Water treatment apparatus and control valve therefor

Claim 1

THE COMBINATION IN A WATER TREATMENT APPARATUS OF A WATER TREATMENT TANK CONTAINING A BED OF RELATIVELY LIGHT-WEIGHT SOFTENER MATERIAL AND HAVING A PORT IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE TOP OF THE BED OF MATERIAL AND A PORT IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE BED OF MATERIAL, A REAGENT SUPPLY TANK, A CONDUIT SYSTEM CONNECTED TO SAID TANKS INCLUDING CONDUITS FOR RAW WATER, TREATED WATER, REAGENT AND WASTE, VALVE MEANS HAVING TWO POSITIONS OF OPERATION, SAID VALVE MEANS IN ONE POSITION EFFECTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE RAW WATER CONDUIT AND THE PORT IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE TOP OF THE BED OF MATERIAL TO SEND WATER DOWN THROUGH THE TANK IN A WATER TREATING STEP AND OUT THE PORT IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE BED OF MATERIAL TO THE SERVICE CONDUIT, SAID VALVE MEANS IN ITS OTHER POSITION EFFECTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PORT IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE BED OF MATERIAL TO DIRECT THE FLOW OF WATER UP THROUGH THE BED OF MATERIAL AND OUT THE PORT IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE TOP OF THE BED OF MATERIAL TO THE WASTE CONDUIT, SAID VALVE MEANS IN ITS SECOND POSITION ALSO EFFECTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE RAW WATER CONDUIT AND THE SERVICE CONDUIT, A CHECK VALVE DISPOSED BETWEEN THE PORT IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE BED OF MATERIAL AND THE SERVICE CONDUIT AND AN INJECTOR CONNECTED IN PARALLEL WITH THE CHECK VALVE AND HAVING A CONNECTION WITH THE REAGENT CONDUIT, SAID INJECTOR WHEN THE VALVE MEANS IS IN ITS OTHER POSITION PASSING WATER AT A PREDETERMINED RATE AND DRAWING REAGENT INTO THE INJECTOR FOR INTERMIXTURE WITH THE WATER TO FORM A SOLUTION FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY BACKWASHING AND REGENERATING THE BED OF SOFTENER MATERIAL, AND MEANS FOR TERMINATING TTHE FLOW OF REAGENT TO THE INJECTOR WHEREBY THE CONTINUED FLOW OF WATER THROUGH THE INJECTOR FLOWS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK FOR RINSING THE BED.