Gravity fed water treatment apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for removing chlorine, chlorinated hydrocarbons and other organic materials from drinking water, comprising: (a) a first container having an open top for receiving water and a restricted opening in its bottom portion for discharging water, said container having slightly converging vertical walls for receiving a predetermined quantity of water and to serve as a temporary reservoir for the water, said restricted opening having threads about its periphery; (b) a disposable cartridge containing at least one-half ounce of activated carbon particles ranging between 10 and 60 mesh in size, said disposable cartridge having a vertical length of at least two inches and a diametral dimension of approximately one inch and being threadably connected to and in open fluid communication with the restricted opening in the first container, said disposable cartridge having a plurality of apertures in its bottom portion said first container and said disposable cartridge being dimensioned so as to discharge water through said plurality of apertures at a flow rate between approximately 0.0125 and 0.02 gallons per minute when said predetermined quantity of water is placed in said first container; (c) a second container having a larger capacity than the first container, having a top opening sized to receive said cartridge and having a first container-supporting top surface, said disposable cartridge being at least partially disposed within the second container to discharge water passing into the second container; and (d) a plurality of ridges on the bottom of said first container, extending radially outward from said restricted opening across and contacting said top surface of the first container when the disposable cartridge is disposed within the second container.

Claim 2

An apparatus for removing chlorine, chlorinated hydrocarbons and other organic materials from drinking water, comprising: (a) a first container having an open top for receiving water and a restricted opening in its bottom portion for discharging water, said container having slightly converging vertical walls for receiving a predetermined quantity of water and to serve as a temporary reservoir for the water, said restricted opening having threads about its periphery; (b) a disposable cartridge containing at least one-half ounce of activated carbon particles ranging between 10 and 60 mesh in size, said disposable cartridge having a vertical length of at least two inches and a diametral dimension of approximately one inch and being threadably connected to and in open fluid communication with the restricted opening in the first container, said disposable cartridge having a plurality of apertures in its bottom portion said first container and said disposable cartridge being dimensioned so as to discharge water through said plurality of apertures at a flow rate between approximately 0.0125 and 0.02 gallons per minute when said predetermined quantity of water is placed in said first container; (c) a second container having a larger capacity than the first container, having a top opening sized to receive said cartridge and having a first container-supporting top surface, said disposable cartridge being at least partially disposed within the second container to discharge water passing into the second container; and (d) a plurality of ridges on the bottom of said first container, extending radially outward from said restricted opening across and contacting said top surface of the first container when the disposable cartridge is disposed within the second container.