US1488289A

US1488289A - Fire extinguisher

Info

Publication number: US1488289A
Application number: US325306A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Ruff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1919-09-22
Filing date: 1919-09-22
Publication date: 1924-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 1941-03-25

Description

mimh 25, 192%. 1,488,289

w. J. RUFF FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Sept. 22, .1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 'arch 25 1920 W. J. RUFF FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Sept. 22, 1919 1 s Sheets-Sfieet 5 Patented Mar. 25, 1924. v

. urrso s'rArais wznmm a. Burr, or QUINCY, rumors.

I 1min nx'rmemsnna.

. a utetmauea'st tenher 22.1919. Serial aaaaaaoa Toallwkomitmyconcema Be it known that ILWILLIAM J. RUFF, a

Y fcitizen of the United States, and a resident cation.

of Quincy m the county of Adams and State of I 'ois, have invented certain new a and useful Improvementsrin Fire Extin-' considerable movement or motion of the parts to be protected are found.

One object of my impirovement is the provision of simple'and-e cient meansfor automatically putting out small fires before they obtain headway.

- A further object is the provision of sig-.

naling apparatus for indicating fires.

A still further object is the provision of a simple and efiicient means for applying fire extinguishing fluids toa fire.

Another object is the provision of simple and efiicient means for forcing a fire extinguishing fluid under pressure into a fire ex tinguishing liquidunder' circumstances where the apparatus may be turned in any direction.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompan ing drawings form-- ingra part of this speci cation and in which, ig. 1 is a view showing more ,or' less diagrammatically fire extinguishing appa ratus embodying my invention.

'Fi 2 is a longitudinal section of atanlc used the construction. a j F Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 in ig. 4 is a. fragmental section showing a modified form .of the parts in the tank shown in Fig. 2, and I Fig. 5 is a side view of a nozzle-handle and spray-forming plate used in the construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have indicated more or less diagrammatically in Fig. 1, my fire extinguishing apparatus which is particularly applicable to aeroplanes and other aerial vehicles where the apparatus is apt to be turned in any direction. In fire extinguishing apparatus for aeroplanes and the like, it has been found that the apparatus which requires to be pumped by hand, or otherwise requiring the I use ofrboth hands of the operator, are of manner from the description herein.

positions or any desired I prefer to use carbonic acid gas under ferent parts ma be attached to the aerohigh pressure to extinguish small fires and as a means'for forcing the fire extinguishing liquids into-contact with larger fires. In

Fig. 1 I have indicated a tank 5 which may be any desirable form of container for contalnmg thecarbonic acid gas under high pressure. The tankfi is shown as having a valve'6 at its top for'controllingvthe passage of the fluid from said tank. alve 6-is intended to represent any suitable valve for thispurpose. In my device,

gas dirctly onto a fire as soon as such fire is started. For this urpos'e I connect a pipe 7 with a suitable "discharge nozzle 8 w ich 'has fusible means therem adapted to be fused by the heat from a small fire and permit the escape of thefluid from such device. The member 8 may represent a sprinkler head now'on the market or any other form of fusible nozzles. In use, as many of such nozzles as ma be desired may be used and in any desire position about thea'eroplane or the like, such as adjacent the gas tank, carbureter, engine or other laces, none of which'are shown, as those sk1lled in the art will know how to apply such devices.

In the pipe 7 I connect a whistle 9'or other alarm meansby which an operator will be notified that a 'fire'has fused one .of his members 8, in which instance he will then operate the other he described later. a a

I have shown a. means for operating the whistle whichconsists o'f'a chamber 10 having a diaphragm" 11 therein-with a valve stem 12 connected to the diaphragm and attached to a valve 13 "for controlling the flow of fluid to the whistle 9. On the side of the diaphragm 11 opposite stem 12 I have indicated a compression spring 14L The arrangement is such that when the pressure of tank 5 is on the pipe 7 and the member 8 is closed, the pressure will hold the diaphragm 11 in a popart of the apparatus to I desire to provide automatic means for spraying the carbonic acid mit the esca sition to maintain the valve 13 closed, and when member 8 has been fused so as to perof fluid therefrom, the pressure in the ipe 7 will be somewhat reduced, and this Wlll permit the spring 14 to press the diaphragm toward the valve 13 and open the latter sufficiently to permit the gas to blow the whistle 9. v 1

In the pipe 7, adjacent the valve 6, I have indicated athree-way valve 15. In the iposition shown this valve 15 conducts the uids from valve 6 into pipe 7 anditis intended to keep the valve 15 in this position when there are no fires. When the whistle 9 has indicated that there is a fire, the operator turns valve 15 so that the passage therethrough conducts pressure from tank.5 into" pipe 16 and from pipe 16 through a regulating valve 17 which may be set to operate at any desirable pressure.

