US1768739A - Automatic fire-extinguishing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

`uly 1, 1930.

Filed March 23, 1928 RIVQ.

` rial.

Patented July l, 1930 irse STATES Y PATENTi OFFICE FISHER L. BOYD, 0F IIAVERFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL FOAM SYSTEM, INC., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA; A CORPORATION OF DELA- AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Appiiation md-Maron 2a, 192s. serial No. 264,044.

My invention relates to re extinguishing apparatus which is adapted to be installed in buildings and which also is adapted to operate Vautomatically for the extinguishment of a lire which may originate in a building or in any room of a building in which the means is located for .discharging and distributing the fire-extinguishing mate- The general object of the invention is to provide means whereby upon the occurrence vof a lire Yat any selected point, whether in a building or not, fire-extinguishing foam is roduced and released to extinguish such re.

It also isan object of the invention to provide a system of pipes having portions terminating in different rooms, which pipes have connection with foam-generating means and with each other, associated with means whereby upon the occurrence of a fire in any one of such rooms the system is operated to produce fire-extinguishing foam which is delivered to such room and applied for the extinguishment of the fire which may be present therein.

yTo these and other ends my invention comprehends the construction and arrangement as hereinafter described in detail, particularly pointed out in the claims, and as'illustrated in the "drawing wherein. I have VHtherein.

" In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly schematic,I

shown a construction which at present is that preferred by me. However, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in other specific forms of construction than that shown and that changes in the details of construction and arrangement may be made within the scope of the claims without departin from the said invention or the princip e involved of a construction embodying the invention, the walls of the rooms within a building within which portions of the constructionV are located being shown in sectional plan; and Fig.` 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. f j

In the drawing I have indicated at 1 the outer walls of a building divided by the transverse walls or partitions 2 into three separate rooms. Into these separate rooms pipes 3, 4, and 5 project, each of which pipes is provided with discharge nozzles indicated at 6, from which fire-extinguishing foam is adapted to be discharged into the particular rooml within which a particular pipe may-be located. Each of these pipesy also is connected to controllable means by which the lire-extinguishing foam-producing ingredients or elements are adapted to be vsupplied thereto so that the said foam is produced within the individual pipes which project into the respective rooms.

In the drawing the rooms are indicated as being of relatively small dimensions, so that a single pipe projecting thereinto is suiicient to supply the foam necessary for the extinguishment of a fire therein, but it will be understood that in the" case of larger rooms a plurality of pipes may be provided therein in order that the entire area of the room may be subjected to the action ofthe l water supply. For the purpose of supplyj ing the ingredients necessary to the production of fire-extinguishing foam I have provided hoppers 17 and; 18, the first of which is 'in communication `with the pipe 13 and the second of which is in communication with the pipe 14. The form of connection vis shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. I shall not describe in detail the construction of the connection between the hoppers and the pipes 13 and 14 nor the ymanner in which the material therein, which is in powdered form, is withdrawn therefrom into 'the pipes and carried forward thereln, because their construction and operation may be identical with that illustrated in Fig. 1 of my pending application for Letters Patent filed March 2, 1927, Serial No. 17 7 ,988. However,

'i it will be understood that any other suitable Aseparatel to the means may be employed for containingi and supplying the foam-producing inge ents pipes 13 and 14. he fireextinguis ng foam-producing1 ingredients employed in the respective oppers may consist of any suitable known substances,

but those generally used and which are preferred b me are aluminum sulphate in powdere form, of a fineness which will permit it to flow through a 40-mesh screen, and powdered bicarbonate of soda. With one or the otherof these substances, or both, a

sulphate and bicarbonate of soda, are retained and are at all times present in the respective hoppers 17 and 18, ready to enter the res tive pipes 13 and 14 as occasion may arise. For the purpose of controlling the supply of water from the su ply pipe 16 to the Y-shaped fitting 15 an through the branches thereof to the pipes 13 and 14 is taken containin I have provided a valve at 20, and for the purpose of controlling the flow of the liquid the substances, aluminum sulphate an bicarbonate of soda, insolution, rom the pipes 13 and 14 to any one of the pipes 3, 4, or 5 I have rovided valves 21 and 22 in the respective ranch ipes 7 and 8, 9 and 10, and 11 and 12. T e o nin and closing of all of these valves is a a te to be automatically effected by means w 'ch will now be described. Q

