Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to sluice gate apparatus
and more particularly to sluice gate systems and improved
apparatus that requires less energy Eor its operation.
A diversity of applications exist in the field of
liquid flow control as between conduits, pipes or channels.
Water flow control is perhaps the most typical of such ap-
plications requiring water-tight closures that are widely used
in water purification systems, sewac~eand drairlage sys-tems. In
many cases high heads or pressures are encoun-tered andin others
corrosive environments are common which imposes a dual re~
quirement on such apparatus. Not only must the sIuice gate
be a precision piece o equipment that can be used to form
watertight closures but the gate must also be of heavy duty
construction which can withstand the pressures and corrosive
ef~ects to which such apparatus is subjected.
In achievlng the requirements oE durability and
strengthl the structure of a sluice gate is necessarily heavy
which often requires electric motor operated drawing means for
opening and closing a gate. Furthermore, in order to comply
with the requirements for a watertight seall it is known to
employ wedge means in order to jam a sluice gate disc agalnst
its Erame. The combination o:E apparatus weigh-t, wedge jamming
pressurel and disc æeating pressure caused by wa-ter pressure
which tends to seat or push the disc against a mating seat
face on the frame requires enormously high initial
pressures in order to crack or unseat the disc so that i-t
can be then raised. Once the disc is cracked, less energy is
then required to liEt it.
A principal object oE the present invention is to
provide an improved sluice gate system which requires less
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energy to crack the disc seal and thereby reducing the energ~
xequirements of the system.
Another object of the invention is to provide an
improved sluice gate system where the improvement is mech-
anically simple and structurally rugged to withstand severe
operating environments.
Still another object of the invention is to provide
a hydraulically operated sluice gate system using water
hydxaulics.
~et another object of the invention is a sluice
gate system in which a piston rod of hydraulic drawing
means is disposed exteriorly of a closed chamber containing
the sluice gate apparatus in a harsh and inhospitable en-
vlronment .
The problems associated with the prior art may be
substantially overcome and the foregoing objects achieved by
recourse to the present invention which relates to a sluice
gate apparatus that comprises:
a gate disc adapted to open and close a gate
opening; frame means defining the gate opening, including
guide means adapted to retain the disc in slidable relation
with respect to the opening; means connecting the disc.with
drawing means for laterall~ displacing the disc relative to
the opening when the drawing means are energized; lever
means having long and short ends and a fulcrum therebetween
pivotabl,v connected to the disc, the short end being dis-
posed to bear against a fixed portion of at least one of
the guide means and the frame means when the disc is in
closed relation with the opening, and the long end being
connected to the connecting means to obtain a mechanical
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advantage in drawing pressure when displacing the disc to
a partially open position; wedge means adapted to wedge the
disc closed when the disc in the closed relation; drawing
means including a hydraulic cylinder having a long axis
aligned with the connecting means, a closed end facing the
disc and an open end facing away from the disc, a piston
slidably disposedwithin the cylinder along the axis and a
piston rod extending outwardly of the open end and con-
necting the piston to the connecting means; a bulkhead
isoLating the open end from the disc, the bulkhead re.taining
the cylinder in fixed relation to the frame means and having
walls defining at least one passage through which at least
one tail rod of the connecting means is adapted to pass;
and sealing means for slidably sealing the at least one
tail rod in the at least one passage.
Another aspect of the invention relates to an
improvement in a sluice gate apparatus that includes drawing
means energizable to operate the apparatus, a gate disc
adapted to open and close a gate opening, frame means de-
fining the gate opening, including guide means adapted toretain the disc in slidable relation with respect to the
opening, means connecting the disc with the drawing means
for laterally displacing the disc relative to the opening
when the drawing means are energized, the drawing means com-
prising a hydraulic cylinder having a long axis aligned with
the connecting means, a closed end facing the disc and an
open end facing away from the disc, a piston slidably dis-
posed within the cy:Linder along the axis and a piston rod
extending outwardly of the open end and connecting the piston
to the connecting means~ lever means having long and short
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ends and a fulcrum therebetween pivotably connected to the
disc, the short end being disposed to bear against a fixed
portion of at least one end of the guide means and the frame
means when the disc is in closed relation with the opening,
and the long end being connected to the connec~ting means to
obtain a mechanical advantage in drawing pressure when dis~
placing the disc to a partially open position. The improve
ment comprises a bulkhead isolating the open end from the
disc, the bulkhead retaining the cylinder in fixed relation
to the frame means and having walls defining at least one
passage through which at least one tail rod of the connecting
means is adapted to pass and sealing means for slidably
sealing the at least one tail rod in the at least one passage.
