A
gate valve has a transfer chamber-side valve element and a process chamber-side valve element connected to a single shaft actuated with a single three-position air cylinder to selectively close a process chamber opening and a transfer chamber opening or fully open both the openings to allow an object to pass therethrough. A lever member is secured to the single shaft. A roller supported by the lever member is kept in engagement with a
cam groove of a
cam member. A
cam support member for supporting the cam member is connected to the
piston rod of the three-position air cylinder. A spring is interposed between the lever member and the cam support member. When the
piston rod is in the first (lower extremity) position, both the transfer chamber-side valve element and the process chamber-side valve element fully open the transfer chamber opening and the process chamber opening, respectively. As the
piston rod shifts from the first position to the second position, the roller shifts from engagement with an upper position of the cam groove to engagement with an intermediate position, causing the process chamber-side valve element to close the process chamber opening. As the
piston rod shifts from the second position to the third (upper extremity) position, the roller shifts from the engagement with the intermediate position to engagement with a lower position of the cam groove, causing the transfer chamber-side valve element to close the transfer chamber opening.