US2515235A

US2515235A - Chemical treatment feed indicator

Info

Publication number: US2515235A
Application number: US633505A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kromhout Andrew
Original assignee: Elgin Softener Corp
Current assignee: Elgin Softener Corp
Priority date: 1945-12-07
Filing date: 1945-12-07
Publication date: 1950-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1967-07-18

Description

Jul' 18, 1950 A. KROMHOUT 2,515,235

CHEMICAL TREATMENT FEED INDICATOR Filed Dec. 7, 1945 Patented July 18, 1950 CHEMICAL TREATMENT FEED INDICATOR Andrew Kromhout, Elgin, Ill., assignor to Elgin ySoftener Corporation, Elgin, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 7, 1945, serial No. 633,505

`10 clams.

This invention relates to anew and improved chemical treatment feed indicator for use in connection with the delivery of a liquid chemical reagentv into a line, drop by drop, or in a steady stream under adjustable control, the reagent so introduced being'a water softening agent,steriliz ing agent, coagulating agent, or the like.

I am aware that treatment feed indicators showing the drop by drop feeding of chemicals are old, but most of those heretofore devised have been objectionable for one reason or another and required too frequent servicing to obtain accurate and reliable indications of therate of feed,

and in most cases, the operator was forced toy rely to a large extent upon guesswork and approximation. It is,there fore, the principal object of my invention to rprovide a treatment feed indicator of simple and economical construction incorporating a sight feed and flow controlfvalve in conjunction therewith, enabling the operator to check accurately the rate of feed andmake accurate adjustments as conditions require. Y

In the treatment feed indicator of my invention an indicator uid such as a white-mineral oil is used in the sight tube so that the rate of flowv in the water line to the treatment feeder on the.

outlet side of the sight tube, and, inasmuch as the indicator fluid is lighter thanwater and `will not mix with it, .the indicator, when once properly installed will operate indefinitely without requiring attention.

The invention is illustrated in ing drawing, in which Fig. l is a front view of a tank with the treatment feed indicator of my invention shown as installed in the waterV supply line thereto;

Fig. 2 is a larger size View of the treatment feed indicator, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the feed indicator on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 on a still further enlarged scale, this view being approximately two-thirds full size.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding 4parts throughout the views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference numeral 4 designates the treatment feeder tank in which the level of the liquid chemical reagent being used for a given system is indicated by 'a float 5 in a sight tube. Water from the operating'water supply source is conducted to the tank 4 through axpipe 6, and. as will soon appear, the rate of its the accompanytreatment feeder delivery into the tank 4 is indicated by the device l of my invention-the treatment feed indicatorby the dropsl of water which can be easily seen through the sight tube 8. The rate of flow I of the water admitted to the tank 4 is regulated by a flow-control valve 9, and the water entering the tank 4 displaces the liquid chemical reagent from said tank at a corresponding rate through the pipe ID.

The tank is divided by a partition Il into an upper mixing chamber and a lower pressure chamber. The top cover I2 is hinged to swing open for charging the mixing chamber with chemical. The cover is then closed and steam and/ or wateradmitted through valves 40 and 4I.

After this mixing, these Valves are closed and valve 42 is opened, allowing the batch to flow by gravity into the pressure chamber. Valve 42 is then closed and

valves

9 and 43 are opened to start the feeding. Pipe 6 leads from' an upstream point in the water main and pipe Il) to a downstream point in said main. 44 is a drain valve and 45 is an air vent valve for the pressure chamber. 45 is an overflow pipe for the mixing chamber.

' Referring ynowmore particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 illustrating the treatment feed indicator l, the sight tube 8 is clamped between top and bottom covers I3 and I4 by the tightening of tie-'rods I5 to obtain a water-tight joint at both ends of the tube where the rubber gaskets I6 are provided. A T-Iitting I1, forming a part of the inlet pipe connections, hasa'nipple 48 threaded in the laterally" projecting branch thereof, and threaded in L a hollow boss 49 provided on the top cover I3 whereby to support the sight tube assemblyA on the water supply pipe 6 which threads into the upwardly projecting branch of the T-tting I1 as indicated. The downwardly projecting branch of the T-tting l'i communicates with a pipe I8 and with an yinlet shut-off'valve I9, and the pipe I8 communicates with a by-pass valve 25 which under normal operating conditions is left closed and will be opened only whenever it may be necessary to drain the sight tube v8 to replace the indicator fluid 2i. Under such conditions, the

inlet shut-off valve I9 and the outlet shut-off valve 22 will both be closed. The inlet shut-off valve vI9V has a tube 23 connected to the outlet side thereof and extending to a checkvalve fitof the indicator'fluid 2l. A passage 21 in the wardly through this liquid, as indicated at 32. A pipe 33 extends downwardlyjvfromithetop-cover;

