Rotary valve

Claim 2

A rotary valve including a rotor having therein a plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets, said pockets opening from the periphery of said rotor intermediate its ends, a shell-like rotor housing having an inlet thereto and an outlet therefrom, said housing peripherally encompassing said rotor to normally close said pockets as they move between said inlet and said outlet and being closed to define with at least one end of said rotor an end bell cavity, shaft means projecting from either end of said rotor and said housing and through said end bell cavity and openings in said shell-like housing, means providing a seal between said housing and said shaft means, and conduit means connected by way of said housing between said end bell cavity and the periphery of said rotor, said rotor having means for drive thereof to successively communicate said rotor pockets with said conduit means whereby to communicate end bell pressure with said pockets in the course of the movement of said pockets from said inlet to said outlet.

Claim 3

A material handling valve as set forth in claim 1 characterized by means defining openings in said shell-like housing intermediate said inlet and said outlet and to opposite sides thereof, said openings to opposite sides being interconnected by further conduit means, and said rotor pockets communicating with each of said openings in the course of rotation thereof, in the process of which the conduit means in interconnected relation to said openings provide for a flow under pressure from one to another of the so communicated pockets.

Claim 4

A material handling valve as set forth in claim 2 characterized by the conduit means interconnected with said end bell cavity being connected to said housing to open said rotor pockets immediately following their communicating with said valve inlet.

Claim 5

A rotary valve as set forth in claim 3 characterized by said further conduit means communicating a pocket in a position prior to exposurE thereof to said outlet with a further pocket in a position immediately following exposure thereof to said outlet.

Claim 6

A material handling valve as set forth in claim 4 characterized by means defining a further opening through said shell-like housing to said rotor pockets immediately preceding said inlet.

Claim 7

A material handling valve as set forth in claim 4 characterized by means for directing steam under pressure directly to the base of each rotor pocket immediately prior to exposure thereof to said outlet in a manner to preload the charge therein from the rear whereby to produce a forceful ejection of the charge on exposure thereof to said outlet.

Claim 8

A material handling valve as set forth in claim 6 characterized by there being means connecting each end bell cavity with an opening in said shell means for successively communicating with said rotor pockets to balance the pressure therebetween.

Claim 9

A material handling valve as in claim 1 characterized by means in connection with said housing to produce in each rotor pocket, prior to exposure thereof to said outlet a layer of fluid to load the pocket contents from the rear whereby to produce a forceful ejection of said contents.

Claim 10

A material handling valve as in claim 1 characterized by means in connection with said housing and in said rotor pockets to produce in each rotor pocket, prior to exposure thereof to said outlet, a layer of fluid at a high velocity to scour the inner surfaces of the rotor pocket from end to end thereof, and produce behind the pocket contents stored energy functioning on exposure of the pocket to the valve outlet to produce a forceful ejection of its entire contents.

Claim 11

A material handling valve as in claim 9 wherein said outlet has a relation to said pockets to dictate that the pocket contents are first exposed to said outlet while said housing provides that the means for producing the layer of fluid in said pockets are shielded from said outlet, and means providing that the means in said pocket are then exposed to said outlet for self-purging of the areas for directing to said pocket said layer of fluid.

Claim 12

A material handling rotary valve comprising a valve housing including means defining an inlet thereto and an outlet therefrom, a rotor contained in said housing having means in connection therewith forming radially directed pockets arranged to open from the periphery and intermediate the ends thereof, the rotation of which rotor carries said pockets to successively align with said inlet and said outlet, in the process of which to receive therein a charge of material from said inlet and carry the same for discharge through said outlet, characterized by means defining a passage for delivering to the interior of said housing, immediately preceding said outlet, a flow of fluid under pressure and means in connection with said rotor adapted to form a continuation of said passage and arranged to direct fluid to the base of at least a portion of said rotor pockets as each said portion of said pockets approaches said outlet, said last-mentioned means being arranged to load said fluid in said portion of said pockets from the ends thereof whereby to preload the pocket contents from the rear so as to produce a forceful ejection of its contents on exposure thereof to said outlet.

