Water softening apparatus

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF REGENERATING ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY: FLOWING FRESH WATER UNDER PRESSURE, FROM A SOURCE THEREOF, INTO THE HIGHEST POINT IN A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED BRINE STORAGE TANK WHICH IS FILLED WITH CONCENTRATED BRINE AND WHICH HAS AN OUTLET SPACED BELOW ITS HIGHEST POINT, TO THEREBY DISPLACE CONCENTRATED BRINE OUT OF THE TANK THROUGH SAID OUTLET; REGULATING THE DELIVERY OF FRESH WATER INTO THE BRINE STORAGE TANK TO A RATE SLOW ENOUGH TO MINIMIZE ADMIXTURE OF FRESH WATER WITH CONCENTRATED BRINE IN THE TANK; CONTINUING THE FLOW OF RESH WATER INTO THE TANK AFTER THE LEVEL OF CONCENTRATED BRINE IN THE TANK FALLS BELOW THE OUTLET, SO THAT THEREAFTER FRESH WATER WILL BE EXPELLED OUT OF THE OUTLET; PASSING THE LIQUID EXPELLED FROM THE TANK OUTLET, AS IT DEBOUCHES THEREFROM, DOWNWARDLY THROUGH ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL, SO THAT FIRST BRINE AND THEN FRESH WATER IS PASSED THROUGH THE MATERIAL TO SUCCESSIVELY EFFECT BRINING AND RINSING THEREOF; TERMINATING THE FLOW OF FRESH WATER INTO THE BRINE STORAGE TANK AFTER A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME TO THUS TERMINATE RINSING OF THE ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL; AFTER TERMINATING THE FLOW OF FRESH WATER INTO THE BRINE STORAGE TANK, COMMUNICATING THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE BRINE STORAGE TANK WITH THE BOTTOM OF A VESSEL WHICH IT IS A LEVEL ABOVE THE BRINE STORAGE AND IN WHICH IG-01 VESSEL A QUANTITY OF WATER IS MANTAINED IN CONTACT WITH THE BOTTOM OF A STORE OF SALT, TO THUS REPLENISH THE BRINE STORAGE TANK WITH CONCENTRATED BRINE BY GRAVITY ACTION AS THE SALT IS DISSOLVED; WITHDRAWING FROM SAID VESSEL, WHILE FRESH WATER IS FLOWING INTO THE BRINE STORAGE TANK TO EXPEL CONCENTRATED BRINE THEREFROM, ALL OF THE BRINE IN SAID VESSEL WHICH IS ABOVE A PREDETERMINED LEVEL SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE BOTTOM OF THE STORE OF SALT; AND CONDUCTING THE BRINE WITHDRAWN FROM SAID VESSEL THROUGH THE ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF REGENERATING ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY: FLOWING FRESH WATER UNDER PRESSURE, FROM A SOURCE THEREOF, INTO THE HIGHEST POINT IN A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED BRINE STORAGE TANK WHICH IS FILLED WITH CONCENTRATED BRINE AND WHICH HAS AN OUTLET SPACED BELOW ITS HIGHEST POINT, TO THEREBY DISPLACE CONCENTRATED BRINE OUT OF THE TANK THROUGH SAID OUTLET; REGULATING THE DELIVERY OF FRESH WATER INTO THE BRINE STORAGE TANK TO A RATE SLOW ENOUGH TO MINIMIZE ADMIXTURE OF FRESH WATER WITH CONCENTRATED BRINE IN THE TANK; CONTINUING THE FLOW OF RESH WATER INTO THE TANK AFTER THE LEVEL OF CONCENTRATED BRINE IN THE TANK FALLS BELOW THE OUTLET, SO THAT THEREAFTER FRESH WATER WILL BE EXPELLED OUT OF THE OUTLET; PASSING THE LIQUID EXPELLED FROM THE TANK OUTLET, AS IT DEBOUCHES THEREFROM, DOWNWARDLY THROUGH ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL, SO THAT FIRST BRINE AND THEN FRESH WATER IS PASSED THROUGH THE MATERIAL TO SUCCESSIVELY EFFECT BRINING AND RINSING THEREOF; TERMINATING THE FLOW OF FRESH WATER INTO THE BRINE STORAGE TANK AFTER A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME TO THUS TERMINATE RINSING OF THE ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL; AFTER TERMINATING THE FLOW OF FRESH WATER INTO THE BRINE STORAGE TANK, COMMUNICATING THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE BRINE STORAGE TANK WITH THE BOTTOM OF A VESSEL WHICH IT IS A LEVEL ABOVE THE BRINE STORAGE AND IN WHICH IG-01 VESSEL A QUANTITY OF WATER IS MANTAINED IN CONTACT WITH THE BOTTOM OF A STORE OF SALT, TO THUS REPLENISH THE BRINE STORAGE TANK WITH CONCENTRATED BRINE BY GRAVITY ACTION AS THE SALT IS DISSOLVED; WITHDRAWING FROM SAID VESSEL, WHILE FRESH WATER IS FLOWING INTO THE BRINE STORAGE TANK TO EXPEL CONCENTRATED BRINE THEREFROM, ALL OF THE BRINE IN SAID VESSEL WHICH IS ABOVE A PREDETERMINED LEVEL SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE BOTTOM OF THE STORE OF SALT; AND CONDUCTING THE BRINE WITHDRAWN FROM SAID VESSEL THROUGH THE ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL.