Abstract:
The water treatment apparatus includes a first and a second fitting adapted for being connected to a supply of fluid and to a container for the treated fluid, a longitudinally elongated rod having a first end mounting the first fitting and a second end mounting the second fitting and a first and a second vortexian spiral tube portion respectively having a first end fluidly connected to the first and second fitting. Each tube portions includes a plurality of loops and a plurality of somewhat linear sections serially connecting adjacent loops to one another. Where each tube portion includes seven loops, advantageously the area encompassed by the loops of each tube in the direction from one fitting to the other is 1:1:2:3:5:8:13:13:8:8:5:2:1:1 with the larger areas loops being fluidly connected to one another.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to apparatus for conditioning or treating water that is believed to improve the quality of water used in supporting life. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Applicant believes that the crystalline structure of water is varied as it flows through the apparatus of the invention and thereby improves its life supporting and other qualities. The apparatus includes two fittings with a longitudinally elongated solid metal rod extended therebetween and a tube fluidly connected to the fittings that is of a substantially constant inner diameter along its length between the fittings. The tube includes a pair of elongated vortexian spiral tubes portions symmetrically positioned around the rod with each tube portion having seven helical circular loops extending in fluid conducting relationship to the respective fittings and a tubular connector fluidly connecting the adjacent ends of the largest loops of each of the spiral tube portion to one another. The spiral tube portions have the loops of one tube portion the same size as those of the other tube portion with the loops of one spiral tube portion being wound in clockwise direction and those of the other spiral tube portion in a counterclockwise direction as they extend from one fitting to the other fitting with the rod extending through each of the loops. Advantageously, the area encompassed by the loops of the tube portions in the direction from one fitting to the other is 1:1:2:3:5:8:13:13:8:5:3:2:1:1. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view of the invention with the lower portion of the left hand portion joined to the top portion of the right hand portion; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary longitudinal view of the longitudinal intermediate part of the structure of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary longitudinal view that is generally taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1  to show the connection of one of the largest spiral loop portions to the other. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The water treatment apparatus of this invention includes a longitudinally elongated, solid rod  25  made of metal, advantageously stainless steel. One end of the rod mounts a fluid fitting  28  and at the opposite end mounts a fluid fitting  44 . Fluidly connected to and extending between the fittings  28 ,  44  is an elongated metal tube T. The tube includes a spiral tube portion X that has one end fluidly connected by a conduit portion  78 C to the fitting  28  and a spiral tube portion Y that has one end fluidly connected by a conduit portion  42 C to the fitting  44 . The opposite end portion of the tube portion X is fluidly connected to the opposite end portion of tube portion Y by a connector portion  29 . 
     The tube portion X in extending from the tubular connector  29  to conduit portion  42 C is bent to have several, substantial circular helix loops  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  37 ,  39 ,  40 ,  42  that are coiled in a clockwise direction with the rod  25  extending through each of these loops. As viewed in plan view (the apparatus being supported on a horizontal surface with the rod being parallel to the surface), each of the loops includes a generally semicircular part designated with A as the last part of the reference number for each of the loops that extends below the rod and a second general semicircular part designated with the letter B as the last part of the reference number for each of the loops that extends above the rod. Desirably the ratio of the areas encompassed in the helical circular loops in a direction from loop  42  to loop  30  is 1:1:2:3:5:8:13. 
     Each of the semicircular parts (loop portions) of each of the loops  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  37 ,  39 ,  40 ,  42  that in part includes the letter B as part of its reference number has one end fluidly connected to the one end of the respective semicircular part (loop portion) that in part includes the letter A. Thus, the adjacent ends of loop portion  30 A,  30 B;  32 A,  32 B;  34 A,  34 B;  37 A,  37 B;  39 A,  39 B;  40 A,  40 B; and  42 A,  42 B are respectively joined to one another. The tube portion X includes one end portion fluidly connected to the end portion  29 A of the fluid connector  29  while the opposite end portion  29 B is fluidly connected to one end of the tube portion Y. Thus the end portion  29 A is fluidly connected to the adjacent end of loop  30 A. The other end of loop portion  30 B is fluidly connected to the other end of loop portion  32 A by a somewhat linear tube portion  31 . Likewise, the somewhat linear tube portion  33  fluidly connects the other end of loop portion  32 B to the other end of loop portion  34 A, the generally somewhat linear tube portion  35  fluidly connects the other end of loop portion  34 B to the other end of loop portion  37 A, the generally somewhat linear tube portion  38  fluidly connects the other end of loop portion  37 B to the other end of loop portion  39 A, the somewhat linear tube portion  45  fluidly connects the other end of loop portion  39 B to the other end of loop portion  40 A and the somewhat linear tube portion  41  fluidly connects the other end of loop portion  40 B to the other end of loop portion  42 A. The other end of loop portion  42 B is fluidly connected to fitting  44  by the conduit portion  42 C. 
