US2350045A - Water softener - Google Patents

Description

May 30, 1944. E.A. KATHE WATER SOFTENER med July 22, 1940 [NVENTQR g I v BY A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 30, 1944 WATER SOFTENER Edmund A. Kathe, Springfield, Ohio, assignor to The Rainio Manufacturing Company, Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 22, i940, Serial No. 346,681

2 Claims. (Cl. 21d-40) This invention relates -to water softeners, it particularly relating to a water softener which can be readily attached to a supply source for water under pressure such as a domestic water heater, or to a water storage tank, or other source of water supply.

An object of the invention is to provide a water softening attachment for water tanks which can be readily applied to the tank with but little alteration in the tank.

An object of the invention is to provide a water softening device of the character referred to whereby by a single manipulation of certain operatlng devices the precipitation from the water tank may be discharged and the softening material fed to the tank; a further and more specific object being to provide for restoring the parts automatically to normal position.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the accompanying description and claims.

In the accompanying drawing the figure is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of the tank of a water heater and the improved water softener attachment.

Referring to the drawing, i is a cylinder which has threaded on the upper end thereof a head t, having a chamber 2'. The head has a threaded inlet opening 3 in which is screwed one end of a pipe t which leads to the lower end of the tank t of the hot water heater; this heater being in the present case any well known type of domestic water heater, with pipes (not shown) for supplying water under pressure to the tank and drawing it therefrom. Threaded on the lower end of the cylinder i is a head ti the lower end of which communicates with a discharge pipe l through the coupling members 8, il, l and Il. The pipe l has a threaded connection with a valve body I2 from which leads a pipe I3 to any suitable point of discharge. The valve in the present case is of the type having a tapered plug indicated by dotted lines at I4, I5 indicating the passage therethrough, although any other suitable type of valve may be used. The valve has a pin I4 to cooperate with stop shoulders I2 on the body I2 to limit the movement of the valve. This valve is connected with a drum it to which is attached a cable, one portion il of the cable having secured thereto a weight I8. Another portion I9 of the cable is extended to any suitable accessible point and provided with a handgrasping ring 20.

A cylinder ZI has a threaded connection with the head 2 and communicates therewith, the cylinder being smaller than the cylinder I.

The

upper end of the cylinder 2| is closed by a head 22 which has a port 23 leading from a small chamber 2t in the head to the cylinder 2i. Threaded into the head is an adapter 25 having a passage it which communicates with the small chamber 2t and connected with this adapter is a tube 'l which communicates with the upper end of the hot water tank 5. A check valve in the form of a ball 28 normally closes the port Z3.

The head t2 also has an inlet port 29 and screwed into the head and communicating with this port is a hollow fitting 3@ which is connected to a pipe 3l through an adapter 32 which has a passageway which is normally closed by a ball check valve dit; the lower end of the pipe 3l leading to a receptacle 35 which contains the water softening material in liquid form, this material being any well known chemical suitable for the purpose, the receptacle being open to atmosphere.

Slidably mounted in the cylinder l is a piston it and interposed between the piston and the cap ii is a coil spring 3l, this coil spring surrounding a tube 38 which has a threaded connection with the piston and also with a hollow stem t9 which extends through the piston and is formed with a chamber lll which communicates with the tube tu; the chamber t@ also communicating with the interior of the head 2 through a port ill; the lower end of the hollow tube 38 being open so as to communicate with the interior of the cylinder I. The stem 39 carries at its upper end a piston Mi having on each side thereof cup-shaped rings l2 and 43 formed of rubber or other'nexible material, the three parts, piston it and cup shaped rings ft2 and 43, being connected together and also to the end of the stem 39 by a screw t5. The upper side of this piston has also secured thereto by the screw tli a plug tti formed of yieldable vulcanized rubber or similar material. I

In operation, when it is desired to re-charge the water in the tank 5 with the softening chemical the valve Id, which is normally closed, is rotated to open position to form a communication between the pipes 'I and I3 by rotating the drum through the medium of the cable I9 and hand ring 2u, this being a. manual operation in the present case, the valve It being held open for a predetermined length of time. Pressure is thereby relieved in the cylinder I below the piston 38 and permits water to ow from the cylinder I through pipe l and its connections with the cylinder and pipe I3 to a suitable point of discharge, thus permitting the discharge from the f lower end of the hot water tank of the matter which has been precipitated by the action of the softening chemical. At the same time the piston 36 is forced downwardly by the water pressure against the tension of the spring 3l and also against the pressure on the under side of the piston M, pulling with it through the stem 39 the piston M and the plug d6, thus uncover ing the ports 23 and 29. As this creates a partial vacuum above the plug the chemical solution is drawn up into the space between the head 22 and the plug, the parts being so designed and the valve le being held open a predetermined length of time, that a predetermined charge of chemical solution will be deposited in this space. After a predetermined length of time the cable l@ is released by the operator and the drum iii is rotated back to its normal position by the weight lil and cable il', closing the valve itl. The spring 3l and pressure on the under side of the piston dit then act to lnforce the pistons 35 and dd upwardly in their respective cyl inders to the position shown inthe drawings, the pressure on each side of the #piston 3d being now substantially equalized,- this movement displacing the water in the chamber of the head 2, causing it-to flow into the cylinder i through the port All, chamber d@ and tube da. As the piston tt moves upwardly it creates a pressure greater than tha-t in the hot Water tank so as to open the valve 28 and close the valve ad and thereby force the chemical solution through the connections described into the upper end4 of the tank 5, the plug 46 finally closing the ports 23 and 2S, thereby permitting the valve 26 to close.

While there is shown a manual operation of the valve Ml, the valve may be if desired operated automatically.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a water softening apparatus, a cylinder, a piston therein, a water inlet connection for said cylinder on one side of said piston adapted to be connected to a source of Water under pressure, a water discharge connection for said cylinder on the opposite side of said piston, a hollow tube associated with said piston and extending into the spaces on opposite sides of said piston, a restricted passage in said tube within the inlet end of said cylinder, a spring surrounding said tube and interposed between the piston and a. xed abutment in said cylinder., a valve for controlling fiow of water between said inlet and discharge connections, a second smaller cylinder communicating with said first mentioned cylinder, a piston therein', means connecting the two pistons, means connecting said smaller cylinder to a source of watery softening material and including a check valve, means including a check valve connecting said smaller cylinder to the water supply source, whereby when said valve is opened the larger piston, will be moved by water pressure from the water supply source rial from said cylinder.

2. In a water softening apparatus, a cylinder, a piston therein, a water inlet connection for said cylinder on one side of said piston adapted to be connected to a source of water under pressure, a water discharge connection for said cylinder on the opposite side of said piston, a hollow tube associated with said4 piston and extending into the spaces on opposite sides of said piston, a restricted passage in said tube Within the inlet end of said cylinder, a spring surrounding said tube and interposed between the piston and a fixed abutment in said cylinder, a valve for' controlling flow of Water between said inlet and discharge connections, a second smaller cylinder communicating with said iirst mentioned cylinder, a piston therein. means connecting the two pistons, means connecting said smaller cylinder to a source of water softening material and including a check valve, means including a check valve connecting said smaller' cylinder to the water supply source, whereby when said valve is opened the larger piston will be moved by water pressure from the water supply source against the tension of the spring and said smaller piston moved therewith to draw in a supply of Water softening material into the smaller cylinder, and when said valve is closed said larger piston will be returned to its normal position by said spring to inject the water softening material into said water supply source.

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