SEALING ASSEMBLY IN A HEAT PIPE ROLLER

摘要

A roller (10) incorporating a heat pipe cavity (12) has a port (25) through which a medium (29) is flowed and a vacuum is drawn. The port (25) is sealed by a plug (20) which is lodged in a hole (14) by advance of a screw (16) against the plug (20) to form a metal-to-metal seal that will withstand pressures in the heat pipe cavity (12). A body of grease (21) is one of several ways disclosed for centering the plug (20) in the hole (14). The scr ew (20) can be advanced with a conventional Allen wrench or a special tool (35) having a driver head (22) on a shaft (23) that extends through a casing (24) for conveying medium or drawing a vacuum. The screw (16) has vents (28) to allow a vacuum to be drawn as the port (25) is sealed. A method of sealing i s also disclosed.