Rotor end sealing means for rotary regenerative heat exchangers

Claim 1

IN A ROTARY REGENERATIVE HEAT EXCHANGER OF THE TYPE IN WHICH A STATIONARY COMPONENT PROVIDES ADJACENT DUCTS FOR FLOW OF SEPARATE STREAMS OF HEAT EXCHANGING FLUID MEDIA THROUGH THE EXCHANGER AND IN WHICH HEAT EXCHANGE IS EFFECTED BY MEANS OF REGENERATIVE HEAT EXCHANGING MATERIAL CARRIED BY A ROTOR COMPONENT SO AS TO PASS THROUGH SAID DUCTS SUCCESSIVELY AND IN ALTERNATION, THE COMBINATION OF AXIALLY SPACED APART SECTOR PLATES FORMING A PART OF SAID STATIONARY COMPONENT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID DUCTS AND INCLUDING INPERFORATE SECTOR PORTIONS HAVING PLANE SEALING SURFACES LOCATED BETWEEN SAID DUCTS, AND A ROTOR COMPONENT MOUNTED TO REVOLVE BETWEEN SAID SECTOR PLATES, SAID ROTOR COMPONENTS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FILLED WITH SAID REGENERATVE HEAT EXCHANGING MATERIAL AND SAID MATERIAL PROVIDING A MULTIPLICITY OF CHANNELS OF RELATIVELY SMALL CROSS SECTIONAL AREA OF FLOW OF SAID FLUID MEDIA THROUGH SAID ROTOR COMPONENT AND SAID ROTOR COMPONENT CARRYING AT IT''S OPPOSITE ENDS MATERIAL GRATINGS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE REGENERATIVE MATERIAL AND THE SECTOR PLATES BETWEEN WHICH THE ROTOR COMPONENT REVOLVES, SAID GRATING COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BARS INTERCONNECTED TO FORM RELATIVELY RIGID GRID MEANS HAVING OPENINGS THERETHROUGH, THE CROSS SECTIONAL AREAS OF THE INDIVIDUAL OPENINGS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE CROSS SECTIONAL AREA OF THE INDIVIDUAL CHANNELS, THE EXPOSED EDGES OF SAID BARS PRESENTING SMOOTH PLANAR ENVELOPE SURFACES LOCATED IN CLOSELY ADJACENT RELATIONSHIP TO THE CONFRONTING SEALING SURFACES OF THE SECTOR PLATES AT THE RESPECTIVE ENDS OF THE ROTOR COMPONENT, WHEREBY TO PROVIDE AN EFFICIENT LABYRINTH TYPE SEAL RESISTING CROSS FLOW OF FLUID FROM ONE TO THE OTHER OF SAID DUCTS BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE ROTOR COMPONENT AND THE RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT SECTOR PLATES.