Apparatus for magnetic treatment of liquids

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for magnetic treatment of liquids by concentrating primarily south pole magnetic fields on the liquids to provide descaling and deliming properties thereto. One embodiment of the invention generally comprises a cylindrical casing of molded plastic or the like for surrounding a pipe through which a liquid is passed. The casing includes plural magnets arranged around the periphery of the pipe in such a manner that their north poles are directed radially outwardly from the central axis of the pipe and their south poles are directed radially inwardly toward the central axis in order to concentrate the south pole magnetic fields more strongly upon the fluid. In an alternate embodiment, the orientation of the poles has been reversed such that the liquid is subjected to predominantly north pole magnetic fields.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by letters patent is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for magnetic treatment of potable liquids, and comprising: magnetic means for providing north and south magnetic fields and concentrating predominantly only one of said magnetic fields on a central axis to provide magnetic treatment of a liquid located generally along said central axis and substantially within said one magnetic field; and   a casing surrounding said magnetic means for holding said magnetic means onto a conduit through which said liquid flows, said casing defining an internal diameter means for mating with different diameters of said conduit according to removal of portions of said internal diameter means.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said magnetic means comprises: plural bar magnets arranged about said central axis, each of said bar magnets having a north pole and a south pole with said south pole directed generally radially toward said central axis and said north pole directed generally away from said central axis.   
     
     
       3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said magnetic means comprises: plural magnets each in the form of arcuate sectors having an internal radius and an external radius and being magnetically oriented radially to provide a south pole at said internal radius and a north pole at said external radius;   said magnets arranged about said central axis with said south poles directed inwardly toward said axis and said north poles directed outwardly from said axis.   
     
     
       4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said magnetic means comprises: a cylindrical magnet having an internal and an external diameter and a cylinder axis, a magnetic pole at one of said diameters and an opposing magnetic pole at the other of said diameters, said cylinder axis being centered generally upon said central axis.   
     
     
       5. An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said cylindrical magnet comprises: a south pole at said internal diameter and a north pole at said external diameter.   
     
     
       6. An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said cylindrical magnet comprises: a north pole at said internal diameter and a south pole at said external diameter.   
     
     
       7. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said magnetic means comprises: plural bar magnets arranged about said central axis, each of said bar magnets having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said central axis, and north and south magnetic poles substantially perpendicular to said central axis, one of said poles directed generally toward said central axis, and the other of said poles directed generally away from said central axis.   
     
     
       8. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said south pole of each of said bar magnets is directed generally toward said central axis. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus as in claim 1, and comprising: said casing being subdivided to provide a main portion and a segment portion and having means to snap fit said segment portion to said main portion to accomplish said attaching. .Iadd.   
     
     
       10.  Apparatus for the magnetic treatment of a liquid flowing through a conduit comprising: (a) magnetic means providing north and south magnetic fields, said magnetic means including at least two magnets, each magnet having a north pole and a south pole;   (b) a support for supporting said magnets externally of the conduit in a selected orientation so that each of the magnets included in the entire device has only the same pole oriented toward the conduit and has the other pole oriented only away from the conduit to enable only one of the magnetic fields to be generally directed by each of the magnets into the conduit and to enable the other magnetic field to be generally directed by each of the magnets only away from the conduit;   (c) a conduit engaging portion having at least a pair of conduit engaging surfaces oriented at an angle relative to one another to permit the apparatus to be mounted on the conduit, one magnet being supported relative to the support with a selected pole located along a corresponding one of the conduit engaging surfaces for positioning toward the conduit and the other magnet being supported relative to the support with the same selected pole located along the other corresponding conduit engaging surface for positioning toward the conduit; and   (d) connecting means for removably mounting said support and magnets onto the conduit so that the liquid in the conduit is exposed only to predominately the one magnetic field directed into the conduit by each of the magnets..Iaddend..Iadd.11. Apparatus for the magnetic treatment of a liquid flowing through a conduit having a central axis comprising:   (a) magnetic means providing north and south magnetic fields, said magnetic means including at least two magnets, each magnet having a north pole and a south pole;   (b) a support for supporting said magnets externally of the conduit in a selected orientation so that each of the magnets included in the entire device has only the same pole oriented toward the conduit and has the other pole oriented only away from the conduit to enable only one of the magnetic fields to be generally directed by each of the magnets into the conduit and to enable the other magnetic field to be generally directed by each of the magnets only away from the conduit;   (c) a conduit engaging portion having at least a pair of conduit engaging surfaces oriented at an angle relative to one another to permit the apparatus to be mounted on conduits of varying diameters, one magnet being supported relative to the support with a selected pole located along a corresponding one of the conduit engaging surfaces for positioning toward the conduit and the other magnet being supported relative to the support with the same selected pole located along the other corresponding conduit engaging surface for positioning toward the conduit; and   (d) connecting means for removably mounting said support and magnets onto the conduit in position for concentrating predominantly only the one of the magnetic fields on the central axis of the conduit to provide magnetic treatment of the liquid generally along the central axis of the conduit and substantially within the one magnetic field..Iaddend..Iadd.12. The apparatus in accordance with claim 10 or 11 wherein said magnets are affixed to said support and wherein said connecting means comprises mounting flanges on said support and a connecting fastener cooperating with the mounting flanges of the support to permit the support and the magnets to be removably mounted onto the conduit..Iaddend..Iadd.13. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12 wherein the pole located along the corresponding conduit engaging surfaces is the south   
     
