Patent ID: 8690124

Claim:
A gate valve for a fluid, comprising: a gate having upper and lower ends, at least two upper and two lower side wall surfaces defining a plurality of lateral edges of the gate, the at least two lower side wall surfaces extending downward and inward from a widest point and transitioning to a lowermost point of the gate, and a gate opening extending through the gate, at least a portion of the gate opening being located between at least a portion of the at least two lower side wall surfaces; a valve body having a thud passageway passing through the valve body, and the gate being disposed within the valve body for upward or downward movement, whereby the gate opening may be moved between a first substantially mating, fluid transmitting relationship with the fluid passageway of the valve body defining a first gate position, and a second substantially non-mating, non-fluid transmitting relationship with the fluid passageway of the valve body defining a second gate position; the valve body having a gate cavity, having upper and lower ends, in which the gate moves upwardly and downwardly; the lower end of the gate cavity having an enlarged space below and outward from the at least two lower side wall surfaces in each of the first gate position and the second gate position, wherein sand or other debris from the fluid may accumulate; and at least one retainer plate disposed in the gate cavity, the at least one retainer plate having a central opening which mates with the gate opening of the gate when the gate opening is in the first substantially mating, fluid transmitting relationship, the at least one retainer plate having one or more additional openings, and a combined width of the one or more additional openings is greater than a width of a portion of the retainer plate proximate to the one or more additional openings, to provide an enlarged space for sand or other debris.