Abstract: A water purification system includes: a housing; a reservoir mounted to the housing and configured to hold and provide unfiltered water to the housing; a dispensing spout mounted to the housing and configured to dispense filtered water; and a filter assembly. The filter assembly includes: a filter unit with an inlet fluidly connected with the reservoir, and the outlet fluidly connected with the dispensing spout; a filter receptacle configured to connect the filter unit inlet with the reservoir and the filter unit outlet with the dispensing spout; and a locking yoke. The locking yoke is configured to move between a locked position, in which the locking yoke engages the filter unit and retains the filter unit in the receptacle, and an unlocked position, in which the locking yoke disengages from the filter unit to enable the filter unit to be removed from the receptacle.

Abstract: Disclosed is a capsule apparatus having a filter housing defining a filter chamber with a top cap having a plurality of ports extending substantially laterally from a top end of the top cap. The lateral and substantially uniform orientation of the ports facilitates connection to panel mount assemblies and improves filter maintenance processes. A transfer tube extending the length of the capsule allows the introduction of heated fluids from a top mounted inlet port to a bottom of the capsule chamber to allow or a substantially uniform heat gradient in the capsule filter chamber. A dispersion ring or dispersion plate may be secured to a distal end of the transfer tube to promote uniform dispersion of liquids and/or gases introduced into the capsule apparatus.

Abstract: A system comprises an input, a brine chamber, a water softening chamber, and an output. One or more valves are configured to selectively prevent fluid communication of water from the input into the brine chamber; and to selectively permit communication of brine from the brine chamber to the water softening chamber when water is not being communicated through the input. The output is configured to output water softened in the water softening chamber. The one or more valves may include a first valve and a second valve. The first valve may be responsive to water being communicated through the input. The second valve may be responsive to either manual actuation or a fluid level in the brine chamber. The system may further include a cartridge that is removably coupled with the water softening chamber. The cartridge may contain salt and may further define the brine chamber.

Abstract: The water provisioning system mainly contains a selection switch, a water volume switch, a human-machine interface (HMI), a RO waste water recycling device, an electromagnetic valve, a RO water purification device, an antichlor device, an aeration pipe assembly, a first ozone module, and a second ozone module. The selection switch selects a type of water to use. The RO water purification device filters water from a low-temperature water source, stores purified water in a storage barrel, and provides high-quality drinking water. The 70% water from the RO water purification process that fails the drinking water standard is recycled through the RO waste water recycling device. The low-temperature water source is connected to an antichlor device and the water is therefore dechlorinated. The first and second ozone modules are used to produce ozonated water and to release ozone through the aeration pipe assembly into the kitchen cabinet for deodorization and sterilization.

Abstract: Fluid processing apparatuses and systems are disclosed. In some embodiments the fluid processing apparatuses include a movable enclosure, a plurality of filter housings disposed substantially within the movable enclosure, and a stand disposed within the enclosure. The filter housings are in fluid communication with one another. Each filter housing defines an elongate path and is configured to support a respective filter along the elongate flow path to filter a substantially continuous flow of fluid. The stand supports each filter housing such that the elongate flow path of each filter housing is substantially parallel to a vertical axis, wherein each filter housing is independently rotatable, relative to the stand.

Abstract: A water treatment system including a reverse osmosis module and a control valve controlling communication between a water source and the module. A feedwater biased storage tank stores permeate and its pressurization by feedwater is controlled by a feedwater control valve. Flow of signal pressure to a signal pressure chamber of the feedwater control valve is restricted to reduce the rate at which a fluid generated force is applied. A check valve in parallel with the restriction allows relatively unrestricted flow out of the signal chamber when signal pressure is terminated. A tank pressurization control valve controls the operation of the feedwater control valve and controls the pressurization of a feedwater biasing chamber in the storage tank. Per-meate is stored in an accumulator for flushing the reverse osmosis module when the storage tank reaches a predetermined limit.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating solid waste to produce a biomass product includes a cylindrical vessel includes a cylindrical vessel comprising a loading doorway and a discharge doorway at opposite ends of the cylindrical vessel. At least two drive tires are mounted on the cylindrical vessel perpendicular to the cylindrical axis. The drive tires each include a smooth exterior surface for rotating the cylindrical vessel without gear teeth and without sprocket teeth. A drive mechanism is coupled to the drive tires for rotating the cylindrical vessel around the cylindrical axis. The drive mechanism includes drive wheels that support and provide torque to the cylindrical vessel from a contact surface on each of the drive wheels that contacts the exterior surface of the drive tires.

Abstract: A reverse osmosis water filtration system has a control housing that contains control components for the filtration system. The control housing may include control components for a membrane flushing system and/or feed water pressurization system for a permeate storage tank.

Abstract: This portable appliance can be used to clean teeth by liquid (water or solution) containing dissolved ozone, which is a potent oxidizer and germ killer. Preferably, its cleaning action is enhanced by pulsations of the liquid stream. The dissolved ozone can reduce or eliminate gingivitis, gum bleeding, bad breath, teeth stains, and harmful oral bacteria. This appliance can also be used for nasal irrigation for sinusitis treatment and for ear irrigation, eye care, and general cleaning. Additionally, since its output pump is independent of the ozone dissolving system, the ozone dissolving system can be configured as an add on device for an oral irrigator such as a Water Pik™ manufactured by WaterPik Technologies, Inc. In this configuration, the ozonated liquid is delivered by either gravity or pumped flow, to the original reservoir connection with the irrigator serving as the delivery portion of this invention.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for removing sediment from a liquid are provided. Pulses of pressurized air are directed into a conduit having an inlet disposed within a first liquid-containing vessel adjacent to (or within) the sediment to cause a slurry of liquid and sediment to flow through the conduit into a second vessel elevated above the first vessel. The slurry of liquid and sediment is allowed to drain from the second vessel into a third vessel that is positioned at an elevation lower than the second vessel. Liquid is drained from the third vessel (to another vessel or elsewhere) as sediment accumulates within the third vessel. The third vessel may be removed when accumulation of sediment therewithin reaches a predetermined amount. The accumulated sediment within the third vessel is removed and the third vessel is returned to service, or another empty vessel may be substituted therefor.

Abstract: A filter housing (14) has a first inlet (16) for receiving a first fluid such as oil from a machine such as an internal combustion engine (12), a first outlet (20) returning the first fluid to the machine, a second inlet (24) selectively receiving a second fluid from a source of cleaning fluid (28), and a second outlet (30) exhausting the second fluid. The filter housing has a first flow path therethrough from the first inlet through a filter element (40) in one direction to the first outlet, and a second flow path therethrough from the second inlet then through the filter element in the opposite direction then to the second outlet. The first and second inlets and the first and second outlets are all provided at the same axial end of the housing, for modularity. First and second common flow channels (58 and 68) in the housing each carry the first and second fluids in opposite directions. First and second valves (84 and 86) in the housing enable switching between filtration and cleaning modes.

Abstract: A number of embodiments of improved systems for cleaning contaminants from a cooling liquid for machining operations. The system includes a series flow relationship between a rare earth magnetic separator, an amorphous filter and a mechanical filter with an arrangement for ensuring balanced flow and facilitating continued operation while at least some of the filters are serviced. Also disclosed are a number of arrangements for cleaning the amorphous filter automatically without requiring excessive manual labor.

Abstract: A feeder insert apparatus for a tubular water filtration cartridge utilized in household point of use water filtration systems. The feeder insert allows a chemical to be fed into a incoming water supply at a controlled rate by employing a bypass system that allows a predetermined amount of incoming water to flow past the feed chemical without contacting the chemical. The amount of water in the bypass flow can also be manually adjusted through the use of two adjustment mechanisms, an adjustable ring and a rotatable end cap, located on the feeder insert.

Abstract: Reverse osmosis, particularly for manually operating water desalination, is achieved using semipermeable membranes which selectively permeate purified water from a feed solution pressurized by reciprocating piston or diaphragm pump. The manual pump action is assisted by using two pump pistons to provide a continuous flow of feed solution to the concentrate side of the membrane to continuously flush the membrane surface. The concentration polarization is controlled by exhausting the high pressure concentrate to atmosphere through an orifice and relief valve.

Abstract: An electric control for a water conditioning system includes a solenoid valve which controls water inlet into the system and which is controlled by a flow switch that senses product water flow from a water faucet or other outlet. The flow switch also energizes an indicator lamp for indicating processing of water. The flow switch also controls a second solenoid valve which allows water flow into the pressure or "squeeze" side of a bladder type product water storage tank. When product water flow occurs, the second solenoid valve opens to permit supply water to flow therein, providing additional pressure to the product water side of the storage tank. Accordingly, product water flow is effected from the storage tank to the product water outlet. When a predetermined low pressure is sensed, a pressure switch located on the product water side of the storage tank opens the first solenoid valve to supply water to the system for processing.

Abstract: A system is provided for weighing and monitoring flow from multiple fluid sources into a flow system wherein incoming fluid is received in a weighing bag attached to a control system for monitoring the amount of fluid passed through the weighing bag and for preventing admission of air into the flow system. An alarm attached to the weighing bag warns when fluid in the weighing bag is approaching empty, so that the fluid in the weighing bag can be replenished from the fluid source before the weighing bag runs dry. If fluid in the weighing bag is not replenished, the system automatically shuts down.The fluid pump can be absolutely calibrated using the controlled admission of known amounts of fluid into the weighing bag so that the amount of fluid introduced into the flow system through the weighing bag can be calculated automatically.

Abstract: An improved cross-flow granular filtration system involving the use of ultraviolet, ozonation, chlorination, reactive granular filtration media, chemical regeneration, and central flow control is described. The process system and apparatus includes a liquid pump, a central flow control, a cross-flow reactive pressure filter, a process tank and at least one chemical feeder. The filter media are of reactive and granular type, including diatomaceous earth, granular activated carbon, granular metal medium, greensand, neutralizing sand, activated alumina, ion exchange resins, polymeric adsorbents, coal, porous plastic medium, porous stainless steel medium, porous ceramic medium, bacteriostatic filter medium, or combinations thereof. Alternatively a downflow or upflow filter is substituted for the crossflow reactive pressure filter. The process tank contains and handles regeneration chemicals or filter aids for the reactive filter media.

Abstract: A water purifier includes a canister containing a reverse osmosis filter unit and threadedly engaged with a control head which is adapted to be coupled to a source of tap water, to a purified water storage tank, to a faucet or other remote usage location and to a waste water drain. The head includes a normally-open inlet valve controlling the flow of tap water to the filter unit and a drain valve controlling flow of waste water to the drain. The inlet valve closes in response to back pressure in the storage tank when it is filled to shut off the apparatus. A normally-closed and normally-disabled bypass valve can be selectively enabled for opening in response to a predetermined lower back pressure in the storage tank when it is less than completely full for diverting purified water from the filter unit to the drain. The drain valve is continuously adjustable between fully open and fully closed conditions.

Abstract: An apparatus to clean or depollute surfaces or layers of water. The apparatus has at least one channel (12) which withdraws a stream of water at the front of the apparatus and discharges the water at the rear of the apparatus after cleaning or depollution. The water can be discharged through two conduits or tunnels (18), which diverge relative to each other. The flow of the stream of water through the channel (12) is caused by at least one propellor (20) driven by a motor which can be hydraulic.

Abstract: A purified water dispensing and reject water control device is provided for operative association with a pressurized feed water supplied reverse osmosis cartridge that has purified water and reject water outlets and a tank that is subdivided by a movable barrier into first and second compartments of variable volume that receive purified and reject water and may have same discharged therefrom. The control device includes a single elongate tube that actuates first and second valve members that tend to remain in first positions. Purified water from the purified water outlet flows to the first compartment and reject water from reject water outlet flows through a first flow restrictor and then through a second flow restrictor defined by the tube to the drain when the valve members are in first positions.

Abstract: A system for separating abrasive material from fluid used in fluid jet cutting includes a catcher tank, a settling tank and a pumping device which pumps fluid containing an abrasive material from the catcher tank and centrifugally separates an abrasive slurry from the fluid. A fluid conduit returns the fluid separated from the slurry to the cathcher tank. Another conduit directs the slurry to the settling tank where a portion of the abrasive material substantially settles from the slurry and, after settling has occurred, the slurry from which some of the abrasive material has settled is returned to the pumping device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling operating conditions of a corrugated plate interceptor vessel using at least two transparent windows located in proximity of the oil and treated water layers which are maintained transparent by washing their interior surfaces with a clean fluid such as water.

Abstract: An improved purified water supply system is provided of the type including a reverse osmosis unit for producing relatively pure water from ordinary tap water or the like. The reverse osmosis unit receives incoming tap water and produces separate outflows of purified water and relatively impure reject water. The purified water is supplied from the reverse osmosis unit to a purified water chamber within a compact storage vessel, wherein the purified water chamber is separated within the vessel by a movable barrier from a reject water chamber. When use of the purified water is desired, one or more faucet valves are opened to open a discharge path permitting purified water to flow from the storage vessel through a discharge spout or the like for use. An improved control valve assembly operates in conjunction with the faucet valve or valves to apply reject water under sufficient pressure to the reject water chamber to force purified water from the storage vessel through the open discharge path.

Abstract: Self-standing apparatus for filtering supply water to provide purified water includes a base subassembly and two container subassemblies. One container subassembly provides supply water to filtering apparatus located in the base subassembly. The second container holds purified water which passes through a semipermeable membrane filter in the base subassembly. Concentrate from the membrane filter flows back to the supply water container for ultimate recirculation. The base subassembly and the container subassemblies have automatically closing valves which render each container water-tight when separated from the base subassembly, and which open to provide communication between the containers and filtering apparatus within the base subassembly.

Abstract: A filter comprises a housing and a filter body including a plurality of grooved filter discs supported in stacked relation on a plurality of rods extending longitudinally of the housing, the rods being supported at their opposite ends by the housing and being disposed in an array around the housing longitudinal axis with spaces between the rods to provide large passageways for the flow of the fluid. The filter further includes a stack--removing member disposed at one end of the filter discs, and a handle to facilitate drawing the filter discs out of the housing, when opened for cleaning purposes, without breaking the stack.

Abstract: A multiple-disc type fluid filter is described wherein the housing includes an outer tubular section, and an inner section having two tubular members with an end plate at one end of one tubular member and securable to an open end of the outer housing section. The two tubular members of the inner housing section include ribs for supporting the filter discs. The end plate and the tubular member to which it is secured are open and constitute one of the filter ports, e.g. the inlet port, and the opposite end of the same tubular member is closed and terminates short of the outer housing section. The second tubular member, which is longitudinally spaced from the closed end of the first tubular member, constitutes the other filter port, e.g. outlet port. The stack of filter discs are all of substantially the same uniform thickness, but there are included a plurality of further discs of non-uniform thickness such as to correct the accumulation of non-uniformities in the latter discs.

Abstract: A water filter connects into a waterline which feeds a faucet separate from the filter. A filter cartridge is seated within a canister and has an inlet and an outlet. The canister is removably attached to a cap in which is disposed an entrance port to communicate with the outlet and an exit port to communicate with the inlet. Also in the cap are an input port for receiving water from the line, an output port for delivering water into the line to feed the faucet, a passage which communicates between the input port and the exit port, a passageway which communicates between the input port and the output port and a channel which communicates between the entrance port and the output port. A diverter in the cap responds to a rate of water flow from the faucet of less than a predetermined amount for opening the passage and the channel and closing the passageway, while being responsive to a rate of flow greater than such amount for closing the passage and the channel but opening the passageway.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a deairing system for use in a bedside-console-type dialysis machine.The system includes a selectively adjustable flow controller, a deairing tank, and a suction pump for drawing dialysis solution from the flow controller through the deairing tank and to the pump. The pump is also connected to the deairing tank for applying a negative pressure and for removing gas from the dialysis solution.The tank is provided with a baffle-and-ball-type check valve arrangement for preventing flow of dialysis solution through the gas line. A recirculation loop is provided in conjunction with the pump and includes an air separation tank downstream of the pump and a negative pressure valve which connects the upstream side of the pump and recirculation tank. The air separation tank cooperates with the pump to assure efficient operation of the pump by minimizing the air drawn through the recirculation loop and to the pump from the separation tank.

Abstract: A machine is disclosed for use with an artificial kidney. The machine has three separately controllable pumps enabling delivery and return of a dialysate solution to an artificial kidney with precise control of various dialysate parameters such as temperature, pressure, conductivity, and flow rate.The machine has redundant control and monitor circuits to assure safe operation. The monitor circuit is capable of causing the machine to stop dialysis if any one of various monitored parameters goes out of limits.

Abstract: A bypass valving fluid control arrangement for a fluid system including a fluid treatment device which permits the removal of the fluid treatment device from the system without interrupting system operation and wherein the bypass valving control comprises a single unitary structure having a single manual control means and valving operation is responsive to pressure conditions within the fluid control arrangement.

Abstract: This invention provides a separator for two relatively insoluble mixed liquids of different specific gravities as, for example oil and water. More particularly the invention relates to a bilge oil separating system (BOSS), or apparatus and includes a float controlled bilge pump for pumping the oil contaminated bilge water from a ship's bilge into a splatter chamber, that, to considerable measure, undoes the globularization of the oil caused by the bilge pump. This is effected by changing the rather rapid downward flow of the mixed liquids out of the delivery tube to a hollow jet type outwardly and upwardly directed flow that then changes to a hollow cylindrical downward flow against the inner cylindrical surface of the wall of a splatter chamber.

Abstract: A duplex filter system having two filterized fluid flow circuits for maintaining continuous fluid flow to an engine or similar liquid utilizing device during a filter change operation. A fluid control system is provided including liquid-obstructing air vent means for selectively venting air under pressure from an empty one of said two circuits while retaining fluid under pressure within the other said circuit during charging of said empty circuit, whereby fluid pressure within the system is regulated, and the fluid flow controlled. Detection means for detecting pressure within each of the two circuits.