Powdery article supply valve mechanism

Claim 1

A powdery material supply valve mechanism which comprises, in combination, a valve mechanism housing having an inlet means for receiving powdery materials operatively connected via a channel to an outlet means for supplying powdery material in a controlled manner; a valve body means disposed along said channel operatively adjacent to a piston rod means and in a longitudinally aligned relationship with said piston rod means; a valve housing means incorporating operatively said valve body means, said piston rod means, and a valve seat for receiving said valve means therein so as to close said channel; and a valve cylinder/piston means comprising a valve cylinder means disposed shiftably in the longitudinal direction relative to said valve housing means, and a valve piston means disposed slidably in the bore of said cylinder means along the axis thereof to be urged operatively upon said valve seat of said valve housing means against the resilient force of a valve spring means disposed within the bore of said cylinder means so that said valve body means selectively controls the flow rate of powdery material passing from said inlet means to said outlet means via said channel upon selective control of said valve body means against said valve seat, said valve cylinder means being shiftable back and forth along the longitudinal axis of said valve means so that the position of said valve body means may be adjusted finely to determine a relative working stroke of said valve piston means with respect to said valve cylinder means, said valve cylinder means being threadably engaged with said valve housing means so that said valve cylinder means is shifted by being rotated longitudinally relative to said valve housing means and said valve housing means further including a dust cover means disposed above said valve body means along said channel which prevents powdery material from escaping from said channel and entering said valve cylinder/piston means, said valve cylinder means further comprises a pressure chamber disposed between said valve piston means and an end wall in the bore of said cylinder means, and wherein said valve mechanism further comprises a fluid supply means operatively connected to said pressure chamber for supplying fluid thereinto so as to force said valve piston means in a longitudinal direction thereby urging said valve body means against said valve seat, said fluid supply means further comprises a fluid supply pipe in fluid communication with said pressure chamber and a swivel joint operatively associated with said fluid supply pipe such that said valve cylinder means may be rotated without rotating said fluid supply pipe.