Claim 13

A material handling rotary valve comprising a valve housing including means defining an inlet thereto and an outlet therefrom, a rotor contained in said housing having means in connection therewith forming radially directed pockets arranged to open from the periphery and intermediate the ends thereof, the rotation of which rotor carries said pockets to successively align with said inlet and said outlet, in the process of which to receive therein a charge of material from said inlet and carry the same for discharge through said outlet, characterized by means defining a passage for delivering to the interior of said housing, immediately preceding said outlet, a flow of fluid under pressure and means in connection with said rotor adapted to form a continuation of said passage and arranged to direct fluid to the base of at least a portion of said rotor pockets as each said portion of said pockets approaches said outlet, said last-mentioned means being arranged to load said fluid in said portion of said pockets from the ends thereof whereby to preload the pocket contents from the rear so as to produce a forceful ejection of its contents on exposure thereof to said outlet.

Claim 14

A material handling valve unit as in claim 11 characterized by said end loading means being duct means opening at one end thereof from the periphery of said rotor and at the other end thereof to one end of the associated pocket, at its base surface.

Claim 15

A material handling rotary valve comprising a valve housing including means defining an inlet thereto and an outlet therefrom, a rotor contained in said housing having means in connection therewith forming pockets arranged to open from the periphery thereof, the rotation of which rotor carries said pockets to successively align with said inlet and said outlet, in the process of which to receive therein a charge of material from said inlet and carry the same for discharge through said outlet, means for delivering to the interior of said housing immediately preceding said outlet a flow of fluid under pressure and means in connection with said rotor for directing to the base of at least a portion of said rotor pockets fluid delivered from said delivering means as each said portion of said pockets approaches said outlet, said last-mentioned means being arranged to load said fluid in said portion of said pockets from the ends thereof whereby to preload the pocket contents from the rear so as to produce a forceful ejection of its contents on exposure thereof to said outlet, said end loading means being duct means opening at one end thereof from the periphery of said rotor and at the other end thereof to one end of the associated pocket, as its base surface, and said duct means being formed by an imperforate plate inserted in and adjacent to one end of a rotor pocket and having in the innermost extremity thereof an aperture for directing from said duct and across the base surface of the pocket a high velocity flow of said fluid in the sense axially of said rotor.

Claim 16

A material handling rotary valve comprising a valve housing including means defining an inlet thereto and an outlet therefrom, a rotor contained in said housing having means in connection therewith forming pockets arranged to open from the periphery thereof, the rotation of which rotor carries said pockets to successively align with said inlet and said outlet, in the process of which to receive therein a charge of material from said inlet and carry the same for discharge through said outlet, means for delivering to the interior of said housing immediately preceding said outlet a flow of fluid under pressure and means in connection with said rotor for directing to the base of at least a portion of said rotor pockets fluid delivered from said delivering means as each said portion of said pockets approaches said outlet, said last-mentioned means being arranged to load said fluid in said portion of said pockets from the ends thereof whereby to preload the pocket contents from the rear so as to produce a forceful ejection of its contents on exposure thereof to said outlet, said end loading means being duct means opening at one end thereof from the periphery of said rotor and at the other end thereof to one end of the associated pocket, as its base surface, and said duct means being formed by an imperforate plate inserted in and adjacent to one end of a rotor pocket and having in the innermost extremity thereof an aperture for directing from said duct and across the base surface of the pocket a high velocity flow of said fluid in the sense axially of said rotor.

