Back-wash valve for gas-solid separating apparatus

Claim 1

A BACK-WASH VALVE FOR APPARATUS USED TO SEPARATE PARTICLES FROM GASES, COMPRISING A ROTOR CASING HAVING A CYLINDRICAL WALL WITH A PLURALITY OF INDEPENDENT CIRCUMFERENTIALLY-SPACED INLET PORTS THEREIN ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED INDIVIDUALLY TO A PLURALITY OF SEPARATOR CHAMBERS TO RECEIVE AIR THEREFROM, SAID CASING HAVING AN OUTLET ALIGNED WITH AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED FROM SAID INLET PORTS AND ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF SUCTION, A ROTOR UNIT ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN THE CASING AND RADIALLY SPACED INWARDLY FROM SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL, OPPOSED RADIAL DISCS FORMING PART OF THE ROTOR UNIT AND HAVING EDGES SLIDABLY ENGAGING THE CYLINDRICAL WALL, SAID DISCS BEING AXIALLY SPACED APART AND POSITIONED TO ENCLOSE THE INLET PORTS AND THE OUTLET WHEREBY SAID PORTS ARE NORMALLY IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID OUTLET, AN ENCLOSING POCKET ON THE ROTOR UNIT EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID DISCS AND OPENING OUT RADIALLY OF THE UNIT, SAID POCKET BEING CLOSED AT ONE DISC AND OPENING OUT THROUGH THE OPPOSED DISC, SAID POCKET BEING LARGE ENOUGH TO ENCLOSE EACH INLET PORT AS THE POCKET PASSES THE LATTER DURING ROTATION OF THE ROTOR UNIT, AND OPENING MEANS IN AND OPENING OUT FROM THE CASING NEAR SAID DISC THROUGH WHICH THE POCKET OPENS AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID POCKET WHEN THE LATTER MOVES OVER EACH INLET PORT.