Diverter valve

In a slide plate diverter valve of the type comprising a manifold having a sealing face and defining inlet and outlet fluid flow passages opening through respective inlet and outlet ports at said sealing face of said manifold, a slide plate having a sealing face and defining a fluid flow passageway at said sealing face of said slide plate, a backing plate, said slide plate being sandwiched between said backing plate and said manifold with the respective said sealing faces of said manifold and said slide plate in facing relation, and a plurality of bolts connecting said manifold and said backing plate along opposite lateral sides of said slide plate for clamping said manifold and said backing plate together to urge the respective said sealing faces of said manifold and said slide plate into sealing engagement while permitting sliding movement of said slide plate for selectively communicating said inlet and outlet fluid flow passages of said manifold, and wherein said manifold, said slide plate and said backing plate are formed of metal capable of withstanding temperatures in excess of about 400 degrees Fahrenheit and said clamping means exerts a clamping force capable of precluding fluid leakage between said sealing faces of said manifold and said slide plate in excess of about 1000 PSI, the improvement comprising means for rigidifying said manifold and said backing plate with respect to one another to prevent movement of said backing plate relative to said manifold in response to sliding movement of said slide plate, said rigidifying means comprising a pair of shear plates disposed between said manifold and said backing plate at opposite lateral sides of said slide plate, said shear plates being formed with openings which receive said bolts and said shear plates being of a dimension between said manifold and said backing plate essentially identical to the corresponding dimension of said slide plate so that the clamping force exerted by said clamping means is shared by said slide plate and said shear plates for ease of actuating sliding movement of said slide plate, and means connecting each said shear plate to each of said manifold and said backing plate against relative movement thereof longitudinally and transversely of the direction of sliding movement of said slide plate, said connecting means comprising a plurality of aligned recesses formed respectively in each of said shear plates and said manifold and said backing plate and a plurality of dowels securely seated in said aligned recesses.