Straightway valve

Claim 1

A valve for a positive displacement machine such as a compressor for a gaseous fluid comprising, a valve body having a plurality of sides each with a side port and an internal cavity in communication with the side ports, said valve body having an open end with an inlet into said cavity for allowing entry of a flow of a compressible gaseous fluid into said cavity, said valve body having a closed end opposite said open end, a flow-divider internally of said valve body on said closed end extending into said cavity in a direction opposite to the direction of flow of said gas into said cavity for dividing the flow of gaseous fluid into a plurality of flows each directed to flow toward a corresponding one of said side ports, each side having a side port having a substantially planar valve seat peripherally of a corresponding side port, for each side of the body having a side port a valve plate, each valve plate comprising a reed-plate having a U-shape with two flexible mounting arms for mounting the reed-plate on said body and a connecting arm between said two mounting arms having a reed portion extending in a same direction as said mounting arms and seatable on a corresponding seat and overlying a corresponding side port, each mounting arm having an end tab for overlying said closed end of the valve body, a polygonal plate for overlying said closed end of the valve body and securing each reed-plate relative to a corresponding side of the valve body, said polygonal plate having lugs each disposed for overlying an end portion of a respective arm of a reed-plate to fix each reed-plate relative to a respective side and side port of the valve body, and means for fixing the polygonal plate on said closed end of said valve body, whereby each read-plate flexes including the mounting arms and reed portion thereof to open and close the corresponding side port under control of a respective one of said flows of gaseous fluid.