Patent ID: 7083118
Filing Date: 2006-08-01
Classification: A01C,B01F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A device for mixing liquid additive to water flow in a sprinkler system pipeline, comprising: a) a housing having a central axis, an inlet port communicating with said pipeline and an outlet port communicating with said pipeline, said housing further having a fertilizer chamber and a mixing chamber where said inlet and outlet ports are in fluid communication with said mixing chamber; b) a flexible diaphragm having an upper surface and a lower surface extending laterally within said housing, said flexible diaphragm further having a peripheral edge, where said peripheral edge is fixed with respect to said housing and so mounted thereto to form a seal between said fertilizer chamber and said mixing chamber, and where said fertilizer chamber is bounded in part by said upper surface and said mixing chamber is bounded in part by said lower surface; c) a central portion integrally carried by said flexible diaphragm and axially displaceable upon sufficient deflection of said diaphragm; d) first bias means carried by said housing responsive to axial displacement of said central portion for applying a restoring force to said central portion upon said axial displacement; e) valve means responsive to fluid pressure in said mixing chamber associated with said central portion for permitting and interrupting liquid additive flow from said fertilizer chamber into said mixing chamber; f) second bias means associated with said valve means and said central portion responsive to fluid pressure in said mixing chamber for actuating said valve means to permit liquid fertilizer flow from said fertilizer chamber into said mixing chamber and to interrupt the flow; and g) check valve means carried by said housing and communicating with said fertilizer chamber responsive to fluid pressure in said fertilizer chamber for precluding retrograde flow of said liquid additive from said fertilizer chamber.