Sealing device

Claim 1

A SEALING DEVICE FOR PRESSURE SEALING A VESSEL FROM AN EXTERNAL ATMOSPHERE AND FOR PASSING A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF MATERIAL INTO AND OUT OF SAID VESSEL THROUGH SAID SEALING DEVICE, COMPRISING: A HOLLOW CASING HAVING AN OPENING AT EACH END, SAID CASING BEING MOUNTED OVER AN OPENING INTO SAID VESSEL, A PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM MEANS INCLUDED IN SAID CASING AND SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID SEALING DEVICE SO AS TO DEFINE A PLURALITY OF CHAMBERS IN SAID SEALING DEVICE, SAID PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM MEANS EACH HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THERETHROUGH FOR ALLOWING THE PASSAGE OF CONTINUOUS LENGTH MATERIAL THROUGH THE PLURALITY OF DIAPHRAGM MEANS AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A FLUID INTO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PLURALITY OF CHAMBERS FOR INCREASING THE PRESSURE WITHIN SAID SEALING DEVICE TO PREVENT THE ESCAPE OF PRESSURE FROM SAID VESSEL, AND WHEREIN SAID CHAMBERS FORMED BETWEEN THE PLURALITY OF DIAPHRAGM MEANS INCLUDE VENTING MEANS FOR EXHAUSTING FLUID TO THE ATMOSPHERE, WHEREBY A FLUID STREAM IS CREATED IN SAID SEALING DEVICE AND CONDENSATION OF STEAM ONTO INCOMING CONTINUOUS LENGTH MATERIAL IS PREVENTED.