Brine valve assembly

Claim 1

In a brine system for regenerating ion exchange material used for water conditioning including a brine tank, having a brine well positioned therein so as to define a brine valve compartment within said well and a brine storage compartment outside said well and means associated with the lower end of said well for permitting fluid communication between said brine valve compartment and said brine storage compartment; an improved brine valve assembly for controlling the influx of refill water to said tank and the efflux of brine from said tank, comprising: a. a valve body having an internal chamber and an upwardly opening annular port; b. annular seat means concentric with said annular port; c. a vertically elongated float guide means extending above said seat means in said well; d. a float means movable along said guide in response to changes in the level of liquid in said well; e. a valve closure member means carried by said float means to close against said seat means for closing said annular port when the brine level descends to a predetermined low level in said well; f. a float cage member concentric with said float guide means and positioned immediately above said valve body, said cage having a closed lower end in fluid communication with said annular port and an open upper end for receipt of said float means therethrough; g. a tube means having a lower end in fluid communication with said lower end of said float cage member and an upper end in fluid communication with said well; and h. a conduit means having a lower end in fluid communication with said valve body for withdrawing brine from said well and directing refill water into said well through said annular port.