EP3522997A1

EP3522997A1 - Vehicle adapter

Info

Publication number: EP3522997A1
Application number: EP17857903.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tamás SZÉPLAKI
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-10-04
Filing date: 2017-09-20
Publication date: 2019-08-14
Also published as: WO2018065796A1; HU5044U; EP3522997A4

Abstract

Adapter attachable to farm tractors, functioning as a multi-purpose fire extinguishing device, compatible with most agricultural towing and work machines as a preference. The adapter comprises of a 660-litre pressure-tested steel container (1) suitable for storing fire extinguishing or fire prevention liquids, with an attached 20-meter 1-inch hose, a pneumatic, hydraulic, or rotation-transforming pump (5) attached to the rear of the container.

Description

Vehicle adapter

The subject of the utility model is an adapter attachable to vehicles, compatible with most farm tractors and machinery as a preference, suitable for storing pressurized fire extinguishing or preventive liquid where pressure is generated by the farm tractor, comprising of a fire extinguisher container adapter and its adjoining hose. The container has several fire extinguisher hose inlets confirming with various standards, sized for refilling and fire extinguishing, as well as a pressure generator unit attached to the machinery system.

In agriculture, fires remain a crucial issue with a lack of quick and efficient fire extinguishing options that leave as little damage as possible. At the beginning of the last century, preventing or efficiently stopping stubble fires in secluded rural country areas was nearly impossible. It is true though that the causes of such fires were also less in number, namely natural causes or deliberate burning.

However, with the expansion of technology in the 20^th century, the possible causes of fires have become numerous, and with it the number of fires have grown exponentially. At the same time, fire stations and their fleets have undoubtedly also seen a development in every respect. These days, vehicles are designed and manufactured by cutting edge technology, but unfortunately the number of fires has not diminished proportionally.

Even though requirements and reporting obligations prescribed by disaster management and local authorities have greatly improved the management side of firefighting, for example by providing ample on-call resources for reported works, transportation on sodden dirt roads with deep wheel tracks by a truck full of water, weighing several tons, is very problematic or in some cases impossible.

Not to mention that the speed of a fire ignited while harvesting dry crop is many times faster, often further aggravated by weather conditions. In such fires, time is very much of the essence, and the goal is not only to save the crops but to protect the machinery, forests, nature reserves, and civilian populated areas as well. The British invention registered under No.GB396800 and titled IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE ENGINES" is a fire engine patented in 1932 that can be considered the predecessor of modern fire trucks. The vehicle was equipped with all inventions and available technologies of the age, and probably constituted a real breakthrough in establishing fire stations at the time and in supporting their work. However, examined from the viewpoint of our discussed field, its disadvantages are identical to those of the previously described large fire engines. Namely, that driving a truck-size heavy vehicle on sodden dirt roads with deep wheel tracks is very problematic or impossible, not to mention that time is the most crucial aspect in such fires. Another invention in the same line, but implemented much earlier and in a rudimentary form, focusing on a single issue, was registered in 1911 under No.53477, titled "FIRE EXTINGUISHING EQUIPMENT ON WHEELS".

This equipment was intended to solve the great fires of the time by solving the water shortage of firefighters on the scene. The invention is a structure with huge carrying capacity for water tanks, attached to a horse-drawn vehicle (carriage) and equipped with a hose. Another invention is registered under No.CN202569258 and titled FARM- ORIENTED TRACTOR TYPE MULTI-FUNCTION FIRE ENGINE", which is closer to agriculture, and although it does not fully resolve the issue, it addresses a specific problem, that is individual farms with constructed roads. It is a fire prevention device, basically a smaller truck designed especially for farms, which functions exclusively as a fire engine due to its specific structure with a large water container on its loading surface. The merit of the invention is that farms can have their own individual fire engines during work, but it is hardly marketable, being an independent vehicle with no other function, while it rquires a dedicated person for driving and handling. Also, due to the small size of its wheels, it cannot travel on bad roads. Its most important disadvantage in our opinion is therefore it being an independent, specific, single-purpose vehicle designed for farms and not for travelling on fields.

Compared to the independent farm fire engine, the next invention has the advantage of being designed to fit a trailer, making it suitable for attaching to farm tractors and towed to the work area, where the towing vehicle is disconnected and free to work. Its drawback compared to our idea is that a trailer with its own wheel and own centre of gravity can become a problem, especially on roads with dubious quality. Also, as a towed equipment it requires a separate official permit, and other maintenance expenses will be incurred as well. An invention created with a similar concept is the patent under Registration No. R2616668, titled „EMERGENCY FIRE-FIGHTING TRAILER FITTED WITH A MOTOR DRIVEN PUMP AND A REMOVABLE TANK" which, just like the previous invention, can be used as a tow and is equipped with its own engine to provide pressure for the water flow. Our definitive critical comment against these trailer structures is that the aforementioned separate centre of gravity and being towed on their own wheels increase the risk of the equipment getting stuck or turning over. It is also worth mentioning that fires do not always start in the stubble itself or from the applied lubricant or fuel, but oftentimes in the vehicle used for towing or farming, making it impossible to tow the separate fire trailer to the fire within a work area covering several acres.

The following inventions are not designed for fire extinguishing, but they are still relevant due to their design. Submission No.EP0403859, titled „CLOSED AGRICULTURAL FIELD SPRAYING SYSTEM" is a device designed for irrigation which greatly increases the net weight of the towing vehicle, while its robust size make installation and removal rather difficult. The main unit of the invention is its water container, with one larger container in the rear and a small one at the front of the tractor. The description also mentions a spraying function which is not discussed in detail. It has its own pump for irrigation/spraying. Although the size of the containers is robust, it is still not large enough to support efficient work in an average size agricultural field. The device is essentially a spraying unit functioning as an irrigation device attachable to a tractor, also suitable for unloading chemicals. The device can be easily attached to the rear end of most tractors. The size of the container and the method of spraying has been designed specifically for applying spraying materials to enclosed plantations. The invention registered under US4917193 and titled„FIRE SUPPRESSION ATTACHMENT FOR RUBBER-TIRED SKIDDER VEHICLES" is basically similar to our device in its objectives, but with a huge size and a similarly huge water capacity for its container. This means it can only be applied to agricultural machines with giant rubber tyres such as a combine-harvester. Typical of its complex structure, it has its own suction unit and system, as well as its own unloading reel. The description only discusses the absorption, storing in the container, and unloading of water, without mentioning any other liquid materials. Its disadvantage in our view is that due to its gigantic size, its adaptability is restricted, and can only be carried by machines with giant rubber tyres; its complex structure and use of water only is also not among its merits. The same stands for invention No. WO2009059581 named „DEVICE FOR FIRE FIGHTING", which, although designed specifically for tractors, is still restricted in its use by its enormous size. This results in restricted options for fitting and attachment, because not all tractors can safely carry such a large device in its rear end, while a smaller container linked to the former is attached to the front of the vehicle as well. Attaching the two containers not only hinders the intended use of the tractor, it transforms it into a specific target device, a fire engine tractor, withdrawing a vehicle from actual agricultural work, while greatly increasing its net weight, further reducing economical use as well as the field of vision for the driver.

The benefits of our invention in comparison is that it is compatible with nearly all types and sizes of farm tractors, and that its size and operational weight is negligible compared to the machinery, while it does not obstruct the driver either in her view or in any work performed with various adapters - at the same time, it remains fully suitable for its task, namely to provide a large amount of firewater in case of fire.

As the last relevant invention, let us mention Patent N0.US6158521 , titled „PORTABLE FIRE-FIGHTING CONTAINER WITH FOLDING FUNNEL", which is a unique refillable firefighter container portable by air. This invention is perfect in carrying firewater or other fire extinguisher liquid to areas inaccessible by road, transported via air by a helicopter.

Agricultural machines perform functions that are classified as extremely flammable. The high heat generated by internal combustion engines, gear units of agricultural machinery, certain rotating parts, disks, the oscillation of power transmission units, and bearing friction, create the danger of fire in a harvesting environment that is already prone to fires. Flammable machinery is applied to gather dry and flammable crops in the summer heat, where both the gathered crops and the by-products (straw, dust) are flammable. This means that most of the fires that happen each year during harvest are not the result of negligence; the three conditions of fire due to drought are present at most work settings, no matter how careful and prudent the farmers. There are of course various legal requirements and actions in place to aid the farmers in reducing risks, such as firefighters paying special attention to works that need to be reported, and the compulsory fire prevention overview of harvesting machinery, which is a legal requirement, as well as fitting the machines with dry extinguishers.

Fires that start during harvest, either in one of the machines or in the stubble field, can reach an extent with extreme rapidity, practically within minutes, that leads to the complete burning down of the machine or the entire field. Dry extinguishers are often unsuitable for containing the fire, while firefighters arrive at the scene in 15 to 30 minutes at the best, depending on the accessibility of the farming area. The perfect solution would be to provide a separate, large amount of pressurized firewater, fitted with hoses, to cover the entire work area. This, however, is quite cumbersome and requires a disproportionally large investment, considering that work areas often extend to several acres. Another important aspect is that fires do not always start in the stubble, they can also start on the machinery itself, therefore a pressurized container placed at the side of the work area, be it a standalone or a trailer-fitted container, will not necessarily be of much help in extinguishing a fire that starts several hundreds of metres away.

