Abstract: The valve includes an electromagnet having a pole face inclined at an angle to a disk-shaped poppet or valve plate to define a wedge-shaped air gap therebetween. A peripheral housing surrounds the plate and extends between the pole face and a planar floor below the plate to define a chamber within which the plate is loosely captivated for pivotal movement about an edge of the plate disposed at the thin end of the gap. The floor contains a valve seat disposed toward the thick end of the gap so that the plate experiences its maximum stroke in the vicinity of the seat, thus resulting in a faster-acting valve for a given effective stroke length.