Patent ID: 7059299

Claim:
A multi-stage sliding air throttle valve assembly for use with a multiple cylinder engine, comprising: (a): a housing including first and second housing members, each of said housing members having interior and exterior faces, a shifting slot profiled on each of said housing members, said first housing member being securable along said exterior face relative to said engine; (b): a plurality of ports defining air passageways disposed through each of said housings, each of said ports being alignable with one said cylinder; (c): a plurality of slidable throttle valve plates shiftable from a first position whereby each of said ports is fully open relative to said cylinders and shiftable to a second position whereby each of said ports is fully closed relative to said cylinders, each of said plates including a protruding tab member for operative receipt within one of said shifting slots; (d): at least one throttle plate stop protruding from the interior face of said first housing member and engageable with one of said throttle valve plates for preventing slidable movement of said one throttle valve plate in one direction during engagement; (e): at least one throttle plate stop protruding from the interior face of said second housing member and engageable with another of said throttle valve plates for preventing slidable movement of said another throttle valve plate in a direction opposite said one direction during engagement; and (f): means for shifting said throttle valve plates relative to one another in first directions whereby when said throttle valve plates are in one position, the air passageways are filly open, and when said throttle valve plates are shifted by said shifting means in second, opposite directions, said air passageways are fully closed.