Ion exchange vessel

Claim 1

AN ION EXCHANGE VESSEL CONTAINING ION EXCHANGE RESIN COMPRISING A DISTRIBUTION MEANS, LIQUID SUPPLY MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID DISTRIBUTION MEANS FOR PROVIDING UPWARD SERVICE FLOW, A COLLECTION MEANS POSITIONED AVOVE SAID DISTRIBUTION MEANS, LIQUID SUPPLY MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID COLLECTION MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY PROVIDING DOWNWARD LIQUID FLOW, SAID DISTRIBUTION MEANS COMPRISING UNSCREENED APERTURED DISTRIBUTION MEANS FOR BOTH SUPPLYING SAID UPWARD SERVICE FLOW AND FOR REMOVING RESIN FROM SAID VESSEL WHEN SAID DOWNWARD LIQUID FLOW IS BEING SELECTIVELY PROVIDED THROUGH SAID VESSEL AND DRAINING MEANS COMPRISING A SCREENED LOWER DRAIN FOR SELECTIVELY DRAINING LIQUID FROM SAID VESSEL WITHOUT THE REMOVAL OF ANY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RESIN FROM SAID VESSEL, SAID DISTRIBUTION MEANS COMPRISES A HOLLOW HUB WHICH PROTUDES UPWARDLY THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE BOTTOM OF SAID VESSEL AND A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW RADIALLY EXTENDING INSCREENED APERTURED LATERALS WHICH ARE IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID HUB, SAID HUB HAVING A PLURALITY OF UNSCREENED HOLES THEREIN WHICH EXTEND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND SAID HUB ADJACENT THE AREA WHERE SAID HUB PROTRUDES THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF SAID VESSEL.

Claim 6

A method of operating an ion exchange vessel containing ion exchange resin and having a distribution means and a collection means positioned above said distribution means for providing an upward service flow through said vessel, said vessel having a drain adjacent to said distribution means, comprising the steps of maintaining a service flow of liquid in said ion exchange vessel upwardly from said distribution means to said collection means and concurrently maintaining a service flow downwardly to said collection means through the upper portion of said vessel, terminating the upward service flow through said distribution means and the downward service flow to said collection means, after terminating said upward service flow and said downward service flow supplying sluice water downwardly through said vessel and removing resin from said vessel through said distribution means during the downward flow of sluice water through said vessel, selectively draining liquid from said vessel without the removal of resin from the tank.

Claim 7

A method of operating an ion exchange vessel containing ion exchange resin and having a distribution means and a collection means positioned above said distribution means for providing an upward service flow through said vessel, said vessel having a drain adjacent to said distribution means, comprising the steps of maintaining a service flow of liquid in said ion exchange vessel upwardly from said distribution means to said collection means and concurrently maintaining a service flow downwardly to said collection means through the upper portion of said vessel, terminating the upward service flow through said distribution means and the downward service flow to said collection means, after terminating said upward service flow and said downward service flow supplying sluice water downwardly through said vessel and removing resin from said vessel through said distribution means during the downward flow of sluice water through said vessel, selectively draining liquid from said vessel without the removal of resin from the tank.