US1671672A - Water-softener valve mechanism - Google Patents

Description

May 29, 1928.

L. G. DANIELS WATER SOFTENER VALVE MECHANISM Filed April 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l A H ALT WATER SOFTENER VALVE MECHANISM Filed April 21, 192? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES- LEE (3. DANIELS, or ROCKFORD, rumors.-

wamaorranna VALVE naorramsm.

Application and April 21,

This invention relates to. water softeners of the base exchange type and is devoted more particularly to improvements in the valve mechanism for hand operated softeners such as are more extensively provided for domestic use. J

The principal object is to provide a sim-' plified and inexpensive type of valve mechanism and one which makes it easy for the average person to put the softener through its regenerations. Hand operated softeners have heretofore required anum'ber of valves which had to be opened and closed separately in a certain prescribed order to properly control the flow of water in softening and regeneration. This made it very confusing for the average-mechanically unskilled person to regenerate the softener, and it was only by dint of the use of an instruction book kept at hand' for reference on each occasion o regeneration that the average user could operate the softener without confusion and mistakes. The present invention-is therefore princi-- pally directed toward avoiding this objec tionable feature by providing a valve mecha nism operated by a single hand levershiftable to different positions according to a predetermined scheme, the different ositions being clearly indicated ona face p ate with reference to which the leve is moved so that the operator is insured against the likelihood of doing anything out of turn and reduces the regeneration of of routine.

According to the present invention a handlever is provided swingable from one limit position to another in a guide slot provided in a face plate, the lever in its different posi tions being arranged to operate the valve mechanism differently to secure the proper connections for the softener for softening, regeneration, etc.', and the faceplate bein provided with markin s to indicate the diferent positions for t e lever and having means for holding thelever selectively in,-

any desired position. The different positions are suitably numbered in the order in Whichthe lever should be moved thereto so that guess-work is entirely eliminated and nothing is left to thespecial judgment of the operator. f

Another important feature of the invention' consists in the provision of means whereby the extent of valve opening softening thesoftener to a matter- 1927. Serial No. 185,509.

and regeneration may be varied to secure a predetermined rate of flow of water regardless of the available water pressure in the particular locality where the softener is in-.

stalled. In the present embodiment where the means for holding the hand lever in its different positions has a fixed location the fulcrum for the lever is adjustable-so that the lever in its different positions will open thevalves more or less, depending on the degree of adjustment of the fulcrum. A

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a front View of a softener-equipped with my im proved valve mechanism; Fig. 2 is a front view of the valve mechanism Itself on an enlarged scale, and Figs. 3 and 4 are side views showing the hand lever in different posif tions,-that shown in Fi 3 being. the #3 position designated Was on the face plate gmeanin the salt wash or regeneration ow), w ile that shown 4 is the '-#4 s'ition for, softening operation designated oft on the face plate and that shown in dotted lines in the same figure is the #1' position designated Salt on the face. plate for the water draining and salt charging operation. The same reference numetals are applied to 0 throughout the views.

The softener comprises a tank 10 serving as a container for a bed of zeolite mineral or other water softening material. Hard water is supplied to thesoftener from any suitable source, as, for example, the city water mains, through a pipe 11 and soft Water is arranged. to be discharged to the service system through a pipe12. A ipe 13 connects at-14- with the lower end 0' the tank referably through a distributor pipe or otl ier means'for distributing the water flow, while anotherpipe 15 connects with orresponding parts theupper end of the "tank as at 16.- The service pipe 12; and the pipe 15 are both inopen connection with the upper end of the tank at all times. The hard water supply pi e 11, however, is arranged to, be placed se ectively in communication with either end of the tank through the valve mechanism indicated generally by the reference nume'ral 17, the valve. mechanism being also arranged to shut off either communication as-will hereinafter a pear. In the normal softening operation t e hard water supplied through the pipe-11 flows through communiin full lines in Fig. 1

eating passages in the valve mechanism 17' and passes downwardly through the pipe 13 as indicated by the full line arrow for passage into the lower end of the tank beneath the bed of'water softening material therein. The distributing means in the bottom of the tank,-as previously mentioned, distributes the water evenly throughout the cross-sectional area of the bed for uniform contact with the material, and the water in passing upwardly through the bed is softened and is supplied to the service system through the pipe 12. When the softener is to be re enerated, salt or brine is arranged to be in]ected into a head space in the tank above the material therein through the. neck 18. The latter has a cap- 19 suitably clam ed in place by the hand screw device 20. uring regeneration the hard water supplied through the pipe 11 is conducted through registering pasta es in the valve mechanism 17 upwardly t rough the pifpe 15, as indicated by the dotted arrow, or

discharge into the upper end of the tank.

