| 摘要 |
<p>A knife gate for use in pneumatic conveying equipment and a method and apparatus utilizing the knife gate are the subject of the present invention. The improved knife gate device is constructed utilizing first and second guide plates (24) disposed in spaced apart relationship with a resilient member (22) positioned behind each of the plates. Each plate (24) is characterized by an opening (26) and a planar surface extending on either side of the opening, (28, 30). A reciprocating gate (32) is disposed between the plates and places the resilient members under compression. The gate has an opening (34) and a planar surface extending on at least one side of the opening, (36, 38). The gate is movable between an open position wherein all of the openings are aligned and a closed position herein the planar surface of the gate moves past the openings in the guide plates to close the latter. The invention also encompasses a flow control apparatus and method wherein two of the afore described knife gate devices (132) are positioned in spaced apart relationship with first and second holding areas (56, 58) located between the two knife gates. In this embodiment the gate and corresponding guide plates (124) are each provided with dual openings (126a, 126b) for alignment with the respective holdings areas. Structure is provided for moving the gate in alternating relationship so that when one of the openings in one of the gates is in communication with one of the holding areas, the opposite opening in the other of the gates is in communication with the other holding areas. </p> |
