SANITARY SEAL

An improved cartridge-type seal construction, particularly for use under conditions requiring a high level of sanitation, same having an annular insert fixedly secured to a housing and an annular seal ring nonrotatably secured relative to a shaft. The seal ring is nonrotatably connected to a collar by means of headed drive pins which prevent the collar and seal ring from being axially separated. A spring is confined within and coacts between the collar and the seal ring for resiliently urging the seal ring into abutting, sealing engagement with a mating face on the insert. The corners and recesses on the seal ring and insert are preferably provided with rounded, substantially smooth contours for preventing collection of bacteria or other contaminating material. The collar and seal ring, together with the spring confined therebetween, are removable from the shaft as a unit to facilitate assembly or disassembly of the seal construction. The insert and seal ring surround and cooperate with the shaft so as to define an internal chamber, which chamber communicates with the interface area between the abutting seal faces and is connected to a supply of cleaning fluid, particularly steam, whereupon the cleaning fluid supplied to the chamber flows radially outwardly between the abutting seal faces for cleaning same.