Electrolytic water treating cell

Claim 1

A WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS, WHICH COMPRISES, AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL HAVING A POROUS DIAPHRAGM SEPARATING SAID CELL INTO A CATHODE COMPARTMENT AND AN ANODE COMPARTMENT, AN INSOLUBLE ANODE POSITIONED IN SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT, A CATHODE POSITIONED IN SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT, A SUPPLY CONDUIT CONNECTED TO ONE PORTION OF SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT FOR INTRODUCING HARD WATER TO BE SOFTENED INTO SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT INTO CONTACT WITH SAID CATHODE TO FORM THE CATHOLYTE IN SAID CELL, SAID CELL HAVING A CONSTANTLY OPEN CONDUIT BETWEEN SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT AND ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT TO PROVIDE FOR FREE FLOW OF CATHOLYTE INTO SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT TO FORM THE ANOLYTE THEREIN, SAID CONSTANTLY OPEN CONDUIT BEING THE SOLE INLET CONDUIT FOR FLOW OF LIQUID INTO SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT, MEANS FOR PASSING A DIRECT CURRENT BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND CATHODE THROUGH SAID ANOLYTE AND CATHOLYTE, WHEREBY SAID ANOLYTE TENDS TO BECOME ACID AND SAID CATHOLYTE TENDS TO BECOME ALKALINE AND PRECIPITATE INSOLUBLE ALKALINE COMPOUNDS OF HARDNESS PRODUCING MATERIALS FROM SAID HARD WATER TO THEREBY SOFTEN SAID HARD WATER, A FIRST DISCHARGE CONDUIT CONNECTED TO ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT FOR WITHDRAWING SOFTENED WATER FROM SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT AND DISCHARGING SAID SOFTENED WATER FROM SAID APPARATUS, SAID FIRST DISCHARGE CONDUIT BEING INDEPENDENT OF ANY ANODE COMPARTMENT, A SECOND DISCHARGE CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT FOR DISCHARGING ANOLYTE FROM SAID APPARATUS INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID SOFTENED WATER, WHEREBY THE DISCHARGED ANOLYTE IS REPLACED IN SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT BY ALKALINE WATER FLOWING THROUGH SAID CONSTANTLY OPEN CONDUIT FROM SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT, AND A VALVE IN SAID SECOND DISCHARGE CONDUIT FOR CONTROLLING SAID DISCHARGE OF ANOLYTE AND THE AMOUNT OF ALKALINE WATER FLOWING INTO SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT TO THEREBY CONTROL THE ACIDITY OF THE DISCHARGED ANOLYTE, SAID ANODE AND CATHODE COMPARTMENTS BEING OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE, WHEREBY FREE FLOW OF LIQUID THROUGH SAID CONSTANTLY OPEN CONDUIT MAINTAINS SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME LIQUID LEVEL IN BOTH THE ANODE AND CATHODE COMPARTMENTS, SAID FIRST DISCHARGE CONDUIT BEING AN OVERFLOW CONDUIT FOR SOFTENED WATER, SAID SECOND DISCHARGE CONDUIT BEING AN OVERFLOW CONDUIT FOR SAID ANOLYTE AND BEING POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID FIRST DISCHARGE CONDUIT, SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT HAVING A CAPACITY SUFFICIENTLY SMALLER THAN THE CAPACITY OF SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT THAT CONTINED DISCHARGE OF ANOLYTE THROUGH SAID VALVE UPON INTERRUPTION OF SAID DIRECT CURRENT AND OF THE INTRODUCTION OF HARD WATER THROUGH SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT CAUSES SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ACID ANAOLYTE IN SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT TO BE REPLACED BY ALKALINE WATER FROM SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT.