Quick-closing fire gate

For production facilities utilizing conveyors for transportation of materials from one area, through a barrier and into another area, a quick-closing fire gate located at such barrier and comprising in combination:

• a housing having a passageway extending from a flat forward surface through the entire length of said housing and being of sufficient size to allow the passage of a conveyor and materials thereon to pass therethrough;
• first and second inclined plane members positioned adjacent said housing forward surface directly before said passageway such that the inclined surfaces slope toward said housing forward surface from top to bottom;
• a flat blade, having a sharpened base and front and back sides, translatable from a starting position above, to a terminating position before said housing forward surface of sufficient dimension to cover said passageway;
• means for guiding said blade from said starting to said terminating position;
• third and fourth inclined plane members attached to said blade back side and positioned such that the inclined surfaces thereof contact said inclined surfaces of said first and second inclined plane members and press said blade front side against said housing forward surface;
• a fixed cylinder containing a reciprocal piston therein, said piston having a line of action through said blade starting and terminating positions;
• means to operatively connect said piston to said blade to thereby control the translation of said blade by said piston;
• means to create a pressure differential within said cylinder across said piston such that the pressure above said piston is the greater;
• an explosive bolt piercing said cylinder above said piston and having means to hold said piston against the force of said differential pressure such that said blade is maintained at said starting position;
• triggering means connected to said explosive bolt for sensing an identified variation in the surroundings about said fire gate and communicating a detonation signal to said explosive bolt whereby said explosive bolt is fragmented to thereby release said piston, said pressure differential forcing said piston rapidly away from said bolt causing said blade to translate from said starting position, said sharpened blade base severing said conveyor during such translation and said inclined surfaces of said third and fourth inclined plane members contacting and sliding along said inclined surfaces of said first and second inclined plane members such that said blade is pressed flat against said housing forward surface and prevented from rebounding from said terminating position thereby closing said passageway in a very short time.