Water softening system

Claim 1

A VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR A WATER SOFTENING SYSTEM COMPRISING, A VALVE BODY, SAID VALVE BODY HAVING THEREON A FLAT POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE VALVE PLATE, A RESILIENT BACKUP MEMBER BETWEEN SAID VALVE BODY AND SAID VALVE PLATE, SAID VALVE PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE PORTS INCLUDING AN INLET PORT ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO A SOURCE OF HARD WATER, A TOP PORT ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE TOP OF A RESIN TANK, A BOTTOM PORT ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE RESIN TANK, AN OUTLET PORT ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOFT WATER UTILIZATION SYSTEM, A DRAIN PORT ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A DRAIN, A BRINE PORT ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF BRINE, ALL OF SAID PORTS HAVING THEIR CENTERS DISPOSED ON A COMMON CIRCLE, A VALVE ROTOR MOUNTED IN SEALING CONTACT WITH SAID VALVE PLATE FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS WHICH EXTENDS THROUGH THE CENTER OF SAID CIRCLE AND IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE SURFACE OF SAID VALVE PLATE, A PAIR OF SYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED ARCUATE CHANNELS IN SAID ROTOR HAVING A CENTER LINE DISPOSED ON A RADIUS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE RADIUS OF SAID CIRCLE, SAID ROTOR INCLUDING MEANS TO MOVE SAID ROTOR WITH RESPECT TO SAID PLATE SO THAT SAID CHANNELS COOPERATE WITH SAID VALVE PLATE AND SAID PORTS TO COMPLETE A REGENERATION CYCLE EACH TIME SAID ROTOR IS ROTATED 180*, EACH SAID CYCLE INCLUDING SOFTENING POSITION WHEREIN SAID INLET PORT IS CONNECTED TO SAID TOP PORT AND SAID OUTLET PORT IS CONNECTED TO SAID BOTTOM PORT, A BACKWASH POSITION WHEREIN SAID INLET PORT IS CONNECTED TO SAID BOTTOM PORT AND SAID TOP PORT TO SAID DRAIN PORT, A BRINE-SLOW RINSE POSITION WHEREIN SAID INLET PORT IS CONNECTED TO SAID TOP PORT AND TO SAID OUTLET PORT AND SAID BOTTOM PORT TO SAID DRAIN PORT, AND A FAST RINSE POSITION WHEREIN SAID INLET PORT IS CONNECTED TO SAID DRAIN PORT, AND PUMP MEANS ACTUATED WHEN SAID VALVE ROTOR IS IN SAID BRINE-SLOW RINSE POSITION FOR FORCING A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF BRINE FROM THE BRINE TANK INTO THE TOP OF THE RESIN TANK.