' For operating the various valves to which ref erence Ihas been made electric current is relied uppln. The current lfor this purpose om the main supply lines 25 and 26, the former being indicated as positive and the latter as negative. Associated with the respective valves are electromagnets 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33. The circuits through these ma ets are connected to the main lines 25 an 26 and are in parallel. 'ILhe closing of the res ective circuits is controlled by means of re ays 35, 36, 37 and 38, which operate in known manner. The relays 36, 37, and 38 are connected to therespective branch ' circuits 40,41, and 42 which extend throu li the respective rooms of the building, as s own, the said branch circuits being normally open, as indicated. For the purpose of closing the said circuits I have provided in association with each of them thermostatic closin means, indicatedl at 43. The thermostatic evice or element consists of a strip of metal comprising two sheets secured together, which sheets expand unequallyu on the application of heat thereto, as a resu t of which the said element bends and in bending contacts with an opposing stationary contact 44. The operation of thermostatic devices of this character is well known and in consequence I shall not describe the same more fully. Each of these thermostatic contact closing devices is identical and a description of one -constitutes a. description of all. It will be noted that there are four of these thermostatic contact closing devices associated with each of the branch lines 40, 41, and 42. Assume for the moment that a fire occurs in the room within which the gripe 3 is located, and assume that any one o t e thermostatic contact devices is operated to cause a movable thermostatic element to contact with the stationary contact to close the branch circuit 40. Upon the closing of the said circuit current will flow from the line 25 through the circuit which includes the coil of the rela 36. The flow of current therethrough wil close the relay and -ermit current to flow through the branc circuit indicated as'a whole at 45. This circuit includes the electromagnets 28 and 29, the energization of which causes the valves 21 and 22 to open'. Simultaneously.

the relay 35 is closed as' the result of current flowin .through the coil of the malgnet thereo The closing of the said relay c oses the circuit 46 through the electromagnet 27, the energization o whichresults -in the opening of the valve at 20. Water therefore is permitted to flow from the 16 through the Y-itting 15 and thence t rough the p1 s 13 and 14. The flow of water throug these ipes effects the withdrawal of the powdered substance from the hoppers 17 and 18, to which reference has been made already. These substances are dissolved during the forward flow of the water in the ipes 13 and 14, and the valves 2,1 and 22 aving been opened, the water flows throu h the branch pipes 7 and 8 and unites in t e pipe 3. The uniting of the solutions of the respective substances results in the formation of foam, which is discharged from the nozzles 6. The discharge of this foam into the room where the ire is located results in the extinguishment of the iire in well known manner.

In like manner the relays at 37 and38 are adapted to be closed upon the occurrence of a lire in either the room in which pipe 4 is located or the room in which pipe 5 is located. The tracing of the circuits may be made in exactly the same manner as has been made in connection with the relay 36 in the case in which a re has been assumed t'o have taken place in the room within which the pipe 3 islocated. l

If fire should originate simultaneously in all of the lrooms illustrated all three of the relays 36, 37, and 38 would be closed and the valvesin the r tive branch pi s 7 and 8, 9 and 10, an 11 and 12 wou d be opened with the simultaneous opening of the llO valve at 20. This would result in the simultaneous supply of fire-extinguishing foaml to all three of the rooms, or to a reater or less number in accordance with t e design of the apparatus to effect simultaneous extinguishment of the fire in all of the rooms. It Will be understood that the apparatus should be designed in accordance with engineering principles to meet the conditions as to quantity of Water to be supplied and as to other matters of a practical character Well understood by engineers or other persons skilled in the subject matterto which the invention relates.

