Sealing structures

Claim 1

A SEALING MEANS FOR A ROTARY MECHANISM HAVING AN OUTER BODY FORMED BY A PERIPHERAL WALL INTERCONNECTED WITH A PAIR OF END WALLS TO DEFINE A CAVITY, AN INNER BODY SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID OUTER BODY ABOUT AND AXIS PARALLEL TO BUT SPACED FROM THE AXIS OF SAID OUTER BODY WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID INNER BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY-SPACED APEX PORTIONS FOR SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE OUTER BODY PERIPHERAL WALL THEREBY DEFINING A PLURALITY OF WORKING CHAMBERS WHICH DURING RELATIVE ROTATION BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER BODIES VARY IN VOLUME, AND EACH SAID INNER BODY APEX PORTION HAVING A GROOVE FORMED THEREIN EXTENDING AXIALLY ACROSS THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF SAID INNER BODY, SAID SEALING MEANS COMPRISING; AND APEX SEAL MEMBER IN EACH SAID GROOVE WITH SAID APEX SEAL MEMBER HAVING A LATERAL WIDTH SMALLER THAN THE LATERAL WIDTH OF SAID GROOVE TO PERMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID APEX SEAL MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE WALLS OF SAID GROOVE AND DURING OPERATION OF SAID ROTORY MECHANISM BEING RADIALLY-SPACED FROM THE RADIALLY INNER WALL OF SAID GROOVE TO FORM A GAP BETWEEN THE RADIALLY INNER WALL OF SAID GROOVE AND THE RADIALLY INNER FACE OF SAID APEX SEAL MEMBER; A PLURALITY OF CUTOUT MEANS FORMED IN EACH APEX PORTION OF SAID INNER BODY, THERE BEING AT LEAST ONE CUT-OUT MEANS ON EACH SIDE OF SAID GROOVE COMMUNICATIONG WITH A RESPETIVE WORKING CHAMBER ADJACENT EACH APEX PORTION AND HAVING AN OPENING IN THE SIDE WALL OF SAID GROOVE COMMUNICATING WITH A SIDE FACE OF SAID APEX SEAL MEMBER AND SAID GAP SO THAT GAS PRESSURE MAY FLOW FROM SAID WORKING CHAMBERS THROUGH SAID CUT-OUT MEANS INTO SAID GAP AND AGAINST AN APEX SEAL MEMBER SIDE FACE FOR URGING SAID APEX SEAL MEMBER TOWARD A GROOVE SIDE WALL; AND AN INSERT MEMBER DISPOSED IN EACH SAID GAP WITH SAID INSERT MEMBER HAVING A LATERAL WIDTH SMALLER THAN THE LATERAL WIDTH OF SAID GROOVE TO PERMIT LATERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID INSERT MEMBER BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID SAID GROOVE IN RESPONSE TO CHANGES IN THE GAS PRESSURE FROM SAID WORKING CHAMBERS AND SAID INSERT MEMBER HAVING RADIAL AND AXIAL DIMENSIONS GREATER THAN THE OPENINGS OF SAID CUT-OUT MEANS TO SAID GAP SO THAT, WHEN THE GAS PRESSURE IS HIGHER IN ONE OF SAID WORKING CHAMBERS THAN THE GAS PRESSURE IN AN ADJACENT WORKING CHAMBER, SAID INSERT MEMBER WILL MOVE LATERALLY IN SAID GROOVE IN RESPONSE TO THE HIGHER GAS PRESSURE TO BLOCK THE OPENING OF SAID CUT-OUT MEANS TO SAID GAP COMMUNICATING WITH THE WORKING CHAMBER HAVING THE LOWER GAS PRESSURE AND PERMIT THE HIGHER GAS PRESSURE TO ACT AGAINST SAID APEX SEAL MEMBER FOR URGING SAID SEAL MEMBER RADIALLY INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID OUTER BODY PERIPHERAL WALL.