Well system and flow control tank

A closed water pressurizing and regulating flow control tank adapted to be serially connected for one-way flow of the entire water output from a well pump via said tank to a well water distribution system supplied by said well pump, said tank comprising a hollow container having

• (1) a first wall defining a water receiving chamber,
• (2) a second wall defining a gas receiving chamber,
• (3) a water inlet in said first wall adapted to be connected to the outlet of the well pump,
• (4) a water outlet in said first wall adapted to be connected to the water distribution system, said water outlet being separate from said water inlet but in relatively closely spaced adjacent relationship with said water inlet,
• (5) a diaphragm made of flexible gas and water impermeable material and secured about its periphery in sealed relation to the interior of said tank intermediate said first and second walls so as to provide a movable barrier between said chambers, said diaphragm being made to conform closely to the shape of said first wall such that in the untensioned state of said diaphragm material said diaphragm engages said first wall and extends therealong in conformity therewith in the empty condition of said water receiving chamber, said diaphragm thereby sealing said water inlet and said water outlet in the untensioned state of said diaphragm,
• (6) a one-way gas valve in said second wall adapted for coupling with a gas charging conduit for filling said gas chamber with a compressible gas to a pressure which has an initial predetermined value when the water receiving chamber is empty and unpressurized,
• (7) said diaphragm being movable by flexure thereof to inversely vary the volumes of said chambers in response to water pressure variations in excess of the pressure prevailing in said gas receiving chamber when said water chamber is empty, said relatively closely spaced relationship of said water inlet and outlet being such that said diaphragm seals against both said inlet and outlet substantially simultaneously as the water pressure falls below said prevailing pressure, including when said gas charge is completely lost and said prevailing pressure is atmospheric, so as to prevent water remaining in said water inlet from flowing backward via the pump into the well to thereby maintain a prime on the pump and prevent the pump from running dry, whereby the pump is kept in a fail-safe primed condition both in the event of loss of motive power to the pump and loss of the gas charge in said gas chamber.

A back flow control system to prevent water source contamination in a vertically arrayed multilevel plural branch water distribution system, said system including a source of water under pressure, a water main conduit connected to said source and having a run rising vertically from the connection of said main to said source through a multiplicity of water distribution levels arrayed in vertically ascending order, a plurality of water distribution branch lines one connected to said main run at each of said distribution levels, and a plurality of back flow control tanks each having a water inlet and water outlet serially connected into and associated with one of said branch lines in close proximity to the connection of the associated branch line to said main run, each said control tank comprising a hollow container having,

• a first wall defining a water receiving chamber,
• a second wall defining a gas receiving chamber,
• said water inlet being in said first wall,
• said water outlet also being in said first wall separate from said water inlet but in relatively closely spaced adjacent relationship with said water inlet,
• a diaphragm made of flexible gas and water impermeable material and secured about its periphery in sealed relation to the interior of said tank intermediate said first and second walls so as to provide a movable barrier between said chambers, said diaphragm being made to conform closely to the shape of said first wall such that in the untensioned state of said diaphragm material said diaphragm engages said first wall and extends therealong in conformity therewith in the empty condition of said water receiving chamber, said diaphragm thereby sealing said water inlet and said water outlet in the untensioned state of said diaphragm,
• a one-way gas valve in said second wall adapted for coupling with a gas charging conduit for filling said gas chamber with a compressible gas to a pressure which has an initial predetermined value when the water receiving chamber is empty and unpressurized,
• said diaphragm being movable by flexture thereof to inversely vary the volumes of said chambers in response to water pressure variations in excess of the pressure prevailing in said gas receiving chamber when said water chamber is empty, said relatively closely spaced relationship of said water inlet and outlet being such that said diaphragm seals against both said inlet and outlet substantially simultaneously as the water pressure falls below said prevailing pressure, including when said gas charge is completely lost and said prevailing pressure is atmopsheric, so as to prevent water remaining in said water inlet from flowing backward via the associated branch line into said main run, said gas receiving chamber of said tank being charged to a given gas control pressure in the empty unpressurized condition of said water receiving chamber, said control pressure being less than the normal minimum pressure supplied from said source under normal operating conditions established for said water source whereby in the event of water pressure at the inlet of each said tank dropping below the control pressure of said tank said diaphragm therein closes said tank inlet and outlet to thereby prevent back-flow of water from the associated branch line into said main run.

