Rotary fluid valve

Claim 1

A fluid valve comprising in combination: a vertically oriented housing having a conically tapered through bore which narrows in a downward direction and a pair of diametrally opposed openings; a frusto-conical movable valve member normally seated within said bore by its own weight, said movable valve member including two spaced parallel solid discs extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of said bore, and a solid web member interconnecting said discs and extending along an entire diameter of each of said discs, the longitudinal spacing between said discs being greater than the longitudinal size of said openings and the peripheral edge surfaces of said discs and of said web lying on a conical surface with the same angle of taper as said bore, whereby when said surface of said movable valve member engages the surface of said bore said openings will be situated between said discs; an axial shaft connected to and extending from the lower surface of said movable valve member; means, including a radial bearing for said shaft, for mounting said movable valve member within said housing so that it is rotatable about said axis and movable along said axis, said means for mounting further including a support plate for said housing connected across the lower open end of said housing, said plate having an opening which is along said longitudinal axis of said bore and through which said shaft passes; first energizable means connected to said support plate and positioned below the end of said axial shaft for raising said movable valve member along said longitudinal axis when energized to unseat said movable valve member; and, second means, including energizable drive means mounted on said support plate and means for flexibly connecting said drive means to said axial shaft, for rotating said movable valve member about said longitudinal axis when said drive means is energized.