Self-energizing water treatment accessory

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Drawing sheet — no readable text.

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ously mentioned are then tightened to hold the assem

SELF-ENERGIZING WATER TREATMENT bly together as a unit.

ACCESSORY The assembly may be used to treat water in either of two ways. If the water is flowing, a housing is provided

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 that has an inlet and a longitudinally spaced outlet. The 1. Field of the Invention housing has an internal longitudinally extending slot Self-Energizing Water Treatment Accessory. . . therein that removably engages marginal end and side 2. Background of the Invention portions of the first copper plate. A first flange extends On Sept. 19, 1967 U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,712 was issued outwardly from the housing that is engaged by a second to William O'Keefe on a Water Conditioning Method 9. flange that forms a part of a top, and the top also having and Apparatus that was subsequently assigned to the an internal longitudinal slot therein that engages the present applicant and commercialized by him through first copper plate. A resilient gasket is interposed be out the United States. In the O'Keefe invention rods of tween the flanges, and the flanges being removably a magnesium bearing material were contained in a cop secured to one another by bolts. - per housing through which the water to be treated 15 Water, as it flows through the housing encounters the flowed, and the copper housing electrically connected sequence of copper and magnesium plates previously to an iron piping system that was to be protected against described, with the flow becoming turbulent, and the corrosion. The copper housing was of massive struc water being subjected to a galvanic electric current that ture, and with the increased cost of copper, installations 20 results in magnesium from the plates sequentially being made in accordance with the O'Keefe concept were transformed from the metallic to the ionic state. The unduly expensive.

The applicant has found that the expensive copper ionic magnesium reacts with the water to form colloidal housing previously deeded necessary may be dispensed imagnesium hydroxide and provide the operational ad vantages previously mentioned. In those situations with, and that a self-energizing unit may be used to treat either a flowing stream of water or a stationary body of 25 where simply a body of water is stationary, the assembly is immersed therein as shown in FIG. 5 of the water without the use of a copper housing. drawing, with the operational advantages being the Accordingly, a major object of the present invention same as previously described in connection with the is to supply a self-energizing water treatment device for housing. :

use on either a flowing stream of water or a stationary body thereof to render the same slightly alkaline, to 30 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS alter the ratio of permanent to temporary hardness, to FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the self-energizing de-oxygenate the water, and to sequentially discharge water treating assembly;

magnesium ions into the water that reacts therewith to FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the assembly; form tasteless lyophilic colloidal magnesium hydroxide FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the assembly disposed that envelops taste or odor imparting particles in the in a housing

through which the water to be treated water and mark the taste or odor thereof.

Yet another object of the invention is to so treat the flows;

water that there is a minimum tendency for hard scale FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the to be deposited therefrom when flowing through pipes housing and assembly shown in FIG. 3 and taken on the or tubes or when contained in a tank, both when the line 4-4 thereof; and water is hot or cold, and the treated water also tending FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembly im to soften and remove deposited scale. mersed in a tank containing the water to be treated. Yet further objects of the invention are to so treat DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED water that it may have therapudic value, particularly to EMBODIMENT those persons that are suffering from a magnesium defi 45 ciency resulting from failing to eat a diet deficient in The self-energizing water treatment assembly as certain minerals. shown in perspective in FIG. 1 and includes a first These and other objects of the invention will become rectangular copper plate B that has one or more second apparent from the following description of a preferred copper plates B-1 situated on opposite sides thereof. A number of relatively thick magnesium plates C are pro form thereof and the drawing illustration that follows. 50 vided,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION with at least one plate being situated on each side of the first rectangular copper plate B. In FIG. 2 it will

The self-energizing water conditioning unit includes be seen that both the second copper plate B-1 and the a first stiff rectangular copper plate that has second magnesium plates C are of substantially smaller size copper plates of lesser size disposed on opposite sides 55 than the first copper plate B for reasons that will later thereof. Relatively thick magnesium plates are disposed become apparent.

