Reagent control method and apparatus

Claim 2

A COLORIMETRIC METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE AMOUNT OF A REAGENT MIXED WITH A LIQUID TO PRODUCE A MIXTURE WHICH CONTAINS A SUSPENDED MATERIAL THAT TENDS TO BE DEPOSITED ON TRANSPARENT CELL WALLS, WHICH METHOD INCLUDES THE STEPS OF: MIXING STREAMS OF SAID LIQUID AND SAID REAGENT TO FORM A MAJOR STREAM OF SAID MIXTURE; CONTINUOUSLY MIXING WITH AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID MAJOR STREAM BOTH AN ALCOHOLIC DILUENT TO DISSOLVE SAID MATERIAL AND TO PREVENT SAID DEPOSITING OF SAID MATERIAL AND AN INDICATOR THE COLOR OF WHICH IS VARIABLE WITH THE HYDROGEN ION ACTIVITY OF SAID PORTION, THE ALCOHOLIC DILUENT HAVING THE EFFECT OF PRODUCING A SINGLE PHASE SOLUTION AND RAPIDLY COMPLETING ANY PREVIOUSLY INCOMPLETE REACTION BETWEEN THE REAGENT AND THE LIQUID SO THAT THE INDICATOR WILL RESPOND TO THE TOTAL HYDROGENION CONCENTRATION OF SUCH COMPLETELY REACTED MIXTURE; FLOWING THE RESULTING STREAM IN CONTACT WITH SAID CELL WALLS WHILE DIRECTING LIGHT RAYS THROUGH THESE WALLS AND THE STREAM FLOWING THEREADJACENT; AND VARYING THE AMOUNT OF SAID REAGENT MIXED WITH SAID LIQUID IN RESPONSE TO CHANGES IN THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT ABSORBED BY SAID INDICATOR.

Claim 3

IN AN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE AMOUNT OF A REAGENT WHICH IS CONTINUOUSLY DELIVERED AS A STREAM TO A STREAM OF LIQUID TO BE TREATED AND WHICH IS MIXED THEREWITH TO FORM A MAJOR STREAM FLOWING IN A CONDUIT, THE COMBINATION OF: A MIXING MEANS HAVING A DISCHARGE LINE; A FIRST POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PROPORTIONING PUMP AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAME TO SAID MIXING MEANS TO DELIVER THERETO A MODIFYING LIQUID AT A RATE DETERMINED BY THE VOLUMETRIC DISPLACEMENT RATE OF SAID FIRST PUMP, SAID MODIFYING LIQUID AT A RATE AN INDICATOR WHOSE COLOR IS VARIABLE WITH HYDROGEN ION ACTIVITY OF THE LIQUID OF SAID MAJOR STREAM; A SAMPLE LINE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID CONDUIT AND SAID MIXING MEANS FOR CONDUCTING A SAMPLE STREAM FROM THE FORMER TO THE LATTER; A SECOND POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PROPORTIONING PUMP INTAKING FROM SAID DISCHARGE LINE, SAID SECOND PUMP HAVING A HIGHER VOLUMETRIC DISPLACEMENT RATE THAN THAT OF SAID FIRST PUMP AND THUS DRAWING SAID SAMPLE STREAM INTO SAID MIXING MEANS THROUGH SAID SAMPLE LINE AT A VOLUMETRIC RATE CORRESPONDING TO THE DIFFERENCE IN VOLUMETRIC DISPLACEMENT RATES OF SAID PUMPS; A DRIVE FOR SAID FIRST PUMP; A DRIVE FOR SAID SECOND PUMP, SAID DRIVES RESPECTIVELY DRIVING SAID FIRST AND SECOND PUMPS AT SAID VOLUMETRIC DISPLACEMENT RATES; A CELL IN SAID DISCHARGE LINE BETWEEN SAID MIXING MEANS AND SAID SECOND PUMP, SAID CELL RECEIVING THE MIXED MATERIALS OF SAID SAMPLE STREAM AND SAID MODIFYING LIQUID ISSUING FROM SAID MIXING MEANS; ELECTRIC MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING AN ELECTRIC POTENTIAL VARYING WITH CHANGES IN COLOR OF SAID MIXED MATERIALS IN SAID CELL; CONTROL MEANS FOR REGULATING THE AMOUNT OF THE REAGENT WHICH IS CONTINUOUSLY DELIVERED TO AND MIXED WITH THE STREAM OF LIQUID TO BE TREATED; AND MEANS MOVABLE IN RESPONSE TO VARIATIONS IN SAID ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL FOR OPERATING SAID CONTROL MEANS TO VARY THE AMOUNT OF REAGENT DELIVERED TO THE STREAM OF LIQUID TO BE TREATED IN A MANNER TO MAINTAIN THE HYDROGEN ION ACTIVITY OF SAID SAMPLE STREAM SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT.

Claim 4

IN AN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE AMOUNT OF A REAGENT WHICH IS CONTINUOUSLY DELIVERED AS A STREAM TO A STREAM OF LIQUID TO BE TREATED AND WHICH IS MIXED THEREWITH TO FORM A MAJOR STREAM FLOWING IN A CONDUIT, THE COMBINATION OF: A MIXING MEANS HAVING A DISCHARGE LINE; A FIRST POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PROPORTIONING PUMP AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAME TO SAID MIXING MEANS TO DELIVER THERETO A MODIFYING LIQUID AT A RATE DETERMINED BY THE VOLUMETRIC DISPLACEMENT RATE OF SAID FIRST PUMP, SAID MODIFYING LIQUID AT A RATE AN INDICATOR WHOSE COLOR IS VARIABLE WITH HYDROGEN ION ACTIVITY OF THE LIQUID OF SAID MAJOR STREAM; A SAMPLE LINE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID CONDUIT AND SAID MIXING MEANS FOR CONDUCTING A SAMPLE STREAM FROM THE FORMER TO THE LATTER; A SECOND POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PROPORTIONING PUMP INTAKING FROM SAID DISCHARGE LINE, SAID SECOND PUMP HAVING A HIGHER VOLUMETRIC DISPLACEMENT RATE THAN THAT OF SAID FIRST PUMP AND THUS DRAWING SAID SAMPLE STREAM INTO SAID MIXING MEANS THROUGH SAID SAMPLE LINE AT A VOLUMETRIC RATE CORRESPONDING TO THE DIFFERENCE IN VOLUMETRIC DISPLACEMENT RATES OF SAID PUMPS; A DRIVE FOR SAID FIRST PUMP; A DRIVE FOR SAID SECOND PUMP, SAID DRIVES RESPECTIVELY DRIVING SAID FIRST AND SECOND PUMPS AT SAID VOLUMETRIC DISPLACEMENT RATES; A CELL IN SAID DISCHARGE LINE BETWEEN SAID MIXING MEANS AND SAID SECOND PUMP, SAID CELL RECEIVING THE MIXED MATERIALS OF SAID SAMPLE STREAM AND SAID MODIFYING LIQUID ISSUING FROM SAID MIXING MEANS; ELECTRIC MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING AN ELECTRIC POTENTIAL VARYING WITH CHANGES IN COLOR OF SAID MIXED MATERIALS IN SAID CELL; CONTROL MEANS FOR REGULATING THE AMOUNT OF THE REAGENT WHICH IS CONTINUOUSLY DELIVERED TO AND MIXED WITH THE STREAM OF LIQUID TO BE TREATED; AND MEANS MOVABLE IN RESPONSE TO VARIATIONS IN SAID ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL FOR OPERATING SAID CONTROL MEANS TO VARY THE AMOUNT OF REAGENT DELIVERED TO THE STREAM OF LIQUID TO BE TREATED IN A MANNER TO MAINTAIN THE HYDROGEN ION ACTIVITY OF SAID SAMPLE STREAM SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT.