U.S. patent number 3,864,090 [Application Number 05/405,769] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-04 for pressure-type tablet hypochlorinating device.
Invention is credited to Kenneth Richards.
United States Patent |
3,864,090 |
Richards |
February 4, 1975 |
Pressure-type tablet hypochlorinating device
Abstract
A water chlorinating apparatus adapted to be connected to a pipe
having water flowing therethrough under pressure of up to 100
lbs/sq. inch including valves and conduits for diverting a portion
of the water flow into the chlorinating unit containing the
chlorinating material and for conducting chlorinated water back to
the pipe. The chlorinating unit comprises a base having an inlet
and an outlet, an upstanding tube communicating with the inlet and
a container, the container having a lower surface supporting the
chlorinating tablets and a plurality of orifices in the container
wall just above the lower surface and communicating with the
outlet. A distributor head in the container directs streams of
water flowing from the upstanding tube into contact with the
tablets resting on the lower surface adjacent the orifices to
dissolve the tablets. A weir is located in the base of the unit for
diverting the water flow to the tablets, the weir having an
adjustable by-pass orifice for varying the dosage of hypochlorite.
A drain pipe and valve are provided to allow replenishment of the
tablets without interruption of the water flow in the pipe.
Inventors: |
Richards; Kenneth (Gordon Town,
Parish of St. Andrews, Jamaica, WI) |
Family
ID: |
23605152 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/405,769 |
Filed: |
October 12, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
422/269;
210/167.11; 137/268; 239/310; 422/274; 422/282; 239/317;
422/278 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C02F
1/688 (20130101); B01F 1/0027 (20130101); B01F
5/0496 (20130101); Y10T 137/4891 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
C02F
1/68 (20060101); B01d 011/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;23/267E,272.7,272.8
;137/268 ;210/169 ;239/310,317 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Bascomb, Jr.; Wilbur L.
Assistant Examiner: Emery; S. J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Roylance, Abrams, Berdo &
Kaul
Claims
I claim:
1. An apparatus for chlorinating water, the combination
comprising;
a pipe means adapted to have water flowing under pressure
therein;
a chlorinating unit containing hypochlorite tablets;
a first conduit means for conducting water from said pipe means to
said chlorinating unit;
a second conduit means for conducting a chlorinated solution of
water from said unit to said pipe means;
a valve means in said pipe means for diverting a portion of said
water flow into said first conduit means;
said chlorinating unit including
a container means for supporting said tablets,
a base, having an inlet bore communicating with said first conduit
and an outlet bore communicating with said second conduit,
a tube means centrally carried by said base and communicating with
said inlet bore in said base and said container means for
conducting water from said inlet bore to said container means and
supporting said container a substantial distance above said
base.
a conical distribute means, mounted at one end of said tube means
and located within said container means, for directing water
flowing up said tube means into contact with said tablets,
a plurality of orifices located in said container means adjacent
the bottom thereof and in substantially the same horizontal plane
as said distributor means, and
dome means removably mounted to said base and enclosing said tube
means and said container means for pressurizing said chlorinating
unit;
said apparatus being operative so that water is diverted into said
container means from said pipe means along said first conduit, said
inlet bore and said tube means by operation of said valve means and
such water contacts and dissolves said tablets forming a
chlorinated solution which solution flows through said orifices,
through said outlet, said second conduit and back into said pipe
means,
said container means being formed as a right cylinder having an
open end at the top and a closed end at the bottom, said closed end
having a central bore therein receiving said tube means, and
said container means further including an annular support surface
which is solid and flat and is supported above said closed end,
said support surface supporting said tablets said orifices being
located in the side of said container means above said annular
support surface.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 and further including
a weir located in said base for diverting the water flow from said
inlet bore to said tube means.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2 and further including
a by-pass orifice means in said weir communicating at one end with
said tube means and at the other end with said outlet, allowing
water to flow from said inlet and out said outlet without traveling
through said container means for varying the amount of hypochlorite
dissolved.
4. An apparatus according to claim 3 and further including means
for varying the cross-sectional area of said by-pass orifice means
in said weir for further varying the dosage of hypochlorite.
5. An apparatus according to claim 4 and further including means
for introducing pressurized air into said unit to prevent the
tablets from bein submerged.
