Brine making and dispensing device

Claim 1

A BRINE MAKING AND DISPENSING DEVICE, COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF: MEANS PROVIDING A SALT BIN OPEN AT ITS TOP AND HAVING A BOTTOM WITH NUMEROUS SMALL APERTURES WHICH ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE AREA OF THE BOTTOM; MEANS PROVIDING AN UPWARDLY OPENING VESSEL TO HOLD WATER WITH THE SURFACE THEREOF AT A PREDETERMINED LEVEL SPACED ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL; MEANS PROVIDING A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED STORAGE TANK WHICH MAY BE FILLED WITH WATER; MEANS MOUNTING SAID BIN, VESSEL AND TANK IN FIXED RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER AND AT EACH OFNK, THREE DIFFERENT ELVATIONS, WITH THE VESSEL ABOVE THE TANK, THE BIN DIRECTLY OVER THE VESSEL, AND THE APERTURED BOTTOM OF THE BIN AT A LEVEL SLIGHTLY BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED WATER LEVEL BUT SPACED A DISTANCE ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL, SO THAT A SMALL BODY OF SALT AT THE EXTREME BOTTOM OF A SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER SUPPLY THEREOF IN THE BIN WILL AT ALL TIMES BE IMMERSED IN WATER IN THE VESSEL TO FORM BRINE WHICH MAY FREELY AND DIRECTLY DESCEND BY GRAVITY INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE VESSEL THROUGH ALL THE APERTURES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BIN TO DISPLACE WATER IN THE VESSEL UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID APERTURES AND INTO CONTACT WITH SALT IN THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE BIN; MEANS PROVIDING CONTROLLABLE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE VESSEL AND THE TANK SO AS TO ENABLE THE TANK TO BE CONNECTED WITH THE VESSEL FOR EXCHANGE OF THE CONTENTS THEREOF THROUGH NATURAL CIRCULATION FIG -01 INDUCED BY THE DIFFERENCE IN SPECIFIC GRAVITY BETWEEN BRINE PRODUCED IN THE VESSEL AND WATER CONTAINED IN THE TANK, WHEREBY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THE CONTENTS OF BOTH THE VESSEL AND TANK WILL BE CONVERTED TO CONCENTRATED BRINE, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS PROVIDING FOR BLOCKING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE VESSEL AND THE TANK; MEANS PROVIDING FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF WATER UNDER PRESSURE INTO THE TOP OF SAID TANK; AND MEANS PROVIDING AN OUTLET FROM SAID TANK THROUGH WHICH CONCENTRATED BRINE IS FORCED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE INTRODUCTION OF WATER UNDER PRESSURE INTO THE TOP OF THE TANK AT TIMES WHEN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN IT AND THE VESSEL IS BLOCKED.