Rotary diaphragm valve for water softeners

Claim 1

A MULTI-PORT WATER SOFTENING VALVE INCLUDING A VALVE BODY HAVING AN OPERATING CHAMBER THEREIN, SAID BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF PORTS OPENING INTO SAID CHAMBER AND SPACED AT EQUAL RADIAL DISTANCES WITH RESPECT TO SAID CHAMBER, ONE OF SAID PORTS BEING POSTIONED CLOSELY ADJACENT TO ANOTHER PORT SO AS TO PROVIDE HARD WATER INLET AND SERVICE OUTLET PASSAGES ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER, OTHERS OF SAID PORTS BEING CONNECTABLE TO SEPARATED INLET AND OUTLET PORTIONS OF A SOFTENER TANK AND TO DRAIN CONNECTION, AND A ROTARY VALVE OPERATING MEMBER POSITIONED WITHIN AND FOR ROTATION ABOUT A CERTAIN AXIS OF SAID CHAMBER, SAID VALVE OPERATING MEMBER HAVING RIDIAL DIMENSIONS SUCH AS TO SPAN THE VALVE CHAMBER BETWEEN TWO OPPOSED PORTS WHILE SERVING TO THE PARTITIONS SAID HARD WATER INLET PORT AND SOFT WATER OUTLET PORTS FROM ONE ANOTHER IN ONE POSITION OF THE VALVE AND WHILE ALLOWING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID HARD WATER INLET PORT AND ONE PORTION OF A SOFTENER TANK AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID SERVICE OUTLET PORT AND ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID SOFTENER TANK, SAID OPERATING MEMBER HAVING A MEDIAL PORTION OF TAPERED FORM WITH ONE SIDE PORTION OF SAID MEMBER OF SUFFICIENT DIMENSIONS TO SPAN AND CLOSE ANY ONE OF SAID VALVE PORTS WHILE THE OPPOSITE SIDE PORTION OF SAID OPERATING MEMBER IS OF SMALLER DIMENSIONS WHICH ARE INSUFFICIENT TO SPAN AND CLOSE ANY ONE OF SAID VALVE PORTS, SAID VALVE MEMBER HAVING ANOTHER POSITION CONNECTING SAID HARD WATER INLET PORT TO SAID ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID SOFTENER TANK WHILE ALSO CONNECTING THE HARD WATER INLET PORT TO SAID SERVICE OUTLETPORT TO PROVIDE BACKWASHING AND WHILE CONNECTING SAID DRAIN CONNECTION TO SAID ONE PORTION OF SAID SOFTENER TANK.