6. A chlorinating unit operative, upon coupling to a source of
water flowing under pressure in a pipe, to chlorinate the water in
the pipe, said unit comprising;
a container means for supporting hypchlorite tablets;
a base, having an inlet communicating with said pipe and an outlet
communicating with said pipe;
a tube means centrally carried by said base and having one end
communicating with said base and the other end communicating with
said container means for conducting water from said inlet to said
container means and supporting said container a substantial
distance above said base.
a conical distributor means connected to said tube means at its
other end fordirecting water into contact with said tablets;
a plurality of orifices located in said container means adjacent
the bottom thereof and in substantially the same horizontal plane
as said distributor means;
dome means mounted to said base and enclosing said tube means and
said container means for pressurizing the unit;
weir means located in said base for diverting water flow from said
inlet into said tube means; and
a by-pass orifice means located in said weir means for conducting
water from said tube means directly into said outlet;
said unit being operative so that water flowing from said pipe into
said inlet strikes said weir means and is diverted into said tube
means, a first portion thereof flowing through said by-pass orifice
means and out said outlet and a second portion thereof flowing
through said tube means and said distributor means into contact
with and dissolving said tablets, said second portion then flowing
through said orifices and out said outlet, both of said portions
returning to said pipe,
said container means being formed as a right cylinder having an
open end at the top and a closed end at the bottom, said closed end
having a central bore therein receiving said tube means, and
said container means further including an annular support surface
which is solid and flat and is supported above said closed end,
said support surface supporting said tablets, said orifices being
located in the side of said container means above said annular
support surface.
7. A unit according to claim 6 and further including
means for varying the cross-sectional area of said by-pass orifice
means for varying the dosage of hypochlorite.
8. A unit according to claim 7 and further including
a land located in said base carrying said inlet bore,
a vertical bore in said land adjacent said weir means
wherein said means for varying the cross-sectional area of said
by-pass orifice means includes
a sleeve rigidly connected to the wall of said bore and having an
aperture therein coinciding with said by-pass orifice means,
a tube rotatably received in said sleeve and having an aperture
therein coinciding with said aperture in said sleeve, wherein
rotation of said tube moves the aperture therein relative to the
aperture in said tube.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said distributor
means includes a conical portion disposed above said support
surface and a depending tube portion projecting through said
annular support surface.
10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein
said base has a cylindrical surface and a land and a weir
therein,
said inlet bore passes perpendicularly through the exterior of said
cylindrical surface through said land and terminates short of said
weir,
said tube means communicates with said inlet bore via a cylindrical
bore formed in said land, the axis of said cylindrical bore being
perpendicular to the axis of said inlet bore, and said dome means
is spaced from said container means.
Description
This invention relates to a unit for chlorinating water flowing
under a pressure of up to 100 lbs./sq. inch in a pipe. More
particularly, this invention relates to a new and improved
chlorinating unit using a hypochlorite supply, in tablet form,
wherein the tablets are gradually dissolved to provide a
hypochlorite solution to water flowing in a pipe.
It has been found desirable to chlorinate water flowing in a water
pipe under pressure for reasons of sanitation and to prevent the
water from becoming contaminated and diseased. In the past there
have been certain proposals and devices which were intended to
accomplish the same functions as that of the present invention, but
in actual practice, such devices and proposals were found to be
unsatisfactory. Such prior devices for providing hypochlorite in
tablet form to water pipes resulted in a loss of water pressure in
the flow and the added necessity of using power-operated pumps to
compensate for the pressure loss. Additionally, such prior devices
and proposals were characterized by difficulties in adjusting
hypochlorite dosages as required by variations in flow without
frequent manual adjustment and were characterized by a clogging of
the system's lines by lime deposits. Also, some of the systems
necessitated a frequent replenishment of the tablets and an
interruption of the flow of the water during such
replenishment.
With the foregoing in mind, it is, therefore, a primary object of
the present invention to overcome the difficulties and deficiencies
associated with the prior art units of this type, and to provide a
new and improved unit for chlorinating water flowing in a water
pipe or main.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a
chlorinating unit which operates reliably and allows the dosage of
hypochlorite to be easily and accurately adjusted so that it
automatically provides the desired dosage at variable rates of
water flow.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a
chlorinating unit capable of chlorinating a flow of water within a
water pipe under high pressure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a
chlorinating unit capable of providing hypochlorite solution to
water flowing in a pipe without a substantial loss of pressure and
without the additional use of an auxiliary pump.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a
chlorinating unit wherein the chlorine tablets can be replenished
or the unit serviced without interrupting the flow of water in the
pipe.
Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings,
discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.
In general, the invention resides in a new and improved
chlorinating unit adapted to be interconnected to a pipe or
high-pressure water main through which water is flowing. A first
conduit carries a portion of the water from the water main into a
container in the unit which carries the hypochlorite tablets. In
the container the water dissolves the tablets to form a chlorinated
solution. A second conduit carries the chlorinated solution from
the container back to the water main. A valve is located in the
water main between the connection with the main of the first and
second conduits for diverting a portion of the water flow into the
unit. The chlorinating unit, which is interposed between the first
and second conduits, is comprised of a base, an upstanding tube, a
container for the tablets, and a plastic dome mounted to the base
and enclosing the tube and the container. An inlet bore within the
base communicates with the first conduit and the upstanding tube
and allows water entering the unit to flow through the tube and
into contact with the tablets in the container to dissolve a
portion of them to form the chlorinated solution. A discharge
chamber within the base communicates with orifices in the container
wall and the second conduit and receives the chlorinated solution
exiting from the orifices. A weir is located at one end of the
inlet bore to divert the flow of water entering the inlet bore to
the upstanding tube. An adjustable bypass orifice is located in the
weir to vary the hypochlorite dosage by allowing some of the water
flowing into the upstanding tube to flow directly into the
discharge chamber without contacting the tablets.
Referring now to the drawings which form a part of this original
disclosure:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view, partially in section, of a chlorinating
unit in accordance with the principles of the present invention,
shown connected to a high-pressure water main; and
FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partially in section, of the
chlorinating unit.
Referring now to the drawings, as seen in FIG. 1, the chlorinating
unit 10 is connected to the high pressure water main 80 by an
inflow first conduit 60 and a return flow second conduit 70. The
water flowing in the water main 80 approaches the region of the
chlorinating unit 10 along the pipe 82, which is connected to the
inlet 84 in a first reducing tee fitting 86 having a branch 87 with
an outlet 88 to the first conduit 60 and an outlet 90 to a short
pipe 92, which leads to a valve 94. The other side of the valve 94
is connected to another short pipe 96 which is connected to an
inlet 98 in a second expanding fitting tee 100, having an inlet 102
in the branch 103 receiving the second conduit 70 and an outlet 104
to a pipe 106 in the water main 80.
The first conduit 60 is comprised of a pipe 108 communicating with
the first outlet 88 in the first tee 86, a union 110 between the
pipe 108 and the pipe 112, a stopcock valve 114 between pipes 112
and 116, and a third tee fitting 118. This tee fitting has three
openings, 120, 122 and 124, with opening 120 communicating with the
pipe 116, opening 124 communicating with a tractor tire valve 126,
and opening 122 communicating with a male adaptor pipe 128 which
fits into an inlet 26 in the chlorinating unit 10.
An outlet 36 in the chlorinating unit 10 is fitted with a male
adaptor pipe 130 which connects with an inlet 132 in a fourth tee
fitting 134 having two outlets, 136 and 138. The outlet 136 is
connected through a pipe 140 to a stopcock valve 142 which is
further connected to a drain pipe 144. The outlet 138 in the fourth
tee 134 is connected to an inlet 146 in a fifth tee fitting 148
through a male adaptor pipe 150. An outlet 152 in the fifth tee 148
is connected to a pipe 154 which is in turn connected to a union
156 and a pipe 158 which communicates with the inlet 103 in the
second tee 100 in the water main 80. The water main 80 leaves the
region of the chlorinating unit via pipe 106 which is connected to
the outlet 104 in the second tee 100.
A non-return valve 160 is formed in the second conduit 70 by
providing a spring biased plug over the open end of the male
adaptor pipe 150 in the fifth tee 148, which open end is beveled to
form a valve seat. The tee 148 has threads on the interior surface
at its end near outlet 162 for the reception of a short tube 164
threaded at its mid-portion and having reduced diameter end
portions. The outer end portion has a bushing 166 welded around it,
the end portion and the bushing being covered by a cap 168 welded
thereto. Supported on the inside of the cap is a stainless steel
spring 170 which is connected to a perspex rod 172 which has an
enlarged plug or half round rubber tap washer 174 fitted on its
reduced end which is biased into a covering engagement with the
beveled opening in the male adaptor pipe 150. The valve is made
water-tight by providing an O-ring 176 between the rim of the cap
168 and a sleeve 178 welded to the surface of the fith tee 148
As seen in FIG. 2, the chlorinating unit 10 consists of a base 12,
an upstanding tube 14, a container 16 and a transparent plastic
dome 18 oriented in an upright position. The container 16 carries a
supply of hypochlorite tablets 15.