     The tube portion Y in extending from connector end portion  29 B to conduit portion  78 C is bent to have several, substantial circular helix loops  52 ,  54 ,  57 ,  59 ,  72 ,  74 ,  77  that are coiled in a counterclockwise direction with the rod  25  extending through each of these loops. As viewed in plan view, each of the loops of tube Y includes a generally semicircular part designated with A as the last part of the reference number for each of the loops that extends below the rod and a second general semicircular part designated with the letter B as the last part of the reference number for each of the loops that extends above the rod. Desirably the ratio of the areas of the loops of tubular portion Y in a direction from loop  77  to loop  52  is 1:1:2:3:5:8:13. 
     Each of the semicircular parts of each of the loops  52 ,  54 ,  57 ,  59 ,  72 ,  74 ,  77  that in part includes the letter A as part of its reference number has one end fluidly connected to one end of the respective semicircular part that in part includes the letter B. Thus, the adjacent ends of loop portion  52 A,  52 B;  54 A,  54 B;  57 A,  57 B;  59 A,  59 B;  72 A,  72 B;  74 A,  74 B; and  77 A,  77 B are respectively joined to one another. The other end of the loop portion  52 B is fluidly connected to the other end of loop portion  54 A by a somewhat linear tube portion  53 . Likewise, the somewhat linear tube portion  55  fluidly connects the other end of loop portion  54 B to the other end of loop portion  57 A, the somewhat linear tube portion  58  fluidly connects the other end of loop portion  57 B to the other end of loop portion  59 A, the somewhat linear tube portion  71  fluidly connects the other end of loop portion  59 B to the other end of loop portion  72 A, the somewhat linear tube portion  73  fluidly connects the other end of loop portion  72 B to the other end of loop portion  74 B and the somewhat linear tube portion  75  fluidly connects the other end of loop portion  74 B to the other end of loop portion  77 A. The other end of loop portion  77 B is fluidly connected to one end of the tubular connector  77 C which in turn is fluidly connected to the fitting  24 . 
     It is noted that each of the sections referred to as “linear” has each of its end portions slightly curved to form a smooth transition to the end part of the loop to which it is joined with the direction of elongation being nearly straight line such as shown in  FIG. 1 . Thus the somewhat linear sections extends predominantly in a direction from one loop end portion to the adjacent loop end portion while being slightly curved out of a straight line connection between said end portions. Further, the linear sections of one tube portion are on the transverse opposite side of the rod from those of the other tube portion. 
     The length of each of the tube linear section is about the same or slightly greater than the combined radii of the loops that it is connected to. For example, the length of the generally linear section  31  is advantageously substantially the same as the combination of the outer radii of the loops  30  and  32  while the length of the linear section  58  is advantageously substantially the same as the combination of the outer radii of the loops  57  and  59 . Through the provision of the linear sections, the loops of each tube portion are connected in series between the fittings. 
     The tube portions X and Y as well as tubular connectors  42 C,  29  and  77 C are of the same metal and may be made of stainless steel or copper and may or may not have their inner and outer surfaces coated with other metals. The pair of tube portions X and Y are of the same size and shape other than from one fitting to the other, one has its loops bent clockwise and the other has its loops bent counterclockwise whereby the linear sections of one tube portion are on the transverse opposite side of the rod  25  from the linear sections of the other tube portion. The rod passes through the central portion of each of the loops. 
     In use the apparatus of this invention, water may be supplied from a source  24  to flow through the fitting  28  to tube portion Y, connector  29  and tube portion X to the fitting  44  and thence through and tubular connector  43  to the receptacle  23 , or alternately from a source  23  to flow through tubular connector  43  to the fitting  44 , tube portion Y, connector  29 , tube portion Y to fitting  28  and thence through conduit  24 A to the receptacle  24 . Thus, regardless whether the water flow is from fitting  28  to fitting  44 , or from fitting  44  to fitting  28 , it is believed the results are the same. The water flowing through the tube may be distilled water. 
     It is to be understood that the water treatment apparatus may include more than seven loops in each of tube portions X, Y. If more than seven loops are included, the additional loops connected between the loops  30 ,  52  with each of the additional loops of each of each of the tube portions X and Y being in a ratio that the ones connected to loops  30 ,  52  being the sum of the last two ratios in the series ( 8  plus  13 ) of the preceding two loops and the second added loops being the sum of the two preceding loops ( 13  plus  21 ) in the series and so on for each additional pair of loops connected between the loops  30 ,  52 . Thus, if additional loops are added, the same size loops is added to each of tube portions. With the addition of more loops, the rod  25  would be of a greater length and there would additional linear sections extending between loops  30 ,  52 , the tube portions X and Y being of greater lengths. 
     Although it is preferred that the tube be of stainless steel, it is to be understood they could be made of other materials, an example being titanium. Also, even though it is preferred the liquid flowing through the tubes is water, it could be other types of fluids.