Rotating high vacuum mercury seal
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorPaul A. Gilbert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A seal for communicating high vacuum onto rotating machinery such as a ceifuge. The seal comprises an outer pipe defining a volume to be evacuated, an inner pipe connected on one end to a vacuum source with the other end disposed within an end of the outer pipe such that an annular space is defined between the inner pipe and the outer pipe. Fluid is disposed in at least a portion of the annular space. The fluid is also disposed in a reservoir provided with cooling coils which lower the temperature of the fluid and thereby lower the vapor pressure of the fluid. The lower the vapor pressure of the fluid, the higher the level of vacuum which can be produced and transmitted.
Claims7
A seal comprising:
- an outer pipe defining a volume to be evacuated;
- an inner pipe in communication with a vacuum:
- An annular space is defined between said inner pipe and said outer pipe to allow rotation of said outer pipe relative to said inner pipe;
- and,
- a fluid, disposed in at least a portion of said annular space below the first and of said inner pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.