Mixing apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus comprising a housing means having primary and secondary flow paths communicating with an inlet and an outlet, said housing means including selectively adjustable valve means for controlling flow between said flow paths, a movable flow restrictor in said primary flow path, and means on said housing for automatically correlating the range of movement of said flow restrictor with said valve means so that the range of movement of said flow restrictor is at a minimum when said valve means is fully opened and vice versa, a fixed limit stop on said housing means, spring means biasing said flow restrictor towards said limit stop so that there is minimum flow through the primary flow path, and another limit stop on a movable portion of said valve means for defining the range of movement of said flow restrictor.

Claim 3

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said secondary flow path includes a chamber In said housing means for removably receiving a container of material to be added to that portion of a stream adapted to flow through said secondary flow path, a partition extending transversely across said chamber for dividing the chamber into an inlet portion and an outlet portion.

Claim 4

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including a container, structure on said housing means for removably securing the container in said chamber with a bottom wall of the container abutting said partition, means on the container temporarily blocking holes in the container on opposite sides of the partition so that a portion of the secondary flow path will be through the container by way of container inlet holes on one side of the partition and container exit holes on the other side of the partition.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, including drain valve means on said housing means for draining at least one of said flow paths when flow is shut off, said drain valve means including a valve member biased to a closed position by line pressure and movable to an open position when water is present at little or no pressure.

Claim 6

Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said valve member of said drain valve means has a specific gravity less than

Claim 7

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including means for adding a chemical salt to said secondary flow path, and means for adding a pH corrective chemical to the flow stream down the stream from said outlet.

Claim 8

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flow restrictor is supported by said housing means in said primary flow path for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the direction of flow in the primary flow path.

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said valve means includes a disc valve member rotatable about said axis.

Claim 10

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said housing means includes a chamber for said secondary flow path, said chamber being open at one end thereof for removably receiving a container of a chemical to be added to the secondary flow path.

Claim 11

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including the transverse partition dividing said secondary flow path into an inlet portion and an outlet portion, said valve means including a single movable valve member for simultaneously controlling flow from said primary path to said inlet portion and for controlling flow from said outlet portion to said primary path, and a container having holes in a lower end thereof for forming a portion of said secondary flow path between said inlet portion and said outlet portion, said container having a material therein to be added to the secondary flow path.

Claim 12

Apparatus comprising a housing having a main flow chamber communicating with an inlet and an outlet, said housing having a secondary flow chamber, valve means including a single valve member positioned for controlling flow from the inlet end of said main chamber into the secondary chamber and from said secondary chamber to the outlet end of said main chamber, a movable flow restrictor in said main chamber intermediate the locations where said chambers communicate with each other, first and second limit stops in said main chamber defining the range of movement for said flow restrictor, said first limit stop being fixed and said second limit stop being movable, the location of said second limit stop being defined by the position of said valve member, means defining a constantly open bleed passage between said inlet and outlet, and spring means biasing said flow restrictor towards said first limit stop.

Claim 13

Apparatus comprising a housing having a main flow chamber communicating with an inlet and an outlet, said housing having a secondary flow chamber, valve means including a single valve member positioned for controlling flow from the inlet end of said main chamber into the secondary chamber and from said secondary chamber to the outlet end of said main chamber, a movable flow restrictor in said main chamber intermediate the locations where said chambers communicate with each other, first and second limit stops in said main chamber defining the range of movement for said flow restrictor, said first limit stop being fixed and said second limit stop being movable, the location of said second limit stop being defined by the position of said valve member, means defining a constantly open bleed passage between said inlet and outlet, and spring means biasing said flow restrictor towards said first limit stop.

Claim 14

Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 wherein said secondary flow chamber is circular in configuration and open at one end, a partition at the other end of said secondary flow chamber, said partition lying along a chord of said secondary flow chamber, and the height of the partition being less than the height of said secondary flow chamber.

Claim 15

Apparatus comprising a housing means having a main flow chamber communicating with an inlet and an outlet, said housing means having a secondary flow chamber, means including a transverse partition for dividing said secondary chamber into an inlet portion and an outlet portion, valve means including a valve member having first and second flow ports in substantially the same plane and arranged with mating ports on said housing for controlling flow between said chambers so that the flow from the inlet end of said main chamber may flow through the first port into the secondary chamber inlet portion and return from said secondary chamber outlet portion through the second port to the outlet end of said main chamber, means for adding an additive to the flow in said secondary flow chamber, drain valve means on said housing means for draining at least one of said flow chambers when flow is shut off so that concentrate of the additive may not flow from the secondary chamber to said outlet, said drain valve means including a ball valve member cooperating with a valve seat so that a portion of the ball valve member is exposed at atmospheric pressure when the ball valve member is seated on said seat, said ball valve member being biased to a closed position by line pressure greater than the buoyancy force of said ball valve member, and said ball valve member being movable to an open position with respect to said seat when flow in said main chamber is at little or no pressure.

