High speed gate valve

Claim 1

A HIGH SPEED EXPLOSIVELY ACTUATED GATE VALVE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A FLAT MEMBER HAVING A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH, A THIN FLAT GATE OVERLYING SAID FLAT MEMBER AND COVERING SAID PASSAGE, SAID FLAT GATE BEING TRANSVERSELY MOVABLE IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE SURFACE OF SAID FLAT MEMBER, AN APERTURE IN SAID GATE, SAID APERTURE OVERLYING SAID PASSAGE IN AT LEAST ONE POSITION OF SAID GATE AS IT TRANSLATES FROM A STARTING POSITION TO A TERMINATING POSITION, SAID GATE HAVING END PORTIONS OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO COVER SAID PASSAGE WHEN SAID GATE IS IN ITS STARTING AND TERMINATING POSITIONS, A FIXED CYLINDER WITH A PISTON SLIDABLE THEREIN HAVING A LINE OF ACTION IN SAID PLANE, SAID CYLINDER ADAPTED TO BE PRESSURIZED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID PISTON, MEANS TO OPERATIVELY CONNECT SAID PISTON TO SAID GATE, A FRANGIBLE LINK CONNECTING SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID PISTON TO SAID CYLINDER TO HOLD SAID PISTON IN ITS STARTING POSITION WHEN IT IS SUBJECTED TO A DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE, AN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE ADJACENT SAID FRANGIBLE LINK, AND TRIGGERING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CHARGE WHEREBY ACTUATION OF SAID TRIGGERING MEANS EXPLODES SAID CHARGE BREAKING SAID LINK AND RELEASING SAID PISTON TO ALLOW IT TO MOVE UNDER DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE AND TRANSLATE SAID GATE TO UNCOVER SAID PASSAGE FOR A VERY SHORT TIME.