Recuperator

Claim 1

A RECUPERATOR INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER INTERMEDIATE WALLS FORMING A CHAMBER FOR ELEVATED TEMPERATURE GAS FROM WHICH HEAT IS TO BE ABSTRACTED AND INCLUDING MEANS FORMING AN INLET AND MEANS FORMING AN OUTLET, SAID UPPER INTERMEDIATE WALL AND A LOWER INTERMEDIATE WALL EACH BEING FORMED OF A PLURALITY OF CERAMIC BLOCKS HAVING SPACINGS AND SEALING MEANS THEREBETWEEN PROVIDING SUBSTANTIALLY FREE EXPANSION OF EACH BLOCK TOWARD AND AWAY FROM ITS CONTIGUOUS BLOCKS, A PLURALITY OF CONDUITS VERTICALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AND EACH HAVING SEALING ENGAGEMENT AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS WITH VERTICALLY ALIGNED PAIRS OF SAID BLOCKS IN SAID UPPER AND LOWER WALLS RESPECTIVELY, MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTS FOR GAS TO BE HEATED BY THE ELEVATED TEMPERATURE GAS AND INCLUDING IN PART THE EXTERIOR SURFACES OF SAID UPPER WALL AND SAID LOWER WALL, MEANS DEFINING PASSAGES EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BLOCKS TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATION FROM ONE COMPARTMENT TO THE NEXT THROUGH SAID CONDUITS, MEANS FORMING A BARRIER TO GASEOUS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID COMPARTMENTS EXCEPT THROUGH SAID CONDUITS WHEREBY SAID COMPARTMENTS ARE SERIALLY CONNECTED FOR PASSAGE OF GAS FROM ONE TO THE NEXT ONLY BY TRAVELLING ACROSS SAID HEATED GAS CHAMBER THROUGH SAID CONDUITS, AND MEANS FOR YIELDABLY BIASING EACH OF SAID BLOCKS FORMING SAID UPPER INTERMEDIATE WALL INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH ITS ASSOCIATED CONDUIT TO MAINTAIN A SEALED RELATIONSHIP OF SAID CONDUITS AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF WITH THEIR ASSOCIATED BLOCKS DURING TEMPERATURE INDUCED DIMENSIONAL CHANGES OF SAID CONDUITS AND BLOCKS.