Stator of hydraulic machine with the end-face sealing of vanes

Claim 1

In a stator of a hydraulic machine, a pair of opposed rims spaced from each other and respectively situated in parallel planes, a plurality of rotatable stator vanes each extending between said rims, each stator vane having a pair of opposed coaxial end journals and said rims being respectively formed with holes in which said journals are turnable, said vanes being rotatable with respect to said rims between an open position where liquid can flow between said vanes and a closed position where said vanes engage each other, each vane having a pair of opposed end faces respectively situated adjacent but spaced slightly from said rims, and said rims being respectively formed with elongated grooves extending from one hole to the next of each rim and said grooves being respectively aligned with said end faces of said vanes when the latter are in their closed positions, a plurality of non-metallic sealing gaskets respectively situated in said grooves and extending along the entire length thereof, said gaskets extending outwardly beyond said grooves into engagement with said end faces of said vanes, when the latter are in their closed positions, said rims carrying at said grooves retaining means for retaining said gaskets in said grooves while freeing said gaskets for pressing against said end faces of said vanes to prevent liquid from passing between said rims and end faces of said vanes when the latter are in their closed positions, said rims respectively having at innermost parts of said grooves, innermost groove surfaces spaced from said gaskets, and a plurality of elongated sealing members narrower than said gaskets respectively situated between and in engagement with said innermost surfaces of said grooves and said gaskets and extending longitudinally along said gaskets along the entire length thereof for preventing liquid which reaches the space between said innermost surfaces of said grooves and said gaskets from leaking through the latter space beyond said sealing members wherein liquid under pressure seeks to flow from the high pressure side toward the other side of each groove when said vanes are in their closed positions, and said gaskets each being formed at said high pressure side of each groove with at least one through-passage providing for flow of liquid under pressure into the space between each gasket and said innermost surface of each groove into engagement with said sealing member for pressing each gasket on one side of said sealing member toward an end face of a vane.