Abstract: A valve device for directing hard water past a softening means and for further mixing hard water with soft water. A double headed first valve is slidably mounted within the tubular shaped main body of the valve device and is separated internally therefrom forming a bypass passage extending from the hard water inlet to the main outlet. An external control knob is operable to move the valve from the closed position to an open position. A second valve extends through the first valve and is movable by a second control to and from the first valve to allow hard water to pass through the closed first valve from the hard water inlet to the soft water outlet to control mixing of hard water with soft water.

Abstract: A lever actuated valve stem for control of liquid flow through a filtering device. The device is connectable to a source of impure liquids and includes a filter disposed between the inlet and the outlet of the device for the removal of the impurities. The valve stem is operable to direct fluid flow through the filter or to bypass the filter. The valve includes a lever slidably connected to a valve stem by means of a pin fixably attached to the lever and extending through a slot of the stem. The slot is arranged relative to the longitudinal axis of the stem to lock the pin and lever in either the filtering position or the bypass position.