Patent ID: 8251086

Claim:
A rotary gate valve comprising: a first and second opposing housing members each having coaxial pathways, each of said housing members defining a gate channel when said housing members are joined together; a gate positioned within said gate channel when said valve is in a closed position to prevent media from flowing through said pathways and rotationally displaced from said channel when said valve is in an open position to allow media to flow through said pathways, said gate having an elongated upper portion extending from a top of said gate above said pathways and adapted to engage a linear actuator for moving said upper portion along a linear path for rotating said gate about a pivot point intermediate said upper portion and the rest of said gate; a first annular primary sealing sleeve disposed within said first housing member; a second annular primary sealing sleeve disposed within said second housing member, each of said first and second annular primary sealing sleeves adapted to sealingly engage each other under compression when the valve is in the open position, and with the gate when the valve is in the closed position; a secondary sealing member disposed around said upper portion of said gate and secured between said housing members above the first and second annular primary sealing sleeves, said secondary sealing member having an aperture extending therethrough and an inner peripheral wall around said aperture adapted to sealingly engage the upper portion of the gate, said secondary sealing member configured to prevent process media from entering the housing.