Our aim is to have our developed fire extinguishing adapter fitted to work machines, but at least to one vehicle in the work area, making firewater available at all times, whether the fire starts in the stubble or in the machinery.

To solve this problem, we have developed an easily operable device suitable for fitting on tractors. Our primary goal when designing the equipment was to ensure the simplest universal option of applicability, to enable adaptation to as many tractors as possible. A further design goal was to enable an ample amount of fire extinguishing material with the right pressure for efficient firefighting at the designated target area.

Our designed prototype is a pressure-tested 660-litre steel container, placed in a steel frame with three suspension points. The container can be fitted to the coupling bracket at the front of the tractor on three points. It has a refill opening at the top, deliberately designed to be compatible with firefighting hoses. Another opening is located on the bottom side of the container to allow for the water to unload through the hose. To this lower opening, a 20-meter 1-inch 9-bar hose is attached with a plastic sprinkler at the end, where the sprinkler can be made of brass as well if preferred. The sprinkler controls dispersion. The hose is reeled to the container and fixed by rubber straps in four points. To enable checking the water level, a transparent plastic hose is attached to the side of the container, with connecting points at the top and bottom.

With the solution described above, the adequate amount of water has been supplied, but we also need to disperse it with adequate pressure. In our experience, a pressure of at least 6-6.5 bar for a 1 -inch hose is necessary. To ensure further universal adaptation, we have developed three different solutions for producing adequate pressure, depending on the accessories of the tractor to which the equipment is connected.

Preferable forms of generating pressure:

1. Generating pneumatic pressure. In case the tractor only has frontal coupling brackets and is not equipped with frontal hydraulics or a TLT connection point, the device is connected to the air system that every tractor has, after which we fill up the pressure-tested steel container with air. Another opening is located at the upper right part of the container, fitted with an air pipe and a pressure meter. The pressure meter is practicably placed at the rear section of the container for the machine operator to check at any time during operation. An air cock is placed in front of the pressure meter. A flexible plastic air pipe leads from the meter under the bottom of the truck to its rear end where air is drawn from the dual-circuit air brake system through a built-in distributor valve.

2. The second option is applicable if the tractor has frontal hydraulics placement, whereby a hydraulic pump can generate pressure. The hydraulic pump is fitted to the rear section of the device and then connected to the hydraulic system of the machinery through a quick connector.

3. The third option is applicable if the tractor has a frontal TLT shaft. In this case, a TLT-powered pump unloads the water from the container. The placement of the device, due to its size, is the same as for the hydraulic pump. This means that the TLT-powered pump is fitted to the rear end of the device and is then connected to the TLT shaft of the tractor with a cardan shaft, whereby the rotating motion of the shaft drives the pump to produce the required pressure.

Options 2 and 3 do not require a pressure-tested tank - it can be made of metal or even plastic, greatly reducing acquisition costs.

The subject of the invention, therefore, is an adapter suitable for extinguishing fires and attachable to farm tractors, which as a preference does not distract the primary objective of the tractor; on the contrary, it enables the tractor to perform an extra task.

If during harvest the tractor preforming other work at the location is fitted with this equipment, it can be at the site of the fire within 1-2 minutes from notification without having to detach any trailers, and can operate the equipment with great safety. Apart from extinguishing fires, the equipment can be used for a variety of purposes. The large amount of water can be handy to wash the vehicle from mud when leaving the fields, or to remove any contamination that may have been carried on to public roads to prevent accidents, in line with legal regulations.

Apart from agricultural use, the device can be useful for volunteer firefighters; tractors can usually be found in every village and rural areas, where it can be used for firefighting under dire circumstances.

δ List of reference signs - Pressure tested, 660-litre steel container - Standard quick connector for refilling - Standard quick connector for unloading - 20m long 1-inch hose

- Pump

- Stabilizing frame

Claims

1. Adapter attachable to farm tractors, functioning as a multi-purpose fire extinguishing device, compatible with most agricultural towing and work machines as a preference; the adapter comprises of a 660-litre pressure- tested steel container (1 ) suitable for storing fire extinguishing or fire prevention liquids, with an attached 20-meter 1-inch hose, characterized by a pneumatic, hydraulic, or rotation-transforming pump (5) attached to the rear of the container.

2. The adapter in Claim 1 , characterized by being suitable, apart from fire extinguishing, for eliminating contamination from the tractor and from public roads.

3. The adapter in Claim 1 , characterized by the container being made of steel for generating pneumatic pressure, while being made of other metal or even plastic for generating hydraulic pressure or pressure generated by a TLT shaft.

4. The adapter in Claim 1 , characterized by a three-point suspension on a steel stabilizing frame (6), with a 20-metre long 1-inch hose (4) attached at the front of the tractor, and a standard quick connection (2) suitable for refilling, compatible for firefighters.