Apparatus for purifying and controlling the relative humidity of air

Claim 1

AN AIR TREATING APPARATUS COMPRISING A CONTACT SURFACE ADAPTED TO BE WETTED BY A LIQUID AIR TREATING SOLUTION AND ARRANGED FOR CONTACT WITH THE AIR TO BE TREATED; A SUMP BENEATH THE CONTACT SURFACE CONTAINING THE LIQUID AIR TREATING SOLUTION; MEANS FOR DISCHARGING SOLUTION FROM SAID SUMP OVER SAID CONTACT SURFACE; A BYPASS LINE DIRECT-ING A PORTION OF THE SOLUTION FROM THE CONTACT SURFACE; A REGENERATOR; RECEIVING MEANS WITHIN THE REGENERATOR FOR RECEIVING THE BYPASS SOLUTION; MEANS FOR HEATING THE SOLUTION IN SAID RECEING MEANS FOR PRECIPITATING SOLIDS THEREFORM; A BLOWER; A CONDUIT LEADING AIR FROM SAID BLOWER INTO THE SOLUTION IN SAID RECEIVING MEANS TO REMOVE THE ODOROUS VAPORS THEREFROM AND TO CAUSE THE SOLIDS TO OVERFLOW THE RECEIVING MEANS; A DUCT FOR PASSING OFF VAPOROUS ODFORS RELEASED DURING REGENERATION; AND A RETURN LINE FROM THE REGENERATOR TO THE SUMP, RETURNING THE REGENERATED SOLUTION AND PRECIPITATED SOLIDS THERETOL, AND MEANS FOR ADDING WATER TO THE SOLUTION IN SAID SUMP IN RESPONSE TO THE HUMIDITY OF THR PURIFIED AIR INCLUDING A CONDUIT ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF WATER, SOLENOID VALVE IN SAID CONDUIT, CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID SOLENOID ADAPTED AT A PREDETERMINED RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF THE AIR TO ACTUATE SAID SOLENOID AND ADMIT WATER OF SAID SUMP, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE LEVEL OF SOLUTION IN SAID SUMP TO LIMIT FLOW OF WATER THROUGH SAID CONDUIT THEREBY TO LIMIT THE DILUTION OF THE SOLUTION AND PREVENT OVERFLOWING OF THE SUMP.