I3 to a point near the bottom of the tube 8 and serves to conduct the waterput of thetubetotaf tube 34 which extends from the'top cover"'l3""to" the outlet shut-oir valve 22. The water is conducted from the Valve 22 to aTl-tting 35;,:the uil- Wardly extending branch of which communicates..` 4

with the by-pass valve and a lower extending branch of which communicates with the flowcontrcllvalve.v

Inoperation; vthe operator Ladjusts the iiowcontrol'wvalve/Q- while watchingthe ow'of drops of water"32 l'downwardly through the Yindicator 2 i irrthe sight tube 3I so as to'obtaina desired-in` crease-or-decrease in the rate of'reed'of liquid chemical-reagent toA the`systern.n The factv that it `iswater, andV not liquid' chemical comin'gin Contact with the indicating fluid, simpliilesrnatters `and makes it' apractical'prop'o'sition to use the' present indicator'with a large variety of in' stallations'," without. regard to the kind of reagent employed; and' usingthe same type'of indicator fluid'Zli'or'allof these installations. TheV fact that` the "sight tube'Y assembly is'supported iatA the in'dic'ator'iiuid" There 'is no danger ofthe in.

dicator iiuid ZL'due' to its lower specific. gravity v thanwater, seeping. upwardly. out ofthe. sight 1 tube S'j'and rendering' the indicator inoperativev because,.for one thing, the inlet. tubeffextends. downwardlyv sonfar` beliiw thef-.lvel lof thelt'o'p, inlet nozzle 28; and .th'e check valveZE prevents back'flo'w byengagement withtl'eseat 2,5.there. by-positively trapping the .indicator fluid 12|i`i`n the sight'tube 8, "even in the event of! a ,baelpresY sure in the. line withy whichv the outl'tllor.. dis`- chargepipe 311i' communicates,and, ofcourse, the

w'controlvalve 9 restric'zts the flow Vin the nor,v mal direction lto such. anfexte'nt. that .there isno danger. at all`.of"the indicator uid .being :Washed outby the incoming water..

A .drain plug v36 is threaded into an opening in the. center vorth'eb'ottom cover I4 and asimilar plug 31is threadedvin theopening. in the top cover I3 to serve .as a ller; plug andairyent.A

Suitable. gaskets are provided lin connection with both of these plugs as indicated at .SB'lin Fig?,

to avoidolanger ofleakage. y

It Vis believed the foregoing descriptionconveys agood understanding of the objectsand'advanFV tages of my invention. The appended claims have beendrawn to coverrall'legitimate modifi-f. cations andV adaptations.

I claim:

1'. A liquid chemical' treatment feed.' indicator. fr use with a tank containingasupply. of Iliquid. chemical to be injected into a.water.inain',.and. a water inlet pipe anda treatment'outletpipe outlet pipe extending downwardly in said sight tube to the level of the water and communicatin'gzwithv .saidztankg'and a manually adjustable valve for regulating the rate of flow of water into said-tank from said? water outlet pipe.

