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US5145580A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus comprising a tube bundle mounted in a shell and undergoing differential thermal expansion therewith

Assignee: TotalEnergies Marketing Services SA
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Filing: 1991-08-06
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Granted: 1992-09-08
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Expires: 2011-08-06
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Abstract

Abstract The invention relates to an apparatus which comprises a plurality of tubes made of a first material, which tubes are mounted inside a cylindrical body or shell made of a second material, which second material undergoes differential thermal expansion in relation to the first material of the tubes. The tubes are rigidly secured by their ends to two end members, at least one of which is a floating member due to the fact that it is connected to the shell by means of a flexible ring gasket. The flexible ring-type gasket has inner and outer edges which are clamped to the floating member and to the shell, respectively. The inventive apparatus is useful, for example, in the ultra filtration separation of fine catalyst particles which are in suspension in a hydrocarbon feedstock which feedstock comes from a catalytic cracking unit.

Inventors

  • 👤 Marc Durrieu

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 11:03
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D29/00; B01D29/11; B01D29/31; B01D29/35; B01D29/356; B01D29/50; B01D29/52

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 87 words
An apparatus comprising a plurality of tubes made of a first material, a shell body made of a second material which second material undergoes differential thermal expansion in relation to the first material of the tubes, two end members each being rigidly secured to a respective end of each of said tubes, at least one of the end members being a floating member, at least one flexible ring gasket having inner and outer edges which are affixed to the floating member and to the shell body, respectively.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 87 words
An apparatus comprising a plurality of tubes made of a first material, a shell body made of a second material which second material undergoes differential thermal expansion in relation to the first material of the tubes, two end members each being rigidly secured to a respective end of each of said tubes, at least one of the end members being a floating member, at least one flexible ring gasket having inner and outer edges which are affixed to the floating member and to the shell body, respectively.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 30 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the two end members are floating members and are each connected to the shell by means of two respective flexible ring gaskets.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 46 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the end members is floating and is connected to the shell by means of a flexible ring gasket and wherein the other end member is connected to the shell by means of a dimensionally stable disk.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 55 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each end member is shaped as a disk or hollow cup having a bottom traversed by said tubes, and wherein the tubes are held in place by a packing material, which packing material is poured cold into the members and which packing material is capable of hardening.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 41 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the packing material is compacted within the cup of end member and around the tubes passing therethrough by means of a cover disk which disk is fastened with bolts onto the end members.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 33 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of tubes are parallel to and spaced from one another, each end of which tubes pass through respective holes in said end members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 14 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said tubes further comprise filter barriers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 16 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the flexible ring gaskets are made of metal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 16 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the flexible gaskets are made of stainless steel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 14 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the flexible stainless-steel gaskets are corrugated.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 82 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the plurality of tubes are parallel to and spaced from one another, each end of which tubes pass through respective holes in said end members, and wherein each end member is shaped as a disk or hollow cup having a bottom traversed by said tubes, and wherein the tubes are held in place by a packing material, which packing material is poured cold into the members and which packing material is capable of hardening.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 25 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said tubes further comprise ultrafiltration barriers coated With a mineral layer of at least one metal oxide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 15 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said packing material is a refractory material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 30 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the two end members are floating members and are each connected to the shell by means of two respective flexible ring gaskets.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 46 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein one of the end members is floating and is connected to the shell by means of a flexible ring gasket and wherein the other end member is connected to the shell by means of a dimensionally stable disk.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2042564A Cited
FR1059266A Cited
FR1191640A Cited
US3977967A Cited
US4277338A Cited
US4316802A Cited
US4461707A Cited
US4640774A Cited
US5074989A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-09-08 1996-03-09 1996-09-08 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-09-08 2000-03-09 2000-09-08 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-09-08 2004-03-09 2004-09-08 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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