Rotary valve having freely movable sealing means

Claim 1

A ROTARY VALVE COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING INLET AND OUTLET PORTS, A ROTARY BODY IN SAID HOUSING BETWEEN SAID PORTS, BEARING MEANS FIXED WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOUSING SUPPORTING SAID BODY FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID PORTS, MEANS IN SAID HOUSING DEFINING A SURFACE PARALLEL TO SAID AXIS INTERMEDIATE ONE OF SAID PORTS AND SAID BODY, AND AN ANNULAR SEALING MEMBER FREELY MOVABLE IN ALL DIRECTION DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID BODY AND SAID HOUSING, AN ANNULAR DEFORMABLE SEAL SECURED TO AND PROJECTING AXIALLY BEYOND SAID SEALING MEMBER AND RESILIENTLY ENGAGING SAID BODY AND AN OPPOSED DEFORMABLE ANNULAR SEAL SECURED TO SAID SEALING MEMBER AND PROJECTING AXIALLY BEYOND SAID SEALING MEMBER AND ENGAGING SAID SURFACE, SAID BODY ENGAGING SEAL HAVING AN EFFECTIVE SEALING DIAMETER INTERMEDIATE EFFECTIVE INNER AND OUTER SEALING DIAMETERS OF SAID SURFACE ENGAGING SEAL AND MAINTAINING SAID BODY AND SEALING MEMBER IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP AT ALL TIMES, AND SAID SURFACE ENGAGING SEAL MAINTAINING SAID SEALING MEMBER AND SAID SURFACE IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP AT ALL TIMES.