Method and appliance for making isotropically finished seal ring of seal assembly for machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10927959-B2
Application number	US-201916287708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2019
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

A seal ring for a seal assembly includes a body and a seal flange. The body is generally cylindrical, extending along a longitudinal axis between a load end and a seal end. The seal flange is disposed adjacent the seal end of the body, projecting radially in a circumscribing manner from the body. The seal flange includes a sealing face having a sealing band for sealing contact with a mating seal ring. A layer of coating composition formulated to help increase the corrosion resistance of the seal ring is applied to at least the body. A mask is applied to the seal ring to cover at least a portion of the seal ring having the layer of coating composition applied thereto such that the sealing band remains exposed. The sealing band is polished by an isotropic finishing process. The mask is removed after the sealing band is isotropically polished.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a seal ring for a seal assembly, the method of making comprising:
producing the seal ring, the seal ring including a load end, a seal end, a loading surface, and a sealing face, the load end and the seal end in spaced relationship to each other along a longitudinal axis, the loading surface extending along the longitudinal axis between the load end and the seal end, the sealing face being disposed at the seal end and being annular, the sealing face extending radially with respect to the longitudinal axis;
applying a layer of coating composition to at least a portion of an exterior surface of the seal ring;
machining the sealing face of the seal ring to define a sealing band;
after the layer of coating composition is applied, placing a mask over at least an area of the layer of coating composition applied to the exterior surface of the seal ring, the mask being positioned with respect to the sealing band such that the mask is offset from the sealing band to leave the sealing band exposed;
after the mask is placed, polishing the sealing band by subjecting the sealing band to an isotropic finishing process.

2. The method of making according to claim 1 , wherein the seal ring is produced by stamping a seal ring blank to form the seal ring, the method of making further comprising:
machining the seal ring to at least one predetermined tolerance.

3. The method of making according to claim 1 , further comprising:
machining the sealing face of the seal ring to define an inner relieved area, the sealing band being disposed radially outward of the inner relieved area along the sealing face.

4. The method of making according to claim 1 , wherein the seal ring is made from a seal ring material, and the layer of coating composition is more corrosion resistant than the seal ring material.

5. The method of making according to claim 1 , wherein the layer of coating composition comprises manganese phosphate.

6. The method of making according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing band is polished by subjecting the sealing band to the isotropic finishing process such that the sealing band has a surface roughness average of 0.3 micrometers Ra or less, and wherein once the sealing band is polished, the sealing band of the sealing face substantially does not have the layer of coating composition applied thereto.

7. The method of making according to claim 1 , wherein the mask is applied by disposing the seal ring within a masking member, the masking member defining a circumferential groove, the load end of the seal ring being disposed within the circumferential groove.

8. The method of making according to claim 7 , wherein the masking member is made from an acid-resistant material that is non-reactive with a polishing media used in the isotropic finishing process.

9. The method of making according to claim 8 , wherein the masking member is made from a material having a durometer hardness of 60 Shore A or less.

10. The method of making according to claim 7 , wherein the circumferential groove defined by the masking member is configured such that the seal ring is disposed within the circumferential groove with the loading surface being covered and only a part of the sealing face containing the sealing band being exposed.

11. The method of making according to claim 10 , wherein the masking member is made by inverse molding a prototype seal ring.

12. The method of making according to claim 10 , wherein the masking member includes a first masking part and a second masking part, the first masking part including an inner sidewall and a base defining a circular recess, the second masking part having an outer perimeter, the second masking part being configured such that the second masking part is positionable within the circular recess of the first masking part, the inner sidewall of the first masking part and the outer perimeter of the second masking part cooperating together to define the circumferential groove.

13. The method of making according to claim 12 , wherein the masking member is made from an acid-resistant material that is non-reactive with a polishing media used in the isotropic finishing process.

14. The method of making according to claim 13 , wherein the masking member is made from a material having a durometer hardness of 100 Shore A or less.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Feng Bao
• Haas Connor J
• Every Joseph J
• Vertenten Daniel P
• Spangler John M

Classifications

• F16J15/3496 Primary

  use of special materials · CPC title

• F16J15/344 Primary

  the pressing force being applied by means of an elastic ring supporting the slip-ring · CPC title

• B21K1/20

  valve parts · CPC title

• F16J15/3404 Primary

  and characterised by parts or details relating to lubrication, cooling or venting of the seal · CPC title

• Y10T29/49297

  Seal or packing making · CPC title