1 In a tank 18 I provide a fire extinguishing liquid which may be any of the numerous fire extinguishing liquids on the market, but I prefer to use liquids which are suitable for putting out gasoline fires or the like. Such liquids often contain in the combination, carbon tetra chloride and ethyl benzoate in solution, or which contain carbon tetra chloride and anilin. The tank 18 may contain any desirable quantityof this liquid, but I preferably fill the tank to an extent to leave a gas s ace at the to of the li uid. The ipe 16 1s connected with the tan 18 and as passages 19 which leadfrom said pipe 16 into the interior of tank 18. Where the liquid is above the openings of passages 19, the gas .will bubble up to the top of liquid 20 in said tank and remain at the top of such liquid.

In the tank 18 I rovide a discharge member 21 which in t e present instance comrises a pipe 21 journaled at one end in a caring b ock 22 and with its other end in a fitting 23, the bearings 22 and 23 being secured to the tank in any desirable manner. In the present form I have indicated a conical seat 24 in the fitting 23 with a member 25 attached to the tube 21 and seated in said conical seat 24. A spring 26 presses between bearing member 22 and a flange 27 on the pipe 21 so as to maintain the member 25 against its seat 24. By grinding or otherwise fitting the member 25 in its seat a substantially fluid-tight joint is formed which will turn easily-in use.

Depending from the pipe member 21. are

weights

28 and 29. passage 30 leads througheach of the

weights

28 and 29 from. the bottom portion of tank 18 to the interior of-tube 21 so that the liquid 20 may pass up throu h said passages into the tube 21 and out lrough the latter into a pipe 31. In each of the passages 30is a valve seat 32 which cooperates with a -valve 33. The valves 33 are connected together by a stem 34 and the latter is of such length that only one valve 33 will be seated at one time. The arrangement is such'that when the tank 18 is moved so that one end rises an appreciable distance above the other, the weight of valves 33 and stem 34 will cause such valves and stem to slide longitudinally of the stem and close the valve which is uppermost and open the valve which is lowermost. As often as either end of the tank is elevated above the other, these valves will move as just de- 30 will conduct fluid to pipe 31.

- With this arrangement it will be apparent that the

weight members

28 and 29 will always hold the lower ends of the passages 30 ad acent the lower side of tank 18 regardless of any rotary movement given to tank 18; also the valves 33 and their stem34 will cause the uppermost of passages 30 to be closed. With this arrangement then the scribed so that onlv the lowermost opening I gas pressing on liquid 20 can only force such liquld to leave the bottommost part of tank 18 into the pipe 31. This prevents the gas from being lown through the device without passing through the liquid.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a slightly modified form of weight member and mounting of the spring 26. Gas leaving pipe 16, in this form, would ass directly into the open end 35 of the downwardly through a passage 36 to the bottom of liquid 20 then bubble up through said liquid to the to of the latter to exert force on the to 0 such liquid. In this form it is desira le to provide a small bafile plate 37 between the opening of passage 30 and passage 36 to prevent a portion ofthe gas assing directly into the passage 30.

- A so, in Fig. 4 the spring 26 is mounted lscharge member 21 and outside the tank 18 with a cover 38 attached Ill position about the aeroplane or the like, but

preferably in a position to be readily accessible to the o rator so that he can with one hand grasp-t e handle 41 of a nozzle 43 and direct the fire extinguishin fluids to places where the fire is burning. ny form of nozzle 41 may be utilized, but'I prefer to use one in which a flexible plate 42 is secured to one side of the handle 41, so that the operator can flex the plate 42, as indicated by dotted lines .in Fig. 1, to change a stream issuing from nozzle, 43 into a. spray by simply pressing the plate 42 into the path of 1 through pipe 31 to nozzle 41 which is directed toward the fire by the 0 erator as desuch stream; It is understood that any and all of the valvesshown may be connected in such a way, or positioned in such places, that for manipulation. 1

they will be easily accessible to an operator ,In Fig. 1 the device is arranged so that the full pressure of tank 5 is on pipe 7 and nozzle 8, but a reducing valve of any suitable design may be placed in pipe 7, or reducing valve. 17 may be placed in pipe 7 adjac'ent valve 6 to reduce the pressure of gas to nozzle 8 and whistle 9 as well as to tank 18.