In a system for supplying liquid at a uniform pressure to a plurality of liquid dispensing devices such as oil burners or the like while permitting the devices to be individually connected to and disconnected from the system, the combination comprising means for containing a supply of the liquid, a first supply line having an intake portion connected to the container means and having an outlet, a pump having an inlet connected to the outlet of the first supply line and having an outlet, said pump being capable of feeding the liquid there-through at a uniform rate greater than the combined needs of said devices, a second supply line connected to the outlet of said pump and communicating with a plurality of outlets individually connected to said liquid dispensing devices, valve means for individually establishing and shutting off the flow of liquid to said devices, a bypass line having an inlet connected to the outlet of said pump and an outlet communicating with said container means to provide a fluid flow path from the pump outlet to the container means in bypass relation to said devices, and control means comprising a closed liquid pressurizing and regulating flow control tank serially connected for one-way flow of the entire output of said bypass line via said tank to said container means, said tank comprising a hollow container having

• a first wall defining a liquid receiving chamber,
• a second wall defining a gas receiving chamber,
• an inlet in said first wall connected via said bypass line to the outlet of said pump,
• an outlet in said first wall connected to said container means via said outlet of said bypass line, said tank outlet being separate from said tank inlet but in relatively closely spaced adjacent relationship with said tank inlet,
• a diaphragm made of flexible gas and water impermeable material and secured about its periphery in sealed relation to the interior of said tank intermediate said first and second walls so as to provide a movable barrier between said chambers, said diaphragm being made to conform closely to the shape of said first wall such that in the untensioned state of said diaphragm material said diaphragm engages said first wall and extends therealong in conformity therewith in the empty condition of said liquid receiving chamber, said diaphragm thereby sealing said tank inlet and said tank outlet in the untensioned state of said diaphragm,
• a one-way gas valve in said second wall adapted for coupling with a gas charging conduit for filling said gas chamber with a compressible gas to a pressure which has an initial predetermined value when the liquid receiving chamber is empty and unpressurized,
• said diaphragm being movable by flexure thereof to inversely vary the volumes of said chambers in response to liquid pressure variations in excess of the pressure prevailing in said gas receiving chamber when said liquid chamber is empty, said relatively closely spaced relationship of said tank inlet and outlet being such that said diaphragm is urged towards said inlet and outlet as the liquid pressure falls below said prevailing pressure so as to maintain a uniform delivery pressure to said devices.

A flow control tank adapted to be serially connected for one-way flow of liquid from a source of pressurized liquid via said tank to liquid distribution system, said tank comprising a hollow container having

• (1) a first wall defining a liquid receiving chamber,
• (2) a second wall defining a gas receiving chamber,
• (3) a liquid inlet in said first wall adapted to be connected to said source,
• (4) a liquid outlet in said first wall adapted to be connected to the liquid distribution system, said outlet being separate from said inlet but in relatively closely spaced adjacent relationship with said inlet,
• (5) a diaphragm made of flexible gas and liquid impermeable material and secured about its periphery in sealed relation to the interior of said tank intermediate said first and second walls so as to provide a movable barrier between said chambers, said diaphragm being made to conform closely to the shape of said first wall such that in the untensioned state of said diaphragm material said diaphragm engages said first wall and extends therealong in conformity therewith in the empty condition of said liquid receiving chamber, said diaphragm thereby sealing said inlet and said outlet in the untensioned state of said diaphragm,
• (6) a one-way gas valve in said second wall adapted for coupling with a gas charging conduit for filling said gas chamber with a compressible gas to a pressure which has an initial predetermined value when the liquid receiving chamber is empty and unpressurized,
• (7) said diaphragm being movable by flexure thereof to inversely vary the volumes of said chambers in response to liquid pressure variations in excess of the pressure revailing in said gas receiving chamber when said liquid chamber is empty, said relatively closely spaced relationship of said inlet and outlet being such that said diaphragm seals against both said inlet and outlet substantially simultaneously as the liquid pressure falls below said prevailing pressure, including when said gas charge is completly lost and said prevailing pressure is atmospheric, so as to prevent liquid remaining in said inlet from flowing backward via the inlet into said source.

In a well system, the combination comprising

• a pump having an inlet and an outlet,
• a combined pressure regulating valve and pressure tank,
• said combined pressure regulating valve and pressure tank comprising a hollow container having a flexible diaphragm dividing said container into a water receiving chamber and a gas receiving chamber, said gas receiving chamber being adapted to be charged with a compressible gas,
• said water receiving chamber having an inlet connected to the outlet of the pump and an outlet,
• said diaphragm normally sealing the inlet and outlet to said chamber in the absence of pressure from the pump sufficient to move the diaphragm away from the inlet and outlet,
• said gas receiving chamber of said tank being charged to a control pressure sufficient to throttle the output flow from said pump to a flow rate less than the yield rate of the water well of said system when the level of the water in the well is at a predetermined minimum level condition, said diaphragm being forced by the pressurized gas in said gas receiving chamber into close proximity to said inlet and outlet of said tank to thereby restrict the cross-sectional flow area between said tank inlet and outlet via said water receiving chamber such that the flow of the pump matches the flow of the minimum well yield to thereby match the yield of the well to the capacity of said pump and thus maintain the water level in the well at or above said predetermined minimal level,
• whereby said combined pressure regulator valve and pressure tank functions to insure that the flow from the outlet is substantially at or above said control pressure and that when the pressure falls therebelow the diaphragm seals against said inlet and the outlet and maintains water in the outlet of the pump sufficient to maintain a prime on the pump and prevent the pump from running dry.