kolonits

Claim 1

A PRESSURE-SEALING DEVICE ADAPTED TO PERMIT THE CONTINUOUS PASSAGE THERETHROUGH ALONG A DEFINED PATHWAY OF A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF ELONGATED MATERIAL FROM A FIRST ZONE MAINTAINED AT ONE PRESSURE TO A SECOND ZONE MAINTAINED AT A SECOND PRESSURE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A HOLLOW CHAMBER SURROUNDING SAID DEFINED PATHWAY AND HAVING OPENINGS THEREIN COMMUNICATING WITH SAID TWO ZONES, SAID HOLLOW CHAMBER BEING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN LIQUID THEREIN; (B) GATE MEANS WITHIN SAID HOLLOW CHAMBER SUBDIVIDING IT INTO A PLURALITY OF REGIONS, SUCH GATE MEANS COMPRISING A MOVABLE BAFFLE AND MATING BAFFLE CANTED IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID ELONGATED MATERIAL ALONG SAID DEFINED PATHWAY AND, AT THEIR PROXIMATE ENDS, DEFINING AN OPENING THROUGH WHICH SAID ELONGATED MATERIAL PASSES; (C) SUPPORT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AT LEAST SAID MOVABLE BAFFLE FOR MOVEMENT OF ITS PROXIMATE END TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID DEFINED PATHWAY AND THE PROXIMATE END OF SAID MATING BAFFLE TO VARY THE SIZE OF SAID OPENING; (D) CLOSURE MEANS FOR SEALING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE PROXIMATE END OF SAID MOVABLE BAFFLE AND SAID HOLLOW CHAMBER ON THE SIDE THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID DEFINED PATHWAY; (E) MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY URGING THE PROXIMATE END OF SAID MOVABLE BAFFLE TOWARD SAID DEFINED PATHWAY TO CONSTRICT SAID OPENING; AND (F) MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FLUID UNDER EQUAL PRESSURE TO BOTH SIDES OF SAID MOVABLE BAFFLE.