US1305912A

US1305912A - Island

Info

Publication number: US1305912A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 1936-06-03

Description

A. J. LOEPSINGER. AUTOMATlC SPRINKLER SYSTEM. APPLlcAloN FILED AuG,2s. |915.

l ,35,9 1.2. Patented June 3, 1919.

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ALBERT J'. LOEPSIN GER, OF EDGEWOOD, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

Application filed August 26, 1916.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. LonPsrNeER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgewood, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Sprinkler Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic sprinkler systems of that type in which a gravity tank is employed for supplying water to the sprinkler pipes, the object of my invention being to provide a system of this character which can be utilized either as a wet pipe system or as a dry pipe system without requiring a dry pipe valve to be employed in the latter case for the purpose of keeping the water out of the sprinkler pipes under normal conditions. I accomplish this object in the manner hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrate only such parts of the system as are needed for the purpose of explaining my invention and in which:

Figure 1 shows a portion of the sprinkler pipe system in elevation and the gravity tank in central longitudinal section; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing in detail a check valve hereinafer described.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing the sprinkler pipe system is represented by a vertical supply pipe 9., a branch pipe o leading therefrom l and a sprinkler headlmounted on the pipe 8 in the usual manner. The gravity tank 5, which in this case is a closed tank, is connected to the supply pipe 2 by means of a siphon of which said supply pipe constitutes the long leg, the upper end of the pipe 2 being` connected by a bend 6 to the short leg 7 of the siphon, which passes through the top of the tank 5 and terminates near the bottom of the latter, where its open lower end is preferably provided with a strainer 8. 9 indicates a supplementary pipe which `also enters the top of the tank 5 and contains at 10 a normally-closed check valve arranged to open toward the tank. This pipe 9 serves as an air admission pipe as hereinafter eX- plained and may also be used for supplying the tank with water or other fire extinguishing liquid.

As thus constructed and arranged the system can be used as a wet pipe system by completely or partially filling the tank 5 with water and also completely filling the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

serial No. 116,962.

sprinkler pipe system, including the siphon. When the system is in this condition and a sprinkler head opens water will be discharged in the usual way, the water supply being taken from the tank 5 by siphonic action under a head measured by the elevation of the top surface of the liquid in the tank above the point at which the open sprinkler head is located. When it is desired to utilize the system as a dry pipe system, however, the tank is only partially filled with water, leaving an air space above the water within the tank as shown in Fig. 1, and the sprinkler pipe system including the bend 6 is left empty of water, whereupon a balanced air pressure is established in the sprinkler pipe system and in the air space above the water in the tank, the pressure thus established being suliicient when unbalanced to cause the water to rise in the short leg of the siphon to the top of the bend 6. Consequently when a sprinkler. head opens the air pressure in the sprinkler pipe system is relieved and the unbalanced air pressure in the top of the tank causes water to rise in they short leg of the siphon and pass into the upper portion of the supply pipe 2, thus starting the siphonic action, whereupon the water is drawn from the tank in the manner already explained. The pipe 9 acts in either case to admit air whenever there is any tendency to create a vacuum in the space above the water in the tank, while the check valve 10 serves, in case air pressure is initially established in the top of the tank, to prevent such pressure from being lost through the pipe 9. This pipe will be unnecessary, however, in case the compressed air introduced into the top of the tank is sufficient to fill the latter without having its pressure reduced by expansion below the normal atmospheric pressure.

The means employed for establishing the balanced air pressures in the sprinkler pipe system and in the top of the tank 5 are l represented in Fig. 1 as consisting of an air supply pipe 11 leading into the pipe 2 and controlled by a hand valve 12, and a by-pass pipe 13 leading from the pipe 2 to the top of the tank 5 and containing a check valve 14 which opens toward the tank. This check valve permits the compressed air to pass readily through the pipe 11 into the top of the tank while the system is being charged but prevents it .from passing through said pipe in the opposite direction when the air pressure in the sprinkler pipe system is reduced by the opening of a sprinkler head, sothat the unbalanced air pressure in the top of the tank then becomes effective as above described.

The system can be charged with compressed air even if no by-pass pipe 13 is employed, by merely forcing air into the pipe 2, since in such case the air will displace the water in the leg 7 and pass into the tank until the air pressure in the latter balances that in the sprinkler pipe system except to an extent represented by the height of the water level in the tank above the bottom of the leg 7. The employment of a by-pass pipe is desirable, however, not konly because it facilitates the charging of the system with the compressed air but also because it enables provision to be made for permitting` a slight flow of air from the top of the tank to the'sprinkler pipe systo compensate for any leakage which may occur in the system, thus keeping the air pressures exactly balanced under normal conditions. This may be done by means of a perforation 15, shown as formed in the check valve 14, which is so small that it is incapable of equalizing the pressures in case a sprinkler head opens. evident that this perforation need not necessarily be formed in the check valve and also that the check valve itself is not essential., since the air pressure in the top of the tank can be established through a small Vperforation or other restricted passage located or included in the by-pass pipe if the air is forced slowly into the system, or in part through such a perforation or passage and in part through the lower end of the leg 7.

l claim: Y

1. An automatic sprinkler system comprising a closed gravity tank, a sprinkler pipe system including a supply pipe, a siphon connecting the upper portion of the supply pipe with said tank and having its short leg terminating below the normal level of the liquid therein, and means for admitting air to the top of the tank.

2. An automatic sprinkler system comprising a closed gravity tank, .a sprinkler pipe system including a supply pipe, a siphon connecting the upper portion of the supply pipe with said tank and having vit-s short leg terminating below .the norm-al level of the liquid therein, and means for It will be establishing balanced air pressures in the sprinkler pipe system and in the top of the tank.

3. An automatic sprinkler system comprising a closed gravity tank, a sprinkler pipe system including a supply pipe, a siphon connecting the upper portion of the supply pipe with said tank and having its short leg terminating below the normal level of the liquid therein, and a supplementary pipe entering the top of the tank and containing a check valve arranged to open toward said tank. e Y

4. An automatic sprinkler system comprising a closed gravity tank, a sprinkler pipe system including a supply pipe, a. siphon connecting the upper portion of the supply pipe with said tank and having its short leg terminating below the normal level of the liquid therein, a by-pass pipe leading from the supply pipe to the tank above the normal level of the liquid therein, means for preventing free iiow of air from the tank through the by-pass pipe, and means for admitting compressed air to the sprinkler pipe system.

5. An automatic sprinkler system comprising a closed gravity tank, a sprinkler pipe system including a supply pipe, a siphon connecting the upper portion of the supply pipe with said tank and having its short leg terminating below the normal level of the liquid therein, a by-pass pipe leading from the supply pipe to the tank above the normal level of the liquid thereinl and containing a check valve arranged to open toward the tank, and means for admitting `compressed air to the sprinkler pipe system. Y L 6. An automatic sprinkler system comprising a closed gravity tank, a sprinkler pipe system including a supply pipe, a siphon connecting the upper portion of the supply pipe with Asaid tank and having its short leg terminating below the normal level of the liquid therein, a by-pass pipe leading from the supply pipe to the tank above the normal level of the liquid therein and containing a check valve arranged to .open toward the tank and a restricted pressure-equalizing passage, and means for admitting compressed vair to the sprinkler pipe system.

Signed at Boston, Mass., of August, 1916..

ALBERT J. LOEPSINGER.

this 2era day Copies f this patent may be obtained. for ive cents each, by `addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, ZD. G.