Claim 17

Apparatus as set forth in claim 13 characterized by each said rotor pocket having plate means forming a duct to either end thereof and said fluid delivery means being arranged to simultaneously direct fluid to each duct on alignment therewith immediately preceding said outlet whereby to produce at the base of the pocket a pair of oppositely directed, generally coaxial high velocity jets of fluid to scour the pocket base and spread over the surface thereof to preload its contents from the rear immediately prior to exposure to said outlet. 15 A material handling valve including a housing having an inlet thereto and an outlet therefrom and means forming therein at least one pocket arranged to receive and carry a charge from said inlet to said outlet for discharge through said outlet characterized by means in connection with said housing and said pocket forming means for directing fluid to the base of said pocket, in bypassing relation to the charge therein, immediately preceding exposure thereof to said outlet, to move across the said base from one end whereby to produce a scouring film of fluid on the pocket surface and preload the pocket contents from the rear.

Claim 18

A valve as in claim 15 characterized by said directing means in connection with said pocket forming means being conduit means having to at least one end of said pocket an opening limited to the inner extremity of said pocket, adjacent the base thereof, whereby to insure that the fluid will lift from the base the pocket contents so as to ensure a complete ejection thereof on exposure to said outlet.

Claim 19

Apparatus as in claim 16 characterized by said pocket being related to said outlet and said conduit means to said fluid delivery means whereby to maintain a seal of said conduit means on first exposure of said pocket to said outlet in the process of which there immediately occurs a forceful ejection of the pocket contents under the influence of the preloading from the rear, said conduit means maintaining a delivery of said fluid to scour the pocket and produce a supplemental ejecting force for the pocket contents.

Claim 20

Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 characterized by means at the far side of said outlet from said fluid delivery means for scavenging said pockets to remove remaining particles of their contents on registry of the pockets with said outlet.

Claim 21

A rotary valve comprising a rotor, a housing for said rotor having a circular bore to accommodate said rotor, said rotor being adapted to be positioned with its ends in end spaced relation to adjacent wall portions of said housing to form therewith end bell cavities with which said rotor has limited communication over the ends thereof, said rotor being formed with a circumferential series of pockets intermediate its ends, which pockets open through the periphery of said rotor, said housing having angularly displaced material inlet and outlet oPenings communicating with the periphery of said rotor, said rotor pockets being adapted to be brought into successive alignment with said inlet and said outlet openings and to register with said openings in the course of rotation of said rotor and means defining a connection for continuously venting said end bells to each said pocket in the course of its movement from said inlet towards said outlet opening.

Claim 22

A rotary valve comprising a rotor, a housing for said rotor having a circular bore to accommodate said rotor, said rotor being adapted to be positioned with its ends in end spaced relation to adjacent wall portions of said housing to form therewith end bell cavities with which said rotor has limited communication over the ends thereof, said rotor being formed with a circumferential series of pockets intermediate its ends, which pockets open through the periphery of said rotor, said housing having angularly displaced material inlet and outlet oPenings communicating with the periphery of said rotor, said rotor pockets being adapted to be brought into successive alignment with said inlet and said outlet openings and to register with said openings in the course of rotation of said rotor and means defining a connection for continuously venting said end bells to each said pocket in the course of its movement from said inlet towards said outlet opening.

Claim 23

A rotary valve as set forth in claim 19 characterized by said connection for continuously venting said end bells being conduit means connecting between at least one of said end bell cavities and a location of said housing immediately following said inlet opening whereby to communicate end bell pressure with each said pocket when the pocket leaves said inlet opening.

Claim 24

A rotary valve as set forth in claim 20 characterized by conduit means connecting between said end bells and opening through said housing to respectively opposite ends of each rotor pocket in passage of said rotor pockets thereby.

Claim 25

Apparatus as set forth in claim 21 characterized by each said rotor pocket having defined to either end thereof a generally radial passage to direct end bell pressure to the base of the related pocket in bypassing relation to the major portion of the charge therein.

Claim 26

Apparatus as set forth in claim 22 characterized by said housing outlet opening having irregular configuration whereby as each said pocket moves to register with said outlet the passages to either end thereof are first sealed and then exposed in the course of registration and there being means in connection with said housing to direct a further flow of fluid pressure to each of said pockets in the course of the approach and the exposure thereof to said outlet opening.