Patent US4839057A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4839057A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Water treatment system
Assignee: Alar Engineering Corp
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Filing: 1987-09-30
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Granted: 1989-06-13
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Expires: 2007-09-30
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for the removal or reduction of inorganic contaminants, hardness, radionuclides, organic contaminants, odor, turbidity, discoloration, and objectionable taste from water, subjects the water to lime-phosphate softening, aeration, sedimentation, filtration and ion exchange in an automatic cycle especially suited for home and small commercial usage. The raw water, such as well water, is first subjected to a cold lime softening and aeration treatment, then to a phosphate treatment followed by settling and filtering. The thus treated water is supplied to a pressurized tank feeding a conventional ion exchange water softening unit as the water is tapped for use. No heat input is needed but the treated water can be heated as desired for use. An electrical control system regulates the water and chemicals input agitation, aeration, the time of chemical treatment in successive stages and the maintenance of a desired head pressure for the treated water. The apparatus is compact, fully automatic in operation, low in cost and is well suited for use in private homes.
Inventors
- 👤 Harold R. White
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 23:51
CPC Classifications
C; C02; C02F; C02F1/00; C02F1/52; C02F1/5281; C02F9/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S210/00; Y10S210/902; Y10S210/916; Y10S210/917
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
The method of purifying contaminated water which comprises sequentially feeding impure water from a source through a plurality of tanks, feeding lime into a first tank, agitating the lime and water in the first tank, aerating the lime and water in the first tank, settling a residue from the treated water in the first tank, transferring clarified water from the first tank to a second tank, agitating the water in the second tank, feeding an acid into the water in the second tank, settling residue from the water in the second tank, transferring clarified water from the second tank to a reservoir tank, pumping water from the reservoir tank through a filter, transferring the filtered water to a pressurized storage tank, and selectively feeding the water from the storage tank through a water softener or direct to piping for end use.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
141 words
The method of purifying contaminated water which comprises sequentially feeding impure water from a source through a plurality of tanks, feeding lime into a first tank, agitating the lime and water in the first tank, aerating the lime and water in the first tank, settling a residue from the treated water in the first tank, transferring clarified water from the first tank to a second tank, agitating the water in the second tank, feeding an acid into the water in the second tank, settling residue from the water in the second tank, transferring clarified water from the second tank to a reservoir tank, pumping water from the reservoir tank through a filter, transferring the filtered water to a pressurized storage tank, and selectively feeding the water from the storage tank through a water softener or direct to piping for end use.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 including the steps of accumulating a supply of settled out residues in the first and second tanks for reuse in treating subsequent batches of water in these tanks.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the settled out residues are drained from the tanks to maintain levels of the residue below the levels at which clarified water is transferred from the tanks.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method of claim 1 wherein dry lime is fed into the first tank.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein a monosodium phosphate solution is fed into the water in the second tank.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the monosodium phosphate added to the second tank is a 25% water solution.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein sufficient lime is added into the first tank to develop a pH greater than 10.5 in the water.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 7 wherein sufficient acid is fed into the water in the second tank to reduce the pH of the water to about 7.2-7.6.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of by-passing the treatments in the first, second and reservoir tanks and directly feeding the impure water to the storage tanks when the end use demand is greater than the capacity of the treatments in said tanks.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 including the steps of maintaining the levels in the first and second tanks between preset high and low levels.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1 including the added step of maintaining the level of water in the reservoir tank at a high level and sounding an alarm before the level drops to the level at which the water is pumped from the reservoir tank.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
190 words
The method of purifying contaminated water to reduce inorganic contaminants, hardness, radionuclides, organic contaminants, odor, turbidity, discoloration and objectionable taste which comprises sequentially feeding the contaminated water through a plurality of tanks, feeding lime into a first tank, agitating the lime and water in the first tank, aerating the lime and water in the first tank, settling a residue from the treated water in the first tank, transferring clarified water from the first tank to a second tank, agitating the water in the second tank, feeding a phosphate solution into the water in the second tank to reduce the pH of the water to about 7.2-7.6, settling residue from the water in the second tank, transferring clarified water form the second tank to a reservoir tank, pumping water from the reservoir tank through a filter, selectively feeding the filtered water through a water softener or direct to piping for end use, and automatically controlling levels in the tanks an treatment times for the water in the tanks to effect the desired reduction of the aforesaid inorganic contaminants, hardness, radionuclides, organic contaminants, odor, turbidity, discoloration and objectionable taste of the water.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
190 words
The method of purifying contaminated water to reduce inorganic contaminants, hardness, radionuclides, organic contaminants, odor, turbidity, discoloration and objectionable taste which comprises sequentially feeding the contaminated water through a plurality of tanks, feeding lime into a first tank, agitating the lime and water in the first tank, aerating the lime and water in the first tank, settling a residue from the treated water in the first tank, transferring clarified water from the first tank to a second tank, agitating the water in the second tank, feeding a phosphate solution into the water in the second tank to reduce the pH of the water to about 7.2-7.6, settling residue from the water in the second tank, transferring clarified water form the second tank to a reservoir tank, pumping water from the reservoir tank through a filter, selectively feeding the filtered water through a water softener or direct to piping for end use, and automatically controlling levels in the tanks an treatment times for the water in the tanks to effect the desired reduction of the aforesaid inorganic contaminants, hardness, radionuclides, organic contaminants, odor, turbidity, discoloration and objectionable taste of the water.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
138 words
A water treatment system which comprises a lime container, a lime mixer tank, means feeding lime from the container to the mixer tank, an air blower discharging to the lower portion of the lime mixer tank, an agitator in the lime mixer tank, means for feeding raw water to the lime mixer tank, an acid mixer tank, means feeding a liquid acid solution to the acid mixer tank, means transferring clarified water from the lime mixer tank to the acid mixer tank, means for agitating the water in the acid mixer tank, a reservoir tank, a water storage tank, a filter between said reservoir and water storage tanks, means pumping water from the reservoir tank through the filter to the water storage tank, and means maintaining filtered water in the water storage tank under pressure for end use.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
138 words
A water treatment system which comprises a lime container, a lime mixer tank, means feeding lime from the container to the mixer tank, an air blower discharging to the lower portion of the lime mixer tank, an agitator in the lime mixer tank, means for feeding raw water to the lime mixer tank, an acid mixer tank, means feeding a liquid acid solution to the acid mixer tank, means transferring clarified water from the lime mixer tank to the acid mixer tank, means for agitating the water in the acid mixer tank, a reservoir tank, a water storage tank, a filter between said reservoir and water storage tanks, means pumping water from the reservoir tank through the filter to the water storage tank, and means maintaining filtered water in the water storage tank under pressure for end use.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 13 including high and low level controls for the lime mixer and acid mixer tanks.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system of claim 13 including a by-pass between the means for feeding raw water to the lime mixer tank to feed the water direct to the storage tank and an alarm energized when the water in the reservoir tank drops below a predetermined level.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 13 wherein the lime container contains dry lime.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 13 wherein the acid mixer tank receives a monosodium phosphate solution from the means feeding the tank.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 13 including electrical controls and timers for regulating levels in the tanks and treatment times for the water in the tanks.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 13 including a water softener receiving water from the storage tank.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 19 including a water heater selectively receiving water from the softener.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-06-12 | 1992-12-12 | 1993-06-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-06-12 | 1996-12-12 | 1997-06-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-06-12 | 2000-12-12 | 2001-06-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |