US2157298A

US2157298A - Flame arrester safety device

Info

Publication number: US2157298A
Application number: US17003A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frans G D Mulier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-04-18
Filing date: 1935-04-18
Publication date: 1939-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 1956-05-09

Description

May 9, 1939.

F. G. D. MULLER FLAME ARRESTER SAFETY DEVICE Filed April 18, 1955 rac Frans G. D. Muller INVENTOR.

Mww BY M ATTORNEY Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics Application April 18,

'7 Claims.

My invention relates to flame arresters, and more particularly to a means for creating increased cooling effects in connection with said arresters when in flame arresting operation.

Among a few of the objects of my invention may be enumerated the desire to construct a relatively easily constructed flame arrester, a readily fabricated such device, a flame arresting device which normally will tend to confine a flame and which will automatically remove the confining powers when the flame is to be arrested. Qther objects not specifically pointed out will be hereinafter mentioned in the specification.

In the drawing Fig. 1 illustrates a vertical side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 illustrates an enlarged perspective of the same, Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a detail joint construction. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective of one of the elements providing the gas passageways.

Considering the drawing in greater detail, one embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 1 wherein ll indicates a container or tank for the storage of inflammable materials, I2 is a vent pipe secured to the tank by a suitable collar or sleeve I3. Mounted at the upper end of the vent pipe is a member l4 which may be either a breathing valve or pipe section secured together as at [5. At the outer end of this pipe section is secured the flame arrester 2B which comprises a plurality of plate members fitted together in such a manner as to provide cooling passages and gas passages. The cooling passages 2| extend vertically in the form illustrated and are not in communication with the gas passages 22 but are arranged in heat conducting relation with respect thereto. These passages are so arranged that gas vapors may pass in and out, thus equalizing the pressure on the inside and outside of the container ll, whereas cooling air passages up through the pipe 2| maintain the flame arrester in a state of coolness. The gas passages are formed as grooves 22 in one face of each of a plurality of plates such as shown in Fig. 5, and are of such dimension that propagation of flames therethrough is prevented. It will be seen that the back of each plate closes the open sides of the grooves in the preceding plates to form the complete gas passageways. The flame arrester 20 is fastened together by a plurality of

bolt members

30 and 3|.

The front portion of the arrester is partly enclosed by a'cover construction 40. This cover member comprises side members 4| and 42 which 1935, Serial No. 17,003

are slotted at 43 so that they may be slipped over the bolts 30 which fasten the flame arrester together, and can thus be fastened in place. The two side members 4| and 42 are connected together by a number of

bars

44, 45, 46. To shield the gas openings 22 against the ingress of foreign materials, cover plate 41 is fastened on the cover structure by means of downwardly tapered side walls 48 and crimped end walls 49.

One form of connection for these side walls is shown in Fig. 4 where the side wall 42 is fastened by the bar 45, this bar being provided with an undercut and shouldered end portion 56, the latter being formed over at 5| when the parts are assembled. This merely illustrates one simple form of assembly and the bars 45 may be used with or without such a construction.

The operation of my device can be readily understood wherein the gases normally pass freely out of the flame arrester. If, however, these gases should become ignited for some reason or other, the intense heat of the burning gas would tend to heat up the flame arrester and thereby tend to impair its efficiency. To preclude this, cover 41, being of fusible material for example such as aluminum, aluminum foil, lead foil, etc., readily fuses when the gas is burning, and as soon as the cover drops away the flame is allowed an unobstructed passage upwardly and the arrester is maintained in its normally cool condition.

While I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that modifications coming within the true spirit and scope of the same are aimed to be covered in the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a safety device, a flame arrester having separate cooling passages and vent passages, and a cover member having side walls arranged to be secured to and form a. continuation of the side walls of the arrester, members interconnecting the side walls of the cover, and a fusible cover secured to said side walls.

2. In a safety device, a flame arrester having separate cooling passages and vent passages, and a cover member having side walls arranged to be secured to and form a continuation of the side walls of the arrester, members interconnecting the side walls of the cover, and a fusible cover secured to said interconnecting members.

3. A flame arrester comprising a vent pipe, an arrester member in connection with said pipe having cooling openings free of the venting openings and a cover over the venting openings comprising side walls fastened to the arrester and a fusible top on the side walls.

4. A flame arrester comprising a vent pipe, an arrester member in connection with said pipe having cooling openings free of the venting openings and a cover over the venting openings comprising triangular side walls fastened to the arrester and a fusible top on the side walls.

5. A flame arrester comprising a vent pipe, an arrester member in connection with said pipe having cooling openings free of the venting openings and a cover over the venting openings comprising side walls fastened to the arrester and a fusible top on the side walls, said side walls having means to releasably lock in said arrester member.

6. A flame arrester having lateral vent openings through which inflammable gases are adapted to be projected laterally outwardly, a fusible cover thereabove and at one side adapted to intercept objects and prevent them from entering said vent openings, said fusible cover being so positioned with respect to said vent openings as to permit relatively free normal operation of the arrester before the cover is fused and a greater freedom of escape of heat from the arrester after the cover is fused.

'7. A flame arrester having independent cooling and venting openings, said venting openings being laterally disposed and through which inflammable gases are adapted to be projected laterally outwardly, a fusible cover thereabove and at one side adapted to intercept objects and prevent them from entering said venting openings, said fusible cover being so positioned with respect to said vent openings as to permit relatively free normal operation of the arrester before the cover is fused and a greater freedom of escape of heat from the arrester after the cover is fused, so that the arrester will not become heated to the point where it will transmit a flame.

FRANS G. D. MULLER.