Yet another aspect of the invention relates to an
improvement in a sluice gate apparatus that includes drawing
means energizable to operate the apparatus, a gate disc
adapted to open and close a gate opening, frame means defining
the gate opening, including guide means adapted to retain the
disc in slidable relation with respect to the opening, and
means connecting the disc with drawing means for laterally
displacing the disc relative to the opening when the drawing
means are ener~ized. The improvement comprises a hydraulic
cylinder having a long axis aligned with the connecting means,
a closed end facing the disc, an open end facing away from
the disc, a piston slidably disposed within the cylinder along
the axis/ a piston rod extending outwardly of the open end and
connecting the piston to the connecting means, a bulkhead
isolating the open end from the disc, the bulkhead retaining
the cylinder in fixed relation to the frame means and having
3~ walls defin~ing'a-t least one passage~through which at least
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one tail rod of the connecting means is adapted to pass
and sealing means for slidably sealing the at least one
tail rod in the at least one passage.
The invention will now be more particularly '~
described with reference to embodiments thereof shown,by
way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sluice gate
apparatus in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a front elevation view of a portion of
the apparatus shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 2 taken
along the lines 3-3; and
Fig. 4 is a front elevation viaw similar to the
view of Fig. 2 and showing another embodiment of the in-
vention.
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A perspective view of a complete sluice gate
apparatus 10 according to -the invention is shown in Fig. 1.
The embodiment illustrated is shown disposed at one end of a
concrete settling tank 11 in a sewage treatment plan-t. An
end wall 12 of the tank 11 includes a ga-te opening to which
is coupled a sewer pipe 13. In the present system, effluent
is conducted along the pipe 13 and its Elow in-to the tank 11
through the gate opening is controlled by a gate disc 14.
The degree of ef1uent flow through the gate
opening is determined by the disc 14 which is positionable
vertically with respect to the openingO It will be understood
that the gate opening communicates the pipe 13 with the in~
terior of the tank 11 at a position in the wall 12 which is
directly behind the disc 14. Accordingly, it will be further
understood that the disc 14 as shown is in its lowermost or
closed position and forms a watertight seal across the gate
opening in accordance with established practices.
Frame means comprising frame members 15 define the
gate opening and/ together with gate disc guides 16, are
adapted to retain the disc 14 in slidable relation with
respect to the opening.
In order to withstand hydraulic pressures that may
be encountered from time to time the disc 14 is reinforced
with gussets 17. This structural feature provides the
necessary robust features requirecl and also provides a source
of extra weight which assists in seating -the disc 14 against
the gate opening to provide a water-tight seal. The manner in
which a watertight seal is obtained wilL Later be clescribed.
Although not clearly shown in Fig. 1, it will be understood
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by those knowledgeahle :in the art of sluice gate 5ys-tems
that the disc 14 and its guides 16 are provided with slidable
tongue-and-groove joints to permit slidable movemen-t there~
between while retaining the di.sc 14 in operable rela-tion
with the gate opening. Furthermore, although there is no
; detail in Fig. 1 showing the type of connection between the
guides 16 and the members 15, it will be understood that any
suitable form of fastener may be used and in fact each member
15 and its guide 16 could be formed as an integral unit.
A substantially flat uppermost surface of the disc
14 has formed thereon a central pedestal portion 18 flanked
on aither side by an ups-tanding "U" shaped bracket 19. The
respective functions of these two s-tructural features will be
hereinafter described.
