GB2156213A

GB2156213A - An automatically and manually operable portable fire extinguisher

Info

Publication number: GB2156213A
Application number: GB08508454A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Johann Georg Mohler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-03-30
Filing date: 1985-04-01
Publication date: 1985-10-09
Also published as: DE3508147A1; GB2156213B; IT8567301A0; IT8567301A1; CH662950A5; FR2561931A1; IT8553177V0; GB8508454D0; NL8500669A; IT1184060B; FR2561931B1

Abstract

The nozzle-connecting and sprinkler-connecting body (1) contains a central longitudinal bore (3), a sprinkler (5) projecting at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the said bore (3) being arranged on its portion (3') on the inflow side. Adjoining the longitudinal bore (3) is a valve ante-chamber (20) which can be closed off on the outflow side by a valve device (14) and which leads into a flow deflection space (24) via a combination of a valve seat (17) and valve plate (16). A jet nozzle (31) located on the bottom of a jet pipe (30) is connected to this flow deflection space via a jet bore (27) opening out laterally. The nozzle-connecting and sprinkler-connecting body (1) is designed so that the fire extinguisher equipped with it can both be brought to the source of the fire by means of direct manual actuation (12, 13) and also serve as a stationary appliance in which the sprinkler (5) can be released by remote control as a result of the effect of heat or by means of alarms. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Automatically and manually operable portable fire extinguisher The invention relates to an automatically and manually operable portable fire extinguisher.

It is known to equip the high-pressure steel vessels of fire extinguishers, which contain the gaseous, powdery or wet extinguishing agents, with fittings which enable the manual actuation of the extinguisher. Fire extinguishers with fittings for the attachment of sprinklers with direct release by means offire alarms, rate-of-rise detectors, flame detectors, etc. are likewise known. However, there is a gap in the range of fire extinguishers in those cases where the greatest possible versatility of use ofthe fire extinguisher is desirable when a fire breaks out.On the other hand, such an extinguishershould reliably detect fires arising unobserved, and on the other hand it should be possible to bring it directly to the source ofthefire, so that it is possible to fight the fire efficiently in its initial state. Whereas a stationary appliance represents an appropriate solution forthe first-mentioned situation, in the second case a hand-operated fire extinguisher is a betterfire-fighting aid.

The object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide an automatically and manually operable portable fire extinguisherwhich is provided, on the one hand with a device responding to alarms, such as gas, smoke ortemperature detectors, orto directrelease means, such as glass vessels filled with liquid, and, on the other hand, with a manually actuated control valve for executing any local extinguishing measure.

According to the invention there is provided an automatically and manualy operable portable fire extinguisher comprising a vessel containing the extinguishing agent, a nozzle-connecting and sprinkler-connecting bodywhich can be screwed onto the vessel, said body containing an essentially central longitudinal bore having a portion coming first on the inflow side and a valve ante-chanber adjoining the first portion in the throughflow direction of the extinguishing agent, a valve seat, a flow deflection space and a valve-tappet guide bore, wherein in the region of the said first portion of the longitudinal bore, a sprinkler is connected to said bore essentially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said bore, and a jet bore, provided as a feed line to a jet nozzle, branches off from the region of the flow deflection space, the longitudinal axis of the sprinkler and the longitudinal axis ofthe jet nozzle being essentially at right angles to one another.

An exemplary embodiment of the fire extinguisher accordingtothe invention is described belowwith reference to the drawing. This shows, in a single figure, a nozzle-connecting and sprinkler-connecting body which can be attached to a conventional extinguishing-agentvessel for gas (halon or CO2) or for powdery or wet extinguishing agentforthe purpose of automatic or manual actuation.

The nozzle-connecting and sprinkler-connecting body 1, referred to belowsimplyasan extinguisher head, is provided with a connecting thread 2 by which it is screwed via a connecting socket or connecting pipe (not shown) to an extinguishing-agent vessel, likewise not shown. The extinguisher head 1 is provided with a central bore 3 stepped several times in diameter. A connecting thread 4 opens into the portion 3' of the bore which is ofthe largest diameter and the thread is intended for a conventional sprinkler 5 which is shown here with an automatic release nozzle 6, an electrically actuable remote release device 7 and a guard cage 8. Electrical power is provided by means of a plug 32 which connects to a socket.In addition, a connecting bore 9foran external pressure gauge 10 and a filling orifice 11 open into this bore region 3'. It should be noted, here, that the pressuregauge 10 and a filling orifice 11 open into this bore region 3'. It should be noted, here, that the pressuregauge connecting bore 9 and the filling orifice 11 can also be arranged at different locations from those shown as regards the bore portion 3'. It should likewise be noted that the sprinkler5 is shown lying in the drawing plane merelyforthe sake of illustration, whereas, in practice, it is perpendiculartothe drawing plane for operational reasons. This fact will be mentioned again later.

