Apparatus for fluid treatment

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF LIQUID FLOWING THROUGH A CONDUIT, WHICH LIQUID MAY CONTAIN UNWANTED, ENTRAINED GASES, COMPRISING, CHAMBER MEANS COUPLED TO SAID CONDUIT FOR CONVERTING THE STRAIGHT LIQUID FLOW IN SAID CONDUIT INTO A FREE VORTEX FLOW AND THEREAFTER RECONVERGING SAID FREE VORTEX FLOW INTO STRAIGHT FLOW FOR CONTINUED PASSAGE ALONG SAID CONDUIT, THE FREE VORTEX FLOW RESULTING IN THE GATHERING OF THE ENTRAINED GASES SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE VORTEX AXIS, A VALVE HOUSING COUPLED TO SAID CHAMBER MEANS, A HOLLOW TUBULAR MEMBER MOUNTED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID CHAMBER MEANS AND EXTENDING INTO SAID VALVE HOUSING TO ESTABLISH FLUID COMMINICATION BETWEEN SAID CHAMBER MEANS AND SAID HOUSING, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A PLURLAITY OF APERTURES THEREALONG FOR ENABLING BOTH SAID LIQUID AND SAID GASES GATHERED ALONG SAID VORTEX AXIS TO ENTER SAID HOUSING, A VERTICALLY ORIENTED HOLLOW STEM MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING HAVING AN OPEN UPPER END EXTENDING OUTSIDE OF SAID HOUSING, AT LEAST ONE APERTURE IN SAID STEM AT A POINT THEREALONG WITHIN SAID HOUSING, AND A VALVE FLOAT MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID STEM ADAPTED TO RISE TO AN UPPER POSITION TO CLOSE SAID APERTURE WHEN THE LIQUID IN SAID HOUSING RISES AND TO FALL TO LOWER POSITION TO OPEN SAID APERTURE WHEN THE LIQUID LEVEL FALLS.