on opposite sides of the first copper plate and have the The first copper plate B has a pair of parallel end second copper plates disposed therebetween. Both the edges 10, a lower longitudinally extending edge 12, and first and second copper plates and the magnesium plates an upper longitudinal edge 14. Each of the magnesium have transversely aligned slots that extend upwardly plates Cas may be seen in FIG. 1, as well as in FIG. 2, from the bottoms thereof and through which copper have a pair of end edges 16, a lower longitudinal edge bolts having copper spacers mounted thereon to remov 18, and an upper longitudinal edge 20. The second cop ably maintain the assembly in the configuration shown perplates B-1 are of substantially the same dimension as in FIG. 1. The assembly above described by loosening the magnesium plate C previously described but are nuts that engage the bolts, magnesium plates that have 65 illustrated in FIG. 2 as being of substantially lesser been corroded due to the galvanic action between then thickness.

and the copper plates may be lifted out of the assembly Both the first copper plates B, the second copper and replaced by new magnesium plates. The nuts previ plates B-1 and the magnesium plate C each have at least

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one set of transversely aligned slots 22 that extend up nesium plates, and during this time the water is sub wardly from the lower edges thereof as best seen in jected to a galvanic action as electric current flows FIG. 1. Each of the sets of slots 22 engages a heavy between the magnesium plates C and the copper plates copper bolt 24 that has a number of copper washers B, B-1. The cover E has a continuation of the slot 34 mounted in spaced relationship thereon, which spacers therein, and this slot in the top 44 engages the upper serve to hold the first copper plate, the second copper marginal portion of the copper plates B to maintain the plates B-1, and the magnesium plate C in laterally first copper plate B, second copper plates B-1 and the spaced relationship on the bolt 24 as illustrated in FIG. magnesium plate C in a fixed relationship in the interior 2. The bolt 24 has a head 24a thereon that abuts against of the housing D.

one of the magnesium plates C as shown in FIG.2 and O A portion of the slot 34 in the top 22 of cover E is the opposite end of the bolt being engaged by a nut 25. shown in FIG. 4, and it will be noticed that this slot also When the nut 25 is tightened on the bolt 24 the assembly continues downwardly in the end walls 48 of the cover. A is removably held in the configuration illustrated in In FIG. 1 it will be seen when the first copper plate and FIGS. 1 and 2, with each of the magnesium plates C second copper plate B-1 as well as the magnesium plate being in electrical contact with the first rectangular 15 C are disposed in the arrangement shown in this figure copper plate B and second copper plates B-1 to effect a and separated by the spacers 26, with the bolt extending multiple galvanic cell. through the slots 22, that it will so remain as long as the The invention A above-described may be used in nut is tightened on the bolt. When nut 25 is loosened, conjunction with a housing D illustrated in FIG. 3 any desired one of the magnesium plate C may be when the water to be treated is flowing, or the assembly 20 slipped upwardly from the assembly, removed there A may be immersed in a tank F as shown in FIG. 5 from and a new magnesium plate C substituted in its containing a stationary body of water 54 that is to be stead. If desired, all of the magnesium plates C may be treated by the invention A. The invention A when used concurrently removed therefrom, and replaced by new to treat a moving body of water is removably disposed magnesium plates.

in a housing D illustrated in FIG. 3 that is of generally 25 During the time that water flows through the housing rectangular shape, and that has a pair of end walls 28, a D, it is subjected to the galvanic action of the assembly pair of side walls 30, and a flat bottom 32. A longitudi A, and as the metallic magnesium of the plate C assumes nal slot 34 is formed on the interior of the housing D the ionic form, the water is rendered slightly alkaline and extends downwardly along the interior surfaces of 30 due to the formation of magnesium hydroxide, and due the pair of end walls 28 and along the interior surface of to the reactivity of the magnesium ions dissolved oxy the bottom 32. gen it removed from the water, and the magnesium In FIG. 3 it will be seen that a flange 36 extends hydroxide formed is in a gelatinous colloidal form that outwardly from the upper ends of the pair of end walls envelops foreign materials or particles in the water that 28 and side walls 30. A tubular inlet for water 38 ex have objectional taste or odor characteristics but with tends outwardly from one of the end walls 28 and has 35 this objectional feature being eliminated due to the for threads or other fastening means provided thereon to eign particles being enveloped in a gelatinous coating of connect it to a source of water which threads are identi high magnesium hydroxide that masks the taste or odor. fied by the numeral 38a, Water after discharging Also, the assembly due to the formation of the colloidal through the housing D flows from a tubular outlet 40 mangesium hydroxide tends to minimize the tendency that projects from one of the end walls 28, and the 40 of minerals in the water to be deposited as hard scale in outlet 40 also having threads or other fastening means tubes or tanks into which it discharges, as well as such 40a provided thereon for connection to the piping sys scale being precipitated when the water is heated in the tem to which it is desired to have the treated water tubes or tanks.

