High vacuum valve

Claim 3

A valve which communicates with a vacuum system through a vacuum line which comprises: a. a chamber in fluid flow communication with a vacuum system, said chamber having an inlet in communication with the vacuum line and an outlet; b. seating means disposed within the chamber about the inlet, said seating means characterized by annular knife edge means; c. a shaft disposed within the chamber and sealably connected to means outside the chamber for reciprocating said shaft within the chamber in a direction generally perpendicular to the inlet between a first open and a second operable position; d. closure means secured to the shaft within the chamber, said closure means adapted to reciprocate with the shaft between its first open position and its second operable position, said closure means adapted to move generally axially with respect to the inlet between a first nonoperable and a second sealing position; e. stop means adapted to position the closure means prior to the movement of the closure means in an axial direction, as the shaft continues to move between its first and second position said closure means further having a peripheral edge, the peripheral edge adapted to increase in circumference when the closure means moves to its sealing position and engages said annular knife edge means in an unrestricted movement; f. means associated with the shaft to impart axial movement to the closure means when the shaft is moving from its first to its second position, whereby when the shaft with the closure means moves between its first open and second operable position, the closure means is engaged by the stop means to position said closure means for movement in the axial direction, the shaft means after the engagement of the closure means with the stop means continues downwardly in unrestricted movement while the closure means moves between its nonoperable position to its sealing position, the peripheral edge of the closure means engaging knife edged means in the valve seat to provide a fluid-tight seal.

Claim 4

A valve which communicates with a vacuum system through a vacuum line which comprises: a. a chamber in fluid flow communication with a vacuum system, said chamber having an inlet in communication with the vacuum line and an outlet; b. seating means disposed within the chamber about the inlet, said seating means characterized by annular knife edge means; c. a shaft disposed within the chamber and sealably connected to means outside the chamber for reciprocating said shaft within the chamber in a direction generally perpendicular to the inlet between a first open and a second operable position; d. closure means secured to the shaft within the chamber, said closure means adapted to reciprocate with the shaft between its first open position and its second operable position, said closure means adapted to move generally axially with respect to the inlet between a first nonoperable and a second sealing position; e. stop means adapted to position the closure means prior to the movement of the closure means in an axial direction, as the shaft continues to move between its first and second position said closure means further having a peripheral edge, the peripheral edge adapted to increase in circumference when the closure means moves to its sealing position and engages said annular knife edge means in an unrestricted movement; f. means associated with the shaft to impart axial movement to the closure means when the shaft is moving from its first to its second position, whereby when the shaft with the closure means moves between its first open and second operable position, the closure means is engaged by the stop means to position said closure means for movement in the axial direction, the shaft means after the engagement of the closure means with the stop means continues downwardly in unrestricted movement while the closure means moves between its nonoperable position to its sealing position, the peripheral edge of the closure means engaging knife edged means in the valve seat to provide a fluid-tight seal.

Claim 5

The valve of claim 2 wherein the shaft includes gate means and the closure means are secured to said gate means, and further wherein the closure means is flexible.

Claim 6

The valve of claim 2 wherein the means associated with shaft to impart horizontal movement to the closure means comprises a bar cam slidably located in said chamber associated with said shaft and further comprising a hub cam adapted to operatively engage said bar cam whereby on the movement of the shaft from its first to its second position the interaction of the downward motion of the shaft on said bar cam exerts horizontal motion to said hub cam and the closure means.

Claim 7

The valve of claim 2 wherein the outlet of the chamber is substantially aligned with the inlet of said chamber and further wherein the closure means comprises an arcuate generally spherical element, and wherein the seating means disposed about the inlet comprises an aperture adapted to receive the sealing edge of the closure means.

Claim 8

The valve of claim 2 wherein the closure means comprises a sealing member and a backup plate secured to said sealing member.

Claim 9

The valve of claim 2 which includes at least a first and second chamber said chambers being in the same plane about the inlet and each said chamber having closure means therein.

Claim 10

The valve of claim 2 wherein the closure means comprises a sealing member and a backup plate secured to said member and the sealing member is copper and said backup plate is stainless steel.

Claim 11

The valve of claim 2 wherein a bar cam is slidably located in said chamber and associated with the shaft, a gate is disposed within the chamber and adapted for movement with the shaft and wherein the closure means are secured to said gate, and further wherein the means for moving the closure means laterally comprises a hub cam adapted to operatively engage the bar cam and wherein the closure means comprises a generally flexibLe circular-type closure element.