Additive apparatus for supplying and mixing a controllably adjustable quantity of one or more additive materials to a flowing quantity of liquid

Claim 1

ADDITIVE APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING AND MIXING A CONTROLLABLY ADJUSTABLE QUANTITY OF ONE OF MORE ADDITIVE MATERIALS TO A FLOWING QUANTITY OF LIQUID, COMPRISING: FLOW PATH-DEFINING MEANS PROVIDED WITH AND DEFINING FIRST AND SECOND FLOW PATHS AND FURTHER PROVIDED THEREBETWEEN WITH ASPIRATING MEANS COMPRISING VENTURI MEANS PROVIDED WITH A THROUGH-APERTURE OF REDUCED CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA RELATIVE TO THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLOW PATHS, OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID FLOW PATH-DEFINING MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH COUPLING MEANS COOPERABLE FOR SEALED FASTENED RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO FIRST AND SECOND AUXILIARY FLOW PATH-DEFINING MEANS ADAPTED TO CARRY A QUANTITY OF LIQUID FLOWING THERETHROUGH; A PLURALITY OF ADDITIVE MATERIAL CONTAINER MEANS EACH HAVING OUTLET DUCT MEANS AND EACH HAVING A HOLLOW INTERIOR IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID OUTLET DUCT MEANS AND ADAPTED TO CARRY A CORRESPONDING ADDITIVE MATERIAL IN LIQUID FORM WHICH IT IS DESIRED TO CONTROLLABLY ADD TO SAID LIQUID ADAPTED FLOW THROUGH SAID FLOW PATHDEFINING MEANS AND SAID ASPIRATING MEANS; SUCTION DUCT MEANS HAVING ONE END EFFECTIVELY CONNECTED TO AND IN INTERIOR COMMUNICATION WITH SAID ASPIRATING MEANS; AND CONTROLLABLY ADJUSTABLE SELECTION AND METERING VALVE MEANS EFFECTIVELY CONNECTED BETWEEN EACH OF SAID OUTLET DUCT MEANS OF EACH OF SAID ADDITIVE MATERIAL CONTAINER MEANS AND THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID SUCTION DUCT MEANS FROM THE END THEREOF CONNECTED TO SAID ASPIRATING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY PLACING A DESIRED ONE OR MORE OF SAID OUTLET DUCT MEANS IN CONTROLLABLY ADJUSTABLE METERED COMMUNICATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID SUCTION DUCT MEANS AND SAID ASPIRATING MEANS FOR THE EFFECTIVE SUCTION OF A DESIRED METERED QUANTITY OF ONE OR MORE OF SAID ADDITIVE MATERIALS CONTAINED WITHIN CORRESPONDING ONED OF SAID ADDITIVE MATERIAL CONTAINER MEANS INTO SAID LIQUID ADAPTED TO FLOW THROUGH SAID ASPIRATING MEANS FOR PROVIDING A DESIRED CONCENTRATION THEREOF AND FOR EFFECTIVELY MIXING SAME, SAID CONTROLLABLY ADJUSTABLE SELECTION AND METERING VALVE MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF NEEDLE VALVES INCLUDING NEEDLE VALVE MEMBERS AND CORRESPONDING TAPERED VALVE SEATS THEREFOR CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER TO THE NUMBER OF SAID OUTLET DUCTS AND CORRESPONDINGLY CONNECTED TO AND IN COMMUNICATION THEREWITH, WITH SAID NEEDLE VALVE MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED WITH BIASING SPRING MEANS NORMALLY BIASING SAID NEEDLE VALVE MEMBERS INTO CLOSED SEALING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID VALVE SEATS, AND CONTROLLABLY POSITIONALLY ADJUSTABLE ROTARY NEEDLE VALVEUNSEATING MEANS PROVIDED WITH AND MOUNTED ON PIVOT PIN MEANS AND PROVIDED WITH OUTWARDLY PROJECTING MANUALLY GRASPABLE OPERATING MEANS FOR CONTROLLABLY ROTATING SAID ROTARY NEEDLE VALVE-UNSEATING MEANS INTO UNSEATING ABUTMENT WITH ANY SELECTED ONE OR MORE OF SAID NEEDLE VALVE MEMBERS TO ANY DESIRED DEGREE.