Chemical tablet dispensing device for wells

Claim 2

A pellet storage and dispensing apparatus comprising, a housing having a sidewall and bottom wall defining a pellet chamber, means for supporting said housing at an incline whereby said bottom wall has upper and lower portions, a pellet dispensing tube having one end operatively connected to said bottom wall so as to open through said upper portion, means for maintaining the level of pellets within said chamber below said one end of the pellet dispensing tube, a pellet conveying member movably supported within said pellet chamber adjacent the bottom wall, said member having at least one opening which partially defines a pellet receiving pocket, said pellet conveying member being movable between a first position wherein said opening is disposed below said one end of the pellet dispensing tube for receiving a pellet from said chamber and a second position wherein said opening is registered with said one end of the pellet dispensing tube for delivering a pellet into said tube, a power source, drive means interconnecting said power source and said pellet conveying member for movement of said member in response to actuation of said power source, and control means for actuating said power source.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining the level of pellets within said chamber comprises a false bottom wall supported in spaced relation from said bottom wall, said false bottom wall having a wall opening for the passage of pellets therethrough, the top of said wall opening being disposed below the upper end of the pellet dispensing tube.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pellet conveying member comprises a disc rotatably supported on said bottom wall and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart pellet receiving openings adjacent the peripheral edge of said disc.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said disc engages the bottom wall around said upper end of the pellet dispensing tube, thereby to close said upper end except when said opening is in registration with said upper end, and further comprising a closure member adjacent said disc at a position opposite to said upper end of the pellet dispensing tube for closing the upper end when said opening is in registration with the upper end.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said housing is of a generally cylindrical shape, and said disc substantially covers said bottom wall.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drive means includes a first shaft connected to said pellet conveying member for rotating said member, a second shaft operatively connected to said power source for rotation in one direction when the power source is actuated, and a slip clutch interconnecting said first and second shafts for rotation in unison, said slip cluth including means for rotating said first shaft to a limited extent in a reverse direction in response to resistance of said first shaft to rotate with said second shaft.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said slip clutch includes means for supporting a pair of spring plates on one of said shafts, the other shaft having a linear sided portion adapted for insertion between said spring plates for rotation therewith, said linear sided portion adapted to spread said spring plates apart in response to relative rotation between said first and second shafts.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1 in combination with a water well having a water delivery pipe and means for providing water flow from said well through said water delivery tube, said control means being responsive to fluid flow through said pipe.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 8 wherein said control means comprises a baffle, hinge means for pivotally supporting said baffle interiorly of said pipe whereby said baffle is pivotally moved to a first position in response to an absence of flow through said pipe and to a second position in response to water flow through said pipe, a mercury switch carried on the baffle and electrically connected to said motor for stopping the motor when the baffle is in said first position and actuating the motor when the baffle is in said second position.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said power source includes an output shaft which is rotated when the power source is actuated, said drive means including a drive shaft, means for connecting said drive shaft to said output shaft for rotation through a selected angle in one direction in response to each revolution of said output shaft, and means for adjustably setting said selected angle for the drive shaft, said pellet conveying member operatively connected to said drive shaft for rotation therewith.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said drive means includes a support member for supporting said power source relative to said housing, said means for connecting the drive shaft and output shaft including, an eccentric cam on said output shaft, a pivot arm pivotally mounted on said support member, said pivot arm engageable with said eccentric cam for pivotal movement in response to rotation of said cam, a lever arm, first one-way bearing means supporting said lever arm on said drive shaft for rotation of the drive shaft in response to pivotal movement of the lever arm in one direction only, means interconnecting said pivot arm and lever arm for pivotal movement in unison, means biasing said bever arm to pivot in an opposite direction thereby biasing said pivot arm toward said eccentric cam.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said drive means includes second one-way bearing means for supporting said drive shaft relative to said housing, said bearing adapted to prevent rotation of said drive shaft in said opposite direction.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for adjustably setting said selected angle includes stop means for limiting movement of the pivot arm toward said eccentric cam.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 1 including means for regulating the temperature within said pellet storage chamber.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 1 including means for indicating that the level of pellets within said pellet chamber is below a predetermined level.

Claim 17

A chemical pellet dispensing device for a well equipped with means for providing fluid flow from the well, comprising: a housing having an upwardly inclined bottom wall and a sidewall defining a pellet chamber, a pellet dispensing tube having a lower end adapted for communication with said well and an upper end connected to said bottom wall for communication with said pellet chamber, divider wall means secured to the housing and spaced from said bottom wall, said divider wall means having a wall opening for the passage of pellets past said divider wall means and toward said bottom wall, the top of said wall opening being disposed below said upper end of the pellet dispensing tube whereby the level of pellets between said bottom wall and divider wall means is below said upper end of the pellet dispensing tube, a pellet conveying member movably supported within said pellet chamber adjacent the bottom wall, said member having at least one pellet receiving opening, and said member being movable between a first position wherein said pellet receiving opening is disposed below the top of said wall opening for receiving a pellet therein, and a second position wherein said pellet receiving opening is registered with said pellet dispensing tube for delivering a pellet thereto, a power source, drive means interconnecting said power source and said pellet conveying member for movement of said member between said first and second positions in response to actuation of said power source, and control means for actuating said power source.

