Valve

Claim 1

A VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF A FLUID CARRYING SOLID PARTICLES COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A VALVE SEAT HAVING AN AXIS AND THREE ANNULAR FACES ABOUT SAID AXIS, (1) TWO OF SAID FACES RESPECTIVELY CONVERGING AND DIVERGING IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION TO CONSTITUTE VENTURI MEANS, (2) THE THIRD FACE OF SAID VALVE SEAT BEING SPACED FROM SAID VENTURI MEANS IN SAID DIRECTION AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID AXIS AND OF SAID DIVERGING FACE, (B) A COMPOSITE VALVE MEMBER AXIALLY MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM AN OPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID VALVE MEMBER ENGAGES SAID VALVE SEAT, SAID VALVE MEMBER INCLUDING, (1) A DISC MEMBER HAVING A FACE PORTION SEALINGLY ENGAGING SAID THIRD FACE OF SAID VALVE SEAT IN THE OPERATIVE POSITION OF SAID VALVE MEMBER; (2) A DEFLECTOR MEMBER SECURED TO SAID DISC MEMBER, SAID DEFLECTOR MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR GUIDE FACE IN SAID VENTURI MEANS, SAID GUIDE FACE DEFINING AN ANNULAR CHANNEL IN SAID VENTURI MEANS WITH SAID DIVERGING FACE WHEN SAID VALVE MEMBER IS IN SAID OPERATIVE POSITION; AND (3) ANNULAR RESILIENT PACKING MEANS RETAINED BETWEEN SAID DISC MEMBER AND SAID DEFLECTOR MEMBER, SAID PACKING MEANS PROJECTING RADIALLY FROM SAID DEFLECTOR MEMBER TOWARD SAID DIVERGING FACE FOR STRAINING SAID PARTICLES FROM SAID FLUID WHEN SAID VALVE MEMBER APPROACHES SAID OPERATIVE POSITION DURING THE MOVEMENT THEREOF, AND FOR SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DIVERGING FACE IN SAID OPERATIVE POSITION; AND (C) ACTUATING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID VALVE MEMBER INTO SAID OPERATIVE POSITION IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION.