Water softener

Claim 2

A WATER SOFTENING SYSTEM INCLUDING A TANK CONTAINING A MINERAL BED, A SALT POT IN THE TOP OF SAID TANK A CHECK VALVE IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID SALT POT CLOSING IN A DIRECTION OPPOSED TO THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OUT OF SAID SALT POT INTO THE TANK, WATER CONNECTIONS AT THE TOP AND AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID TANK AND AT THE TOP OF SAID SALT POT, A WATER FLOW VALVE CONTROL DEVICE OPERABLE TO INITIATE THE SUCCESSIVE REGENERATING STEPS OF BACKWASHING, BRINE FLOW AND RINSING, THE DIRECTION OF BACKWASHING FLOW BEING IN THE WATER CONNECTION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK, UPWARD IN THE TANK AND OUT THE CONNECTION AT THE TOP OF THE TANK, A FLOW PASSAGE LEADING FROM WITHIN SAID SALT POT TO THE WATER CONNECTION AT THE TOP OF THE TANK, AND A JET DEVICE IN SAID WATER CONNECTION AT THE TOP OF THE TANK SO ARRANGED WITH RESPECT TO THE ADJACENT END OF SAID FLOW PASSAGE TO INDUCE AN EVACUATION OF WATER FROM SAID SALT POT DURING THE BACKWASHING STEP.

Claim 3

A VALVE DEVICE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS, INCLUDING A BODY PRESENTING A HYDRAULIC RESERVOIR, A PLURALITY OF CHAMBERS IN SAID BODY, CHECK VALVE CONTROLLED PASSAGES BETWEEN SAID RESERVOIR AND SAID CHAMBERS, MEANS INCLUDING AN EXPANSIBLE BELLOWS PARTITIONING EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS INTO AN UPPER COMPARTMENTS TO RECEIVE FLUID FROM SAID RESERVOIR AND A LOWER COMPARTMENT SEALED BY SAID MEANS FROM SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT, A WATER FLOW CONTROL VALVE BENEATH EACH OF SAID EXPANSIBLE BELLOWS AND HAVING A STEM EXTENDING THROUGH SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT INTO COOPERATIVE RELATION WITH THE END OF SAID BELLOWS, SAID BODY HAVING PASSAGES CONTROLLED BY SAID CENTRAL VALVES, A SPRING URGING EACH OF SAID CONTROL VALVES INTO COOPERATIVE RELATION WITH ITS ASSOCIATED BELLOWS, A ROTATABLE SHAFT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THROUGH SAID CHAMBERS, CAMS ON SAID SHAFT OVERLYING THE ENDS OF SAID BELLOWS AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO DEPRESS SAID BELLOWA AND TO MOVE OUT OF COOPERATIVE RELATION THEREWITH IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, DEPRESSION OF SAID BELLOWS SERVING TO SHIFT SAID CONTROL VALVES AND FURTHER SERVING TO DRAW HYDRAULIC FLUID THROUGH SAID CHECK VALVES INTO SAID UPPER COMPARTMENTS FROM SAID RESERVOIR, SUCH FLUID BEING TRAPPED IN SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT FOR HOLDING SAID BELLOWS IN DEPRESSED POSITION WHEN SAID CAMS ARE WITHDRAWN, ESCAPE PORTS FOR THE FLUID FROM SAID CHAMBERS BACK TO SAID RESERVOIR, AND INDIVIDUAL MEANS FOR REGULATING THE RATE OF FLOW THROUGH SAID ESCAPE PORTS TO PREDETERMINE THE TIME DELAY IN THE RETURN OF SAID BELLOWS AND SAID CONTROL VESSEL FROM DEPRESSED OR SHIFTED POSITION.

Claim 4

A VALVE DEVICE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS, INCLUDING A BODY PRESENTING A HYDRAULIC RESERVOIR, A PLURALITY OF CHAMBERS IN SAID BODY, CHECK VALVE CONTROLLED PASSAGES BETWEEN SAID RESERVOIR AND SAID CHAMBERS, MEANS INCLUDING AN EXPANSIBLE BELLOWS PARTITIONING EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS INTO AN UPPER COMPARTMENTS TO RECEIVE FLUID FROM SAID RESERVOIR AND A LOWER COMPARTMENT SEALED BY SAID MEANS FROM SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT, A WATER FLOW CONTROL VALVE BENEATH EACH OF SAID EXPANSIBLE BELLOWS AND HAVING A STEM EXTENDING THROUGH SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT INTO COOPERATIVE RELATION WITH THE END OF SAID BELLOWS, SAID BODY HAVING PASSAGES CONTROLLED BY SAID CENTRAL VALVES, A SPRING URGING EACH OF SAID CONTROL VALVES INTO COOPERATIVE RELATION WITH ITS ASSOCIATED BELLOWS, A ROTATABLE SHAFT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THROUGH SAID CHAMBERS, CAMS ON SAID SHAFT OVERLYING THE ENDS OF SAID BELLOWS AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO DEPRESS SAID BELLOWA AND TO MOVE OUT OF COOPERATIVE RELATION THEREWITH IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, DEPRESSION OF SAID BELLOWS SERVING TO SHIFT SAID CONTROL VALVES AND FURTHER SERVING TO DRAW HYDRAULIC FLUID THROUGH SAID CHECK VALVES INTO SAID UPPER COMPARTMENTS FROM SAID RESERVOIR, SUCH FLUID BEING TRAPPED IN SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT FOR HOLDING SAID BELLOWS IN DEPRESSED POSITION WHEN SAID CAMS ARE WITHDRAWN, ESCAPE PORTS FOR THE FLUID FROM SAID CHAMBERS BACK TO SAID RESERVOIR, AND INDIVIDUAL MEANS FOR REGULATING THE RATE OF FLOW THROUGH SAID ESCAPE PORTS TO PREDETERMINE THE TIME DELAY IN THE RETURN OF SAID BELLOWS AND SAID CONTROL VESSEL FROM DEPRESSED OR SHIFTED POSITION.