected to and supporting said structural ring, seal ring, and bellows while allowing movement of said seal ring along an axis of said multi-axis support and about a plurality of mutually perpendicular axes while maintaining a tight seal between said seal ring and said end of said kiln tube.
- 9. A seal arrangement according to claim 8 wherein said multi-axis support comprises:a first shaft attached to said stationary hood, a longitudinal axis of said first shaft being substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said rotary kiln tube; and a second shaft connected to said first shaft at one end through a bushing mounted around said first shaft, said bushing allowing limited rotation of said second shaft about said longitudinal axis of said first shaft.
- 10. A seal arrangement according to claim 9 wherein the multi-axis support further comprises a thrust bearing between one end of said second shaft and a flange of said first shaft.
- 11. A seal arrangement according to claim 9 wherein the multi-axis support further comprises:a linear bearing at another end of said second shaft; a spherical bearing mounted about said linear bearing and supporting said structural ring; and wherein said linear bearing allows movement of said structural ring along said second shaft and said spherical bearing allows movement of said structural ring about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of both the first shaft and the second shaft.
- 12. The seal arrangement of claim 8 wherein the seal ring comprises graphite.
- 13. The seal arrangement of claim 8 wherein the structural ring comprises steel.
- 14. The seal arrangement of claim 8 wherein the bellows comprises an elastomeric material.
- 15. A seal arrangement comprising:a stationary hood; a rotary tube kiln; a seal ring slidably engaging an end of the rotary tube kiln; a structural ring attached to and supporting said seal ring; a bellows connected at one end to the stationary hood and at another end to said structural ring; a multi-axis support attached to and supporting said structural ring; and a biasing device applying force to the structural ring such that the seal ring engages the end of said rotary tube kiln, thereby maintaining a substantially gas-tight seal between the seal ring and the end of said rotary tube kiln during expansions and contractions and eccentricities of motion of said rotary tube kiln.
- 16. A seal arrangement in accordance with claim 15 wherein the biasing device comprises a pneumatic cylinder attached at one end to the structural ring and at another end to the stationary hood.
- 17. A seal arrangement in accordance with claim 15 further comprising a flange at the end of said rotary tube kiln and wherein the biasing device forces the flange and the seal ring toward each other.
- 18. A seal arrangement in accordance with claim 17 wherein the biasing device comprises:a spring bearing on a surface of said structural ring opposite another surface of said structural ring that engages said seal ring; a cam follower bearing on a surface of said flange opposite another surface of said flange that engages said seal ring; and a connector supporting the spring and the cam follower so that said structural ring is biased toward said flange, said structural ring thereby biasing said seal ring into engagement with said flange.
- 19. A seal arrangement in accordance with claim 15 wherein the seal ring comprises graphite.
- 20. A seal arrangement in accordance with claim 15 wherein the structural ring comprises steel.
- 21. A device for providing a seal between a rotating tubular kiln and a stationary component comprising:a structural ring having attached thereto a seal ring; a multi-axis support adapted at one end thereof for attachment to said stationary component and at another end thereof to be attached to and support said structural ring; a flexible bellows adapted for attachment at one end to said stationary component and at another end to said structural ring; and a biasing device suitable for applying force to said structural ring in a direction such that said structural ring biases said seal ring against the end of said rotating tubular kiln.
- 22. A device in accordance with claim 21wherein said seal ring is graphite.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/224,431, filed Aug. 11, 2000, entitled Multi-Axis Rotary Seal System. The disclosure of this application is totally incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/224431 |
Aug 2000 |
US |