Brush seal with stress and deflection accommodating membrane

A brush seal comprising:

• an elongate generally rectangular flexible sealing membrane comprised of at least one pair of longitudinally slidably overlapping flexible sealing membrane sheets having a portion of one of the flexible sealing membrane sheets longitudinally slidably overlapping a portion of an adjacent one of the flexible membrane sheets forming a longitudinally slidably overlapping region, the generally rectangular flexible sealing membrane folded about a longitudinal axis forming a plurality of transversely slidably overlapping flexible sealing membrane layers capable of generally transverse slidable relative movement there between with each pair of longitudinally slidably overlapping flexible sealing membrane sheets capable of generally longitudinal slidable relative movement there between;
• a plurality of pairs of elongate bristle filaments folded about the flexible sealing membrane layers forming a plurality of sets of bristles in which the overlapping flexible sealing membrane layers are embedded;
• an elongate core wire defining the longitudinal fold axis about which the flexible sealing membrane sheets and bristle filaments are folded;
• and
• an elongate spine formed around the portion of the flexible sealing membrane sheets and bristle filaments that are folded about the core wire fixing the flexible sealing membrane sheets and the elongate bristle filaments substantially in place.

A brush seal comprising:

• an elongate core wire extending longitudinally substantially the length of the brush seal;
• an elongate sealing membrane folded around the core wire, the flexible sealing membrane comprised of a plurality of overlapping flexible sealing membrane layers capable of slidable relative movement there between, with each flexible sealing membrane layer comprised of a plurality of spaced apart deformation regions;
• a plurality of pairs of elongate filaments folded around the core wire over the sealing membrane, the plurality of pairs of elongate filaments defining a plurality of pairs of elongate bristles when folded around the core wire that are disposed on opposite sides of the overlapped flexible sealing membrane layers embedding the overlapped flexible sealing membrane layers within the bristles with the bristles supporting the flexible sealing membrane layers there between;
• and
• an elongate outer spine extending longitudinally substantially the length of the brush seal, the outer spine overlying the core wire clamping the plurality of pairs of filaments and the sealing membrane there between;
• and
• wherein each flexible sealing membrane layer has a thickness less than a width or diameter of the brush bristles;
• and
• wherein the sealing membrane layers and bristles are comprised of a material capable of withstanding a temperature of at least 700° Fahrenheit.