SELF CENTERING, FLOATING BRUSH SEAL ASSEMBLY

摘要

A self centering, floating brush seal assembly (10) for a machine housing (14) including a seal channel (12) disposed circumferentially about a rotating shaft (16). The seal channel (12) is typically configured to accommodate a ring seal. The ring seal is removed and a radially floating brush seal (10) is installed in the seal channel but the brush seal is not fixed to the machine housing. The typical brush seal includes a front plate (18), a back plate (20), and a plurality of bristles (22) sandwiched between the front plate and the back plate and having free radially extending ends (24) disposed circumferentially about and contacting the rotating shaft. A radially extending rub feature (26) is associated with at least one of the front plate (18) and the back plate (20). The rub feature is disposed circumferentially about and contacts the rotating shaft.