Gate valve

A gate valve comprising:

• a valve housing that defines a valve chamber having first and second side walls and respective first and second aligned openings therein for unobstructed passage along a flow path through said first and second side walls, wherein said first and second side walls are monolithically formed;
• a gate support reciprocable within said valve housing between a first support position remote from said openings and a second support position between said openings;
• a valve gate carried on said gate support and transversely reciprocable between a first gate position spaced from said first side wall and a second gate position abutting against and sealing off said first opening;
• a first actuator within said valve chamber that moves said gate support between said first and second support positions;
• and
• a second actuator carried on said gate support that moves said valve gate between said first and second gate positions.

A gate valve comprising:

• a two-piece valve housing that defines a valve chamber, said housing comprising
• a first housing piece monolithically formed from a single piece of material that forms first and second parallel side walls, said side walls having defined therein first and second aligned openings, respectively, wherein said first and second openings form a central opening in said valve that allows an unobstructed passage between said first side wall and said second side wall along a flow path, and
• a second housing piece that forms a bottom plate detachably connected to a lower end of said first housing piece, wherein removal of said second housing piece provides access to said valve chamber;
• a valve gate that reciprocates between open and closed gate positions of said gate valve, wherein said valve gate is positioned in said central opening in sealing contact with said first side wall of said housing to cover said first opening when said valve is in a closed position, and wherein said valve gate is positioned remote from said central opening and spaced apart from said first side wall of said housing when said valve is open;
• a first actuator that moves said valve gate between a first support position in said central opening and a second support position remote from said central opening;
• a second actuator that moves said valve gate between a first position in sealing contact with said first side wall of said housing wherein said first opening is covered and a second position wherein said gate is spaced apart from said first side wall of said housing;
• and
• a gate support that supports said valve gate, wherein said gate support is spaced apart from said housing when said valve is in said open and closed positions.