Claim 18

A chemical pellet dispensing device for a well equipped with means for providing fluid flow from the well, comprising: a housing having an upwardly inclined bottom wall and a sidewall defining a pellet chamber, a pellet dispensing tube having a lower end adapted for communication with said well and an upper end connected to said bottom wall for communication with said pellet chamber, divider wall means secured to the housing and spaced from said bottom wall, said divider wall means having a wall opening for the passage of pellets past said divider wall means and toward said bottom wall, the top of said wall opening being disposed below said upper end of the pellet dispensing tube whereby the level of pellets between said bottom wall and divider wall means is below said upper end of the pellet dispensing tube, a pellet conveying member movably supported within said pellet chamber adjacent the bottom wall, said member having at least one pellet receiving opening, and said member being movable between a first position wherein said pellet receiving opening is disposed below the top of said wall opening for receiving a pellet therein, and a second position wherein said pellet receiving opening is registered with said pellet dispensing tube for delivering a pellet thereto, a power source, drive means interconnecting said power source and said pellet conveying member for movement of said member between said first and second positions in response to actuation of said power source, and control means for actuating said power source.

Claim 19

The device of claim 16 including means for supporting said housing with the bottom wall and pellet conveying member inclined relative to a vertical plane whereby a pellet in said chamber is received into said pellet receiving opening by gravity, and delivered therefrom into said pellet dispensing tube by gravity.

Claim 20

The device of claim 16 wherein said control means is adapted to actuate said power source in response to fluid flow from the well.

Claim 21

In combination with a well including a fluid delivery pipe and means for intermittently providing fluid flow from the well through said fluid delivery pipe, a chemical pellet dispensing apparatus comprising, a housing having a side wall and bottom wall defining a pellet chamber, a pellet conveying member operatively supported for movement between a first position wherein said member is adapted to receive a pellet from said chamber and a second position wherein said member is adapted to deliver said pellet to the well, a power source, drive means interconnecting said power source and said pellet conveying member for movement of said member between said first and second positions in response to actuation of said power source, and control means operative to actuate said power source in response to fluid flow through said fluid delivery pipe and operative to shut off said power source in response to an absence of fluid flow through said fluid delivery pipe whereby the quantity of pellets dispensed into the well is dependent upon the volume of fluid removed from the well through the fluid delivery pipe.

Claim 22

In combination with a well including a fluid delivery pipe and means for intermittently providing fluid flow from the well through said fluid delivery pipe, a chemical pellet dispensing apparatus comprising, a housing having a side wall and bottom wall defining a pellet chamber, a pellet conveying member operatively supported for movement between a first position wherein said member is adapted to receive a pellet from said chamber and a second position wherein said member is adapted to deliver said pellet to the well, a power source, drive means interconnecting said power source and said pellet conveying member for movement of said member between said first and second positions in response to actuation of said power source, and control means operative to actuate said power source in response to fluid flow through said fluid delivery pipe and operative to shut off said power source in response to an absence of fluid flow through said fluid delivery pipe whereby the quantity of pellets dispensed into the well is dependent upon the volume of fluid removed from the well through the fluid delivery pipe.

Claim 23

A pellet storage and dispensing apparatus comprising, a housing having a side wall and bottom wall defining a pellet chamber, a pellet conveying member operatively supported for movement between a first position wherein said member is adapted to receive a pellet from said chamber and a second position wherein said member is adapted to dispense said pellet exteriorly of said chamber, a power source, drive means interconnecting said power source and said pellet conveying member for movement of said member in response to actuation of said power source, and control means for actuating said power source, said drive means including a first shaft connected to said pellet conveying member for rotating said member, a second shaft operatively connected to said power source for rotation in one direction when the power source is actuated, and slip clutch means interconnecting said first and second shafts for rotation in unison, said slip clutch means including means for rotating said first shaft to a limited extent in a reverse direction in response to resistance of said first shaft to rotate with said second shaft in said one direction thereby to relieve the cause of said resistance so that operation of the pellet conveying member may continue unhindered.

Claim 24

A pellet storage and dispensing apparatus comprising, a housing having a side wall and bottom wall defining a pellet chamber, a pellet conveying member operatively supported for movement between a first position wherein said member is adapted to receive a pellet from said chamber and a second position wherein said member is adapted to dispense said pellet exteriorly of said chamber, a power source, drive means interconnecting said power source and said pellet conveying member for movement of said member in response to actuation of said power source, and control means for actuating said power source, said drive means including a first shaft connected to said pellet conveying member for rotating said member, a second shaft operatively connected to said power source for rotation in one direction when the power source is actuated, and slip clutch means interconnecting said first and second shafts for rotation in unison, said slip clutch means including means for rotating said first shaft to a limited extent in a reverse direction in response to resistance of said first shaft to rotate with said second shaft in said one direction thereby to relieve the cause of said resistance so that operation of the pellet conveying member may continue unhindered.