The extinguisher head 1 also contains a valve device 14which can be actuated manually or by means ofthe upper handle 12 of a manual release device 12,13 and which consists of a valve tappet 15 with a valve plate 16 and a valve spring 18. The latter is retained in a valve ante-chamber 20 by means of a supporting sleeve 19, is centered at its top end on an end journal 21 underneath the valve plate 16 and urges the valve plate 16 against the valve saeat 17.The feed line 22' of a relief valve 22 of known design opens into the valve ante-chamber 20. Thevalve tappet 15 has above the valve plate 16 a guide pin 23 which first passes through a flow deflection space 24 via the valve seat 17 and is then guided, in the upper part ofthe extinguisher head 1, in a valve-tappet bore 25 essentially coaxial with the central bore 3so asto ensure a leak-proofclosure by means of an O-ring 26.

Ajet bore 27 arranged centrally in a screw socket 28 formed on the extinguisher head 1 opens into the flow deflection space 24 essentially perpendicularly to the axis of the guide pin 23. Ajet pipe 30 is attached to this screw socket by means of a screw cap 29, and the neck of a jet nozzle 31 can be designed as a connecting element between the screw cap 29 and jet pipe 30.

When the fire extinguisher is to be operated manually in the normal way, when a fire breaks out, the plug 32 is pulled outofa socket(notshown) and then the extinguisher is lifted out of its mounting and brought as near as possible to the source of the fire. To extinguish the fire the upper release handle 12 is pressed against the lower release handle 13, and the valve tappet 15, overcoming the force of the spring 18, is pressed downwards until it comes up against the setting ring 33. The valve plate 16 thereby lifts off from the valve seat 17, and the extinguishng agent flows via the central bore 3, and a calibrating ring 34 in the supporting sleeve 19, into the flow deflection space 24 and out via the jet bore 27 and the jet nozzle 31.

In the position of readiness ofthe fire extinguisher, it is mounted in such awaythatthesprinkler5facesthe room to be protected. As already mentioned, the sprinkler-connecting thread 4 is shifted approximately 90" relative to the jet-pipe screw socket 28, so that a jet of extinguishing material issuing from the sprinkler can spread out unimpeded. To simplify pressure checking,the pressure gauge 10 or its connecting bore 9 can also be arranged above the location shown,that is to say in the region ofthe valve ante-chamber20, or underneath the sprinkler 5 outside the region ofthe guard cage 8 (in the case of an extended lower part of the extinguisher head).

Thus it will be seen that, at least in a preferred embodiment, an extinguisher is provided which makesitpossiblenotonlyto monitor a room or portion of it permanently by means of an appliance installed in a specific position, but also for a person present atthetime of the outbreak of afire to use itfor the individual control ofthefire. It goes without saying that, in principle, such an extinguisher must be installed in the manner of a fixed fire-prevention means and be keptreadyforoperation, butatthe same time it must be possible to remove it from this location in the same way as a conventional handoperated fire extinguisher.

Claims

1. An automatically and manually operable portablefire extinguisher comprising a vessel containing the extinguishing agent, a nozzle-connecting and sprinkler-connecting body which can be screwed onto the vessel, said body containing an essentially central longitudinal bore having a portion coming first on the inflow side and a valve ante-chamber adjoining the first portion in the throughflow direction of the extinguishing agent, a valve seat, a flow deflection space and a valve-tappet guide bore, wherein in the region of the said first portion of the longitudinal bore, a sprinkler is connected to said bore essentially at right anglestothe longitudinal axis of said bore, and a jet bore, provided as a feed line to a jet nozzle, branches offfrom the region ofthe flow deflection space, the longitudinalaxisofthesprinklerandthe longitudinal axis of the jet nozzle being essentially at right angles to one another.

2. Afire extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein a valve spring arranged in the valve ante-chamber urges a valve tappet and a valve plate into the sealing position, said valve spring being supported by a supporting sleeve retained in the entrance portion of the valve ante-chamber.

3. Afire extinguisheraccording to claim 1 or2, wherein the sprinkler is provided with a remote release device.

4. Afire extinguishersubstantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.