Fluid handling device

Claim 1

IN A FLUID HANDLING DEVICE OF THE POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT TYPE HAVING A MAIN CASING PROVIDED WITH A SPHERICALLY CONTOURED CAVITY AND A DIAMETRIC END WALL, ROTOR MEANS HAVING A CONICAL SURFACE CLOSELY SPACED FROM SAID END WALL AND A SPHERICALLY CONTOURED REAR SURFACE SOCKETED IN SAID CAVITY AND PROVIDED WITH SHAFT MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID CASING IN A POSITION TO ROTATE SAID ROTOR ABOUT AN AXIS SUCH THAT ONE ELEMENT ONLY OF SAID CONICAL SURFACE LIES PARALLEL TO BUT SPACED FROM THE PLANE OF SAID END WALL, A PAIR OF VANES MOVABLY SUPPORTED IN CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RADIAL SLOTS OF SAID ROTOR, SEMISPHERICALLY SURFACED SEAL MEANS FREELY AND FLOATINGLY INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID ROTOR AND SAID PAIR OF VANES WITH ITS FLAT SIDE SLIDINGLY SUPPORTED AGAINST THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID END WALL, AND ALL OF THE JUXTAPOSED CONTACTING SURFACES OF SAID END WALL, OF SAID VANES, OF SAID ROTOR AND OF SAID SEAL MEANS BEING RELATIVELY MOVABLE AND CONTOURED TO HAVE CLOSE SEALING CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER IN THE VARIOUS POSITIONS OF SAID ROTOR ABOUT ITS AXIS.