Patent ID: 6695316
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: F16J

Abstract:
A rotary machine comprising:a component rotatable about an axis; a stationary component including upper and lower housings of the machine joined together along a horizontal midline and an annular groove about said axis, said lower housing including horizontally extending support surfaces along and coincident with said horizontal midline at opposite sides, respectively, of said lower housing; said stationary component having a first axially directed locating flange about said axis and in part defining a slot opening into said groove; a plurality of generally arcuate seal segments about said axis, each segment having an arcuate sealing face, a second axially directed locating flange disposed in said annular groove and a neck portion in said slot and interconnecting said second flange and said sealing face; certain of said plurality of said segments being movable between radial outward and radial inward positions relative to said axis; first and second members engaging between said support surfaces, respectively, along said horizontal midline of said stationary component and first and second segments located wholly within and on respective opposite sides of said lower housing of said stationary component for supporting said first and second segments for movement generally horizontally toward and away from a vertical plane through said axis between inner and outer positions, respectively, and fixing said first and second segments against vertical downward movement, said first and second segments comprising different ones of said plurality of segments than said certain segments; said first and second segments being disposed in said lower housing of said stationary component and straddling one or more segments of said plurality of said segments in said lower housing whereby said first and second members maintain a gap between respective lower ends of said first and second segments and ends of said one or more segments adjacent to said lower ends when said certain segments lie in said radially outward positions and said first and second of segments lie in said outer positions.