Apparatus for injecting into water softening systems

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A WATER SOFTENER HAVING A BRINE SUPPLY SYSTEM AND A SOFTENING TANK WITH CONTROL MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REGENERATING THE BRINE CONCENTRATION IN THE SOFTENER TANK, A METERING VALVE FOR INJECTING PREDETERMINED AMOUNTS OF AN IMPURITY DISSOLVING SOLUTION INTO THE BRINE SYSTEM COMPRISING: (A) A HOUSING MEMBER DEFINING AN INLET PASSAGE AND A DISCHARGE PASSAGE WITH ORIFICE MEANS AFFORDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID PASSAGES; (B) A VALVE MEMBER ARRANGED FOR SEALING SAID ORIFICE INCLUDING: (1) A RESILIENT FOR CLOSING SAID ORIFICE; AND (2) A VALVE GUIDING AND OPERATING STEM ARRANGED FOR LONGITUDINAL SLIDING MOVEMENT WITHIN THE ORIFICE AND HAVING AN OPERATING END EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID HOUSING AND PROVIDED WITH A FLOW GROOVE IN ADJACENT POSITION TO SAID ORIFICE AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE STEM SUCH THAT WHEN THE SEALING MEMBER IS DISPLACED THE FLOW GROOVE ENDS WILL BE POSITIONED RESPECTIVELY IN THE INLET PASSAGE AND THE DISCHARGE PASSAGE TO AFFORD COMMUNICATION THEREBETWEEN; (C) MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SOFTENER CONTROL MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ACTUATING THE OPERATIVE END OF SAID VALVE GUIDE TO ALLOW A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FLUID TO FLOW THROUGH SAID METERING VALVE; AND (D) FLUID SUPPLY MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INLET.