Chemetron

Chemetron Process Equipment, Inc.

Robert L Smith

Carl C Yann

A shaft seal assembly with open mode capabilities has markedly simplified construction. A shiftable ring on the shaft is axially biased against a complemental, stationary shoulder circumscribing the shaft to form a pair of radially spaced annular seals concentric to the shaft. A fluid pressure port on the shoulder intermediate the seals permits selective shifting of the ring away from the shoulder to open the annular seals and place the seal assembly in the open mode wherein the shaft may be rotated without wearing the seals. In preferred forms, the seal assembly is provided with a vent between it and the shaft bearing to relieve pressure against the bearing when the seal assembly is shifted to the open mode, and also to serve as a leak indicator.

Seal

Scraped-surface heat exchangers and similar apparatus employing scraper blades hinged to a shaft so as to scrape a fluid being processed from an elongated cylindrical wall are improved so as to obviate any need either for separate bearings at opposite ends of the shaft or for special skids to be used in disassembly and reassembly and so as to allow the blades to be biased against the wall without separate springs. Each blade bears on the wall not only at its leading or scraping edge but also at a trailing or bearing surface, so as to center the shaft and facilitate its rotation, so as to hold the edge in uniform relation to the wall, and so as to bias the edge of the blade against the wall.

Scraped-surface apparatus

A heat exchanger for rapidly heating or cooling materials such as fluids containing fragile, discrete particles of varying sizes without substantial damage to the particles. The exchanger has inner and outer heat transfer surfaces that define an elongated annulus. Located in the annulus is a pair of opposed, spiral, inner and outer ribs which do not span the annulus and which, upon rotation, move the material toward the exchanger inlet against the flow therefrom which overflows the ribs and moves from rib to rib and to the outlet. Scraper blades associated with the ribs, scrape the exchanger inner and outer surfaces.

Dual scraped surface heat exchanger

A seal is disclosed for a shaft journalled to rotate within a sleeve. The seal comprises annular members mounted between the shaft and the sleeve for relative movement along an axis common to the shaft and the sleeve. The members are biased into sealing engagement with each other and are separable by fluid pressure for relative rotation of the shaft and the sleeve with no surface-to-surface wear of the seal.

Static seal with an open rotational mode

A valve having separate closures for its inlet and its outlet respectively comprises a housing having the inlet in an elongated tubular wall and the outlet at an annular valve seat. A piston constituting one closure is movable coaxially within said wall so as to open and close the outlet. A sleeve constituting another closure is movable coaxially over the piston and within said wall so as to open and close the inlet. The piston and the sleeve are associated for interdependent movement.

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Louisville, KY, United States of America

Robert L Smith