Double seal gate valve structure

Claim 2

A gate valve structure comprising: an elongate slide member disposed within an elongate housing therefor; said housing having first and second aligned openings through opposite longitudinally-extending walls of said housing; means attached to said slide member for moving said slide member longitudinally of said housing and controlling the flow of divided solid material through said housing via said openings; said slide member comprising a longitudinally-extending valve body having opposed faces, first and second annular seals spaced apart along the length of said valve body and a bore extending through said valve body at a location between said annular seals; said annular seals and said bore being arranged along said valve body so as to be selectively registerable with said first opening by linear movement of said slide member; the diameter of each of said annular seals being greater than the diameter of said first opening and said slide member being movable laterally in said housing whereby either of said annular seals may be selectively urged into contact with surface area around said first opening.

Claim 3

The gate valve structure of claim 1 wherein the housing has a pair of access holes therethrough, each of said access holes having a removable cover and being disposed where one of the annular seals can be brought into register therewith for access thereto.

Claim 4

The gate valve structure of claim 1 wherein a flap valve is disposed adjacent one of the aligned openings for additional control over the flow of divided solid material through the housing and means are provided for selectively positioning said flap valve in a closed position in which it substantially closes off said one opening and in an open position in which said one opening is substantially open and at least a portion of said flap valve projects into the bore.

Claim 5

The gate valve structure of claim 1 wherein the annular seals are made of resilient material and are removably accommodated in annular recesses in one face of the valve body.

Claim 6

The gate valve structure of claim 1 wherein means are provided to bias the slide member laterally and effectuate contact between an annular seal and surface area around the first opening.

Claim 7

The gate valve structure of claim 1 where a cleanout opening is provided through a wall of the housing.

Claim 8

The gate valve structure of claim 1 wherein means are provided to direct fluid flow into the housing to remove debris from the slide member.

Claim 9

The gate valve structure of claim 1 wherein the valve body is substantially in the shape of an elongate rectangular prism.

Claim 10

The gate valve structure of claim 1 wherein the diameter of the bore is greater than the diameter of the first opening and the diameter of the second opening is greater than the diameter of said bore.

Claim 11

In an apparatus for generating a gas mixture containing combustible components wherein a sealable solid fuel supply vessel receives divided solid fuel via a first sealable valve by gravity feed, a gasifier vessel receives the solid fuel by gravity feed into the upper region thereof from said supply vessel via a second sealable valve, ash is discharged from the lower region of said gasifier vessel into a second sealable vessel via a third sealable valve and the ash is finally discharged from said second sealable vessel via a fourth sealable valve, the improvement comprising at least one of said first, second, third and fourth sealable valves being a gate valve structure, said gate valve structure comprising: an elongate slide member disposed with an elongate housing therefor; said housing having first and second aligned openings through opposite longitudinally-extending walls of said housing; means attached to said slide member for moving said slide member longitudinally of said housing and controlling flow through said housing via said openings; said slide member comprising a longitudinally-extending valve body having opposed faces, first and second annular seals spaced apart along the length of said valve body and a bore extending through said valve body at a location between said annular seals; said annular seals and said bore being arranged along said valve body so as to be selectively registerable with said first opening by linear movement of said slide member; the diameter of each of said annular seals being greater than the diameter of said first opening and said slide member being movable laterally in said housing whereby either of said annular seals may be selectively urged into contact with surface area around said first opening.

Claim 12

In an apparatus for generating a gas mixture containing combustible components wherein a sealable solid fuel supply vessel receives divided solid fuel via a first sealable valve by gravity feed, a gasifier vessel receives the solid fuel by gravity feed into the upper region thereof from said supply vessel via a second sealable valve, ash is discharged from the lower region of said gasifier vessel into a second sealable vessel via a third sealable valve and the ash is finally discharged from said second sealable vessel via a fourth sealable valve, the improvement comprising at least one of said first, second, third and fourth sealable valves being a gate valve structure, said gate valve structure comprising: an elongate slide member disposed with an elongate housing therefor; said housing having first and second aligned openings through opposite longitudinally-extending walls of said housing; means attached to said slide member for moving said slide member longitudinally of said housing and controlling flow through said housing via said openings; said slide member comprising a longitudinally-extending valve body having opposed faces, first and second annular seals spaced apart along the length of said valve body and a bore extending through said valve body at a location between said annular seals; said annular seals and said bore being arranged along said valve body so as to be selectively registerable with said first opening by linear movement of said slide member; the diameter of each of said annular seals being greater than the diameter of said first opening and said slide member being movable laterally in said housing whereby either of said annular seals may be selectively urged into contact with surface area around said first opening.

