BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Magnetic treatment of fluids has been the subject of study and development for some time. A number of several patents have been issued, some dealing with the effects of the magnetic influence on fluids passing through a field. Others have dealt with the spatial arrangement of magnets in relation to each other and/or to the fluid, claiming more beneficial effects from a particular arrangement. The present invention falls into the latter class.

Prior art devices for accomplishing the aforementioned fluid treatment have used three main methods: (a) The use of either horseshoe or bar magnets or such like in which both the north and south poles of the magnets are adjacent to a pipe through which the fluid flows so that one of the magnetic pole energies is predominant on the upstream side of the device and the other is predominant on the downstream side of the device.

(b) The use of magnets arranged around a pipe through which the fluid flows, so that their north poles are directed radially outward and their south poles are directed inwards. In an alternative embodiment of this device the orientation of the poles

is reversed. An. example of such a device is described in US patent 4,605,498 by Kulish.

(c) The use of ring magnets placed inside a unit to be plumbed into a pipe through which the fluid flows, so as to become part of the piping is described in US patent 4,065,386 by Rigby. The rings are so magnetically charged that the inner portion of the ring has the north pole orientation and the outer portion of the ring has south pole orientation. By this arrangement the south pole is directed radially outward. The fluid flows through the pipe, around the ring and is subjected to a circular south polar magnetic field.

The device described by Rigby suffers several practical disadvantages in that it is of complex construction, is difficult to fit (because it must be plumbed into the pipe) and causes an impedance to the flow of fluid in the pipe.

The present invention seeks to provide a method for magnetic treatment of fluids in a manner that is more effective and that is more beneficial to the fluid.

The invention further seeks to provide a simple device for putting the novel method into practice.

The applicant has achieved an improved result in the magnetic treatment of fluids when the fluid is subjected to one or more mono polar linear magnetic fields. The applicant has also found that a further, and hitherto unexpected, enhancement in the product is achieved when the magnetic fields are arranged or aligned in such a manner that like poles do not oppose each other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, in one aspect this invention provides a method for treatment of a fluid comprising the step of subjecting the fluid to one or more mono polar linear magnetic

fields characterised in that the said magnetic fields are aligned so that one field does not oppose or interfere with any other.

In another aspect, the present invention provides apparatus for the treatment of a fluid comprising one or more means for generating a mono polar linear magnetic field, said means located in a housing that is adapted for mounting adjacent to a body of fluid and fixed in an alignment such that one field does not oppose or interfere with any other.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION In the first aspect of the invention, whilst the magnetic field may be applied to a static body of fluid, it is preferred that the fluid is caused to flow through the magnetic field for treatment. In this case it is preferred that the flow is substantially perpendicular to the alignment of the magnetic field.

It is further preferred that the mono polar magnetic field is a south polar field.

In the second aspect of the invention, it is preferred that the apparatus is adapted for mounting on a pipe or conduit so that fluid may flow through the magnetic field. In this case it is preferred that the magnetic field is aligned substantially perpendicular to the pipe or conduit and hence substantially perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow.

On the opposite side of the fluid to the source of one or more of the magnetic fields, the apparatus may include a ferrous metal"draw bar"to amplify the effect of the field by "drawing"the field through the fluid. In addition, the placing of a ferrous metal"cap"on the outer side of one or more of the sources of magnetic field also intensifies the effect of the inwardly directed field. A suitable ferrous metal for these purposes is steel.

The means for generating the magnetic field includes electromagnetic generation but is preferably one or more permanent magnets as are known in the art. Permanent magnets

may be, for example, alnico (a combination of aluminium, nickel and cobalt), cerium or ceramic ferrite but neodymium-iron-boron magnets are preferred.

Preferably the means for generating a mono polar magnetic field generates a south polar field BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be more readily understood, a preferred embodiment of it will now be described with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating apparatus according to the invention mounted on a pipe ; Figure 2 is a perspective view of apparatus with its casing removed illustrating the location and arrangement of magnets and draw bars; and Figure 3 is a transverse section of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1.

INTEGER LIST 1. Fluid treatment apparatus 2. Housing 3. Casing 4. Magnet 5. Draw Bar 6. Bolt 7. Nut 8. Pipe 9. Cap

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS As shown in Figure 1, a device (1) according to the invention comprises two halves, which, when joined, surround a pipe (8) or conduit through which fluid is passed.

One half of the device (1) includes a housing (2) on which is mounted two neodymium- iron-boron magnets (4) and two steel draw bars (5) of similar mass to the respective magnets. Each magnet (4) is faced with a steel cap (9). This entire structure is enclosed by a casing (3). Two halves are placed around a pipe (8) and joined together by means of bolts (6) and mating nuts (7).

As is best illustrated in Figure 3, when the two halves are placed on a pipe one is placed at a 180° orientation to the other so that the draw bars (5) of one half are located opposite the magnets (4) of the other half.

As can be seen, the linear magnetic fields pass across each other at right angles and thus they do not oppose each other. In addition, provided that the magnets are located far enough apart along the longitudinal axis to avoid interference, the device can be made with any number of repeating units of magnets and corresponding draw bars.

The method and apparatus have been tested kinesiologically to provide an accurate assessment of the beneficial or detrimental effects of various types of water, treated or untreated. (Kinesiology is the science of accurately and repeatedly determining the body's sub-conscious reaction either positively or negatively to external stimuli, including a variety of substances that can be eaten or drunk.) By this means, it has been established empirically that water treated by exposure to a predominantly south polar magnetic field is more beneficial for body health than any similar water that has not been so treated, even if it has been treated in other ways, such as filtering.

It has been further empirically established by kinesiological testing that, of all the various arrangements of south pole magnetic influences on water passing through such magnetic fields, the arrangement according to the invention is without doubt the most beneficial.

Finally, it will be appreciated that various alterations and modifications may be made to the foregoing without departing from the scope of this invention as set forth in the claims.