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Self-Flushing Fluid Seal Assembly, David T. Kao

Civil Engineering Faculty Patents

A self-flushing fluid seal assembly is provided to prevent particle intrusion into the main seal around a slurry pump shaft. The assembly includes an annular tube concentrically disposed about the pump shaft and forming a chamber. The volume of the chamber is made variable by a plunger comprising an enlarged diameter portion of the pump shaft movable relative to the chamber during the power and return stroke of the pump. Flushing liquid is delivered to the chamber by means of a feed line extending through the shaft. A check valve provided in the feed line opens to allow the inward …