Non-sliding vacuum gate valve

• US 5,626,324 A
• Filed: 09/15/1994
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Irie Koken Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Irie Koken Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yoshinobu, Hayashi, Yuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Michalsky, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US08/306,452
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 251/58, 251/158, 251/203, 251/204, 251/335.3
• US Class Current: 251/58
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/18 by movement of the closure members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/1225 with a plurality of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations

Abstract

A non-sliding vacuum gate valve has a valve housing with a valve opening therethrough which is opened and closed by a gate valve body moved by a valve rod. The valve rod moves with linear and tilting movement so that the valve body tilts against the valve seat surrounding the valve opening. The valve rod is moved linearly by cylinder rods extending from a pair of cylinders attached to the valve housing on either side of the valve rod. A cam body having an angular cam slot is attached to a connecting member which spans between the end portions of the cylinder rods above the valve rod. The valve rod has a cam follower engaging the angular cam slot to provide the tilting movement of the valve rod and valve body responsive to the alternate reciprocal vertical movement of the cylinder rods, to open and close the valve opening.

Claims

1. A non-sliding vacuum gate valve for performing opening and closing operations on an opening of a valve housing by a valve body which is connected to one end of a linearly and tiltably movable valve rod having an opposite end portion, based on the movement and tilting of said valve rod, by means of a seal bellows, one end of which is provided on said valve housing, said seal bellows having an opposite end, the valve so constructed as comprising:

a plurality of cylinders having respective pistons and piston rods, each said piston rod having an end, a connecting member between and attached to said piston rod ends, said cylinders being provided on said valve housing;

a cam body which has a cam hole and is provided on said connecting member;

a cam follower which engages in said cam hole and is provided at said opposite end portion of said valve rod; and

a slide body attached to said valve rod and to said opposite end of said seal bellows and connected to said cam body by means of a plurality of compression spring supporting members extending in the direction of said linear movement of said valve rod to permit linear and tilting movement between said valve rod and said cam body;

wherein linear movement of said cam body causes linear and tilting movement of said valve rod and valve body.

2. A non-sliding vacuum gate valve according to claim 1, wherein a pair of guide bodies, each having a guide slot, are each provided respectively on an inner side of one of said cylinders, and a guide roller on said slide body is engaged in each said guide slot.

3. A non-sliding vacuum gate valve according to claim 2, wherein said cam hole has a linear guide section for linearly guiding said cam follower, and a lock section for locking said cam follower.

4. A non-sliding vacuum gate valve according to claim 1, wherein said cam hole has a linear guide section for linearly guiding said cam follower, and a lock section for locking said cam follower.

5. A non-sliding vacuum gate valve comprising a housing having a valve opening therethrough including a valve seat surrounding said opening, a valve bonnet on said housing having a valve rod opening therethrough adjacent to said valve seat, a valve rod having length extending and freely movable through said valve rod opening and having opposite ends, a valve body mounted on one of said ends of said valve rod within said housing, said length of said valve rod including a length portion projecting outwardly from said valve rod opening and including the other of said opposite ends of the valve rod, a flexible vacuum sealing bellows disposed around said valve rod and having opposite ends, one of said bellows ends being attached to said housing and surrounding said valve rod opening, and means mounting said valve rod for substantially linear and tilting movement whereby said valve body engages and disengages said valve seat with non-sliding movement to alternately close and open said valve opening, said valve rod mounting means comprising a slide body attached to said valve rod projecting length portion, the other of said opposite ends of said vacuum sealing bellows being attached to said slide body for movement therewith, means mounting said slide body for tilting and linear movement towards and away from said housing whereby said tilting movement of said slide body provides said tilting movement of said valve rod, a cam body mounted for linear reciprocal movement towards and away from said housing, and a cam on one of said cam body and said valve rod projecting length portion, said cam being angularly disposed with respect to said linear direction of movement of said slide body, a cam follower on the other of said cam body and said valve rod projecting length portion and engaging said cam whereby said valve rod moves in response to said movement of said cam body, compressible spring means extending between said cam body and said slide body and permitting tilting and linear movement of said slide body with respect to said cam body, and means for selectively and alternately imparting said reciprocal movement to said cam body whereby, when said cam body moves linearly towards said housing said valve rod and said valve body move linearly during a first portion of the movement and said valve rod tilts and moves said valve body into closing engagement with said valve seat during a subsequent portion of the movement, and when said cam body moves away from said housing said valve rod tilts during a first portion of the movement and moves said valve body out of said closing engagement with said valve seat to open said valve opening and said valve rod and said valve body move linearly during a subsequent portion of the movement.

6. A gate valve according to claim 5, wherein said cam is a cam slot in said cam body and said cam follower is a roller mounted on said valve rod projecting portion adjacent to said other of said opposite ends of said valve rod and in roller engagement with said cam slot, said cam slot having first and second sections, said second section comprising a lock section for releasably locking said roller therein when said valve body engages said valve seat.

7. A gate valve according to claim 5, wherein said valve rod mounting means further comprises a cylinder having a piston therein, said piston having a piston rod connected to said cam body, whereby movement of said piston imparts said linear movement to said cam body.

8. A gate valve according to claim 7, wherein said cylinder is attached to said valve housing, and which further comprises a guide body attached substantially to said cylinder, said guide body having a linear roller slot aligned in said direction towards and away from said housing, and said means mounting said slide body for tilting movement and for linear movement comprises a roller mounted on said slide body in roller engagement with said guide body roller slot, and a connecting member connecting said piston rod to said cam body.

9. A gate valve according to claim 5, wherein said valve rod projecting length portion extends through and projects outwardly at its said opposite end from said slide body, said cam is a cam hole in said cam body, and said cam follower comprises a cam roller mounted on said outwardly projecting opposite end of said valve rod and engaging said cam hole.

10. A gate valve according to claim 9, wherein said compressible spring means between said cam body and said slide body comprises a plurality of compressible springs in peripherally spaced relation with respect to said outwardly projecting valve rod length portion.

11. A non-sliding vacuum gate valve comprising a valve housing having a valve opening therethrough including a valve seat surrounding said valve opening, a valve bonnet on said housing having a valve rod opening therethrough adjacent to said valve seat, a valve rod having length extending and freely movable through said valve rod opening and having opposite ends, a valve body mounted on one of said ends of said valve rod within said housing, said length of said valve rod including a length portion projecting outwardly from said valve rod opening and including the other of said opposite ends of the valve rod, a flexible vacuum sealing bellows disposed around said valve rod and having opposite ends, one of said bellows ends being attached to said housing and surrounding said valve rod opening, and means mounting said valve rod for substantially linear and tilting movement whereby said valve body engages and disengages said valve seat with non-sliding movement to alternately close and open said valve opening, said valve rod mounting means comprising a slide body attached to said valve rod projecting length portion, the other of said opposite ends of said vacuum sealing bellows being attached to said slide body for movement therewith, means mounting said slide body for tilting and linear movement towards and away from said housing whereby said tilting movement of said slide body provides said tilting movement of said valve rod, a cam body mounted for linear reciprocal movement towards and away from said valve housing, and a cam on said cam body, said cam being angularly disposed with respect to said linear direction of movement of said slide body, a cam follower on said valve rod projecting length portion and engaging said cam whereby said valve rod moves in response to said movement of said cam body, compressible spring means extending in the direction of said linear reciprocal movement of said cam body and urging said cam body and said valve rod apart and permitting tilting and linear movement of said slide body with respect to said cam body, and means for selectively and alternately imparting said reciprocal movement to said cam body whereby, when said cam body moves linearly towards said housing said valve rod and said valve body move linearly during a first portion of the movement and said valve rod tilts and moves said valve body into closing engagement with said valve seat during a subsequent portion of the movement, and when said cam body moves away from said housing said valve rod tilts during a first portion of the movement and moves said valve body out of said closing engagement with said valve seat to open said valve opening and said valve rod and said valve body move linearly during a subsequent portion of the movement.