Fluid pump or motor

Claim 1

IN A ROTARY FLUID FLOW DEVICE COMPRISING AN INNER CASING WITH A SPHERICAL INNER WORKING SURFACE; AN OUTER CASING EMBRACING THE INNER WORKING SURFACE AND BEARING OPPOSED INTERIOR SIDE WALLS; A SPHERICAL WALL ROTATABLE ABOUT THE AXIS OF AN ANNULAR PUMPING VOLUME AND BEARING A SPHERICAL OUTER WORKING SURFACE SPACED FROM AND OPPOSED TO THE INNER WORKING SURFACE, SAID OUTER WORKING SURFACE BEING RADIALLY OUTSIDE SAID INNER WORKING SURFACE, SAID ANNULAR PUMPING VOLUME BEING DEFINED BY THE INNER AND OUTER WORKING SURFACES AND THE SIDE WALLS; AN ANNULAR FLANGE IN THE PUMPING VOLUME SPANNING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE SPHERICAL WORKING SURFACES AND THEREBY DIVIDING THE PUMPING VOLUME INTO FIRST AND SECOND PUMPING SPACES; OPPOSED GRIPPER SURFACES DEFINING VANE GAPS IN THE FLANGE; AT LEAST THREE TRANSVERSE VANES EXTENDING BETWEEN THE FLANGE AND THE SIDE WALLS, THEREBY DIVIDING THE FIRST AND SECOND PUMPING SPACES INTO CHARGE CHAMBERS, EACH VANE HAVING UPPER AND LOWER FACES CONFORMING RESPECTIVELY TO THE OUTER WORKING SURFACE AND THE INNER WORKING SURFACE, AT LEAST ONE VANE CONNECTED IN DRIVING RELATION TO THE PERIPHERAL WALL; MEANS FOR ROTATING THE FLANGE ABOUT ITS AXIS TOGETHER WITH THE VANES AND PERIPHERAL WALL, WITH THE AXES OF THE PUMPING VOLUME AND THE FLANGE DIVERGING FROM THE CENTER OF THE SPHERICAL INNER WORKING SURFACE, THEREBY CHANGING THE VOLUME OF EACH CHARGE CHAMBER, AND DUCT MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FLUID FROM A FLUID SUPPLY INTO THE CHARGE CHAMBERS DURING THE INCREASE IN VOLUME THEREOF AND FOR REMOVING FLUID TO A FLUID DISCHARGE FROM THE CHARGE CHAMBERS DURING THE DECREASE IN VOLUME THEREOF, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING NON-ROTATING INTERIOR SIDE WALLS; VANES ROTATABLE DURING THE ROTATION OF THE FLANGE, SAID VANES ROTATING ABOUT AN INSTANTANEOUS VANE AXIS EXTENDING THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE SPHERICAL INNER WORKING SURFACE, AND SAID VANES HAVING SPHERICAL UPPER AND LOWER FACES OF THE RADIUS OF CURVATURE RESPECTIVELY OF THE OUTER WORKING SURFACE AND THE INNER WORKING SURFACE, AND SIDE FACES ADAPTED TO MAKE SLIDING SURFACE CONTACT WITH THE SIDE WALLS WHEREBY ROTARY MOTION OF THE VANE RELATIVE TO THE SIDE WALLS ABOUT THE VANE AXIS IS SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTED.