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

Aug. 1, 1967 _{A F}. lqfgreen 3,333,601

ADDITIVE APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING AND MIXING A CONTROLLABLY ADJUSTABLE QUANTITY OF ONE OR MORE ADDITIVE MATERIALS TO A FLOWING QUANTITY OF LIQUID

Filed Aug. 5, 1963

<img file="US3333601A_D0001.tif" />

United States Patent Office

3,333,601

Patented Aug. 1, 1967

3,333,601

ADDITIVE APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING AND MIXING A CONTROLLABLY ADJUSTABLE QUANTITY OF ONE OR MORE ADDITIVE MATERIALS TO A FLOWING QUANTITY OF LIQUID

Andrew F. Lofgreen, 13224 Stanbridge Ave., Downey, Calif. 90242

Filed Aug. 5,1963, Ser. No. 299,709 8 Claims. (CI. 137—604)

Generally speaking, the present invention relates to additive apparatus for supplying and mixing a controllably adjustable quantity of one or more additive materials to a flowing quantity of liquid. The invention also generally relates to controllably adjustable multiple orifice control and metering valve means, both in combination with the remainder of the additive apparatus and effectively comprising a part thereof and, per se, as a subcombination of the complete apparatus adapted for independent use wherever such a control and metering valve means is desired.

. In one exemplary form of the apparatus, the above-mentioned flowing quantity of liquid may comprise the conventional shower water of a shower which flows through a conventional wall outlet pipe of a conventional shower water supply system to a conventional shower head. In this exemplary form of the apparatus, the above-mentioned additive apparatus effectively comprises an attachment apparatus cooperable for attachment with respect to said wall outlet pipe of said conventional shower water supply system for supplying a controllably adjustable quantity ot one or more of said additive materials to said flowing quantity of liquid which comprises, in this case, the shower water flowing through the conventional shower water supply system to said shower head. This ³⁵makes it possible to add to said shower water any controllably adjustable quantity of one or more additive materials, such as bath or skin oil or the like adapted to prevent excessive drying of the skin as a result of the action of soap and/or water thereon, various odorant materials adapted to impart a pleasant odor to a person’s skin and/or hair, various germicidal preparations adapted to kill skin and/or hair bacteria and the like, various shampoo materials or detergent materials adapted to facilitate cleansing action, and/or any other suitable additive materials not necessarily limited to those specifically referred to above.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned preferred form of the invention is of a nature such as to be capable of easy attachment to a conventional pre-existing shower water supply system by a person, thus being conducive to widespread use of the attachment of the apparatus of the present invention.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel additive apparatus of die character referred to hereinbefore in any of the various generic and/or specific aspects thereof mentioned above, either individually or in combination, and which is so constructed as to be capable of being very quickly and easily mountable and/or dismountable with respect to a conventional person and which is operative for controllably adjustable material-adding purposes with respect to shower water, or the like, for the purposes mentioned above.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel additive attachment apparatus of the character referred to above, embodying as a part thereof a novel controllably adjustable multiple orifice control and metering valve means controllably operable in a manner 70 such as to adjust and meter the amount and type of additive material which is to be controllably added to the main shower water by the apparatus of the present invention.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide, as a subcombination of the complete combination form of the invention referred to hereinbefore, a novel controllably adjustable multiple orifice control and metering valve means, per se.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide novel additive apparatus as referred to above which is of extremely simple, inexpensive, foolproof, lightweight, easily attached construction such as to be conducive to widespread use thereof.

Further objects are implicit in the detailed description which follows hereinafter (which is to be considered as exemplary of, but not specifically limiting the invention), and said objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after a careful study of the detailed description which follows hereinafter.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, one exemplary embodiment of the invention and several slight modifications of portions thereof, are illustrated in the hereinbelow-described figures of the accompanying single drawing sheet and are described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one exemplary form of the invention in mounted operative relationship with respect to a conventional shower water supply system including a conventional shower wall outlet pipe and a conventional shower head. The mounting wall of the shower stall is shown fragmentarily in broken away 30 form for space conservation reasons.

