Water softening apparatus

Claim 1

AUTOMATIC WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS COMPRISING: A SOFTENER TANK HAVING A HARD WATER INLET AND A SOFT WATER OUTLET; A BRINE TANK; A MASTER VALVE ELEMENT MOVABLY MOUNTED TO OCCUPY A SERVICE POSITION AND A REGENERATING POSITION AND HAVING VALVED MEANS; MEANS CONNECTING THE HARD WATER INLET TO A SUPPLY OF WATER UNDER PRESSURE THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF SAID VALVED MEANS, FOR THE FLOW OF WATER THROUGH THE SOFTENER TANK TO A SERVICE LINE WHEN SAID ELEMENT OCCUPIES ITS SERVICE POSITION; SAID ELEMENT HAVING TWO OTHER VALVES MEANS; MEANS CONNECTING SAID SOFT WATER OUTLET OF THE SOFTENER TANK TO THE SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF ONE OF SAID TWO OTHER VALVED MEANS WHEN SAID MASTER VALVE ELEMENT IS IN REGENERATING POSITION, TO ADMIT A RESTRICTED FLOW OF RINSING WATER TO THE SOFTENER TANK; MEANS CONNECTING SAID HARD WATER INLET TO THE SOFTENER TANK TO A DRAIN LINE THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF THE OTHER OF SAID TWO OTHER VALVED MEANS WHEN THE MASTER VALVE ELEMENT OCCUPIES REGENERATING POSITION, TO DRAIN RINSING WATER FROM THE SOFTENER TANK; A BRINE VALVE ELEMENT MOVABLY MOUNTED TO OCCUPY A SERVICE POSITION AND A REGENERATING POSITION AND HAVING TWO VALVED MEANS; MEANS CONNECTING THE HARD WATER INLET TO THE BRINE TANK THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF ONE OF SAID TWO VALVED MEANS OF THE BRINE VALVE ELEMENT TO PRESSURIZE THE BRINE TANK WHEN THE BRINE ELEMENT OCCUPIES REGENERATING POSITION; MEANS CONNECTING THE BRINE TANK TO THE SOFTENER TANK THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF THE OTHER OF SAID TWO VALVED MEANS OF THE BRINE VALVE ELEMENT WHEN THE MASTER VALVE ELEMENT OCCUPIES SERVICE POSITION, TO ADMIT BRINE FROM THE BRINE TANK TO THE SOFTENER TANK; MEANS INCLUDING TIME MECHANISM CONTROLLING THE MASTER VALVE ELEMENT; MEANS CONNECTING SAID TIME MECHANISM MEANS TO THE MASTER VALVE ELEMENT TO MOVE SAME FROM SERVICE POSITION TO REGENERATING POSITION WHEREIN SAID MASTER VALVE ELEMENT IS RETAINED FOR A PREDETERMINED REGENERATING PERIOD; MEANS INCLUDING AN INTERVAL TIMER CONTROLLING SAID BRINE VALVE ELEMENT; AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID INTERVAL TIMER MEANS TO SAID BRINE VALVE ELEMENT TO MOVE SAME FROM SERVICE POSITION TO REGENERATING POSITION WHEREIN SAID BRINE VALVE ELEMENT IS RETAINED FOR THE DELIVERY OF BRINE TO THE SOFTENER TANK DURING ONLY A PREDETERMINED INITIAL PORTION OF SAID REGENERATING PERIOD, FOLLOWED BY RINSING OF BRINE FROM THE SOFTENER TANK DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE REGENERATING PERIOD.