Demineralization column

Claim 1

A DEMINERALIZATION COLUMN COMPRISING A CLOSED ELONGATED CONTAINER IN UPRIGHT POSITION, A MIXED BED OF CATION AND ANION EXCHANGE MATERIALS IN SAID CONTAINER, THREE FLOW DISTRIBUTORS LOCATED ADJACENT THE TOP, MIDDLE, AND BOTTOM, RESPECTIVELY, OF SAID CONTAINER AND EACH CONSISTING OF A HOLLOW MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF PASSAGE OPENINGS DISTRIBUTED OVER THE CROSS SECTION OF SAID CONTAINER, A MULTI-WAY ROTARY VALVE MOUNTED AT THE TOP OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID ROTARY VALVE HAVING A STATIONARY VALVE MEMBER AND A ROTARY VALVE MEMBER MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, SAID ROTARY VALVE MEMBER FACING THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID STATIONARY AND ROTARY VALVE MEMBERS HAVING COOPERATING VALVE FACES, CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE INTERIOR OF SAID TOP, MIDDLE, AND BOTTOM DISTRIBUTORS VIA PASSAGES OF SAID ROTARY VALVE MEMBER WITH ANGULARLY SPACED PORTS IN THE VALVE FACE OF SAID ROTARY VALVE MEMBERS, SAID STATIONARY VALVE MEMBER BEING CONSTRUCTED WITH INLETS AND OUTLETS FOR CONNECTION TO A SOURCE OF LIQUID TO BE DEMINERALIZED, A SOURCE OF LIQUID TO BE USED FOR SEPARATING THE ANION AND CATION EXCHANGE MATERIALS, TWO SOURCES OF DIFFERENT REGENERATING LIQUIDS, A REGENERATION LIQUIDS DRAIN-OFF, A DEMINERALIZED LIQUID DISCHARGE, AND A SEPARATING LIQUID DISCHARGE, SAID INLETS AND OUTLETS COMMUNICATING THROUGH LPASSAGES OF SAID STATIONARY VALVE MEMBER WITH PORTS IN THE VALVE FACE THEREOF IN POSITIONS SUCH AS TO ESTABLISH, IN COOPERATION WITH THE PORTS OF THE VALVE FACE OF SAID ROTARY VALVE MEMBER, THE FOLLOWING FLOW PATHS IN THREE DIFFERENT POSITIONS OF SAID ROTARY VALVE MEMBER: (A) SEPARATING LIQUID IN THROUGH BOTTOM DISTRIBUTOR AND OUT THROUGH TOP DISTRIBUTOR; (B) REGENERATING LIQUIDS IN THROUGH BOTTOM AND TOP DISTRIBUTORS, RESPECTIVELY, AND OUT THROUGH MIDDLE DISTRIBUTOR; (C) LIQUID TO BE DEMINERALIZED IN THROUGH TOP DISTRIBUTOR AND DEMINERALIZED LIQUID OUT THROUGH BOTTOM DISTRIBUTOR.