FIG. 2 is a slightly enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in section, taken in the direction of the arrows 2—2 of FIG. 1. In this view one of the container means for the additive material is shown partly broken away &gt; for drawing clarity.

FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of the arrows 3—3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the aspirating means comprising the Venturi means of FIG. 1 and illustrates the aspirating or suction action of said aspirating or Venturi means with respect to the suction duct means which is in communication with the controllably adjustable multiple orifice control and metering valve means for applying controllable suction to desired ones of the containers for the additive materials.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, taken in the direction of the arrows 5—5 of FIG. 3 and shows the control and metering valve means in one position where no suction is applied to either of the additive material containers. The mounting straps are deleted for drawing simplification.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but shows the control and metering valve means in a different position into which it has been manually adjusted; said position being such as to apply controlled suction to the right additive material container of FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 7 is a view generally similar to FIG. 5 but illustrates a slight modification of the rotary valve opening or valve unseating means from the first exemplary, but non-limiting, structure thereof as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 8 is a view generally similar to FIG. 6 but shows another slight modification of the rotary valve opening or valve unseating means which, in this modification, is 65 shown arranged for unseating or opening actuation of the two different needle valves shown whereby to simultaneously apply controlled and metered suction to both of the additive material containers.

Generally speaking, the first exemplary form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-6 comprises, as considered in one relatively broad aspect, a complete attachment unit, generally designated by the reference numeral 11

3,333,601

The flexible controllably removable siphon tube end portions or effective siphon tubes 14S and 15S are normally adapted to extend downwardly through the corresponding open tops 21 and 22 of the corresponding additive material container 18 or 19, as indicated by the one shown in solid at 15S with respect to the right container 19, for the aspiration or sucking of the corresponding liquid 23 out of the hollow interior of the corresponding container 19 or 18 and into the remaining portion of the corresponding one of the two ducts 15 or 14, which have been previously mentioned as having their opposite ends connected to the three-way control and metering valve means 12, as is best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The suction outlet duct 16 of said control and metering valve 12 is connected, as is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, to an aspirating means, generally indicated at 25 and which, in said first exemplary form of the invention, comprises a Venturi, which is connected directly in the flow path of the main shower water between the wall outlet shower fitting 26 and the conventional shower head 27.

Since the flow of said main shower water through said aspirating means or Venturi 25 will create suction in the suction duct 16 in accordance with the well known prinaatenais io me maui ciple of operation of such Venturis, said suctiomwiH be in greater detail here- 25 controllably applied in varying degree to one or the: other of the lateral ducts 14 and 15 by the control and metering valve 12 (best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) whereby to correspondingly apply suction to the additive liquid 23 within the corresponding one of the two additive material 30 containers 18 or 19. This will, of course, suck some of said additive liquid 23 out of said container (18 or 19) and cause it to enter the aspirating means or Venturi 25 and to there become very thoroughly mixed with the main shower water as it flows downwardly and toward the 35 right as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 4 toward the shower head 27 by way of the flow-path-defining means, indicated generally at 28, and which is shown in said exemplary first form of the invention as comprising first and second flow-path-defining portions, indicated at 28A and 28B, re40 spectively, and integrally carrying therebetween said aspirating means comprising said Venturi means 25. Said flow-path-defining portions 28A and 28B define corresponding flow paths therein, as indicated at 28A' and 28B', and also have threaded fitting means 29 and 31 at 45 opposite ends thereof for removable engagement and disengagement with respect to the corresponding fitting portions 32 and 33 carried, respectively, by the conventional wall outlet pipe 34 of the main shower water supply system, which is generally indicated by the reference 50 numeral 35, and by the conventional shower head 27.