This-water picks u and dissolves or assimilates the salt or rine for passage downwardly through the mineral for the purpose of causing a chemical exchange, commonly termed base-exchange, to occur between the brine and the'mineral to revive or regenerate the exhausted mineral.

' water leaving the lower end of the tank passes upwardly through the pipe 13 as inicated by the dotted arrow and is con ducted to the sewer through a waste pipe 21.

Broadly speaking, no invention is claimed in the mere provision of means for introducing hard water at one end of the tank and discharging soft water at the other end,

- or inmeans for controllin the direction of water flow so as to-car rine or dissolved salt through the minera in the reverse di-.

rection from the softening flow and discharging the' waste water to the sewer.

, Such means, generall speaking, are well known in this art.. owever, as will hereinafter appear, I have rovided improved means whereby-practical y anyone relativeli unskilled in a mechanical way may put t e softener through these operations with much greater ease and facility, and invention is therefore claimed in this case in' the valve mechanism and its novel control means. I V

The resent valve mechanism constitutes a consi erable improvement over those provided 1n the past with which I am familiarbfy reason of the fact that I have enabled t e use of spring closed valves in place of rotary plug cock valves which proved more or-less unsatisfactory because the necessitated special lubrication to avoi sticking and were furthermore apt to show leakage after being in service for a time. Thus three valves 22, 23 and 24 of the quick open- The waste used.

22 controlling communication between the pipe 11 and the pipe 15, the valve 23 controlling communication between the pipe 11 and the pipe 13, and the valve 24 controlling communication between the pipe 13 and the waste or drain pipe.21. The pipe 11 is connected between'the valves 22 and 23 as full appears while the valve 24 is connected wit the pipe 13 below the valve 23 by means of the pipe 25, The three valves are controlled by a single hand lever 26 movable from one limit position to another in a slot 27 relative to a face plate 28 bearing suitable markings as indicated at 29, to aid the operator in shifting the lever in the control of the softener. Thus the position :marked l-salt indicates the place to which the' in order that the mineral will have an opportunity more thoroughly to make a chemical exchange with the brine. It is usually desirableto keep the leverat this position for about thirty minutes before commencing the salt wash and, asa matter of fact, this method of regenerating the softener results in savir lrgl in the amount ofsalt or brine e position marked 3-wash corres oxide to the regenerating operation in which the salt or brine is washed through the mineral bed at a predetermined rate,

the waste water being discharged to the sewer. At the end of the regeneration the lever is shifted back to the position marked l-soft from which position it was moved at the commencement of the series of shifts just described. In this osition the softener is in its normal so tening operation. Just after regeneration it is usuall '-a good ractice to open a bib near the so tener, as

or example in a laundry tub, long enough to allow all of the hard'water in the head space in the tank to be flushed out so that t is water will not get into the service system.

The lever 26 is pivoted at 30 on a stud 31 tlireadin into the bracket 32. The latter is fixed as y means of nuts 33 onto the bodies of the valves 22 and 23 and has arms 34 ,whereon to support the face plate 28, the latter being fastened to the arms by means of screws 35. When the lever 26 is swung to one limit position it depresses the plunger 36 of the valve 22 as indicated in Fig. 3, and when swung to the other limit position again inserted behind the lever to 1 after the regeneration,

depresses the plunger 37 of the valve 23. The two valves are, of course, of identical construction, and the showing of the one valve in section in Fig.4 will suffice to convey an understanding of-both. The valves are quick opening under the pressure of the lever 26 on the plungers thereof and are selfclosing under the acti'onfof springs such as that shown at 38. The fact that the valves are held open by thelever a so as to insure against loss thereof, the cord.

being of sufficient length to allow the pin to be entered through any one ofthe pairs of. lugs 39 to hold the lever in any one of its positions. Thus the operator at the time of regeneration removes the-pin from the #4- position to enable movement of the lever to the #1 position. Durin'gthe salt charging and water draining operation, the-pin is inserted in the lugs 39 behind the lever to hold -it in place. After thesalt charging operation the in is again removed and the lever is moved to the #2 position and the pin is replaced behind the same. to hold it in its new position.- After thesoaking, the pin swung to the the is removed and the lever is #3 position for the saltwash,

old it in place. And finally the lever is. moved back' to the #4 position and again locked by the pin to-keep it in position throughout the ca a'city run.

7 The valve 24 is fastened y nieans of alnut 43 ontoa lateral extension 44 of the bracket 32 and has the spring'pressed plunger thereof arranged for operation. 46 pivoted, at 47 to the extension 44. of the bracket 32. The lever 46 extends across the path of movement of the lever 26 beneath the slot 27 in 'theface plate 28 so that the same isengaged and de ressed by the lever when the lever is move to the ,#1 position. This is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. and it -will be observed in that figure that the plunger 36-of the valve 22 is not en aged by the lever 26 in such position of t e. lever. The valve 24, as a matter of fact, is opened only part way with the lever 26 inthe #1 position, and it is only when the lever is moved to the #3 position depicted in Fig.

3.that the valve 24 is fully openedalong with the valve 22. The reason for restricting the opening of the valve 24 in the #1 position ainst spring action necessitates holding the ever in positions gin being conveys a clear understan y 'a lever. Y

with .a softener tank of the lever is that the-opening of the valve is only for the purpose of allowing a certain small amount of drainage of the tank so that there will be sufficient head room in the tank for thecharging of salt or brine without causing, an overflow. However, when when the lever is moved to the #3 position for; the salt wash, it is necessary to have the valve 24 opened wideraving in mind the considerable variation in water pressures in different communities, I have provided means whereby the extent of valve opening may be varied tosecure the proper rate of flow in softening and regeneration regardless of the available Water pressure. For this reason the stud 31 may beadjusted by threading in or out in the bracket 32 so as to adjust the fulcrum point 30 with reference to the face plate 28 and thereby adjust the extent of valve opening when the lever is held in the difierent posiescribed. The stud 31 may be screwed in or out with reference to the bracket 32 byturning the lever when the same is moved approximately to a position at right angles to the bracket. A lock nut 48.serves to hold the stud 31in itsadjusted position and is tightened whena predetermined rate of flow of water is secured in the Softening and regenerating operations. It is, of course, necessaryto confine the flow during softening to a rate at which the water will be properly softened.- In so far as regeneration is concerned, it is'necessary to confine the flow of the water and brine through the mineralbed to a rate at which a complete chemical exchange can properly occur between the brine and the mineral; It will be apparent that the present invention provides for securing the roper rate of flow regardless of the availab e vwater pres sure.

It' is believed the fore ing of my invention and all of its objects and advantages. It should be apparent that the invention is capable of a certain amount of modification from :the particular embodiment. herein oing description shown an described and for that reason the appended claims have been drawn with a view to covering all legitimate modifications, adaptations and variations of the invention which may suggest themselves to one skilled in the art as a result of the present dis-"' closure. H -Iclaim:. m

A 1. In a water softener, thecombination containin softenin material, and meansfor supp ying har water tosaid tank and withdrawing soft water therefrom, of a' plurality. of valves for controlling the communication between the softener tank and the source of hard water supply for softening and regeneration and to establish communication between the tank and a drain outlet during re eneration, .a single lever for operating all 0 said valves, said lever being movable selectively to-any valve and when moved to such positlon-being arranged to operate the valve selected, each of said valves having a part yield'able under pressure of the lever in the operation of the valve, and means for holding the lever in an operative position depressing a valve part.

2. A water softener valve mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the last. mentioned means isarranged to serve for holding the lever in a position operating none of the valves.

3. In a water softener, the combination with a softener tank containing softening material, and means for supplying hard water to said tank and Withdrawin soft water therefrom, of a plurality of va vesspringoperated one Way and manually the other Way arranged for controlling the communication between the softener tank and the source of hard water supply for softening and regeneration and to establish communication between the tank and a drain outlet during regeneration, and a single lever for" operating all of saidvalves, said lever being movable selectively to whichever valve it is desired to operate-and when moved to such position being arranged to operate the valve selected against the action of its sprinlgt.l 4. a water softener, the combination with a water softener tank containing softoning material, and means for supplying hard water to the tank and withdrawing soft 7 water therefrom, of two valves controlling the communication between the source of hard water supply and the upper and lower ends of the tank as required in the softening and re enerating operations, both of said valves Iiaving spring operated plungers so that either is arranged to beoperated only when, the plunger is de ressed whereby to have one valve open an the other closed, a single member for operating said valves move able selectivelyito a position over the plunger of either valve to operate the same by depression thereof, and means for holding said lever in positionv holding either valve plunger depresse 5. In a'water softener valve mechanism as set forth in claim 4 the provision of means for varying the extent of'openmg of the valves.

6. In a water softener valve mechanism as set forth inclaim 4 wherein the valve 011- eratin member comprises a lever pivoted to be swmgable to and from the valves, the rovision of means-for adjusting thepivot or the lever whereb to vary the amount of de ressionof the valve plungers.

. In a water softener valve mechanism as set'forth in claim 4 the provision of a third valve'also of the spring-operated type havwater to the tankand with ing a part for manually operating the same disposed in the path of the valve operating member in the movement of the latter to one of the two other valves whereby the third valve is arranged to be operated in the operation of the other valve.

8. In a water softener. valve mechanism as set forth in claim A the provision of a' third valve also of'the spring closed type having a part for operating the same disposed in the pathof the valve operating member in the movement of the latter to one of the two other valves whereby thathird 9. In a Water softener valve mechanism as set forth in claim 4 the provision of a third valve also of the spring closed type having a art for operating the same disposed in t e path of the valve operating member in the movement of the latter to one of the two other valves whereb the third valve is arranged to be operated in the op eration of the other valve, the third valve being arrangedto be operated to a midposition before the operation of the other valve commences and' the lever being arranged to be held either in an intermediate position holding the third valve in the midposition, or in another position holding both valves in a limit position.

10. In a water softener, the combination with a softener tank containin softenin material, and means for supi fiying har rawmg softv water therefrom, of two valves, one for controllin communication between the source of har d water supply and one end of the tank for softeningoperation, and the other for controllin source of bar water. supply and the, other end of the tank for re eneration, ahand lever pivotally mounted to be swung to either valve to operate the same, said valves having springmeansnormally closing the same against which spring means the lever is forced to act, and means for holding said lever in position holding either valve open against its springmeans.

11 Ina water softener valve mechanism as set forth in claim 10 the provision of'a third valve controlling communication becommunication between the tween the tank and a drain outlet, said valve havin a part for operating the semenrange 'foren agement by said hand lever whereby the third valve may be operated independently of the other two valves,said

.valve being normally closed under spring pressure against which spring pressure the and havin lever is arranged to act in opening ling communication the same, and means for holding said lever in position holdin the third valve open.

12. fn a water softener valve mechanism as set forth in claim 10, the provision of a third valve of the spring-closed type having apart for o erating the same arranged for engagement y the hand lever whereby the, third valve may be opened independently of the other two valves, the third valve in another position of the lever being also arranged to be held open'when one of the other two valves is held open, and means for holding said lever in either of the two positions.

13. In a water softener, the combination with a softener tank containing softening material, and means for supplying hard water to said tank and withdrawing soft water therefrom, of a valve controllingcommunication for one end of said tank with the hard water supply',a hand lever swingable-toward the valve and another valve controlling communication between the tank and a drain outlet a part also arranged for operation by said hand lever, the two valves beingso related that one may be operated alone independently of the other or both may beoperated jo ntly. I

14. In a water softener, the combination with a water softener tank containing softening material, and means for su hard .water to the tank and with rawing soft water therefrom,

of two valves controlbetween the source of hard water supply and the upper and "lower ends of the tank for softening and regeneration, both of said valves having spring means normally closing the same, a hand lever pivotally,v mounted between the two valves to be swung to either valve toopen the same against the sprin action, and a face late in relation to which said lever is movable, having means for holding said lever in position holding either of said valves open. I

15. In a water softener valve mechanism as set forth in claim 14 the provision of means for adjusting the fulcrum point of the hand lever in relation'to the means on the face plate for holding the lever in different positions whereby to vary the amount of valve opening.

16. In a water softenervalve mechanism as set forth in claim 14, the provision of a third valve also of the spring-closed type having an opening lever extendin across the path of movement of the hand ever to be engaged and operated thereby in the -h movement of the latter toward one of the two other valves, said thirdvalve'bein arranged to be operated independently o the other two valves, and the faceplate having to operate the same,

different marke means thereon for holding the. lever in P0- sitionholding said third valve open.

17. In a. water softener valve mechanism as set forth in claim 14, the provision of a third valve also of the spring-closed type having an opening lever extending across the path of movement of the hand lever to be engaged and operated thereby in the movement of the latter toward one of the two other valves, said third valve bein arranged to be operated independently of the other two valves, and the face plate having means thereon for holding the lever in osition holding said third valve open, the t ird valve when operated alone being held open only part way with the lever in an intermediate position and being arranged to be when the lever is moved faropened entirely ther to open the other valve, and the provision of means for adjusting the fulcrum point for said lever in relation to the means on the face plate for holding the lever in its different positions whereby to vary the extent of valve opening. 2

,18. In a water softener, the combination with a softener tank containin softening material, and means for sup ying hard water to said tank and with Water, of valve mechanism for controlling the direction of flow'of the water through said tank'for softening and regeneration and arranged to establish communication between the tank and a drain outlet during regeneration, said valve "mechanism being operable against spring action, a hand lever pivoted for movement from one limit position to another limit position and arranged to operate the valve mechanism differently in different positions to establish the proper connections for the tank for softening, regeneration, etc., and a face plate with relarawing soft tion to which the hand lever is arranged for movement, the face plate being provided ferent positions of the lever for the proper control of the softener, said plate having a uide slot provided therein, means on the ace plate 'alon side the guide slot at the 5 positions, and a pin-selectively engageable with said means to extend across the guide slot at any one of the marked positions to hold the hand lever.

19. In a water softener valve mechanism as set forth in claim 18, the provision of an adjustable fulcrum for the lever adjustable in relation to the means on the face plate for holdin the lever in its different posi tions where y to vary the amount of valve opening and lever. W

In witness of the foregoing I afiix my signature.

LEE (3. DANIELS.

in the different positions of the

Images