Plate-type heat exchanger

Claim 1

A plate-type heat exchanger for liquids or gases comprising a deck of individual, heat exchange plates and interposed gasket means, a first, domed, end member at one end of said deck, a second, domed, end member at the other end of said deck, conduit means for introduction and discharge of heat-exchange fluids on said first domed member into and from said heat exchanger, an end plate interposed between said deck and said second, end member with its peripheral edge slidably disposed inside said second, end member for pistonlike movement of said end plate in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said heat exchanger, aligned apertures in said heat-exchange plates, said gasket means being interposed between contiguous plates and defining, with respective aligned apertures, a plurality of longitudinally extending passages for flow of fluids axially through said heat exchanger, means in said second, domed, end member for communicating pairs of passages to reverse fluid flow from one passage and return it through another passage, and means providing a substantially pressure tight seal between said end plate and said second, domed end member whereby fluid pressure in the latter member moves said end plate toward said deck to compress said deck.