Seals for rotary processor

Claim 2

Apparatus for processing materials which comprises: a rotatable element having a surface carrying at least one processing channel including opposed channel side walls; a stationary element providing a coaxial surface spaced apart from said surface of the rotatable element by a close clearance and cooperatively arranged with the processing channel to form an enclosed annular processing passage; said stationary element also having associated with it an inlet for feeding material to the passage, an outlet spaced apart from the inlet for discharging material from the passage and a member located in the channel providing a surface for restraining movement of the main body of material in the passage so that on rotation of said rotatable element in a direction from the inlet toward the material restraining surface, the rotatable element and the restraining surface providing member coact so that material in contact with the channel side walls is dragged toward the restraining surface and pressure increases along the length of travel of the channel side walls from the inlet towards the restraining surface and, dynamic sealing means for preventing leakage of the pressurized material past said clearance including a plurality of helical sealing channels carried by one of said surfaces, arranged so that said liquid material can penetrate said sealing channels, the width of said one surface, the number, angle and geometry of said sealing channels being selected so that the outward penetration of said clearance and said sealing channels by the pressurized liquid is opposed by the inward force applied to the liquid in the sealing channels as the surfaces are relatively rotated to resist the extent of outward penetration of pressurized liquid in any of said sealing channels.

Claim 3

Apparatus of claim 1 where the width of said one surface, the number, angle and geometry of said sealing channels are selected so that the outward penetration of said clearance and said sealing channels by the pressurized liquid is opposed by the inward force applied to the liquid in the sealing channels as the surfaces are relatively rotated to prevent the extent of outward penetration of pressurized liquid from exceeding the length of any sealing channel.

Claim 4

Apparatus for processing materials which comprises: a rotatable element having a surface carrying a plurality of processing channels including opposed channel side walls; a stationary element providing a coaxial surface spaced apart from said surface of the rotatable element by a close clearance and cooperatively arranged with the processing channel to form an enclosed annular processing passage; said stationary element also having associated with it an inlet for feeding material to the passage, an outlet spaced apart from the inlet for discharging material from the passage and a member located in the channel providing a surface for restraining movement of the main body of material in the passage so that on rotation of said rotatable element in a direction from the inlet toward the material restraining surface, the rotatable element and the restraining surface providing member coact so that material in contact with the channel side walls is dragged toward the restraining surface and pressure increases along the length of travel of the channel side walls towards the restraining surface and, dynamic sealing means for preventing leakage of the pressurized material past said clearance including a plurality of helical sealing channels carried by said process channel carrying surface of the rotatable element and arranged so that said liquid material can penetrate said sealing channels, the width of said surface carrying said sealing channels, the number, angle and geometry of said sealing channels being selected so that the outward penetration of said clearance and said sealing channels by the pressurized liquid is opposed by the inward force applied to the liquid in the sealing channels as the surfaces are relatively rotated to resist the extent of outward penetration of pressurized liquid in any of said sealing channels.

Claim 5

Apparatus for processing materials which comprises: a rotatable element having a surface carrying a plurality of processing channels including opposed channel side walls; a stationary element providing a coaxial surface spaced apart from said surface of the rotatable element by a close clearance and cooperatively arranged with the processing channel to form an enclosed annular processing passage; said stationary element also having associated with it an inlet for feeding material to the passage, an outlet spaced apart from the inlet for discharging material from the passage and a member located in the channel providing a surface for restraining movement of the main body of material in the passage so that on rotation of said rotatable element in a direction from the inlet toward the material restraining surface, the rotatable element and the restraining surface providing member coact so that material in contact with the channel side walls is dragged toward the restraining surface and pressure increases along the length of travel of the channel side walls towards the restraining surface and, dynamic sealing means for preventing leakage of the pressurized material past said clearance including a plurality of helical sealing channels carried by said process channel carrying surface of the rotatable element and arranged so that said liquid material can penetrate said sealing channels, the width of said surface carrying said sealing channels, the number, angle and geometry of said sealing channels being selected so that the outward penetration of said clearance and said sealing channels by the pressurized liquid is opposed by the inward force applied to the liquid in the sealing channels as the surfaces are relatively rotated to resist the extent of outward penetration of pressurized liquid in any of said sealing channels.

Claim 6

Apparatus of claims 1 or 2 or 3 in which said two surfaces are spaced apart from each other by a clearance which is about 10 mils or less.

Claim 7

Apparatus of claims 1 or 2 or 3 in which said two surfaces are spaced apart from each other by a clearance which is about 5 mils or less.