A system for drawing or lifting the disc 14 com-
prises a hydraulic cylinder 20 which is set and sealedin anover-
head wall 21. Since the environmental conditions within the
tank 11 are corrosive in nature, the cylinder 20 is shown
positioned in the wall 21 with a closed end 22 facing in-
wardly of the tank and an open end 23 Eacing outwardly -thereof
into a closed chamber 47. A slidable piston (not shown) within
the cylinder 20 is connected by means of its piston rod 24 to
suitable means for operably connecting the disc 14 wi-th the
piston of the cylinder 20. ~ particular benefit o~ -this
arrangement provides tha-t the rod 24 is d.isposed in a clean en-
vironment in the chamber 47. This extends the operating
life of the rod 24 and minimiæes the .inc:idence of hydraulic
leaks and other ma.intenance problems associated with -the
piston and cylinder.
Rai.sing the ~isc 14 to open the gate requires the
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application, in a known manner, of hydraulic fluid te.y.water)
under pressure to -~he cylinder 20, forcing the piston -therein in
an upward direction. A consequent movement of the rod 24 raises
a yoke or bracket 25 fas-tened thereto to which is connected
a pair of tail rods 26 tha-t are disposed alongside -the
cylinder 20 indiametrically opposed rela-tion. Tail rocl guides
27 form part of -the cylinder 20 at opposite ends -thereof and
guide the rocls 26 in the direction of along axis of the
cylinder 20 which is indicated by the double headed arrow 28.
1~ It will be observed that the rods ~6 depend down-
wardly from the bracket 25 and pass through passages 29 in
the o~erhead wall 21 into the interior of the tank 11. The
free ends of the rods 26 are joined by a tail rod yoke or
bracket 30 to which is connected a stem 31.
The stem depends downwardly from the bracket 30
and is secured thereto with appropriate known fastening means.
About midway along its length, the stem 31 is slidably
supported by a stem guide 32 which forms part of a stem guide
yoke 33 that is secured at respective ends thereof to upper-
most portions of the frame members 15.
The lowermost end of the stem 31 terminates in adouble-ended toggle link 34 which abuts the pedes-tal 18. Tn
this way, when hydraulic pressure is suitably applied to the
cylinder 20 -to displace the disc 14 downwardly in order to
close the gate opening, the downward pressure is applied via
the stem 31 and the link 34 against the pedestal 18.
Each end of the link 34 is pivotably connected to
lever means illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 as a pair oE levers
36. Each lever ~as long and short ends and a fulcrum there-
between that is pivotably connected to the bracket 19, theshort end being disposed outwardly towards end portions 35
of the guides 16. When the disc 14 is in closed relation
with the gate opening as illustrated in Fig. 1, the short
ends willbe seen to bear against the end portions 35 with
the long ends being pivotably connected to the link 3A.
An enlarged front elevation view of the foregoing
structure is shown in Fig. 2. Since bo-th levers 36 function
identically, only one of the levers is fully shown in Fig. 2
to assist in explaining the operation of this aspect of the
embodiment, other portions of the sluice gate apparatus being
only partly shown to indicate their rela-tive positlons.
It will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 tha-t when
the stem 31 is drawn upwardly along the long axis 28, each
levex 36 pivots about its bracket 19, to which it is pivotably
joined, and a curved surface 37 of the short end bears against
the end portions 35. Depending upon the length ratio between
the long and short ends, there is obtained a mechanlcal
advantage in drawing pressure when displacing the disc from
its closed position to a partially open position.
A mechanical advantage of the form described is
required to achieve reduced energy consumption for operating
the apparatus 10 when it is required to crack the seal between
the disc 14 and its frame members 15. Even in those systems
where the application of a force may not be limited by the
drawing means employed it is, nevertheless, particularly
desirable to conserve available energy. Reduced energy
requirements thus make feasible the use of hydraulic drawing
means which are energized by relatively low water pressure
as may be found in a municipal water sys-tem. An addi-tional
benefit to be derived is the avoidance of system failure as
a result of electrical power stoppages which would disable
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the system temporarily if the drawing means comprised an
electric drive motor and suitable known means adapted to
rotatably drive a threaded stem corresponding to the sliding
stem 31 of Fiy. 1. The possibility of disabling the apparatus
10 as a result of an electrical power failure is obviated, of
course, since the cylinder 20 is adapted to func~ion adequa-tely
on availabl~ water pressure which is ~resent irrespective of
electric power outages. Moreover, the advantages of the
hydraulic apparatus forming part of the apparatus 10 provides
reduced maintenance costs, and quietness of operation together
with a wide range of operating speeds.