Claim 16

Apparatus comprising a housing means having a main flow chamber communicating with an inlet and an outlet, said housing means having a secondary flow chamber, means including a transverse partition for dividing said secondary chamber into an inlet portion and an outlet portion, valve means including a valve member having first and second flow ports in substantially the same plane and arranged with mating ports on said housing for controlling flow between said chambers so that the flow from the inlet end of said main chamber may flow through the first port into the secondary chamber inlet portion and return from said secondary chamber outlet portion through the second port to the outlet end of said main chamber, means for adding an additive to the flow in said secondary flow chamber, drain valve means on said housing means for draining at least one of said flow chambers when flow is shut off so that concentrate of the additive may not flow from the secondary chamber to said outlet, said drain valve means including a ball valve member cooperating with a valve seat so that a portion of the ball valve member is exposed at atmospheric pressure when the ball valve member is seated on said seat, said ball valve member being biased to a closed position by line pressure greater than the buoyancy force of said ball valve member, and said ball valve member being movable to an open position with respect to said seat when flow in said main chamber is at little or no pressure.

Claim 17

Apparatus in accordance with claim 13 including a rotatably mounted flow restrictor in said main chamber between said inlet and outlet, said valve member being mounted for rotation about the same axis as said flow restrictor, an external actuator connected to said valve member for rotating said valve member, said flow restrictor being biased to a minimum flow position, a movable limit stop for defining the maximum open position for said flow restrictor, said movable limit stop being coupled to said actuator for movement in response to movement of said actuator.

Claim 18

Apparatus comprising a housing having a main flow chamber communicating with an inlet and an outlet, said main chamber having a flow restrictor therein which is incapable of stopping all flow from the inlet to the outlet, means defining a secondary chamber, a transverse partition in said secondary chamber adjacent the bottom thereof, said partition having a height which is less than the height of the secondary chamber, said partition dividing said secondary chamber into an inlet portion and an outlet portion, a valve means positioned for controlling flow from that portion of said main chamber between said inlet and said restrictor to the inlet portion of said secondary chamber, said valve means also controlling flow from the outlet portion of said secondary chamber to said main chamber at a location between said restrictor and said outlet, said valve means including juxtaposed surfaces, each of said surfaces having a pair of spaced openings, said partition being located in a plane disposed between said openings in one of said surfaces, each opening being adopted for cooperation with a mating opening to control flow, said one surface being stationary with respect to said housing, said other surface being mounted for rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said main chamber, and a container for containing material to be introduced to the flow between said inlet and outlet, said container supported by said partition and containing means for permitting flow from said inlet portion of said secondary chamber through said container to said outlet portion of said secondary chamber.

Claim 19

Apparatus comprising a housing having a main flow chamber communicating with an inlet and an outlet, said main chamber having a flow restrictor therein which is incapable of stopping all flow from the inlet to the outlet, means defining a secondary chamber, a transverse partition in said secondary chamber adjacent the bottom thereof, said partition having a height which is less than the height of the secondary chamber, said partition dividing said secondary chamber into an inlet portion and an outlet portion, a valve means positioned for controlling flow from that portion of said main chamber between said inlet and said restrictor to the inlet portion of said secondary chamber, said valve means also controlling flow from the outlet portion of said secondary chamber to said main chamber at a location between said restrictor and said outlet, said valve means including juxtaposed surfaces, each of said surfaces having a pair of spaced openings, said partition being located in a plane disposed between said openings in one of said surfaces, each opening being adopted for cooperation with a mating opening to control flow, said one surface being stationary with respect to said housing, said other surface being mounted for rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said main chamber, and a container for containing material to be introduced to the flow between said inlet and outlet, said container supported by said partition and containing means for permitting flow from said inlet portion of said secondary chamber through said container to said outlet portion of said secondary chamber.

Claim 20

Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 wherein said one surface is a wall of said main chamber, and the openings in each of said surfaces being arcuate at substantially the same radius from said axis of rotation.

Claim 21

Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 including valve means for draining said secondary chamber through said main chamber.

Claim 22

Apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein said flow restriCtor is rotatably mounted in said main chamber for rotation about an axis parallel to said axis of rotation, said rotatably mounted flow restrictor being biased to a minimum flow position, a movable limit stop for defining the maximum open position for said movable flow restrictor, said movable limit stop being coupled to an actuator for said valve member for movement with said valve member.