Axial flow unit

• US 3,143,972 A
• Filed: 02/06/1963
• Issued: 08/11/1964
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1963
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert J. Flaherty Jr, Watt V. Smith
• Original Assignee: Robert J. Flaherty Jr, Watt V. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Watt V., Flaherty, Robert J. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US04/256,773
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• US Class Current: 417/356
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 11/08 of rotary type
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2023/005 using a drive acting on the periphery of a rotating propulsive element, e.g. on a dented circumferential ring on a propeller, or a propeller acting as rotor of an electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/0646 the hollow pump or motor shaft being the conduit for the working fluid

Claims

1. AN AXIAL FLOW UNIT COMPRISING:

A CASING HAVING AN INLET END AND AN OUTLET END;

MOTOR MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CASING MEANS AND INCLUDING A ROTOR MEMBER AND A STATOR MEMBER;

SAID ROTOR MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL BORE THERETHROUGH CONCENTRIC ABOUT THE UNIT AXIS WHICH EXTENDS BETWEEN SAID INLET AND OUTLET ENDS OF SAID CASING;

SAID CENTRAL BORE IN SAID ROTOR MEMBER DEFINING AN INNER PERIPHERAL WALL THEREIN;

A CENTRAL SHAFT EXTENDING ALONG THE UNIT AXIS AND BEING CONNECTED TO SAID CASING MEANS TO PREVENT RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN;

A PLURALITY OF SETS OF IMPELLER BLADES LONGITUDINALLY SPACED WITHIN AND CONNECTED TO SAID INNER PERIPHERAL WALL OF SAID ROTOR MEMBER;

EACH BLADE EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID INNER PERIPHERAL WALL AND TERMINATING ADJACENT TO, BUT SPACED FROM, SAID CENTRAL SHAFT;

AT LEAST ONE SET OF STRAIGHTENING VANES DISPOSED ON THE OUTLET SIDE OF EACH SET OF IMPELLER BLADES;