Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
266 words
Apparatus for adding chemicals in small amounts to water comprising: a. a supply of water at main pressure, b. an intermediate-velocity chamber, c. a water delivery device, d. a hose between said supply and said chamber, e. a conduit between said chamber and said device, f. a feeder in the form of a compact, stiff but flexible shell of waterproof plastic of substantially neutral bouyancy adapted to be contained within said chamber, and g. a dose of said chemical within said feeder, wherein: (i) said supply, hose, chamber, conduit, and device are interconnected to comprise a water-and-pressure-tight channel from said supply through said hose, chamber, conduit, and device, and (ii) said feeder is perforated by a number of small feed holes, selected to have a number, size, and distribution to provide a desired rate of feeding of said chemical, and is small enough and close enough to spherical in shape and to neutral bouyancy so that a normal flow rate through said chamber said feeder is free randomly to turn and move about, thereby to feed said chemical proportionately to said rate, wherein (iii) said device is a nozzle providing quick-acting control and cut-off of the flow of water through said channel, (iv) said feeder encloses trapped within it a bubble of gas, and (v) the amount of said entrapped gas, and the size of said feed holes is selected to control water hammering, and to provide a desired size shot of chemical to the target area of said nozzle with each cycle of said control, thereby providing a second mode of operation of the feeder.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
266 words
Apparatus for adding chemicals in small amounts to water comprising: a. a supply of water at main pressure, b. an intermediate-velocity chamber, c. a water delivery device, d. a hose between said supply and said chamber, e. a conduit between said chamber and said device, f. a feeder in the form of a compact, stiff but flexible shell of waterproof plastic of substantially neutral bouyancy adapted to be contained within said chamber, and g. a dose of said chemical within said feeder, wherein: (i) said supply, hose, chamber, conduit, and device are interconnected to comprise a water-and-pressure-tight channel from said supply through said hose, chamber, conduit, and device, and (ii) said feeder is perforated by a number of small feed holes, selected to have a number, size, and distribution to provide a desired rate of feeding of said chemical, and is small enough and close enough to spherical in shape and to neutral bouyancy so that a normal flow rate through said chamber said feeder is free randomly to turn and move about, thereby to feed said chemical proportionately to said rate, wherein (iii) said device is a nozzle providing quick-acting control and cut-off of the flow of water through said channel, (iv) said feeder encloses trapped within it a bubble of gas, and (v) the amount of said entrapped gas, and the size of said feed holes is selected to control water hammering, and to provide a desired size shot of chemical to the target area of said nozzle with each cycle of said control, thereby providing a second mode of operation of the feeder.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein (vi) said chemical is of the group consisting of nutrients, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, detergents, corrosion inhibitors, and wax solutions, and (vii) said bubble is enclosed in a thin plastic bladder.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein (vi) said chemical is of the group consisting of nutrients, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, dispersants, defoamers, emulsifiers, flocculants, coagulants, and detergents.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein (vi) said chemical is of the group consisting of nutrients, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, detergents, corrosion inhibitors, and wax solution.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein (vi) said feeder has a volume no more than 24 cubic inches and no less than 0.1 cubic inches, said holes are each less than three square millimeters in area, and greater than five thousandths of an inch (0.005") in diameter, and have an aggregate area less than 0.2% of the surface area of said shell.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein (vi) said feeder has a volume of between 24 cubic inches and 70 cubic inches, said holes are each less than three square millimeters in area, and greater than five thousandths of an inch (0.005") in diameter, and have an aggregate area less than 0.2% of the surface area of said shell.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 6 wherein (vii) said chemical is of the group consisting of nutrients, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, detergents, wax solution, and corrosion inhibitors.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 7 wherein (viii) said chamber is a rounded pot with a removeable top for introduction of said feeder.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein (vi) said feeder is weighted and buoyed so that when placed in still water it reposes so that there is substantially no outflow of said chemical; and said bubble is of air which remains trapped at the top of said feeder.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as defined by claim 7 wherein said bubble is enclosed in a thin plastic bladder and thereby trapped.