US1107845A - Sprinkler-head. - Google Patents

Description

P. V. SACKETT.

SPRINKLEE HEAD.

APPLICATION FILED sBPT.12, 1912,

1,107,845. Pat-emga Aug. 18, 1914.

ImfenTovr: @1MM j ha 1% L/Y UNITED sTATEs PATENT ,oEEicE FRANK V. SACKETT, OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS.

sPnINKLER-HEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

Application filed September 12;-1912, Serial No. 719,910.

T o all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK V. SAcKE'rr,

` a citizen of the United States, residing at l which theI following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in s rinkler heads for employment in connectlon with the fluid pi ing of {ire-extinguishing automatic sprinkler systems.

The primar object of my invention is to provide a sprlnkler head which may be set to release upon the vrapid rise in temperature regardless of the ultimate temperature reached, but not responsive to slow variations in temperature at least below a predetermined high-temperature.,

A further object of my invention is to provide such a sprinkler head in arrangement which may be made responsive also to the attainment of a predetermined temperature which m be regarded as danger temperature, whet er attained slowly or rapidly," i

In re-extinguisher sprinkler systems it is customar to4 have the releasing element of the s rin lr head restrained by a fusible body w ich is adapted tosoften at a predetermined temperature thereby to release the head and permit the automatic distribution of water, but it sometimes happens that the efficacy of the sprinkler system is greatly decreasedby reason of the requirement that a redetermined danger temperature beA attalned before the release occurs. Thus in. open, air installations in cold weather a fire may be well under-way before the heat applied to the sprinkler head is sufficient to release them, as the initial temperature from which the rise starts may be very low.

My invention aims to provide a sprinkler head wherein the sudden rise of temperature, whether altogether within low limits or altogether Within high limits, will `result in the release of the sprinkler head and the automatic distribution of water, although slower temperaturechanges due to weather conditions and the like will have no releasing influence upon the structure.

In the drawings I have shown an embodiment of my invention, wherein- Figure 1 is a side view with parts in section of a. sprinkler head; Fig. 2 Ais a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an isometric detail of two disk members form- .ing part of the device.

In the drawings, 5 indicates in general a frame, 6 a valve closing the water orifice opening through the frame, 7 a strut structure, and 8 a valve-releasing structure arranged for operation through compensating mechanism comprising, in the embodiment- Shown, two temperature- responsive springs 9 and 10, located in the frame and connected for coaction with the releasing structure.

Specifically, inthe construction shown, the release structure 8 takes the form of complemental disks l2 and 13, the lower disk having in its upper face radial slots 14 and the upper disk having on its lower face tooth projections 15 adapted to interfit therewith. Normally, the teeth are arranged out of register' with their opposing slots so that rotary motion of the upper disk 13 about an axis defined by pin 16 taking into an aperture 16 of the lower disk 12 is necessary to brin the slots and teeth into register and ena le the two disks to be forced toward each other or condensed.-

The compensating4 springs 5) and 10 are res ectively relatively heavy and relatively lig it, so that, while under Aslow variations in temperature they will expand and contract substantially equally, the lighter spring is very much more quickly responsive to changes in temperature than the heavy spring, whereby sudden changes in temerature will cause very unequal expansion etw'een the heavy and light springs, the light spring operating irst.-. The two disks are connected to the respective springs for rotation thereby in like direction under the infiuence of expansion, the rotation being such that the side toward the observer in Fig; L moves from left to right. Connections for Yrotation from the disk to the spring is effected by radius bars 17' and 18.-

` The releasing structure as a whole is made bodily rotatable. This may be done in various ways but in the specic construction soy shown the strut structure 7 bears against a rotatable sprayer 20, located at the top of the frame, while the lower disk l2 has a center point connection for rotation with thel con'ipensating washer 2l which bears upon the glass valve 6.

New it will be seen that, regardless of details of construction, the general operation of the device is to cause rotary motion of the releasing device as a Whole, to take place Vduring allslow change of temperature, the heavy and light springs expanding and contracting substantially equally and transmitting their motion substantially unifoijmly to the two disks which thereby rotateV in unison. Where however a sudden variation in' temperature occurs,`whil both disks rotate in the same direction the rotation of the upper disk is much more rapid than that of the lower disk so that there is relative movement between the two disks, this being due to th'egreater rapidity of the expansion and contraction of the lighter spring 10, to which the upper disk is connected. The arrangementof the parts is such that no degree of contraction can'move the upper disk backward with respect to the lower disk to bring the slots and teeth into register, but if the temperature change is a rise in temperature the4 rapidly expanding l'i ht spring will move vthe..upper disk so muc faster than the lower disk is moved lby the heavy spring that the teeth of the upper disk :are brought into re ister with the subjacent slots of the lowerAV isk, and thereby the water pressure, or other` pressure relied upon for release, may efectually open the valve and drive the strut and release device out of the way. In order that this complete freeing of the spray may readily occur, I prefer that the springs shall be only frictionally socketed in the` frame, as shown.

If desired the strut 7 may be made in the form of a releasing member, and in the specific construction shown, I have indicated said strut as formed of two elements 7Il and 7h normally held in' united relation by a fusible link 7c, there being many`forms of fusible struts available ,w ich'may begem. ployed in such environment.

While I have herein disclosed an embodiment of my invention w'hich I believe tb be new and advantageous in detail, and some details of which I ma. claimlfor their specic advantages, it wil beapparent" to those skilled in the art that in its broadl aspects my invention is not limited to the specific construction shown but may be embodied in many forms within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

4What I claim is:

1. An automatic sprinkler head providing a valve, mechanical means differently responsive to suddenvariations in temperature*l but similarly responsive to gradual variations, and means normally maintaining said valve in closed position operable to release 'said valve by the differential action of said temperature responsive means.`

2. In a sprinkler head, a valve, means lnormally holding said valve in closed position comprising a plurality of' parts relatively movable to effect a release of the valve, and a plurality of parts differently responsive to variations in temperature, said arts respectively connected with the relatively movable release parts to move saidrelease parts to releasing position through differential action ofthe thermo-responsive parts.

3. In a sprinkler head, the combination of a frame, a valve and a plurality of parts between said frame and valve telescopically movable ,when in one osition and normally standing in distendefl) position', said parts being relatively movable toward said position, and differentially acting thermo-responsive devices, connected to said parts to move them to telescoping" position under the influence of sudden rise in temperature.

4. In a sprinkler head, the combination of valve in responsel to sudden rise in temperature. f

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame having an opening, a valve for said opening, a rotatable structure interposed between said frame and valve includin a pair of relatively rotatable disks arrange to condense their joint axial length when in one position of relative rotation, and differently acting thermo-responsive springs connected with said disks to rotate them in like direction but at vdifferent rates under rapid rise in temperature.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.v

' FRANK V. SACKETT.

MARY aALLEN, `WL1Ni-r ALLEN.

Images