2."'Arliduidtcliemical treatment feed indicator for use with a tank'containing a supply of liquid chemicalitozbezinjected into a water main, and a wateninlet pipe and a treatment outlet pipe forv Said'tank leading from an upstream point and to a downstream point of said main, respectvelyjssaidf indicator comprisingat'substantially vertica-lfi elongatedsight tube.: 'closedi at :top and bottomL and `containing some :waterf and. above it awater -insoluble.. indicator` liquid A that'. is lighter. than -water and .of" a 1L'c'onti'astingf appearance,v an inlet-portY for; water-'fin A'thelclosedtop '-ofL-said vtube communicating-withisaidfinlet pipe;` afwater: out-1 let-'pipe-extendingfdwnwardlyin said sight'itube tothelvel .of the'watei:'andecmmunicating with said tank,'f avmanuallyiadjustable ivalveafors-regue lating'thelrate -ofll'wffof waterl iritolfsaidy tank from =said"-water:foutleifpijle;k andi an outwardly seatingJ check-lvalveflbetween-saidriinlet-pipe and the -"inlet-'- port preventing back-flow4v fromi said .35 sigiitftube1:-to:sardiinleuipipe;l top'onlyby, the pipe'ttingi'Yrelievesjthe sight 3? Ax drop' by Vdrop Iliquid'Afeecl'indicator com-v prisingj in icombinationi with a'-waterlsupply-'pipe containing v-wa-ter'A underf'pressur'ef and Iva Adelivery pipe,5a=substantially vertical,=- elongated `sight tube closed" at top and bettonrand containingisome water L andA above it-a1 water' insoluble Yindicator liquid Isth'atis lightenthan#waterV and ofi ar -contrastin'g appearance;-an f inletl 'port' 'for' water in the elo-sedf-top lof` 'sa-id tube communicating with said`l` supply` pipegj'V an outwardlywseating check valve" inJ said indicator -1-in^upstreamrelation to saidi' inletJ port; aswaterfputlet J- pipeA extending downwardlynsaidsight tube `to thelevekof the water and"y corrrrnunicatingV with"saidw delivery pipa-" and-aimanualiy' adjustable valve for regulatingtherate' oftowoilwaterinto saiddelivery pipe`-fronr`saidrwater-outlet:piper y 4;; H ^drop"by drop liquid feed indicatorcom': prising in combination with. a watefrjsupplyjpipe containing watenund'er' pressure? and-'a delivery pipe, a substantially vertical;`elongated'sight'tube closedi at" topV and '.'bottom' 'andi containing `some water" and iab'ove." it :'awaterinsoluble :indicator liquidthat'is lighter Ythan' water andof'affcom trasting` appearance, aninlet port forwateri. in the closedt'op ofsaid tube communic'atingwith said. supply. pip ea Water outlet pipe' extending downwardly? in said'lsight itiibev to. the rlevellof the l.w'at'efr .and communicating with" saiddeslivery pipe, and a Hmanually' adjustable. valve.. fr .regulating the rate. of new of.. water. .into saidY .delivery pipe from..saidlwatenzoutletrpipe.

.5. A dropbydropliduid 'feed 'indicator vcomprisingdn Ycorribinatio'n with'awaten supplypipe conati'oneend. 'andatjitsnther. endin .a tting inthe supply pipe f'ritlie suspensin of"said"sight tube on said Sup-ply pipe, said sight tube containing some water and above it a water insoluble indicator liquid that is lighter than water and of a contrasting appearance, an inlet port for water in the top plate communicating with said supply pipe, a water outlet pipe extending downwardly from said top plate in said sight tube to the level of the water and communicating with said delivery pipe, a manually adjustable valve for regulating the rate of iiow of water into said delivery pipe from said water outlet pipe, and an outwardly seating check valve in said top plate between said inlet pipe and the inlet port preventing back-flow from said sight tube to said inlet pipe.

6. A drop by drop liquid feed indicator comprising in combination with a water supply pipe containing water under pressure, and a delivery pipe, a substantially vertical, elongated sight tube closed at top and bottom and containing some water and above it a water insoluble indicator liquid that is lighter than water and of a contrasting appearance, an inlet port for water in the closed top of said tube communicating with said supply pipe, an outwardly seating check valve in said indicator in upstream relation to said inlet port, the supply pipe having a portion thereof extending downwardly to an elevation appreciably below the elevation of the inlet port to insure maintenance of at least a predetermined column of indicator liquid in the sight tube sufficient to serve as a drop by drop feed indicator, a Water outlet pipe communicating with the bottom water space in said sight tube and with said delivery pipe, and a manually adjustable valve for regulating the rate of flow of water through said delivery pipe.

