An apparatus for vacuumizing and sealing a package includes a plurality of platens and vacuum chambers, each chamber adapted to mate with a dedicated one of the platens; a conveying system for conveying the platens and chambers along a generally angular path having a single axis of rotation; an automated loading assembly having a linear component and configured to load a package onto each of the platens; an automated unloading assembly having a linear portion and configured to unload a vacuumized, sealed package from each loaded platen onto an outfeed conveyor; and a vacuumizing/sealing system configured to cause relative movement of each chamber/platen pair, along a portion of the angular path, to form therebetween an air-tight enclosure accommodating the package and effect vacuumization and sealing of the package.

The invention relates to a vacuum valve (10) for the substantially gas-tight closure of an opening defining an opening axis, comprising a closure element (14) having a closure side and a coupling unit arranged on a rear side opposite the closure side, and a valve wall having valve seat (12a) surrounding the opening. The valve further comprises a linear drive unit by means of which the closure element (14) is adjustable in at least two adjustment directions substantially orthogonally to the opening axis along an adjustment axis and thus the closure element (14) is adjustable between an open position releasing the opening, an intermediate position pushed over the opening and a closed position closing the opening. The vacuum valve (10) comprises a guide for the closure element (14) associated with the opening. The closure element (14) comprises a guide element (25) interacting with the guide during an adjustment from the open position to the closed position and back, and the guide and the guide element (25) are shaped and interact in such a way that, in the course of the adjustment from the intermediate position to the closed position, a tilting of the closure element (14) transversely to the adjustment axis is initiated and/or effected in a first partial movement.

A spacer having a wedge-shaped flat plate portion and an engagement protrusion is interposed between a hole end surface of mounting hole of a valve plate and a rod end surface of mounting portion of a valve rod, which thereby forms a wedge-shaped gap between the spacer and the hole end surface so as to open frontward. A fastening force of a valve-plate fixation screw generates a moment M that deforms the valve plate in a direction of narrowing the gap. At the same time, the engagement protrusion of the spacer is pressed into a wedge-shaped space between the inclined surface portion of the rod end surface and the rear hole-wall surface of the mounting hole, which causes the front hole-wall surface of mounting hole of the valve plate to press the rod front surface of mounting portion of the valve rod.

A valve gate may include a threaded rod, a nut engaged with the threaded rod, a movable body mounted on the threaded rod, a seal, a pair of levers, and first and second housing components that at least partially enclose the other components. The threaded rod can be turned to drive translation of the nut and the movable body along the threaded rod. Translation of the movable body along the threaded rod can drive rotation of the levers outward away from the threaded rod, and rotation of the levers can force the seal to expand outward from the threaded rod. Such expansion can force the seal into engagement with an inner surface of a pipeline.

A first opening and closing mechanism, which includes a first cam groove and a first cam roller and which causes a valve assembly to reciprocate between an intermediate position and a first closed position, and a second opening and closing mechanism, which includes a second cam groove and a second cam roller and which causes the valve assembly to reciprocate between the intermediate position and a second closed position, are provided so as to be operable separately, the first and second opening and closing mechanisms being disposed adjacent to each other in a thickness direction D of a gate valve.

An apparatus for vacuumizing and sealing a package includes a plurality of platens and vacuum chambers, each chamber adapted to mate with a dedicated one of the platens; a conveying system for conveying the platens and chambers along a generally angular path having a single axis of rotation; an automated loading assembly having a linear component and configured to load a package onto each of the platens; an automated unloading assembly having a linear portion and configured to unload a vacuumized, sealed package from each loaded platen onto an outfeed conveyor; and a vacuumizing/sealing system configured to cause relative movement of each chamber/platen pair, along a portion of the angular path, to form therebetween an air-tight enclosure accommodating the package and effect vacuumization and sealing of the package.

The invention relates to a vacuum valve for the substantially gas-tight closure of an opening, comprising a closure element having a closure side and a coupling unit arranged on a rear side opposite the closure side, and a valve wall having valve seat surrounding the opening. The valve further comprises a linear drive unit enabling the closure element to be adjustable in at least two adjustment directions. The closure element is adjustable between an open position releasing the opening, an intermediate position pushed over the opening and a closed position closing the opening. The vacuum valve comprises a guide for the closure element associated with the opening. The closure element comprises a guide element interacting with the guide during an adjustment from the open position to the closed position and back.

The invention relates to a device (1) for aligning a solar panel (20) with respect to an installation rail which is attached to a base, in particular a roof, prior to installation. The invention also relates to an assembly comprising at least one solar panel (20) and at least one such device (1) which is coupled to a frame (21) of the solar panel (20). The invention furthermore relates to a method for aligning a solar panel (20), with respect to an installation rail attached to a base, in particular a roof, prior to installation by using at least one such device (1), optionally followed by the installation of the at least one solar panel (20) to the support rail.

A backwater gate valve assembly having a gate valve movable between a closed position where the gate occludes an outlet opening and an open position where the gate valve does not occlude the outlet opening. The gate valve is coupled to a motorized actuator that is configured to move the gate valve between the open and closed positions upon sensing of a predetermined level of water in the body of the backwater gate valve assembly.

In a connection mechanism that connects a valve shaft to air cylinders, shake prevention mechanisms are disposed at facing portions at which outer side surfaces of side frames face inner side surfaces of housings of the air cylinders and/or facing portions at which inner side surfaces and of the side frames face left-hand and right-hand side surfaces of a center frame. The shake prevention mechanisms include a sliding member that is disposed on a sliding surface that is formed on one of two surfaces that face each other and on the other and a spring mechanism that presses the sliding member in a direction in which the sliding member comes into contact with the sliding surface.