     
        pole..Iaddend..Iadd.  .  The apparatus in accordance with claim 12 wherein said magnets include bar magnets each having a longitudinal axis oriented generally parallel to a central axis of said conduit..Iaddend..Iadd.15. The apparatus in accordance with claim 10 or 11 comprising a second support removably mountable together with the other support around the conduit wherein each of said supports provides at least a pair of the conduit engaging surfaces oriented at an angle relative to one another to permit the apparatus to be mounted on the conduit, and wherein said magnetic means comprises at least two magnets supported on each support, each magnet having a north pole and a south pole, one magnet on each support being supported with a selected pole located along a corresponding one of the conduit engaging surfaces of such support for positioning toward the conduit and the other magnet on each support being supported with the same selected pole located along the other corresponding conduit engaging surface of such support for positioning toward the conduit so that each of the magnets included in the entire device has only said same pole oriented toward the conduit and has said other pole only oriented away from the conduit so that the one magnetic field is generally directed into the conduit by each of the magnets..Iaddend..Iadd.16. The apparatus in accordance with claim 15 wherein the pole located along the corresponding conduit engaging surfaces of each support is the south pole..Iaddend..Iadd.17. The apparatus in accordance with claim 15 wherein said magnets are affixed to the respective supports, and wherein said connecting means comprises mounting flanges on each of said supports, the mounting flanges of each support cooperating with the mounting flanges of the other support to permit the supports and the magnets to be removably mounted together around the conduit..Iaddend..Iadd.18. The apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein the pole located along the corresponding conduit engaging surfaces of each support is the south pole..Iaddend..Iadd.19. The apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein said magnets include bar magnets each having a longitudinal axis oriented generally parallel to a central axis of said conduit..Iaddend..Iadd.20. Apparatus for the magnetic treatment of a liquid flowing through a conduit comprising: (a) magnetic means including at least one magnet having a north pole and a south pole for respectively providing north and south magnetic fields;   (b) a one-piece support member for supporting said magnet externally of the conduit wherein said magnet is affixed to said support member so that one pole can be located toward the conduit and the other pole can be located away from the conduit such that each magnet included in the entire device has only the same pole oriented toward the conduit and has the other pole oriented only away from said conduit to enable only one of the magnetic fields to be generally directed by each magnet into the conduit and to enable the other magnetic field to be generally directed by each magnet only away from the conduit; and   (c) connecting means for removably mounting said support member and said magnet onto the conduit so that the liquid in the conduit is exposed only to predominately the one magnetic field directed into the conduit, wherein said connecting means comprises mounting flanges on said one-piece support member, each flange having an opening, and a connecting fastener cooperating with the openings on the mounting flanges of the support member to permit the support member and the magnet to be removably mounted onto the conduit..Iaddend..Iadd.21. Apparatus for the magnetic treatment of a liquid flowing through a conduit having a central axis comprising:   (a) magnetic means including at least one magnet having a north pole and a south pole for respectively providing north and south magnetic fields;   (b) a one-piece support member for supporting said magnet externally of the conduit wherein said magnet is affixed to said support member so that one pole is located toward the conduit and the other pole is located away from the conduit such that each magnet included in the entire device has only the same pole oriented toward the conduit and has the other pole oriented only away from said conduit to enable only one of the magnetic fields to be generally directed by each magnet of the device into the conduit and to enable the other magnetic field to be generally directed by each magnet of the device only away from the conduit; and   (c) connecting means for removably mounting said support member and said magnet onto the conduit in position for concentrating predominantly only the one of the magnetic fields on the central axis of the conduit to provide magnetic treatment of the liquid generally along the central axis of the conduit and substantially within the one magnetic field, wherein said connecting means comprises mounting flanges on said one-piece support member, each flange having an opening, and a connecting fastener cooperating with the openings of the mounting flanges of the support member to permit the support member and the magnet to be removably mounted onto the conduit..Iaddend..Iadd.22. The apparatus in accordance with claim 20 or 21 wherein the pole located toward the conduit is the south   
     
     
        pole..Iaddend..Iadd.23.  The apparatus in accordance with claims 20 or 21 wherein said connecting fastener is adjustably releasable to permit said apparatus to be moved along said conduit after being mounted in position to said conduit..Iaddend..Iadd.24. The apparatus in accordance with claim 20 or 21 comprising a second one-piece support member removably mountable together with the other support member around the conduit and wherein said magnetic means comprises at least one magnet having a north pole and a south pole affixed to each of said support members in a selected orientation so that each magnet included in the entire device has only the same pole oriented toward the conduit and has the other pole oriented only away from said conduit and wherein said connecting means comprises mounting flanges on each of said support members, each of the mounting flanges having an opening, the openings of the mounting flanges of each support member cooperating with the openings of the mounting flanges of the other support member to permit the support members and the magnets to be removably mounted around the conduit by said connecting fastener..Iaddend..Iadd.25. The apparatus in accordance with claim 24 wherein the pole of each magnet located toward the conduit is the south pole..Iaddend..Iadd.26. The apparatus in accordance with claim 24 wherein said connecting fastener is adjustably releasable to permit said apparatus to be moved along said conduit after being mounted in position to said conduit..Iaddend.