Seal for a joint or juncture – Seal between fixed parts or static contact against... – Contact seal for other than internal combustion engine – or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-11
2001-01-23
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3626)
Seal for a joint or juncture
Seal between fixed parts or static contact against...
Contact seal for other than internal combustion engine, or...
C277S642000, C277S644000, C405S104000, C405S106000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176493
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to slide gates for controlling fluid flow and, more particularly, to an improved slide gate seal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Slide gates are employed to control fluid flow through a passageway or channel. A slide gate has a frame assembly which defines an opening through which fluid flows, a slide comprising a slide plate selectively mounted to the frame assembly and adapted for vertical movement relative thereto so as to selectively open and close the opening, sealing members for providing a watertight seal between the slide plate and frame assembly, and operating means for vertically moving the slide between open and closed positions for regulating fluid flow through the opening. Generally, the frame assembly is mounted to the walls surrounding or defining the passageway or channel through which the fluid flows in such a manner that substantially all of the fluid flows through the opening in the frame assembly. In this way, fluid flow through the opening of the slide gate is determined by the position of the slide within the frame assembly. Typical slide gates and their sealing members are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,760,593; 4,028,896; 4,226,533; 4,848,962, and 5,141,361.
The degree of success attained by prior slide gates has been determined in part by the limitations of the seals which are used to provide a watertight connection between the slide and the frame assembly. The problems and disadvantages of prior seal designs are described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,962 (hereafter the '962 Patent). To the extent that it is necessary to do so, the description of the prior art and the features and details of construction disclosed by the '962 Patent are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
The '962 Patent discloses certain improvements in slide gate seats which overcome limitations of prior commonly used seals. A significant advantage of the side seals disclosed in the '962 Patent is that they are adjustable to vary the amount of force exerted by them on the slide. However, the range of such adjustment is limited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the invention is to provide a new and improved slide gate seal.
A more specific object is to improve upon the side seals disclosed in the '962 Patent.
A further object is to provide a novel side seal for a slide gate assembly that can be adjusted to provide a sliding watertight engagement with slides of different thicknesses or slides that are tapered from top to bottom.
Another object is to provide a novel side seal for a slide gate assembly which assures a water-tight sealing action and can be adjusted with relative ease to vary its contact pressure with the slide so as to optimize the operating force required to raise the slide to channel-unblocking position or lower the slide to channel-blocking position.
Still another object is to provide an improved form of side seal for a slide gate that is easy to install or replace, predictable with respect to the amount of drag it produces on the slide gate, and is less expensive to manufacture than the side seals disclosed in the '962 Patent.
Another primary object is to provide a slide gate assembly that is characterized by a novel side seal which assures a watertight sealing action, can be adjusted to accommodate slides of different thicknesses.
A further object is to provide a slide gate assembly that has novel side seals which can be adjusted to vary the force of their engagement with the slide, so as to optimize the operating force required to raise the slide to channel-unblocking position or lower the slide to channel-blocking position.
A further object is to provide a slide gate assembly that comprises an improved form of slide gate seal that is easy to install or replace, and can be adjusted to vary the amount of drag it exerts on the slide and to accommodate variations in thickness of the slide gate, all while offering the advantage of a water-tight sealing action.
The foregoing objects are achieved by a novel seal assembly that essentially comprises a seal member having a base section, and first, second and third mutually spaced sections formed integral with said base section, said first and second sections defining a slide-receiving channel and said second and third sections defining a tapered wedge-receiving channel; a tapered wedge member for disposition in said wedge-receiving channel; and attachment means for attaching said seal member and said wedge member to a gate slide guide, said attachment means including fastener means for retaining said wedge member at a selected depth in said wedge-receiving channel, said seal member being made of a material that allows said second section to flex away from said first section toward said third section under a flexing force produced by said wedge member acting on said second and third sections, whereby to cause said first and second sections of said seal member to engage opposite surfaces of a slide that is disposed in said slide-receiving channel, with said first and second sections forming a watertight sliding seal with said inserted slide.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1969640 (1934-08-01), Curtin
patent: 2566777 (1951-09-01), Schmidt
patent: 4165083 (1979-08-01), Dochnahl
patent: 4226553 (1980-10-01), Whipps et al.
patent: 4700927 (1987-10-01), Henderson
patent: 4726709 (1988-02-01), Labelle
patent: 4848962 (1989-07-01), Whipps
patent: 4877352 (1989-10-01), Tuttle et al.
patent: 5141361 (1992-08-01), Fontaine
H. Fontaine Ltd., “Stainless Steel Sluice Gates”, Series 20, Flow Control Sluice Gates, 3 pages, dated Oct. 1997; Jul. 1997; and May 1998.
Rodney Hunt Co., “The Integral Frame Sluice Gate”, 2 pages, date unknown.
Rodney Hunt Co., “The Universal Frame Sluice Gate”, 2 pages, date unknown.
Rodney Hunt Co., “The Typical Sluice Gate Installation”, 2 pages, date unknown.
Rodney Hunt Co., “Series 600 Stainless Steel Gates”, 3 pages, date unknown.
Rodney Hunt Co., “The Wedge System”, 1 page, 1979 catalog.
Plasti-Fab, Inc., “Special Gate Designs”, 1 page, dated 1983.
Knight Anthony
Pandiscio & Pandiscio
Patel Vishal
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