The important point to note is that the additive liquid 23 in either of the two additive material containers 18 or 19 can be . effectively supplied and mixed with respect to the main shower water in any desired ratio by the 55 over-all attachment unit generally designated by the reference numeral 11; this being accomplished primarily by manual adjustment of the novel control and metering valve 12 (best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6).

In the specific example illustrated, the valve control 60 knob handle 13 may be provided with a pointer 36 cooperable with a scale and indicia means 37 to indicate the relative position of the control and metering valve means 12 so that a person using same will know which additive material container 18 or 19 has been placed in 65 communication with the aspirating or Venturi means 25 and to what degree. .

Also, in the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, the housing means 17 is provided with controllably fastenable and unfastenable attachment means, one form 70 of which is indicated generally at 38, for effectively mounting the entire attachment device 11 in operative relationship with respect to the conventional shower water supply system 35. In said exemplary first form of the invention, said attachment means comprises a resilient 75 spring clamp means 39 cooperable with the conventional (best shown in FIG. 1), for supplying one or more additives to shower water.

Considered in a second or more specific aspect, said exemplary first form of the invention may be said to be directed to a controllably adjustable, multiple orifice, control and metering valve means, such as is generally designated by the reference numeral 12 in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, and 6.

In said exemplary first form of the invention, said controllably adjustable, multiple orifice, control and meter- ing valve means 12 actually comprises a particular kind of three-way control and metering valve which is provided with a control knob handle 13 (best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3) adapted for use in controllably operating said valve 12 so as to connect either of two lateral inlet ducts 14 or 15 with respect to a third duct 16 which effectively comprises a suction outlet duct; said connection being determined by which way the handle 13 is turned and being of a nature such as to controllably adjustably meter the degree of such connection of either the inlet duct 14 with respect to the suction outlet duct 16 or of the other inlet duct 15 with respect to said suction outlet duct 16. This is for the controlled supplying of either or both of two different types of additive materials to, the main shower water as will be described in „ inafter.

Broadly speaking, the entire attachment unit 11 consists of a housing 17 which carries two refillable containers 18 and 19 therein which have open tops 21 and 22, respectively, and which are adapted to contain , any desired type of additive material, such as the additive liquid indicated at 23 in FIG. 2 as being contained by the right container 19. However, it should be understood that the left container 18 is also adapted to contain an additive material which is usually a different type of liquid from that shown at 23. For example, one additive liquid might be a deodorant, another additive liquid might be a detergent, another additive liquid might be a skintreating oil or a bath oil, or the like. Indeed, many different types of additive liquids may be contained by the containers 18 and/or 19, and there may be any desired number of such containers in certain forms of the invention.

It should be noted that, in said exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, portions of said ducts 14 and , 15 remote from the ends thereof which are effectively connected with respect to said controllably adjustable, multiple orifice, control and metering valve means 12, are adapted to be effectively and controllably removably held by clamp means 24 in positions such as to support, in downwardly directed relationship over the open tops 21 and 22 of the additive material containers 18 and 19, corresponding siphon tube end portions (or effective siphon tubes) indicated at 14S and 15S, with each of said siphon tube end portions 14S and 15S, respectively, being controllably removable from within the interior of the 'corresponding additive material container 18 and 19, respectively by reason of the flexible nature of said siphon tube end portions 14S and 15S, respectively. This allows either or both of the additive material containers 18 and/or 19 to be quickly and easily removed through the corresponding left or right housing access door means 17D and to be refilled with additive liquid (such as is shown at 23) by merely pouring same into the open top •21 or 22 of the corresponding additive material container 18 and/or 19, after which it is replaced within the housing 17 and the access door means 17D is closed. It should be”noted that each of the access door means 17D is provided with a manually graspable knob K adapted to facilitate the opening and closing thereof and is provided with a hinge means H at one end thereof and a snap fastener means F at the other end thereof, thereby making it possible to quickly and easily open and subsequently close either or both of said access door means 17D for the purposes just described.

