Patent ID: 8322379

Claim:
A diverter valve for a material transportation system which includes pipe lines forming a straight passage having a longitudinal axis, the diverter valve comprising: a first cover defining an inlet passage; a second cover defining first and second outlet passages; an elongate casing connected at a first end to said first cover and at a second end to said second cover; and an inner tube arranged in said casing and having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet of said inner tube aligning with said inlet passage of said first cover, and said inner tube being rotatable to selectively align said outlet of said inner tube with said first outlet passage of said second cover or said second outlet passage of said second cover; wherein said first cover includes an inlet flange adapted to be connected to the pipe lines of the material transportation system, and an outlet flange inclined relative to said inlet flange of said first cover, wherein said casing includes an inlet flange connected to said outlet flange of said first cover, wherein said first outlet passage of said second cover includes a first outlet flange and said second outlet passage of said second cover includes a second outlet flange which is inclined relative to said first outlet flange of said first outlet passage; wherein said inner tube defines a straight passage having a central axis between said inlet and said outlet; wherein when said outlet of said inner tube is aligned with one of said first outlet passage and said second outlet passage of said second cover, a straight passage is defined throughout the entire diverter valve which is in coaxial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the straight passage of the pipe lines and said central axis of said straight passage of said inner tube; wherein when said outlet of said inner tube is aligned with one of said first outlet passage and said second outlet passage of said second cover to define said straight passage throughout the entire diverter valve, all inner surfaces of the diverter valve defining said straight passage throughout the entire diverter valve are disposed in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the straight passage of the pipe lines; and wherein an angle of inclination of said outlet flange of said first cover relative to said inlet flange of said first cover is set in accordance with an angle of inclination of said second outlet flange of said second outlet passage relative to said first outlet flange of said first outlet passage, such that definition of said straight passage throughout out the entire diverter valve is changeable between including said first outlet passage and including said second outlet passage by rotating said first cover relative to said casing by a predetermined amount in accordance with said angle of inclination of said outlet flange of said first cover relative to said inlet flange of said first cover.