The base 12 which is formed from a suitable plastic material,
non-reactive with a hypochlorite solution, is essentially a right
cylinder having an open top end 20 and a closed bottom end 22. The
upper portion of the interior cylindrical surface of the base wall
is threaded for receiving corresponding threads on the outside of
the bottom of the dome or accumulator 18. Extending vertically from
the closed end 22 to immediately below the threaded portion of the
base is a raised portion or land 24 filling only a portion of the
enclosed volume of the cylindrical base 12. A cylindrical inlet
bore 26 passes perpendicularly through the exterior cylindrical
surface of the base 12 and through the land 24, terminating short
of an end wall or weir 28 in the land. The top of the land 24 has a
vertically formed, cylindrical bore 30 therein adjacent to the weir
and communicating with the inlet bore 26, which vertical bore is
substantially along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical base
12.
Passing through the weir 28, substantially prallel to the plane of
the closed end 22 of the base and having one end communicating with
the vertical bore 30, is a by-pass orifice 32 which has its other
end communicating with a discharge chamber 34 located on the
opposite side of the weir from the inlet bore 26. The discharge
chamber 34 communicates with a cylindrical outlet bore 36 in the
exterior cylindrical surface of the cylindrical base 12, which
outlet is diametrically opposed to the inlet bore 26.
Welded within the vertical bore 30 is a short pipe or sleeve 38
having threads on the inside surface thereof corresponding to and
receiving threads on the exterior surface of a short tube or
polyvinyl chloride male adaptor 40. An aperture 42 in the wall of
the tube 40 and an aperture 44 in the wall of the sleeve 38 are
provided to coincide with the by-pass orifice 32 in the weir 28. A
rotation of the tube 40 relative to the sleeve 38 can increase or
decrease the effective cross-sectional area of the by-pass orifice
32.
The upper portion of the wall of the short tube 40 is reduced in
thickness to form a shoulder for the reception of one end of the
upstanding tube 14, preferably formed from polyvinyl chloride. The
other end of the tube 14 is fitted snugly into the lower portion of
the inside of a short tube or polyvinyl chloride female adaptor 46
which has threads along the interior of a reduced diameter upper
portion thereof.
The container 16 is preferably formed from plastic material, such
as that sold under the trademark "Perpex" which is an acrylic
plastic consisting essentially of polymerized methyl methacrylate.
The container 16 is essentially a right cylinder having an open end
48 and a closed end 50 having a central bore 52 therein which
receives the reduced diameter portion of the tube 46. Hence, the
container 16 rests on the shoulder formed by the reduced diameter
portion of the tube 46. A support surface 54 in the form of an
annulus with an outer diameter substantially equal to the diameter
of the container 16 is supported above the bottom end 50 on a
circular shoulder 56 located within the container 16 along the
inner perimeter thereof. The tablets 15 rest on this support
surface 54, which can be formed of the same material as that of the
container 16.
A distributor head 64 for the unit is formed by a conical portion
65 which is disposed above the support surface 54 and a depending
tube portion 67 which projects through a central aperture in the
support surface 54. The depending tube portion 67 has external
threads corresponding to and engaging the interior threads of the
tube 52. A series of bores 66 are provided in the conical section
65 of the distributor head 64, which bores communicate with the
interior of the tubular portion 67. The base of the conical element
64 lies on the support surface 54. Angularly spaced along the
container wall and in substantially the same horizontal plane as
the head 64 are a plurality of elongated orifices 68 which are
located with their lowermost portions at the top of the support
surface 54.
Completely enclosing the container 16, the upstanding tube 14, the
land 24, and the discharge chamber 34 is the dome or accumulator 18
made from transparent plastic and mounted to the base at its bottom
by a threaded connection. That connection is made watertight by the
use of an O-ring 69.
The outer portion of the inlet bore 26 in the base 12 is threaded
to receive the male adaptor 128 which is also connected to opening
122 in the third tee 118. Similarly, the outer portion of the
outlet bore 36 is threaded to receive a male adaptor 130 which also
fits into the fourth tee 134. Both connections have O-rings 71 for
providing a fluid-tight connection.
In operation, hypochlorite tablets 15 are placed in the container
16 covering the lower support surface 54. The by-pass orifice 32 is
adjusted to provide for flow therethrough by rotating the tube 40
carrying an aperture 44 relative to the tube 38 carrying the
aperture 42, to thus achieve the desired effective cross-section of
and flow rate through the by-pass orifice 32. Then the plastic dome
or accumulator 18 is placed over the container 16 and screwed on to
the base 12 with an O-ring 69 making the connection liquid and
airtight.
The valve 94 in the water main 80 is initially in a fully open
position and valve 114 in the first conduit 60 is in a fully closed
position. The valve 142 leading to the drain pipe 144 is
additionally in a fully closed position.
With water flowing through the water main 80 under pressure, the
valve 114 is gradually opened. This gradual opening prevents the
possibility of a surge of water from entering the chlorinating unit
10. When valve 114 is fully opened, the valve 94 is gradually
closed to divert a portion of the water flow through pipe 82 into
the first conduit 60. The water not diverted continues through the
valve 94 and into the second tee 100.
The water that flows through the first conduit enters the inlet
bore 26 in the base 12 and flows therethrough until it contacts the
weir 28, at which time it is diverted upwards into the upstanding
tube 14. A portion of the water in the tube 14 flows through
apertures 42 and 44 and the by-pass orifice 32 and directly into
the discharge chamber 34. Another portion of the water flows up the
tube 14 and into the orifices 66 located in the distributor head
64. The water flowing therethrough is directed from the bores 66
into contact with the hypochlorite tablets 15 located adjacent the
orifices 68 on the support surface 54 in the container 16. The
contact of the water with the tablets lying lowermost in the
container results in a dissolving of a portion of the tablets, such
dissolved portion being carried by the water out of the container
16 through the orifices 68. The undissolved tablets located
immediately above the dissolving tablets continuously move
downwards and occupy the space above the support surface vacated by
the dissolved tablets.
After the chlorinated solution exits through the orifices 68, it
flows downward under the force of gravity and accumulates in the
discharge chamber 34 and the dome 18. Here he chlorinated solution
is diluted by mixing with the water passing directly into the
discharge chamber 34 from the inlet bore 26 via the by-pass orifice
32. This dilute chlorinated solution then flows out the outlet bore
36 in the base 12 into the second conduit 70 and back into the
water main 80 through the second tee 100 and the pipe 106. In this
manner, the chlorinated solution is further diluted in the second
tee 100 as it mixes with the undiverted portion of the water
flowing through the valve 94 and entering the second tee 100. The
non-return valve 160 in the fifth tee 148 prevents a backflow of
water from the water main 80 into the chlorinating unit 10.
Since the unit 10 is pressurized by the dome 18, a certain amount
of air is trapped in the dome. This air usually has enough pressure
to prevent a build-up of water in the dome to a height which would
submerge the tablets in the container 16. If the pressure is not
sufficient, additional air can be pumped into the dome via the
valve 126 in the third tee 118.
The water flowing in the pipe 106 and leaving the region of the
chlorinating unit is tested to determine the hypochlorite
concentration in order that the dosage of hypochlorite may be
adjusted in the chlorinating unit 10.
This adjustment may be accomplished in two alternative ways. The
first way is by manipulating the valve 94 to cause more or less
water to flow into the chlorinating unit 10 from the water main 80,
and to concommitantly dissolve more or less of the tablets. The
second way is to vary the cross-sectional area of the by-pass
orifice 32. This is accomplished by closing the valve 114, opening
the valve 142, removing the dome 18, and rotating the tube 40
relative to the sleeve 38. This rotation moves the aperture 44 in
the tube 40 relative to the aperture 42 in the sleeve 38. This
reduces or increases the cross-sectional area of the by-pass
orifice 32. A larger cross-sectional area allows more water to flow
therethrough and less to proceed up the upstanding tube 14 to
dissolve tablets, and therefore a smaller dosage is provided. If
the by-pass orifice is made smaller in cross-section, then more
water flows up the tube 14 and dissolves more of the tablets,
therefore providing an increase in the concentration of the
hypochlorite solution delivered from the chlorinating unit 10 to
the water main 80.
In order to replenish the supply of hypochlorite tablets in the
container 16, the valve 114 in the first conduit 60 is closed and
the valve 142 leading to the drain pipe 144 is opened. This allows
all of the fluid in the chlorinating unit 10 to flow out the drain
pipe 144 and to reduce the pressure in the dome. The non-return
valve 160 prevents a flow of water from the water main 80 from
reaching the chlorinating unit 10. The dome is removed and
additional tablets 15 are placed in the container 16. This
replenishment as outlined above is performed without interrupting
the flow of water in the water main 80.
Lime deposits can be removed from the apparatus by opening the
valve 142 to release the pressure in the unit, which also flushes
out some of the lime, and by removing the non-return valve 160 by
screwing off the cap 168, at which time the lime deposits may be
physically removed.
Utilizing an apparatus described above, 5000 gallons of water can
be chlorinated per charge at 60 pounds/square inch of pressure
without the need for additional air being pumped into the dome. And
200,000 gallons of water can be chlorinated per charge at 100
pounds/square inch of pressure with the assistance of air being
pumped into the dome. It has also been determined that a flow of as
low as 2 gallons of water per minute can be chlorinated at 1 part
per million.
While one advantageous embodiment has been chosen to illustrate the
invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that
various changes and modifications can be made therein without
departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the
appended claims.
* * * * *