AXIAL VANE ROTARY DEVICE AND SEALING SYSTEM THEREFOR

An axial vane rotary device (14) includes a stator (16) with a cylindrical internal chamber (34) defined an annular outer wall (40) and two side walls (36, 38) of the stator. Each side wall has an annular cam surface (42, 44). A rotor (54) is rotatably mounted within the chamber. The rotor has an annular outer wall (66) and a plurality of angularly spaced-apart, axially extending slots (64) extending therethrough. A vane (68) is slidably received in each slot. The vanes reciprocate axially and alternatively expand and compress spaces between adjacent vanes and the cam surfaces as the rotor rotates. The cam surfaces have alternating first portions (92) and second portions (90). The second portions are further from the rotor than the second portions. The first portions of one said cam surface are aligned with second portions of another said cam surface. The slots extend radially outwards on the rotor to the annular outer wall thereof. The outer edge of each vane slidably engages the annular outer wall of the stator. The outer wall of the stator may have a guide cam (96) and the vanes may each have a follower (98) received by the guide cam. The guide cam is shaped to came the vanes to reciprocate axially with respect to the rotor as the rotor rotates. Each of the vanes may have resiliently biased first seals (110, 112) extending along the inner edge (106) and second seals (134) along side edges (70, 72) thereof.