Gas diffusion apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DIFFUSING A GAS INTO A LIQUID, COMPRISING A LIQUID CONFINING TREATMENT CHAMBER, A SOURCE OF GAS UNDER PRESSURE, A CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID SOURCE FOR SUPPLYING GAS UNDER PRESSURE TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE LIQUID IN THE CHAMBER, A DIFFUSER SUBMERGED IN THE LIQUID INCLUDING A DIFFUSER BODY HAVING WALL MEANS DEFINING A CYCLINDRICAL CAVITY OPENING OUTWARDLY AT ONE END OF SAID BODY, MEANS ON SAID BODY FOR MOUNTING THE DIFFUSER IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONDUIT, SAID BODY HAVING A GAS PASSAGE FORMED THEREIN EXTENDING FROM SAID CAVITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CONDUIT TO CONDUCT GAS TO SAID CAVITY, A CHECK VALVE MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CAVITY FOR FREE MOVEMENT TO OPEN AND CLOSE SAID PASSAGE, SAID CHECK VALVE MEMBER BEING MOVED BY GRAVITY IN THE ABSENCE OF GAS FLOW FROM THE GAS CONDUIT TO CLOSE SAID PASSAGE AND PREVENT FLOW OF LIQUID FROM THE CHAMBER INTO THE GAS CONDUIT, SAID WALL MEANS BEING THREADED ALONG THE INTERIOR OF SAID CYLINDRICAL CAVITY, A MEMBER THREADED INTO SAID CAVITY AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY OF SAID DIFFUSER BODY, THE OUTWARDLY PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID MEMBER HAVING AN IRREGULARLY FORMED SURFACE FOR ENGAGEMENT TO SELECTIVELY SCREW THE MEMBER INTO AND OUT OF SAID CAVITY, SAID WALL MEANS HAVING APERTURE MEANS FORMED THEREIN AND EXTENDING THERETHROUGH FROM SAID CYLINDRICAL CAVITY TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID BODY, SAID MEMBER HAVING A RECESS FORMED IN ITS INNER END TO RECEIVE SAID CHECK VALVE MEMBER WHEN THE LATTER IS IN ITS FULLY OPEN POSITION TO THEREBY PERMIT UNRESTICTED FLOW OF GAS FROM SAID GAS PASSAGE TO SAID APERTURE MEANS, MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER INTO AND OUT OF SAID CAVITY SELECTIVELY POSITIONING THE MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID APERTURE MEANS TO VARY THE FLOW AREA OF SAID APERTURE MEANS, AND MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID MEMBER IN A FIXED SELECTED POSITION.