flow. The first flange 42 as may be seen in FIG. 3 has a Water treated by flowing through the housing D has number of spaced openings 42a formed therein. 45 the magnesium content thereof increased, and recent A cover E is provided that is illustrated in FIG. 4, medical research has indicated that increased magne and which cover includes a flat top 44 that has a pair of sium in the diet of a person may have desirable results end walls 48, and a pair of side walls 46 projecting on his health or well being. To provide water that is downwardly therefrom, which side walls and end walls rich in magnesium and that is desired to be used by develop into an outwardly extending second flange 50. 50 persons who believe that magnesium does have thera The second flange 50 has a number of spaced openings putic value relative to their well being, the assembly A 50a formed therein that are vertically alignable with the may be immersed in a tank F as shown in FIG. 5, to openings 42a. A resilient gasket 51 is sandwiched be transform water 54 therein into water with a high mag tween the flanges 42 and 50 to effect a seal therebe nesium content that may be sequentially used as desired tween. A number of second bolts 52 are provided that 55 by such persons. The housing D and the cover E are extend through the aligned openings 42a and 50a as preferably formed from a non-toxid inert polymerized shown in FIG. 4 and cooperate with the gasket 51 to eS1.

maintain the interior of the housing water-tight so that The use and operation of the invention has been de all the water flowing through the inlet 38 will discharge scribed previously in detail and need not be repeated. through the outlet 40 after the water has been treated. 60 What is claimed is:

Due to the transversely spaced configuration of the first 1. A self energizing water treatment assembly that rectangular copper plate and second copper plates B-1 includes:

relative to the magnesium plate C, spaces are provided a. a first generally rectangular copper plate having therebetween, and the flow of water from the inlet 38 upper and lower edges and a pair of end edges, . through the interior of the housing is turbulent prior to 65 with at least one transverse slot that extends up it discharging through the outlet 40. The turbulent flow wardly from said lower edge; results in all of the water being concurrently in contact b. a plurality of generally rectangular second copper with the first and second copper plates B, B-1 and mag plates and magnesium plates that have lower edges

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from which transverse slots extend upwardly that f, said first copper plate is of greater length and width may be laterally aligned with said slot in said first than said second copper plates and said magnesium copper plate; plates.

3. An assembly as defined in claim 2 which in addition c. a metal electrical conducting bolt having a head 5 includes:

and a free threaded end that may be inserted in said g. a housing assembly formed from a non-electrical slots; conducting material, said assembly including a box d. a plurality of spacers on said bolt that hold said first having a pair of side walls and end walls and a and second copper plates and magnesium plates in bottom, a water inlet and outlet in said pair of end laterally spaced relationship; O walls, longitudinal slots on the inner surface of said e. a nut that engages said threads on said bolt, said pair of end walls, said slots removably engaging bolt when tightened holding said assembly to marginal edge portions of said first copper plate; a gether as an integral unit, said nut when loosened cover mounted on said box, said cover having a permitting a desired one or all of said plates to be 5 longitudinal slot on the inner surface thereof that removably engages a marginal edge portion of said lifted from said bolt and replaced by plates that first copper plate; means for removably securing have not been subjected to water. said top to said box.. . . . . 2. An assembly as defined in claim 1 in which