GB368297A - Improvements in and relating to water-softening apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

368,297. Softening water. REYNOLDS, W. P., 32, St. Peter's Square, Ravenscourt Park, London. Nov. 25, 1930, No. 35509. [Class 46.] A water-softening apparatus of the baseexchange type having a container 1 for the softening medium 3, e.g. natural or artificial zeolite, and a vessel 14 for the regenerating solution connected with the container 1 through a valve-controlled pipe, has a hand-operated main multi-way cock 12 and several auxiliary cocks so arranged and connected that they are adapted to control the flow of water through the apparatus to carry out the operations of softening, regenerating, cleansing and back flushing in such a manner that neither the regenerating solution nor water which has passed through the softening bed in the direction opposite to the direction of flow when softening passes through the main cock. In the apparatus shown the container 1 and the vessel 14 are connected by a siphon 15, 16 having a cock 18. During the softening operation water flows by way of a water-supply pipe 26, pipes 25, 22, the cock 12, a pipe 11 to a distributing pipe S, through the bed of softening material 3 and filtering material 2 and thence through a collecting pipe 9, a pipe 11<1>, the cock 12, a pipe 23, a cock 27 and pipes 28, 29 to a storage cistern. To regenerate the softening material the necessary quantity of regenerating material, e.g. common salt is placed in the vessel 14, the cock 27 is closed and the cock 18 is opened so that water passes up through the siphon pipes 15, 16 into the vessel 14 until the vessel 14 is full when the cocks 18, 12 are closed. When the salt has dissolved the cock 18 and a bib cock 13 on the pipe 11<1> are opened so that the salt solution siphons out of the vessel 14, any impurities contained in the salt remaining at the bottom of the vessel, and runs through the bed and is discharged through the cock 13 into a funnel 31 on the end of a pipe 32 connected to a waste pipe 21. When the flow of salt solution through the cock 13 ceases the cock 12 is set so that water again passes through the pipe 8 thereby forcing salt solution out through the cock 13. The bib cock is provided with two bores of different cross sections so that it can be set to discharge at different rates. For back flushing the valve 18 is opened and the cock 12 is turned so that water flows by way of the pipes 22, 11<1>, 9 through the bed 3 in the reverse direction and is forced up through the siphon 15, 16 into the vessel 14 carrying with it dirt &c. which is deposited on the bottom of the vessel 14, the water overflowing into a pipe 20 connected to the waste pipe 21. The cock 27 need not be closed during the back flushing. The pipe 9 is surrounded by a tube or bridge of gauze 10 and the pipes 8, 9 have flanges for connection with flanges or bosses on the apertures of the container so that the pipes may be readily removed.