Slit valve apparatus and method

A slit valve apparatus comprising:

• wall means defining an elongated aperture having a major axis and a minor axis, said aperture being adapted to pass a solid object along a transfer plane substantially parallel to said major axis and perpendicular to said minor axis;
• elongated seat means surrounding said aperture, said seat means having a first seating surface defining a sealing plane which is angularly disposed with respect to said transfer plane;
• elongated door means having a second seating surface which is matingly engageable with said first seating surface parallel to said sealing plane, wherein said door means is substantially planar;
• linear actuator means for selectively moving said door means towards and away from said seat means along an actuator axis which is substantially perpendicular to said sealing plane, said linear actuator means including an elongated shaft coupled at a first end to said door means and coupled at a second end to a reciprocal linear drive mechanism;
• and
• adjustable, lockable coupling means coupling said first end of said shaft to said door means such that the angular relationship between the plane of said door means and said actuator axis can be varied in more than one direction and then locked in position.

A method for selectively opening and closing an elongated aperture provided in a wall through which solid objects may be passed substantially parallel to a transfer plane comprising the steps of:

• opening said aperture by moving an elongated, substantially planar door means linearly away from said elongated aperture along an axis which is acutely angled relative to said transfer plane at least until said door means is clear of said transfer plane;
• closing said aperture by moving said door means linearly towards said elongated aperture at least until said door means intersects said transfer plane and at least partially covers said aperture;
• and
• adjusting and then locking the orientation of said door means relative to said axis such that said door means substantially covers said aperture after said step of closing said aperture.

A slit valve apparatus, comprising:

• wall means separating a first chamber from a second chamber, said wall means defining an elongated substantially rectangular aperture having a major axis and a minor axis, said aperture being adapted to pass a solid object along a transfer plane substantially parallel to said major axis and substantially perpendicular to said minor axis;
• elongated seat means surrounding said aperture, said seat means having a first seating surface which is angularly disposed with respect to said transfer plane;
• elongated door means having a second seating surface which is matingly engageable with said first seating surface;
• and
• linear actuator means for selectively moving said door means towards and away from said seat means along an actuator axis which is angularly disposed with respect to said transfer plane.