Method of manufacturing a brush seal for sealing between stationary and rotary components

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a brush seal includes the steps of maintaining a pair of first elongated frames spaced from one another on a fixture; wrapping wire strands about and longitudinally along the pair of frames in multiple longitudinal wire passes forming wire runs; disposing two pairs of first elongated plates between the wire runs at respective locations spaced from one another along the wire runs and at an angle to the wrapped strands with the plates of each of two pairs lying parallel to and in registration with one another; clamping two pairs of second elongated plates at second respective locations along an outside of the wire runs with each pair of the second plates registering with each pair of the first plates, the two pairs of second plates extending generally parallel to the pairs of the first plates; cutting the wrapped strands outside of and beyond the first and second pairs of plates forming two wire strand runs with both ends of each of the runs disposed between and straddled by the first and second pairs of plates; welding the cut strand runs and the pair of plates straddling the both ends of the runs; and cutting the wire strand runs intermediate the welded ends of the strand runs to form two bristle packs from each of runs and from which the bristle packs form the brush seals.