Claim 8

Apparatus of claims 1 or 2 or 3 in which said plurality of helical sealing channels are arranged substantially parallel to one another.

Claim 9

Apparatus of claims 1 or 2 or 3 in which the helix angle of each of said plurality of helical sealing channels is about 20° or less.

Claim 10

Apparatus of claims 1 or 2 or 3 in which the helix angle of each of said plurality of helical sealing channels is about 15° or less.

Claim 11

Apparatus of claims 1 or 2 or 3 in which the dynamic sealing means includes nested truncated conical members of stiffly resilient material, said members having a surface adjacent the outer edges arranged closest to the portion of the apparatus containing the pressurized liquid so as to be displaceable by pressure, and means for holding the inner edges of the members against displacement by pressure so that said outer edges provide sealing with said coaxial surface and wherein one of said coaxial surface and said outer edges have the helical sealing channels formed therein.

Claim 12

Apparatus of claims 1 or 2 in which said surface carrying said plurality of helical sealing channels is the coaxial surface of the stationary element.

Claim 13

Apparatus of claims 1 or 2 in which said surface carrying said plurality of helical sealing channels is said surface of the rotatable element.

Claim 14

Apparatus for processing materials which comprises: a rotatable element having a surface carrying at least one processing channel including opposed channel side walls; a stationary element providing a coaxial surface spaced apart from said surface of the rotatable element by a close clearance and cooperatively arranged with the processing channel to form an enclosed annular processing passage; said stationary element also having associated with it an inlet for feeding material to the passage, an outlet spaced apart from the inlet for discharging material from the passage and a member located in the channel providing a surface for restraining movement of the main body of material in the passage so that on rotation of said rotatable element in a direction from the inlet toward the material restraining surface, the rotatable element and the restraining surface providing member coact so that material in contact with the channel side walls is dragged toward the restraining surface and pressure increases along the length of travel of the channel side walls towards the restraining surface and, dynamic sealing means for preventing leakage of the pressurized material past said clearance including a plurality of helical sealing channels carried by one of said surfaces, arranged so that said liquid material can penetrate said sealing channels, the width of said one surface, the number, angle and geometry of said sealing channels being selected so that the outward penetration of said clearance and said sealing channels by the pressurized liquid is opposed by the inward force applied to the liquid in the sealing channels as the surfaces are relatively rotated to resist the extent of outward penetration of pressurized liquid in any of said sealing channels and, scraping means positioned near said inlet extending into said clearance and transversely between the width of the surfaces cooperating to provide the seal so that said scraping means is adapted to scrape off enough liquid accumulated between the sealing surfaces to break liquid contact between the surfaces at said positioned scraping means during each revolution of said rotatable element.

Claim 15

Apparatus for processing materials which comprises: a rotatable element having a surface carrying at least one processing channel including opposed channel side walls; a stationary element providing a coaxial surface spaced apart from said surface of the rotatable element by a close clearance and cooperatively arranged with the processing channel to form an enclosed annular processing passage; said stationary element also having associated with it an inlet for feeding material to the passage, an outlet spaced apart from the inlet for discharging material from the passage and a member located in the channel providing a surface for restraining movement of the main body of material in the passage so that on rotation of said rotatable element in a direction from the inlet toward the material restraining surface, the rotatable element and the restraining surface providing member coact so that material in contact with the channel side walls is dragged toward the restraining surface and pressure increases along the length of travel of the channel side walls towards the restraining surface and, dynamic sealing means for preventing leakage of the pressurized material past said clearance including a plurality of helical sealing channels carried by one of said surfaces, arranged so that said liquid material can penetrate said sealing channels, the width of said one surface, the number, angle and geometry of said sealing channels being selected so that the outward penetration of said clearance and said sealing channels by the pressurized liquid is opposed by the inward force applied to the liquid in the sealing channels as the surfaces are relatively rotated to resist the extent of outward penetration of pressurized liquid in any of said sealing channels and, scraping means positioned near said inlet extending into said clearance and transversely between the width of the surfaces cooperating to provide the seal so that said scraping means is adapted to scrape off enough liquid accumulated between the sealing surfaces to break liquid contact between the surfaces at said positioned scraping means during each revolution of said rotatable element.

Claim 16

Apparatus of claim 12 where the width of said one surface, the number, angle and geometry of said sealing channels are selected so that the outward penetration of said clearance and said sealing channels by the pressurized liquid is opposed by the inward force applied to the liquid in the sealing channels as the surfaces are relatively rotated to resist the extent of outward penetration of pressurized liquid in any of said sealing channels.