It will be seen that I have provided a system of fire protection of simple construction by the employment of which fire-extinguishing foam may be produced and suppliedA automaticallyl toany room or to any number of rooms of a building which may be included Within the system. When the efficiency vof foam for the extinguishment of fires is considered and realized the importance of my invention, by means of which provision is made for the automatic application of foam in the manner as described, will be apparent. p

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Automatic iire-extinguishing apparatus for protecting buildings and the like, com-A prising single pipes located Within the regions to be protected which pipes are propipes extending in distant relation to the said regions which are to be protected, sets of branch pipes connected to the said couple of pipes, the pipes of each of said sets unitingl in one of the first-named pipes, means for supplying foam-producing substances to the respective pipes of the said couple of pipes, a valve for controlling the flow of water to the said couple of pipes, valves for controlling the iow of Water containing said foam-producing substances from said couple of pipes to the said first-named pipes,

' and means located Within the respective regions to be protected by the apparatus, the means in any region adapted to be operated by the heat generated by a fire occurrin in such region to open the valves to permit oyv of water containing the said substancesto and through the pipe in such region.

- 2. Automatic fire-.extinguishing apparatus for protecting' a building against fire, comprismg pipes located at different points Within said building, said pipes each being provided with a plurality odischarge open ings, a couple o main pipes, branch pipes connected respectively to the said couple of pipes and also connected with each firstnamed pipe, a pipe for supplying water to the said couple of pipes, means for supplying foam-producing substances separately to the pipes of said couple of pipes, valves for controlling the flow of Water containing said substances through the said couple of pipes and from the latter through the said .branch pipes to each first-'named pipe, and means common to the valves which control the flow .of water containing-said substances to any one oit the first-named pipes for controlling the said valves tope'rmit the flow of Water containing the said foam-producing substances to such rst-named pipes. i

` 3. Automatic lire-extinguishing ap aratus, comprising a plurality of pipes eac -extending into a room or-other region which it is desired to protect from `fire and each being provided With discharge o enings through which fire-extinguishing foam is adapted to bedischarged, a couple of pipes, branch pipes connected at intervals respectively to the said couple of pipes and to the opening and closing of said valves, and v means located Within the respective regions to be protected by the first-named pipes vided with discharge openings, a couple of' adapted to be actuated by the heat genere against fire, comprising a pipe located in the said portion to be protected which pipe is provided with openings through which re extinguishing foam is adapted to be discharged, a couple of pipes throughv which lWater containing substances in solution is adapted to How, which solutions when united produce re-ex-tinguishing foam, a set of branch pipes which extend` from the said couple of pipes to the said yfirst-named pipe, means for supplying Water to the said couple of pipes, a valve for controlling the flow of water into said couple of pipes', means for supplying foam-producing substances separately to the respective pipes of the said couple, valves for controlling the flow of water containing said foamroducing substances in solution from' t e said couple of pipes through the said set of branch pipes to the said first-named pipe,

means adapted to operate to open and close the said first and second named valves, and means located within the said portion of the building to be rotected which is adapted to be actuated y the heat generated by a fire which may originatein said portion to actuate the said valve controlling means for opening said valves to permit the solutions.

of foam-producing substances to flow through the said branch pipes into the rstnamed pi e wherein the foam is produced by the unitin of the two streams of foamproducing so utions from the said set ofl ranch pipes.

5. Automatic fire-extinguishing a paratus for protecting buildings and the l' e, the said buildings each comprising any number of rooms, the said apparatus comprising pipes which respectively extend into the said rooms, a cou le of pipes located outside of a building to e protected, branch pipes connected to the said couple of pipes which branch pipes are arranged in couples, those of each said second mentioned couple being united in one of the first-named i es, means for supplyin water to the sai rst mentioned couple o pipes, a valve for controlling the flow of water into said first mentioned couple of pipes, means for supplying foam-producing substances to the respective pipes of the said first mentioned couple of pipes, valves for controlling the flow of water containing said r,foam-producing substances from` said first mentioned couple of pipes through the-said branch pipes to the rst-named pipes, means for opening and closing the said first and second named valves, and means located within the respective rooms to be protected -by the apparatus which means in said respective. rooms is adapted to be operated by the heat of a fire occurring in a room to cause actuation of the valves for lcontrolling the flow of water containmg-said foam-producing substances into and through the pipe located in the said room.

InI testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention vI have hereunto signed my name this 22nd day of March, A. D. 1928. FISHER L; BOYD.

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