Claim 13

The improvement of claim 10 wherein the second sealable valve is the gate valve structure and a flap valve is disposed adjacent one of the aligned openings and means are provided for selectively positioning said flap valve in a closed position in which it substantially closes off said one opening and in an open position in which said one opening is substantially open and at least a portion of said flap valve projects into the bore.

Claim 14

The improvement of claim 10 wherein the housing has a pair of access holes therethrough, each of said access holes having a removable cover and being disposed where one of the annular seals can be brought into register therewith for access thereto.

Claim 15

The improvement of claim 10 wherein the annular seals are made of resilient material and are removably accommodated in annular recesses in one face of the valve body.

Claim 16

The improvement of claim 10 wherein means are provided to bias the slide member laterally and effectuate contact between an annular seal and surface area around the first opening.

Claim 17

The improvement of claim 10 where a cleanout opening is provided through a wall of the housing.

Claim 18

The improvement of claim 10 wherein means are provided to direct fluid flow into the housing to remove debris from the slide member.

Claim 19

The improvement of claim 10 wherein the valve body is substantially in the shape of an elongate rectangular prism.

Claim 20

The improvement of claim 10 wherein the diameter of the bore is greater than the diameter of the first opening and the diameter of the second opening is greater than the diameter of said bore.

Claim 21

In an apparatus for generating a gas mixture containing combustible components wherein a gasifier vessel receives solid fuel into the upper region thereof via fuel charging means and ash is discharged from the lower region of said gasifier vessel, the discharge of ash being accomplished into a sealable vessel via a first sealable valve after which the ash is discharged from said sealable vessel via a second sealable valve, the improvement comprising having at least one of said first and second sealable valves be a gate valve structure, said gate valve structure comprising: an elongate slide member disposed with an elongate housing therefor; said housing having first and second aligned openings through opposite longitudinally-extending walls of said housing; means attached to said slide member for moving said slide member longitudinally of said housing and controlling flow through said housing via said openings; said slide member comprising a longitudinally-extending valve body having opposed faces, first and second annular seals spaced apart along the length of said valve body and a bore extending through said valve body at a location between said annular seals; said annular seals and said bore being arranged along said valve body so as to be selectively registerable with said first opening by linear movement of said slide member; the diameter of each of said annular seals being greater than the diameter of said first opening and said slide member being movable laterally in said housing whereby either of said annular seals may be selectively urged into contact with surface area around said first opening.

Claim 22

In an apparatus for generating a gas mixture containing combustible components wherein a gasifier vessel receives solid fuel into the upper region thereof via fuel charging means and ash is discharged from the lower region of said gasifier vessel, the discharge of ash being accomplished into a sealable vessel via a first sealable valve after which the ash is discharged from said sealable vessel via a second sealable valve, the improvement comprising having at least one of said first and second sealable valves be a gate valve structure, said gate valve structure comprising: an elongate slide member disposed with an elongate housing therefor; said housing having first and second aligned openings through opposite longitudinally-extending walls of said housing; means attached to said slide member for moving said slide member longitudinally of said housing and controlling flow through said housing via said openings; said slide member comprising a longitudinally-extending valve body having opposed faces, first and second annular seals spaced apart along the length of said valve body and a bore extending through said valve body at a location between said annular seals; said annular seals and said bore being arranged along said valve body so as to be selectively registerable with said first opening by linear movement of said slide member; the diameter of each of said annular seals being greater than the diameter of said first opening and said slide member being movable laterally in said housing whereby either of said annular seals may be selectively urged into contact with surface area around said first opening.

Claim 23

The improvement of claim 19 wherein the second sealable valve is the gate valve structure and a flap valve is disposed adjacent one of the aligned openings and means are provided for selectively positioning said flap valve in a closed position in which it substantially closes off said one opening and in an open position in which said one opening is substantially open and at least a portion of said flap valve projects into the bore.

Claim 24

The improvement of claim 19 wherein the housing has a pair of access holes therethrough, each of said access holes having a removable cover and being disposed where one of the annular seals can be brought into register therewith for access thereto.

Claim 25

The improvement of claim 19 wherein the annular seals are made of resilient material and are removably accommodated in annular recesses in one face of the valve body.

Claim 26

The improvement of claim 19 wherein means are provided to bias the slide member laterally and effectuate contact between an annular seal and surface area around the first opening.

Claim 27

The improvement of claim 19 where a cleanout opening is provided through a wall of the housing.

Claim 28

The improvement of claim 19 wherein means are provided to direct fluid flow into the housing to remove debris from the slide member.

Claim 29

The improvement of claim 19 wherein the valve body is substantially in the shape of an elongate rectangular prism.

Claim 30

The improvement of claim 19 wherein the diameter of the bore is greater than the diameter of the first opening and the diameter of the second opening is greater than the diameter of said bore.