In use, the tank 18 is filled half full or more with a fire extinguishing fluid and the tank 5 charged with carbonic'acid as, or the like. The valve .6 is left open and valve 15 left in the position indicated in Fig. 1 under normal conditions so-that when a fire occurs adjacent the member 8 and the seal is broken in the latter, gas from tank 5 can pass through the member 8 to put. out small fires. When member 8 opens the pressure,

forces the fire extinguishing fluid out sired. It willbe-apparent, 0 course, that the valves in pipe 31 are openedto permit the gas to pass to said nozz I ave described my device as bein particularly adapted for aerial vehicles, nt it may be used on automobiles, boats, trains and other vehicles, or in buildings, or wherever fire extinguishing apparatus is desirable.

I claim: 1. A fire extinguisher comprising a substantially cylindrical tank having a seat at one end thereof; a pipe pivoted at the axis of said tank; a mgmber at one end of said i e e a in sai seat; a spring enga ing Phi; otl i r end of the pipe and tank hol ing said member against said seat forming a fluid-tight joint; and hollow weights extending laterally from said pipe and having openings therethrough extending from the interior of said pipe to adjacent the inner wall of the tank at the ends of the latter.

2. A fire extinguisher comprising a tank; a weighted member ivoted in the tank with a portion adjacent t e bottom of'said tank, there being feed and discharge passages in said weighted member with their respectiveopenings spaced apartin said portion of the weighted member; and a bafie' plate on said member between said openings.

3. Afire extinguisher comprising a substantialli cylindr cal tank a bearing at one end of t e tank having a discharge opening for the tank therethrough and a. seat around said'opening; a pipe 'ournaled inthe hearing; an enlarged mem r on the pipe engaging and fitting said seat; resilient means pressing. the 1pc longitudinally thereof to hold the member against'said seat; and hollow members extending from said pipe to ad acent the interior lateral wall .of said tank.

4. A fire extinguisher comprising a container; bearings at the ends of the container, there being a discharge opening through and a' conical seat'in one of said bearings; a

discharge pipe journaled' axially of the tank v in said bearings; a member on said dischar e pipe engaging said conical seat; and res' ent means pressing said member into said seat forming a fluid-tight joint.

5. A fire extinguisher. comprising a container; bearings in'the container, one of said bearin having 'a discharge opening therethroug and a conical seat therein; a pipe disposed substantially axially of the container and journaled in said bearings; weight members on the pipe with openin s therethrough leading from the bottom of tide tank to the interior of said pipe; an enlarged conical member on. the pipe seated in said conical seat; and a s ring engaging said pipe and adapted to ho d said conical mem,-

ber a ainst said seat.

6. fire extinguisher comprising a tank adapted to contain a liquid; a dischar e nozzle; pipes connecting said tank wit said discharge nozzle; a source of gas under pressure connected with said ipes; a reducing valve in said pi es; a t ree-way valve adapted to alternate y connect the source of gas under pressure with the nozzle and to connect the source of gas under pressure with said tank; alarm means connected in said pipes ada ted to cause an alarm when gas isllssuin rom said nozzle; and means insaid tank or utilizing pressure oi as for forcing liquid out bf said tank regar less of which portion of the tank is uppermost.

7. A fire extinguisher comprising a tank adapted to contain a fire extinguishing fluid; a nozzle; a source of gas under pressure; and a three-wa valve connected with the tank, nozzle an source of gas under pressure adapted to alternately connect the source of gas under pressure with said tank and sand nozzle; discharge means connected with said tank; and means in said tank for utilizing the pressure of gas for forcing liquid out of said tank.

8. A fire extinguisher com rising a tank adapted to contain a liqui a nozzle; a

source of gas under pressure; pipes connecting said nozzle, tank and source of gas um as supply alternately to the tank and nozzle; discharge means connected with said tank and an alarm in said pipes operable by re ducing the pressure of gas in said pipes be-.

low a predetermined pressure.

9; A fire extinguisher comprising a tank adapted to contain a liquid; a source of gas under pressure; a discharge .nozzle; pipes connecting said tank, discharge nozzle and source of gas under pressure; a valve ,connested in said pipes adapted to control the flow of gas from said source of gas under pressure alternately to said tank and'said nozzle; a casing connected in said pipes between said valve and said nozzle; a springpressed member in said casing adapted for operation by the spring thereof upon the pressure of gas in said pipes'being reduced when the nozzleis open; an alarm device attaclied to said casing; and means in said tank for forcing a liquid from the latter by pressure of gas in said tank. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 18th day of September A. D. 1919.

- WILLIAM J. RUFF.