Fluid flow control systems

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS IN WHICH FLUIDS FLOW AT VARIABLE RATES AND ARE MAINTAINED AT SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT PRESSURE WHICH COMPRISES AN ENCLOSURE ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A FLOWING FLUID, INLET MEANS FOR A FLUID OPENING INTO SAID ENCLOSURE, OUTLET MEANS FOR A FLUID OPENING FROM SAID ENCLOSURE, SAID OUTLET MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH A PRESSURE REGULATING MEANS CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF PRESSURE REGULATING ELEMENTS, EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A LIQUID RESERVOIR AND A PRESSURE RESISTANT BODY CONTAINING A SOLID MASS IMPERMEABLE TO THE LIQUID AND PERMEABLE TO THE FLUID, AN INLET CHAMBER WITHIN SAID BODY EXPOSING ONE SURFACE OF SAID SOLID MASS AND PROVIDED WITH A CONDUIT SEAL AT EITHER END, AN OUTLET MANIFOLD EXPOSING ANOTHER SURFACE OF SAID SOLID MASS, A CONDUIT FOR SAID FLUIDS COMMUNICATING SAID OUTLET MEANS OPENING FROM SAID ENCLOSURE WITH SAID INLET CHAMBER, A CONDUIT FOR LIQUID COMMUNICATING SAID LIQUID RESERVOIR THROUGH A SEAL WITH SAID INLET CHAMBER, A CONDUIT FOR FLUID COMMUNICATING SAID OUTLET MANIFOLD THROUGH A SEAL WITH SAID LIQUID RESERVOIR AND THROUGH A SEAL WITH THE INLET CHAMBER OF THE PRESSURE RESISTANT BODY IN THE SUBSEQUENT PRESSURE REGULATING ELEMENT, EACH OF SAID LIQUID RESERVOIRS BEING DISPOSED AT A DIFFERENT ELEVATION RELATIVE TO THE PRESSURE RESISTANT BODY WITH WHICH IT COMMUNICATES SO AS TO APPLY A HYDROSTATIC HEAD TO SAID BODY, SAID FLUIDS FLOWING FROM SAID ENCLOSURE SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH THE INLET CHAMBER, PERMEABLE SOLID MASS, AND OUTLET MANIFOLD OF EACH OF SAID PRESSURE REGULATING ELEMENTS AND DISCHARGING FROM THE OUTLET CONDUIT OF THE TERMINAL ELEMENT.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS IN WHICH FLUIDS FLOW AT VARIABLE RATES AND ARE MAINTAINED AT SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT PRESSURE WHICH COMPRISES AN ENCLOSURE ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A FLOWING FLUID, INLET MEANS FOR A FLUID OPENING INTO SAID ENCLOSURE, OUTLET MEANS FOR A FLUID OPENING FROM SAID ENCLOSURE, SAID OUTLET MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH A PRESSURE REGULATING MEANS CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF PRESSURE REGULATING ELEMENTS, EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A LIQUID RESERVOIR AND A PRESSURE RESISTANT BODY CONTAINING A SOLID MASS IMPERMEABLE TO THE LIQUID AND PERMEABLE TO THE FLUID, AN INLET CHAMBER WITHIN SAID BODY EXPOSING ONE SURFACE OF SAID SOLID MASS AND PROVIDED WITH A CONDUIT SEAL AT EITHER END, AN OUTLET MANIFOLD EXPOSING ANOTHER SURFACE OF SAID SOLID MASS, A CONDUIT FOR SAID FLUIDS COMMUNICATING SAID OUTLET MEANS OPENING FROM SAID ENCLOSURE WITH SAID INLET CHAMBER, A CONDUIT FOR LIQUID COMMUNICATING SAID LIQUID RESERVOIR THROUGH A SEAL WITH SAID INLET CHAMBER, A CONDUIT FOR FLUID COMMUNICATING SAID OUTLET MANIFOLD THROUGH A SEAL WITH SAID LIQUID RESERVOIR AND THROUGH A SEAL WITH THE INLET CHAMBER OF THE PRESSURE RESISTANT BODY IN THE SUBSEQUENT PRESSURE REGULATING ELEMENT, EACH OF SAID LIQUID RESERVOIRS BEING DISPOSED AT A DIFFERENT ELEVATION RELATIVE TO THE PRESSURE RESISTANT BODY WITH WHICH IT COMMUNICATES SO AS TO APPLY A HYDROSTATIC HEAD TO SAID BODY, SAID FLUIDS FLOWING FROM SAID ENCLOSURE SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH THE INLET CHAMBER, PERMEABLE SOLID MASS, AND OUTLET MANIFOLD OF EACH OF SAID PRESSURE REGULATING ELEMENTS AND DISCHARGING FROM THE OUTLET CONDUIT OF THE TERMINAL ELEMENT.