Poppet valve for baghouse outlet plenum

An apparatus for removing dust from a dust-laden gas stream, said apparatus comprising a baghouse in which at least one bag filter is mounted, means for directing said dust-laden gas stream in a first direction with respect to said bag filter so that dust can be removed from said gas stream and form a cake on said bag filter leaving dust-free gas to pass through said bag filter into said baghouse, a wall of said baghouse being apertured to provide an opening through which said dust-free gas can be drawn from said baghouse into a clean gas plenum, means for periodically stopping flow of said dust-laden gas stream in said first direction and for directing a stream of dust-free gas from said clean gas plenum in a second direction with respect to said bag filter, said second direction being opposite to said first direction, means for closing said opening when said dust-free gas stream is being directed in said second direction and for opening said opening after flow of said dust-free gas stream in said second direction has stopped following removal of said dust cake from said bag filter,

• said means for closing and opening said opening comprising a poppet valve, said poppet valve including a valve plate affixed to a valve stem, said valve stem being translatable so that said valve plate can be moved to a position covering said opening when said opening is to be closed and to a position away from said opening when said opening is to be opened, with a gas flow restricting means being affixed to said valve stem, said gas flow restricting means thereby being positionable in said opening as said valve stem is being translated to open said opening until said bag filter has been re-inflated following removal of said dust cake from said bag filter, said gas flow restricting means being elongate along an axis through said opening and configured so that as said bag filter is being re-inflated and as said closure member is moved away from said opening, the gas flow rate is gradually increased while said gas flow restricting means is positioned in said opening, said opening having a circular edge, said gas flow restricting means comprises a skirt having a generally cylindrical wall coaxially surrounding and spaced apart from said valve stem, said opening having a circular edge, said cylindrical wall having a diameter that is smaller than the opening to form an annular clearance therebetween that permits restricted air flow therethrough, an end of said, skirt removed from said valve plate being uncovered, and wherein said cylindrical wall of said skirt includes at least one longitudinally extending orifice adapted to permit an increasing reinflation air flow while the skirt is still within the opening but being moved through the opening.