7. A drop by drop liquid feed indicator comprising in combination with a water supply pipe containing Water under pressure, and a delivery pipe, a substantially vertical, elongated sight tube closed at top and bottom and containing some water and above it a water insoluble indicator liquid that is lighter than water and of a contrasting appearance, an inlet port for Water in the closed top of said tube communicating with said supply pipe, the supply pipe having a portion thereof extending downwardly to an elevation appreciably below the elevation of the inlet port to insure maintenance of at least a predetermined column of indicator liquid in the sight tube suflicient to serve as a drop by drop feed indicator, a water outlet pipe communicating with the bottom Water space in said sight tube and with said delivery pipe, and a manually adjustable valve for regulating the rate of flow of water through said delivery pipe.

8. A drop by drop liquid feed indicator comprising in combination with a water supply pipe containing water under pressure, and a delivery pipe, a substantially vertical, elongated sight tube closed at top and bottom and containing some water and above it a water insoluble indioator liquid that is lighter than water and of a contrasting appearance, an inlet port for water in the closed top of said tube communicating with said supply pipe, the supply pipe having a portion thereof extending downwardly to an elevation appreciably below the elevation of the inlet port but above the level of the lower end of the water outlet pipe to insure maintenance of at least a predetermined column of indicator liquid in the sight tube sufficient to serve as a drop by drop feed indicator, a water outlet pipe extending downwardly in said sight tube to the level of the water and communicating with said delivery pipe, and a manually adjustable valve for regulating the rate of flow of water into said delivery pipe from said water outlet pipe.

9. A drop by drop liquid feed indicator comprising in combination with a waterV supply pipe containing water under pressure, and a delivery pipe, a substantially vertical, elongated sight tube closed at top and bottom and containing some water and above it a water insoluble indicator liquid that is lighter than Water and of a contrasting appearance, an inlet port for Water in the closed top of said tube communicating with said supply pipe, the supply pipe having a portion thereof extending downwardly to an elevation appreciably below the elevation of the inlet port but above the level of the lower end of the water outlet pipe to insure maintenance of at least a predetermined column of indicator liquid in the sight tube suflicient to serve as a drop by drop feed indicator, an outwardly seating check valve to prevent back flow lfrom said sight tube to said supply pipe for positively trapping the indicator liquid in the sight tube, a water outlet pipe extending downwardly in said sight tube to the level of the water and communicating with said delivery pipe, and a manually adjustable valve for regulating the rate of flow of water into said delivery pipe from said water outlet pipe.

10. A drop by drop liquid feed indicator comprising in combination with a water supply pipe containing water under pressure, and a delivery pipe, a substantially vertical, elongated sight tube, top and bottom closure plates fixed thereon, the top plate having a blind boss, a pipe threaded therein at one end and at its other end in a tting in the supply pipe for the suspension of said sight tube on said supply pipe, said sight tube containing some water and above it a water insoluble indicator liquid that is lighter than water and of a contrasting appearance, an inlet port for water in the top plate communicating with said supply pipe, a water outlet pipe extending downwardly from said top plate in said sight tube to the level of the water and communicating with said delivery pipe, and a manually adjustable valve for regulating the rate of flow of water into said delivery pipe from said water outlet pipe.

ANDREW KROMHOUT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS McGill July 6, 1943

Claims

1. A LIQUID CHEMICAL TREATMENT FEED INDICATOR FOR USE WITH A TANK CONTAINING A SUPPLY OF LIQUID CHEMICAL TO BE INJECTED INTO A WATER MAIN, AND A WATER INLET PIPE AND A TREATMENT OUTLET PIPE FOR SAID TANK LEADING FROM AN UPSTREAM POINT AND TO A DOWNSTREAM POINT OF SAID MAIN, RESPECTIVELY, SAID INDICATOR COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL, ELONGATED SIGHT TUBE CLOSED AT TOP AND BOTTOM AND CONTAINING SOME WATER AND ABOVE IT A WATER INSOLUBLE INDICATOR LIQUID THAT IS LIGHTER THAN WATER AND OF A CONTRASTING APPEARANCE, AN INLET PORT FOR WATER IN THE CLOSED TOP OF SAID TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INLET PIPE, A WATER OUTLET PIPE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY IN SAID SIGHT TUBE TO THE LEVEL OF THE WATER AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID TANK AND A MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE VALUE FOR REGULATING THE RATE OF FLOW OF WATER INTO SAID TANK FROM SAID WATER OUTLET PIPE.