Automatic supply of sealing fluid for rotary fluid machines

Claim 1

A ROTARY HYDRAULIC MACHINE COMPRISING A ROTOR HAVING PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF DIFFERENT DIAMETERS, A STATOR STRUCTURE ENCLOSING THE ROTOR AND HAVING A WATER INLET THROUGH WHICH WATER IS DELIVERED TO THE ROTOR, AND A WATER OUTLET THROUGH WHICH WATER PASSES FROM THE ROTOR, THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF THE ROTOR AND THE PORTIONS OF THE ROTOR LYING BETWEEN SAID PERIPHERAL EDGES BEING SPACED FROM OPPOSING WALLS OF THE STATOR STRUCTURE TO PROVIDE A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING SPACE BETWEN THE ROTOR AND THE STATOR STRUCTURE, AT LEAST ONE STATIONARY BAFFLE MEMBER DIVIDING SAID SPACE INTO INNER AND OUTER CHAMBERS COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER AT OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID BAFFLE MEMBER WHICH ARE SPACED FROM THE ROTOR AND THE STATOR STRUCTURE, THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE BAFFLE MEMBER REMOTE FROM THE AXIS OF THE ROTOR AND ADJACENT TO SAID WATER INLET, FORMING A FLANGE EXTENDING ANGULARLY WITH RESPECT TO THE BAFFLE TO FORM AN ANNULAR PASSAGE, THE CROSS SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID PASSAGE NORMAL TO THE FLOW OF WATER THROUGH SAID OUTER CHAMBER INCREASING PROGRESSIVELY IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID FLOW, AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AIR UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID INNER CHAMBER FORMED BY AND BETWEEN OPPOSING SURFACES OF THE BAFFLE MEMBER AND THE ROTOR, THE PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING CROSS SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID PASSAGE CAUSING THE WATER ADJACENT THE END OF THE BAFFLE MEMBER REMOTE FROM THE AXIS OF THE ROTOR AND ADJACENT TO SAID WATER INLET TO BE MAINTAINED AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PRESSURE AS THE WATER ADJACENT THE END OF THE BAFFLE NEAREST THE AXIS OF ROTATION TO PREVENT SUBSTANTIAL CIRCULATION OF WATER THROUGH THE INNER CHAMBER.