Manifold for water conditioning and filtering units

Claim 1

IN A WATER CONDITIONING AND FILTERING UNIT INCLUDING A TANK HAVING A BED OF ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS FOR CONDITIONING RAW OR UNTREATED WATER AND PROVIDED WITH AN OUTLET MANIFOLD IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE TANK, AN INLET MANIFOLD MOUNTED IN THE UPPER PORTION OF THE TANK THROUGH WHICH THE RAW OR UNTREATED WATER ENTERS PRIOR TO PASSAGE DOWNDWARDLY THROUGH THE BED OF ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL, SAID INLET MANIFOLD CONSISTING OF A PART PROJECTING LATERALLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY INTO THE TANK AND PROVIDED AT ITS INNER END WITH AN UPWARDLY PROJECTING LEG BENT UPWARDLY FROM THE LATERALLY PROJECTING PART AND EXTENDING TO APPROXIMATELY THE TOP OF THE TANK AND THEREAT HAVING AN OPEN END, AND MULTIPLE NARROW SLOTS IN THE LATERALLY PROJECTING PART AND SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW SAID OPEN END, SAID INLET MANIFOLD PROVIDING A PASSAGE FOR THE DISCHARGE OF THE EFFLUENT WHEN BACKWASHING THE ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS BY PASSING WATER UPWARDLY THROUGH THE BED OF MATERIALS FROM THE OUTLET MANIFOLD TO LOOSEN, CLEANSE AND STRATIFY THESE MATERIALS, AND THE NARROW SLOTS PROVIDING A DRAIN THROUGH WHICH THE WATER OR EFFLUENT ABOVE THESE SLOTS DRAINS UPON COMPLETION OF BACKWASHING TO PROVIDE SPACE FOR THE ADDITION OF A REGENERANT TO THE TOP OF THE TANK.