Water softening apparatus

Claim 1

IN WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS: A TANK FOR WATER SOFTENING MATERIAL, SAID TANK HAVING A PAIR OF OPENINGS THEREIN AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF BEDS OF SOFTENING MATERIAL ARRANGED IN PARALLEL FLOW RELATIONSHIP; A HOPPER FOR SOLUTION ADAPTED TO REGENERATE SAID MATERIAL, SAID HOPPER INCLUDING A HOLLOW BODY PORTION ADAPTED TO HOLD SAID SOLUTION, AND HOPPER VALVE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BODY PORTION INCLUDING A VALVE MEMBER HAVING A METERING OPENING THEREIN MOVABLE FROM A POSITION RETAINING SAID SOLUTION IN SAID HOPPER TO A POSITION PERMITTING SAID SOLUTION TO FLOW THEREFROM, AND TO A POSITION WHEREIN WATER FLOWS THROUGH SAID METERING OPENING INTO SAID HOPPER; A FIRST SELECTOR VALVE CONNECTED WITH ONE OPENING IN SAID TANK WITH SAID HOPPER VALVE MEANS, AND WITH A CONSUMER FOR THE SOFTENED WATER; A SECOND SELECTOR VALVE CONNECTED WITH THE OTHER OPENING IN SAID TANK AND WITH A WATER DRAIN; INLET VALVE MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID SELECTOR VALVE, WITH A WATER SUPPLY SOURCE AND WITH SAID HOPPER VALVE MEANS; ORIFICE MEANS LOCATED IN A POSITION IN SAID HOPPER VALVE MEANS TO CAUSE A BACK PRESSURE IN SAID HOPPER VALVE MEANS, WHEREBY SAID VALVE MEMBER IS MOVED TO THE POSITION WHEREIN WATER FLOWS THROUGH SAID METERING OPENING INTO SAID HOPPER AT A RATE DEPENDING UPON THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PRESSURE CREATED BY SAID ORIFICE MEANS; NORMALLY-CLOSED SWITCH MEANS LOCATED ON SAID HOPPER IN COMMUNICATION WITH OVERFLOW MEANS ON THE HPOPER AND IN A POSITION TO BE OPENED BY WATER OVERFLOWING SAID HOPPER; A MANUAL SWITCH ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED WITH SAID NORNALLY-CLOSED SWITCH MEANS, SAID SELECTOR VALVES, AND WITH SAID INLET VALVE MEANS, SAID SELECTOR VALVES AND INLET VALVE MEANS BEING RESPONSIVE TO CLOSURE OF SAID MANUAL SWITCH AND NORMALLY-CLOSED SWITCH TO MOVE TO A POSITION PERMITTING FLOW THROUGH SAID INLET VALVE MEANS, THROUGH SAID ORIFICE MEANS IN SAID HOPPER VALVE MEANS MOVING SAID VALVE MEMBER TO PERMIT FLOW INTO SAID HOPPER, THROUGH SAID FIRST SELECTOR VALVE AND TANK, OUT OF SECOND SELECTOR VALVE INTO SAID DRAIN TO FLUSH SAID TANK AND SIMULTANEOUSLY FILL SAID HOPPER AND, RESPONSIVE TO THE OPENING OF SAID MANUAL SWITCH TO REPOSITION SAID INLET VALVE MEANS AND SELECTOR VALVES TO PERMIT FLOW THROUGH SAID INLET VALVE MEANS, SECOND SELECTOR VALVE, TANK, AND FIRST SELECTOR VALVE TO THE CONSUMER; AND TIMER MEANS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED WITH SAID HOPPER VALVE MEANS AND SELECTOR VALVES, SAID SELECTOR VALVES AND HOPPER VALVE MEANS BEING RESPONSIVE TO SAID TIMER MEANS AFTER A PREDETERMINED TIME AND WHEN SAID MANUAL SWITCH IS OPEN, TO REPOSITION SAID SELECTOR VALVES AND TO MOVE SAID VALVE MEMBER TO THE POSITION WHEREIN SAID HOPPER VALVE MEANS PERMITTING THE REGENERATIVE SOLUTION TO FLOW FROM SAID HOPPER INTO SAID TANK.