Rotary fluid device with axially expansible vane

Claim 2

A rotary device comprising a body containing a fluid chamber having a radially outer wall and two opposite end walls, a rotor mounted in said chamber to turn about a predetermined axis and containing a slot, and a vane assembly movably contained in said slot and projecting generally radially outwardly therefrom into engagement with said outer wall of the chamber and forming a side of a fluid compartment which varies in size as the rotor turns, said vane assembly being movable generally radially inwardly and outwardly within said slot as the rotor turns and in accordance with said variation in size of said compartment, said vane assembly including two sections which are relatively axially shiftable to assure occupancy by said assembly of the entire axial distance between said end walls, a first of said vane sections having a relatively thick first portion of a thickness occupying the major portion of the width of said slot and having a thinner tongue portion projecting axially from said first portion and of a reduced thickness substantially less than that of said first portion, the second of said vane sections having a portion adjacent said first section of a thickness corresponding substantially to that of said thick first portion of the first section and occupying the major portion of the width of the slot, said portion of the second section containing an axially facing essentially radially extending groove slidably receiving said tongue in relatively axially expansible relation, said portion of the second section forming two spaced projections defining said groove and extending essentially along opposite sides of the groove and along opposite sides of the tongue to slidably confine it therebetween, there being a fluid passage extending within the interior of said second section and having an end leading into said groove through an opening in a wall of the groove and conducting fluid from a pressure side of the vane assembly through the interior of said second section to a location within said groove and axially between the sections to yieldingly urge them axially apart.

Claim 3

A rotary device as recited in claim 1, in which one of said sections is recessed at its pressure side in a relation to conduct pressure fluid to the radially inner side of said assembly to a location at which it urges the assembly radially outwardly.

Claim 4

A rotary device comprising a body containing a fluid chamber having a radially outer wall and two opposite end walls, a rotor mounted in said chamber to turn about a predetermined axis and containing a slot, and a vane assembly movably contained in said slot and projecting generally radially outwardly therefrom into engagement with said outer wall of the chamber and forming a side of a fluid compartment which varies in size as the rotor turns, said vane assembly being movable generally radially inwardly and outwardly within said slot as the rotor turns and in accordance with said variation in size of said compartment, said vane assembly including two sections which are relatively axially shiftable to assure occupancy by said assembly of the entire axial distance between said end walls, a first of said vane sections having a relatively thick first portion of a thickness occupying the major portion of the width of said slot and having a thinner tongue portion projecting axially from said first portion and of a reduced thickness substantially less than that of said first portion, the second of said vane sections having a portion adjacent said first section of a thickness corresponding substantially to that of said thick first portion of the first section and occupying the major portion of the width of the slot, said portion of the second section containing an axially facing essentially radially extending groove slidably receiving said tongue in relatively axially expansible relation, said portion of the second section forming two spaced projections defining said Groove and extending essentially radially along opposite sides of the groove and along opposite sides of the tongue to slidably confine it therebetween, said second section containing a recess formed in a pressure side thereof into which pressure fluid can flow from said pressure side, there being a fluid passage extending within the interior of said second section, with the material of said second section extending entirely about and defining said passage, and with said passage having a first end opening into said recess and a second end opening into said groove for conducting fluid from the pressure side of the vane assembly through the interior of said second section to a location within said groove and axially between the sections to yieldingly urge them axially apart.

Claim 5

A rotary device comprising a body containing a fluid chamber having a radially outer wall and two opposite end walls, a rotor mounted in said chamber to turn about a predetermined axis and containing a slot, and a vane assembly movably contained in said slot and projecting generally radially outwardly therefrom into engagement with said outer wall of the chamber and forming a side of a fluid compartment which varies in size as the rotor turns, said vane assembly being movable generally radially inwardly and outwardly within said slot as the rotor turns and in accordance with said variation in size of said compartment, said vane assembly including two sections which are relatively axially shiftable to assure occupancy by said assembly of the entire axial distance between said end walls, a first of said vane sections having a relatively thick first portion of a thickness occupying the major portion of the width of said slot and having a thinner tongue portion projecting axially from said first portion and of a reduced thickness substantially less than that of said first portion, the second of said vane sections having a portion adjacent said first section of a thickness corresponding substantially to that of said thick first portion of the first section and occupying the major portion of the width of the slot, said portion of the second section containing an axially facing essentially radially extending groove slidably receiving said tongue in relatively axially expansible relation, said portion of the second section forming two spaced projections defining said Groove and extending essentially radially along opposite sides of the groove and along opposite sides of the tongue to slidably confine it therebetween, said second section containing a recess formed in a pressure side thereof into which pressure fluid can flow from said pressure side, there being a fluid passage extending within the interior of said second section, with the material of said second section extending entirely about and defining said passage, and with said passage having a first end opening into said recess and a second end opening into said groove for conducting fluid from the pressure side of the vane assembly through the interior of said second section to a location within said groove and axially between the sections to yieldingly urge them axially apart.

Claim 6

A rotary device as recited in claim 3, in which said second end of said passage opens into the groove through an opening formed in an inner wall of the groove and entirely surrounded by the material of said second section axially opposite said tongue.

Claim 7

A rotary device as recited in claim 3, in which said recess has a portion of increased depth formed in said pressure side of said second section and extending into the material of said second section farther than the remainder of the recess, said first end of said passage being positioned to open into said increased depth portion of the recess and receive fluid therefrom.

Claim 8

A rotary device as recited in claim 3, in which said recess continues generally radially inwardly to a location at which it passes pressure fluid from said recess to the radially inner side of said assembly in a relation urging the assembly radially outwardly.

Claim 9

A rotary device as recited in claim 3, in which said recess has a portion of increased depth formed in said pressure side of said second section and extending into the material of said second section farther than the remainder of the recess, said first end of said passage being positioned to open into said increased depth portion of the recess and receive fluid therefrom, said second end of the passage opening into the groove through an opening formed in an inner wall of the groove axially opposite said tongue.

Claim 10

A rotary device as recited in claim 3, in which said recess extends generally radially in the pressure side of said second section and continues from the radially outer extremity of the vane to its radially inner extremity and acts to pass pressure fluid to the radially inner side of said vane assembly to urge it radially outwardly, said recess being located axially beyond said groove in a direction away from said first section, said recess having an axially extending portion of increased depth formed in said pressure side of the second section and extending into the material of said second section farther than other portions of the recess both radially inwardly and radially outwardly thereof, said passage forming a continuation of said increased depth portion of the recess and extending axially therefrom into the groove through the interior of the second section and through an inner wall of the groove axially opposite said tongue.

Claim 11

A vane assembly to be mounted movably within a slot in a rotor of a rotary device, including two sections which are relatively axially shiftable, a first of said vane sections having a relatively thick first portion of a thickness to occupy the major portion of the width of said slot and having a thinner tongue portion projecting axially from said first portion and of a reduced thickness substantially less than that of said first portion, the second of said vane sections having a portion adjacent said first section of a thickness corresponding substantially to that of said thick first portion of the first section to occupy the major portion of the width of the slot, said portion of the second section containing an axially facing essentially radially extending groove slidably receiving said tongue in relatively axially expansible relation, said portion of the second section forming two spaced projections defining said groove and extending essentially radially along opposite sides of the groove and along opposite sides of the tongue to slidably confine it therebetween, there being a fluid passage extending within the interior of said second section and conducting fluid from a pressure side thereof through the interior of said second section to a location within said groove and axially between the sections to yieldingly urge them axially apart.

Claim 12

A vane assembly to be mounted movably within a slot in a rotor of a rotary device, including two sections which are relatively axially shiftable, a first of said vane sections having a relatively thick first portion of a thickness to occupy the major portion of the width of said slot and having a thinner tongue portion projecting axially from said first portion and of a reduced thickness substantially less than that of said first portion, the second of said vane sections having a portion adjacent said first section of a thickness corresponding substantially to that of said thick first portion of the first section to occupy the major portion of the width of the slot, said portion of the second section containing an axially facing essentially radially extending groove slidably receiving said tongue in relatively axially expansible relation, said portion of the second section forming two spaced projections defining said groove and extending essentially radially along opposite sides of the groove and along opposite sides of the tongue to slidably confine it therebetween, there being a fluid passage extending within the interior of said second section and conducting fluid from a pressure side thereof through the interior of said second section to a location within said groove and axially between the sections to yieldingly urge them axially apart.

Claim 13

A vane assembly as recited in claim 9, in which said second section contains a recess formed in said pressure side thereof and leading pressure fluid from said pressure side into said passage for delivery therethrough into said groove.

Claim 14

A vane assembly as recited in claim 9, in which one of said sections is recessed at said pressure side in a relation to conduct pressure fluid to the radially inner side of said assembly and thereby urge it radially outwardly.

Claim 15

A vane assembly as recited in claim 9, in which said passage opens into said groove through an opening formed in an inner wall of the groove axially opposite said tongue.

Claim 16

A vane assembly as recited in claim 9, in which said second section contains a recess formed in said pressure side thereof and leading pressure fluid from said pressure side into said passage for delivery therethrough into said said groove, said recess having a portion of increased depth formed in said pressure side of said second section and extending into the material of said second section farther than the remainder of the recess and into which said passage opens.

Claim 17

A vane assembly as recited in claim 9, in which said recess continues generally radially inwardly to a location at which it passes pressure fluid from said recess to the radially inner side of said assembly in a relation urging the assembly radially outwardly.

Claim 18

A vane assembly as recited in claim 9, in which said second section contains a recess formed in said pressure side thereof and leading pressure fluid from said pressure side into said passage for delivery therethrough into said groove, said recess having a portion of increased depth formed in said pressure side of said second section and extending into the material of said second section farther than the remainder of the recess and into which said passage opens, said passage opening into said groove through an opening formed in an inner wall of the groove axially opposite said tongue.

Claim 19

A vane assembly as recited in claim 9, in which said second section contains a recess formed in said pressure side thereof and leading pressure fluid from said pressure side into said passage for delivery therethrough into said groove, said recess extending generally radially in the pressure side of said second section and continuing from the radially outer extremity of the vane to its radially inner extremity and acting to pass pressure fluid to the radially inner side of said assembly to urge it radially outwardly, said groove being located axially beyond said groove in a direction away from said first section, said recess having an axially extending portion of increased depth formed in said pressure side of the second section and extending into the material of said second section farther than other portions of the recess both radially inwardly and radially outwardly thereof, said passage forming a continuation of said increased depth portion of the recess and extending axially therefrom into the groove through the interior of the second section and through an inner wall of the groove axially opposite said tongue.