Referring again -to Fig. 1, it will be observed tha-t
portions of the tank 11 are shown cut away to better illustrate
the disposition of the cylinder 20 in the overhead wall 21 as
well as the adjacent end wall 12 through which the pipe 13
enters to join the gate opening behind the disc 14. The
means for connecting the pipe to the frame i5 not illustrated,
nor is a description required since it does not Eorm part of
the present invention and, moreover, it is well documented
in the literature of sluice gate systems.
In order to completely isolate the corrosion and
wear-sensitive portions of the hydraulic cylinder 20, including
the rod 24, the passages 29 would normally be provided with
a known sliding seal to prevent the escape of corrosive vapours
from the interior of the tank 11 into proximity with the open
end 23. This leads to reduced maintenance problems and longer
life of the hydraulics.
While E'ig. 1 shows the cylinder 20 in an upstanding
position, there ~ay be occasions where the cylinder is required
to be mounted horizontally on a bulkhead wall. The efficacy
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of the system illustrated and described is not altered by
such a requir~ment and in fact is able to function with the
cylinder positioned in any attitude. In this regard, the
cylinder 20 may even be installed within the -tank 11 together
with the disc 14 although a preferred form of the embodiment
has the cylinder extending outside the tank.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines
3-3 of Fig. 2 and is presented herein as an illustrative
arrangement of a top wedge 40 of a type that is ]cnown in the
art. As shown in Fig. 3, the wedge 40 comprises an upper
wedge member 41 which operates against a lower wedge member
42 that is fastened to a cross brace 43 intermediate the frame
members 15. As the disc 14 approaches its lowermost limit
of downward travel, the sloping mating surfaces of the members
41 and 42 contact slidably and force together corresponding
sliding surfaces of the disc 14 and its members 15 to form
a watertight seal. A somewhat similar arrangement may be used
as a side wedge and as a bottom wedge but is not illustrated nor
described herein since these structural features are known.
Another embodiment of the invention may be seen
in a partial front elevation view in Fig. 4O It will be
readily observed that this apparatus follows the embodiment
of Fiy. 2 closely but has been simplified by the exclusion
of one lever 36 together with the link 34. In place of the
link, the lowermost end of the stem 31lhas been slotted and
drilled to accept the long end of the lever 36'which is
pivotably mounted in the slotted portion. The operation of
both embodiments is similar with the exception that the
mechanical advantage provided by the apparatus of Fig. 4 is
reduced in that it is applied -to one side of the disc 14
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rather than being applied equally to both sides as would occur
with the embodlment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In some
applications, however, the embodiment of Fig. 4 may be
ade~uate. Particularly in an application where -the disc 14,
instead of being slidably mounted in a grooved frame or guide,
is adapted to be mounted from a pivotal support. In such
an application, a dispIacing ~orce applied to the disc would
be unsymetrically applied, meaning it is applied to one side
only since the other side of the disc is pivotably mounted.
It has been disclosed that the chamber 47 provldes
a clean environment for the open end 23 of the cylinder 20.
This condition is maintained by virtue of sliding elastomeric
seals 46 in the passages 29 and a corresponding fixed seal 45
that is intermediate the cylinder 20 and the wall 21 in which
the cylinder is fixedly set. Since the chamber 47 may have a
short head space, a mounting stool or bracket 38 having side
flanges 39 is positioned on the cylinder 20 and is then secured
thereto in order to provide ade~ua-te head space for proper
operation of the cylinder. In thisevent, more or less of the
closed end 22 enters the tank 11. Suitable known means fasten
the flanges 39 to the wall 21 which forms the floor of the
chamber 47. Thecylinder 20 is thus firmly set in the wall 21
and the seals 45 and 46 prevent entry of corrosive pollutants
that may damage the rod 24.
Whereas the illustrated and described e~bodiments
relate to a sewage treatment plant, it will be understood -that
like and similar embodiments may find equal application in
drainage systems. In such instances the -tank 11 may comprise
merely a portion of a drainage cond~lit~
Having regard to the descrip-tion and illustrations
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of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled
in the art that variations thereof are within the scope of the
invention and are readily feasible. Accordingly, the disclosed
and illustrated embodiments herein should be considared as
exemplary rather than restrictive of the :invention which lS
defined in the accompanying claims.
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