Apparatus for treating irrigation water

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR TREATING IRRIGATION WATER COMPRISING A COMBUSTION CHAMBER HAVING UPPER AND LOWER END PORTIONS; A SUBSTANTIALLY HERMETICALLY SEALED SUPPLY HOPPER HAVING UPPER AND LOWER END PORTIONS MOUNTED ADJACENT TO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE FLOWABLE POWDERED SULFUR; A SULFUR CONDUIT INTERCONNECTING THE LOWER END PORTIONS OF THE HOPPER AND THE CHAMBER FOR GRAVITATIONAL FLOW OF SULFUR FROM THE HOPPER TO THE CHAMBER WHEREBY THE SULFUR FORMS A SUBSTANTIALLY USHAPED COLUMN HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS IN THE CHAMBER AND THE HOPPER; A CATALYTIC TANK DISPOSED ABOVE THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER CONTAINING A CATALYTIC BED OF FERRIC OXIDE AND ALUMINUM OXIDE AND CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END PORTION OF THE CHAMBER AT A POSITION BAELOW THE BED; A GAS CONDUIT HAVING AN INTAKE END CONNECTED TO THE CATALYTIC TANK ABOVE THE CATALYTIC BED AND AN EXTENDED END; A GAS DIFFUSER MOUNTED ON THE EXTENDED END OF THE GAS CONDUIT AND ADAPTED TO BE IMMERSED IN IRRIGATION WATER TO DIFFUSE THE GAS IN SAID WATER; AN AIR COMPRESSOR; A CONDUIT CONNECTED TO THE COMPRESSOR AND TO THE CHAMBER ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE SULFUR THEREIN AND HAVING A BRANCH CONNECTED TO THE HOPPER ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE SULFUR IN THE HOPPER; MEANS IN SAID CONDUIT TO REGULATE AIR SUPPLY TO THE CHAMBER AND TO THE HOPPER; AND MEANS FOR IGNITING THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SULFUR IN THE CHAMBER, THE COMPRESSOR BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPLY AIR FOR COMBUSTION TO THE CHAMBER, TO MAINTAIN THE AIR PRESSURES ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE COLUMN OF SULFUR UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL PRESSURE, AND HAVING SUFFICIENT PRESSURE TO FORCE THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION THROUGH THE CATALYTIC TANK AND INTO THE IRRIGATION WATER.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR TREATING IRRIGATION WATER COMPRISING A COMBUSTION CHAMBER HAVING UPPER AND LOWER END PORTIONS; A SUBSTANTIALLY HERMETICALLY SEALED SUPPLY HOPPER HAVING UPPER AND LOWER END PORTIONS MOUNTED ADJACENT TO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE FLOWABLE POWDERED SULFUR; A SULFUR CONDUIT INTERCONNECTING THE LOWER END PORTIONS OF THE HOPPER AND THE CHAMBER FOR GRAVITATIONAL FLOW OF SULFUR FROM THE HOPPER TO THE CHAMBER WHEREBY THE SULFUR FORMS A SUBSTANTIALLY USHAPED COLUMN HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS IN THE CHAMBER AND THE HOPPER; A CATALYTIC TANK DISPOSED ABOVE THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER CONTAINING A CATALYTIC BED OF FERRIC OXIDE AND ALUMINUM OXIDE AND CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END PORTION OF THE CHAMBER AT A POSITION BAELOW THE BED; A GAS CONDUIT HAVING AN INTAKE END CONNECTED TO THE CATALYTIC TANK ABOVE THE CATALYTIC BED AND AN EXTENDED END; A GAS DIFFUSER MOUNTED ON THE EXTENDED END OF THE GAS CONDUIT AND ADAPTED TO BE IMMERSED IN IRRIGATION WATER TO DIFFUSE THE GAS IN SAID WATER; AN AIR COMPRESSOR; A CONDUIT CONNECTED TO THE COMPRESSOR AND TO THE CHAMBER ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE SULFUR THEREIN AND HAVING A BRANCH CONNECTED TO THE HOPPER ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE SULFUR IN THE HOPPER; MEANS IN SAID CONDUIT TO REGULATE AIR SUPPLY TO THE CHAMBER AND TO THE HOPPER; AND MEANS FOR IGNITING THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SULFUR IN THE CHAMBER, THE COMPRESSOR BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPLY AIR FOR COMBUSTION TO THE CHAMBER, TO MAINTAIN THE AIR PRESSURES ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE COLUMN OF SULFUR UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL PRESSURE, AND HAVING SUFFICIENT PRESSURE TO FORCE THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION THROUGH THE CATALYTIC TANK AND INTO THE IRRIGATION WATER.