Importance

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Abstract

An improved gate valve having a body with horizontal inlet and outlet fluid flow passageways with first and a second seat surrounding the passageways, a stem supported in a vertical plane by the body, a gate positioned between the seats and being vertically displaceable by the stem between an upper valve open position and a downward valve closed position, the gate being formed by a first and a second segment, each segment having an internal face inclined at an angle to a vertical plane and an outer planar sealing face, the outer sealing faces being paralleled to each other, each segment having in a lower portion an opening therethrough, the openings in the segments being aligned with the body fluid flow passageways when the gate is in the upper, open position and out of alignment with the fluid flow passageways when the gate is in the lower, closed position. The inclined surfaces are vertically displaced with respect to each other when the gate is moved downwardly to the closed position forcing the segments outer sealing faces away from each other and into sealed engagement with the seats, closing flow through the fluid flow passageways and the inclined surfaces being vertically displaced with respect to each other when the gate is moved upwardly to the open position allowing the segments outer sealing faces to move towards each other thereby reducing the force required to move the gate to the open position.

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First Claim