Claim 17

Apparatus for processing materials which comprises: a rotatable element having a surface carrying a plurality of processing channels including opposed channel side walls; a stationary element providing a coaxial surface spaced apart from said surface of the rotatable element by a close clearance and cooperatively arranged with the processing channel to form an enclosed annular processing passage; said stationary element also having associated with it an inlet for feeding material to the passage, an outlet spaced apart from the inlet for discharging material from the passage and a member located in the channel providing a surface for restraining movement of the main body of material in the passage so that on rotation of said rotatable element in a direction from the inlet toward the material restraining surface, the rotatable element and the restraining surface providing member coact so that material in contact with the channel side walls is dragged toward the restraining surface and pressure increases along the length of travel of the channel side walls towards the restraining surface and, dynamic sealing means for preventing leakage of the pressurized material past said clearance including a plurality of helical sealing channels carried by said process channel carrying surface of said rotatable element and arranged so that said liquid material can penetrate said sealing channels, the width of said surface carrying said sealing channels, the number, angle and geometry of said sealing channels being selected so that the outward penetration of said clearance and said sealing channels by the pressurized liquid is opposed by the inward force applied to the liquid in the sealing channels as the surfaces are relatively rotated to resist the extent of outward penetration of pressurized liquid in any of said sealing channels and, scraping means positioned near said inlet extending into said clearance and transversely between the width of the surfaces cooperating to provide the sealing so that said scraping means is adapted to scrape off enough liquid accumulated between the sealing surfaces to break liquid contact between the surfaces at said positioned scraping means during each revolution of said rotatable element.

Claim 18

Apparatus for processing materials which comprises: a rotatable element having a surface carrying a plurality of processing channels including opposed channel side walls; a stationary element providing a coaxial surface spaced apart from said surface of the rotatable element by a close clearance and cooperatively arranged with the processing channel to form an enclosed annular processing passage; said stationary element also having associated with it an inlet for feeding material to the passage, an outlet spaced apart from the inlet for discharging material from the passage and a member located in the channel providing a surface for restraining movement of the main body of material in the passage so that on rotation of said rotatable element in a direction from the inlet toward the material restraining surface, the rotatable element and the restraining surface providing member coact so that material in contact with the channel side walls is dragged toward the restraining surface and pressure increases along the length of travel of the channel side walls towards the restraining surface and, dynamic sealing means for preventing leakage of the pressurized material past said clearance including a plurality of helical sealing channels carried by said process channel carrying surface of said rotatable element and arranged so that said liquid material can penetrate said sealing channels, the width of said surface carrying said sealing channels, the number, angle and geometry of said sealing channels being selected so that the outward penetration of said clearance and said sealing channels by the pressurized liquid is opposed by the inward force applied to the liquid in the sealing channels as the surfaces are relatively rotated to resist the extent of outward penetration of pressurized liquid in any of said sealing channels and, scraping means positioned near said inlet extending into said clearance and transversely between the width of the surfaces cooperating to provide the sealing so that said scraping means is adapted to scrape off enough liquid accumulated between the sealing surfaces to break liquid contact between the surfaces at said positioned scraping means during each revolution of said rotatable element.

Claim 19

Apparatus of claims 12 or 13 or 14 in which said two surfaces are spaced apart from each other by a clearance which is about 10 mils or less.

Claim 20

Apparatus of claims 12 or 13 or 14 in which said two surfaces are spaced apart from each other by a clearance which is about 5 mils or less.

Claim 21

Apparatus of claims 12 or 13 or 14 in which said plurality of helical sealing channels are arranged substantially parallel to one another.

Claim 22

Apparatus of claims 12 or 13 or 14 in which the helix angle of each of said plurality of helical sealing channels is about 20° or less.

Claim 23

Apparatus of claims 12 or 13 or 14 in which the helix angle of each of said plurality of helical sealing channels is about 15° or less.

Claim 24

Apparatus of claims 12 or 13 or 14 in which the dynamic sealing means includes nested truncated conical members of stiffly resilient material, said members having a surface adjacent the outer edges arranged closest to the portion of the apparatus containing the pressurized liquid so as to be displaceable by pressure, and means for holding the inner edges of the members against displacement by pressure so that said outer edges provide sealing with said coaxial surface and wherein one of said coaxial surface and said outer edges have the helical sealing channels formed therein.