3,333,601 wall outlet pipe 34 of the conventional shower water supply system 35 for quick and easy attachment of the housing means 17 with respect thereto. Of course, the flow-path-defining tube means 28 is mounted by means of the engagement of the previously mentioned threaded portions 29 and 32 and the shower head 27 is mounted with respect thereto by engagement of the previously mentioned threaded portions 31 and 33.

As pointed out above, the present invention is also directed to the novel controllably adjustable multiple orifice control and metering valve means, per se, one exemplary first form of which is indicated generally by the reference numeral 12.

The exemplary first form of said control and metering valve 12 comprises a valve housing 41 provided with the two previously mentioned inlet ducts 14 and 15 which are in effective communication with a centrally positioned common interior chamber 42 by way of two corresponding needle valve means, indicated generally at 43 and 44, respectively. Each of said needle valve means 43 and 44 comprises a tapered needle valve member 45 and 46, respectively, a corresponding tapered needle valve seat 47 and 48, respectively, and corresponding biasing spring means 49 and 51, respectively; said biasing spring means normally biasing said tapered needle valves into closed 25 sealed relationship with respect to said tapered needle valve seats whereby both of said inlet duct means 14 and 15 are normally effectively isolated from said common central interior chamber 42 except when a con- ______ „„„ „. auuuam or mi trollably positionally adjustable needle valve-unseating ro- 30 fication thereto, similar parts are indicated bv similaTreftary means, indicated generally at 50, is rotated from a =—&gt;— —·—^j »-------- - · · — neutral valve-closed position, such as is shown in FIG. 5, into a valve-opening position, such as is shown in

FIG. 6, wherein the right needle valve 46 is forcibly un- ________________„ _{LV α VUUUUI KI1UO or nanale} seated from the right tapered valve seat 48 against the 35 similar to that shown at 13 in FIGS. 1 and 3. This mav action of the right biasing spring 51 so as to effectively . .

place the right inlet duct means 15 in controlled metered communication with the interior common chamber 42 and with the previously mentioned suction outlet duct means ------------------_ _{α 1U1 relurn OI Tne} which extends to the previously mentioned aspirating 40 rotary member 50' toward neutral position under the means or Venturi 25, which applies suction thereto as — ---,. previously described.

In other words, the arrangement is such that rotation of the valve control knob or handle 13 in one direction or the other will correspondingly cause the rotary needle valve unseating means 50 to unseat the left needle valve 45 or the right needle valve 46 and will do so to any desired and effectively metered degree depending upon which direction the control knob or handle 13 is rotated from the neutral position shown in FIG. 1 thereof, and the corresponding neutral position of the valve-unseating rotary means 50 as shown in FIG. 5.

The mounting of the valve control knob or handle 13 and the rotary needle valve-unseating means 50 can be such as to remain in any position into which it has been 55 manually adjusted. This may be provided by frictional means or detent means of any well known type so that the force of either of the biasing spring means 49 or 51 will not cause the corresponding needle valves 45 or 46 to return said rotary needle valve unseating means 50, and the valve control knob or handle 13, toward the neutral position shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 after it has been manually adjusted into a valve-unseating position. It is not believed necessary to illustrate such frictional or detent type of mounting means in detail since such structures are well known in the art and do not comprise any part of the real inventive concept of the present invention.

It should be noted that the novel control and metering valve means 12 may have any desired number of inlet ducts, such as the two shown at 14 and 15 in said exemplary first form of the invention, and each of said ducts may communicate with a corresponding different additive material container so that any desired number of different kinds of additive material can be controllably path-defining means 28. Such a modification merely requires the addition of additional ducts similar to those shown at 14 and 15 and additional needle valve means similar to those shown at 43 and 44 plus a slight modification of the rotary valve unseating means 50 in certain of such modifications.

When the additive liquid 23 in either of the containers 18 or 19 is depleted and needs to be replaced or to be initially placed therein for the first time, either of the front access door means 17D is opened to allow either direct filling of the corresponding additive material container 18 or 19 while still positioned within the housing 17, or either of said additive material containers 18 or 19 may be removed and manually filled through the corresponding open top 21 or 22 thereof and replaced within the housing 17. Then the corresponding access door means is closed and fastened by the resilient fastener means F. The apparatus is then in condition for dispensing operation immediately. The removable back wall 52 and the threaded fastening means 53 effectively comprise one exemplary type of back access means into the housing U ^use primarily in initially assembling the apparatus. Various other access means may be provided in lieu of the arrangement just described, which is exemplary only and which is not to be construed as specifically limiting the invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a slight modification of the form of the rotary needle valve unseating means shown at 50 in .Λ,^{31111 6}' ?^{ecause of the} similarity of this modierences, primed, however. In this modification, it will be noted that said rotary valve unseating means 50' comprises a cylindrical member which is eccentrically mounted by the shaft 54 which is coupled to a control knob or handle , -------— «-*-·-* ** w. Χ14ΛΟ Ilia/ provide smoother operation than the first form of the invention and may minimize or eliminate the requirement for frictional or detent type of mounting for the rotary elements in order to avoid a tendency for return of the action of the needle valve biasing springs 49' and 51'. No further description of this modification is thought necessary in view of its similarity to the first form of the invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a further slight modification of the controllably adjustable metering valve means indicated at 12 in the first form of the invention and, because of the great similarity to said first form of the invention, similar parts are indicated by similar reference numerals’ doubly primed, however. In this modification, the rotary valve unseating means 50 comprises a rotary cam having multiple lobes or portions of greater than average effective eccentricity, as designated by the reference numerals 55 and 56, positioned for cooperation with both of the needle valves 45 and 46 whereby to controllably unseat same in a desired metered suction relationship so that liquid will be drawn from both containers (such as those indicated at 18 and 19 of FIGS. 2 and 3, in communication with each of said needle valve means 43 and 44) in a controlled metered relationship. This same principle can be applied to more than two additive material containers, inlet ducts, and needle valve means, it only being necessary to increase the number of effective lobes on the rotary cam means 50 and to position and/or ratio 65 j^{n a manner} such as to bring about the desired controlled and metered operation of the corresponding needle valves upon rotation thereof under the action of a control knob similar to that shown at 13 in FIG. 1 of the first form of the invention.

_ It should be noted that the rotary valve unseating means indicated in the first exemplary form of the invention at 50, in the first modification thereof at 50', and in the second modification thereof at 50, is shown in each case as comprising an eccentric and/or cam-like device selected and added to the main shower water in the flow- ₇₅ having one or moVraffiaTly effeXly ZSg X

3,333,601 tive cam portions, or portions of greater than average eccentricity, adapted to controllably abut and open one or more of the needle valves. However, it should be clearly noted that this is exemplary only and is not to be construed as limiting the invention to such radially extending cam means or effectively eccentric portions. Actually, said cam portions (which may actually be termed valve operating portions) may extend from the operating memher in a direction substantially perpendicular to each of the three examples illustrated in the drawing and, in this case, they would actually be non-radially extensions projecting from what might be termed either the front or rear face of the rotary valve operating means 50, 50 , and/or 50 in a direction substantially parallel to the rotary shaft carrying same, such as the shaft shown at 54 in fig. 7, for example. Such facial cam portions or surfaces can be circularly spaced in any desired manner to bring about virtually any desired type of operation of a plurality of needle valves (or any functional valving equivalent thereof), which would normally be placed m abutment with the cammed face of the rotary valve unseating member 50, 50', and/or 50. Since such facesurface cams are well known in the art,, as are circumferential-surface, radially-extending cams, it is not believed necessary to additionally illustrate such a slight modifies 25 tion of the invention. However, it is to be understood that such a modification is intended to be included and comprehended within the broad scope of the present invention.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific &gt; description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.