Suction valve for sintering machine

Claim 1

A SUCTION VALVE FOR A SINTERING PLANT HAVING A PAN, A SUCTION-BLOWER, A CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID PAN WITH SAID VALVE THROUGH WHICH HOT GASES FROM SAID PAN ARE CARRIED AND A CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID VALVE WITH SAID SUCTIONBLOWER; SAID SUCTION-VALVE COMPRISING: A CASING SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR IN CROSS-SECTION HAVING A TOP WALL, A BOTTOM WALL, AND UPSTANDING SIDE WALLS PROVIDING A FLOW PASSAGE THROUGH SAID VALVE FOR SAID HOT GASES FROM SAID SINTERING PAN, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING RECESSED POCKET, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED SHAFT IN THE UPSTREAM SIDE OF EACH OF SAID POCKETS WITH THE UPPER END PORTION OF EACH SHAFT EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID TOP WALL, BEARINGS MOUNTING THE UPPER AND LOWER END PORTIONS OF SAID SHAFTS FOR ROTATION OF SAID SHAFTS ABOUT THEIR VERTICAL AXES, A SWINGABLE GATE FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID SHAFTS, SAID POCKETS BEING SUFFICENTLY LARGE TO RECEIVE SAID GATES WHEN SAID GATES ARE SWUNG ON THEIR RESPECTIVE SHAFTS DOWNSTREAM TOWARD SAID SUCTION-BLOWER TO FULL OPEN POSITION SO AS TO LEAVE SAID FLOW PASSAGE THROUGH THE VALVE UNOBSTRUCTED, SAID GATES BEING SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO CLOSE SAID FLOW PASSAGE THROUGH SAID VALVE WHEN SAID GATES ARE SWUNG ON THEIR RESPECTIVE SHAFTS UPSTREAM TOWARD SAID SINTERING PAN TO FULL CLOSED POSITION, A SECTOR GEAR FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON THE UPPER END PORTION OF EACH OF SAID SHAFTS, AN IDLER GEAR MOUNTED FOR ROTATION AND MESHING WITH ONE OF SAID SECTOR GEARS, A ROTATABLE DRIVE GEAR MESHING WITH SAID OTHER SECTOR GEAR AND WITH SAID IDLER GEAR, GEAR-BOX SIDE WALLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID TOP WALL OF SAID CASING AND SURROUNDING SAID GEARS, SAID TOP WALL OF SAID CASING WITH SAID GEAR-BOX SIDE WALLS PROVIDING A GEAR-BOX FOR HOLDING LUBRICANT FOR LUBRICATING SAID GEARS, A COVER CLOSING SAID GEAR-BOX AND POWER DRIVEN MEANS MOUNTED ABOVE SAID COVER INCLUDING A REVERSIBLE SPEED REDUCER HAVING A DRIVEN ROTATABLE SHAFT, THE OUTER END OF WHICH EXTENDS VERTICALLY THROUGH SAID COVER AND HAVING SAID DRIVE GEAR SECURED THERETO AND A REVERSIBLE ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN MOTOR CONNECTED TO DRIVE SAID GEAR REDUCER ADAPTED FOR ROTATING SAID DRIVE GEAR SELECTIVELY IN A CLOCKWISE AND COUNTERCLOCKWISE ANGULAR DIRECTION AND CAUSING SAID GATES TO SWING SELECTIVELY TOWARD OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID DRIVE GEAR, A PAIR OF SPACED LIMIT SWITCHES MOUNTED ON SAID COVER AND A CAM CONNECTED TO ROTATE IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF ONE OF SAID GATE SHAFTS, SAID CAM BEING MOUNTED ABOVE SAID COVER AND BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH ONE OF SAID LIMIT SWITCHES WHEN SAID GATES ARE SWUNG TO FULL OPEN POSITION AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OTHER OF SAID LIMIT SWITCHES WHEN SAID GATES ARE SWUNG TO FULL CLOSED POSITION FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING SAID ELECTRIC MOTOR WHEN SAID GATES REACH FULL OPEN AND FULL CLOSED POSITION.