US2340945A - Means for extinguishing incendiary bombs - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 8, 1944. o. E. ELLICK MEANS FOR EXTINGUISHING INCENDIARY BOMBS Filed Oct. 21, 1942 Sta INVENTOR.

OTTO E. ELLICK Patented Feb. 8, 1944 MEANS FOR EXTINGUISHING INCENDIARY BOMBS Otto E. Ellick, Covington, Ky.

Application October 21, 1942, Serial No. 462,815

8 Claims.

This invention relates to fire extinguishers, and more particularly to means for extinguishing incendiary bombs and other burning objects.

An object of the invention is to provide an incendiary bomb extinguishing device which includes means for simultaneously discharging quantities of non-combustible granular liquidborne material onto the bomb or other burning object to be extinguished, in such a manner as to augment the fire extinguishing characteristics of the granular material and liquid when used alone.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nozzle for dispersing dry granular material by means of liquid under pressure whereby the object to be extinguished will be thoroughly coated with liquid-borne particles of non-combustible granular material.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for selectively controlling the discharge of the two fire extinguishing ingredients either separately or in unison.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device having the hereinabove described characteristics which may be inexpensively manufactured using mass production methods.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and, disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of the device.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2' of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a Vertical section through a discharge nozzle comprising a modification of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the device showing a second modified form of discharge nozzle.

Fig. 6- is a sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 1 showing one form of sand control valve mechanism in a closed position.

Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 6, but showing the valve in a fully opened position.

As disclosed in Fig. 1, the present device may comprise, broadly speaking, a hood or cover member 1-0, a handle member H which is secured to and extends from hood [0, and a pair of tank members [-2 and hi, each-of which-is secured to and. carried by handle H. Hood or cover member H! may comprise a top wall M from the outer perimeter of whichoutw-ardl-y divergent side walls lidepend. The lower edge 18 of side walls 15 is adapted to rest upon a supporting surface denoted generally by the numeral 11-, which may comprise the surface of the ground, a roadway, a floor, table top, and/or the like, for completely enclosing the article to be extinguished, such as incendiary bomb is, or the like, of Figs. 2 and 3.

With reference to Fig. 1, it will be observed that ftank l2 may comprise a liquid storage tank the lower end IQ of which may be connected to liquid nozzle 2!] by means of pipe 2|. Tank 13 comprises a storage tank for dry finely divided granular material, the lower end 22 of which may be connected to a granular material discharge nozzle 23 by means of pipe 24. It should be understood that tanks l2 and I3 and pipes 2| and M may be suitably secured to handle I l by any convenient means, such as straps l2 or the like.

The liquid storage tank l'2 preferably includes means for selectively establishing a pressure head on the fluid housed therein. If desired such means may comprise a fire extinguisher device of the type wherein sulphuric acid is caused to act with sodium carbonate for generating carbon dioxide which is adapted to expel the liquid'under considerable pressure through pipe 2i and nozzle 20. Suitable means such as a handle 25 may be provided for selectively facilitating mixing of sulphuric acid with the sodium carbonate for gener ating pressure within liquid tank l2. In the preferred form of the invention, a valve denoted by the numeral 26 may be provided at the end IQ of tank 12. Said valve may be opened in response to a pull on operating lever I26, to the right, by actuator 21. Actuator 21 may comprise a length of rod, chain, Wire, or rope, and in order to facilitate ease of operation the upper end of actuator 21 may terminate in a ring member 28 which may readily be grasped by an operator desiring to open valve 28. Ring 23 may be slipped over an upstanding pin 29 on hand grip member I00 for precluding accidental or unintentional closing of valve 26.

Tank I3 is adapted to be filled with a quantity of fine, dry, free flowing sand or any other, dry, finely divided free flowing non-combustiblegranular material, the flow of which may be controlled by any suitable means such as by a valve member which, as disclosed in Figs. 6 and '7, may comprise a damper member 31 suitably mounted for movement to a positionat substantial right angles to the longitudinal axis of pipe 2 3, or to av position in parallelism with said longitudinal axis. When disposed at rig-ht angles to the longitudinal axis of pipe 2 as disclosed in Fig. 6, damper 3| will preclude the flow of granular mate rial from. pipe 24 into nozzle 23. Damper 31 may be pivoted about its axis 3 2 by means of beneath the center of top wall it. material discharged from nozzle 23 will fall onto the downwardly divergent balile wall 50, whereas .the rest of the sand is discharged into tube .cular fluid nozzle 56.

actuator 33, the lower end of which may be secured to operating arm 34 of damper 3!. The upper end of actuator 33 may be provided with a ring 35 which may be similar in all respects to ring 28.

In operation, hood H] may be lowered over the article to be extinguished, such as incendiary bomb [8, after which handle 25 may be manipulated for the purpose of initiating a chemical reaction between the sulphuric acid and sodium carbonate contained within tank l2. After the chemical reaction has started, actuator 2'! may be pulled for opening valve 25 thereby permitting the fluid from tank H! to flow under pressure into pipe 2| and discharge head 28, from which it will be discharged through orifices or jets All. The extinguishing action of the fluid thus discharged from jets will tend to extinguish, or at least diminish the danger from bomb l8, however, it is preferable to augment the the interior of hood ID will be filled with a mass of swirling granular particles which are driven by the high pressure fluid. Experiment has demonstrated that when such particles of fluid impelled material are discharged into housing Ill and deposited on bomb I8, the bomb is quickly brought under control, and the damage done by the burning bomb is effectively confined to that portion of the flooring which was burned by the bomb prior to the placing of hood l0 thereover.

With reference now to Fig. 4, it will be observed that the nozzle illustrated is adapted to more evenly distribute the fluid-impelled granular particles which are discharged onto a downwardly divergent baffle plate 4| from a restricted discharge port 42, the granular material falling ,from the free lower edge in a hollow or cylindrical stream or wall which completely surrounds the fluid discharge head 43. sum from tank I2 is discharged through jets 44 which are disposed at an angle relative to the diverging granular material deflecting baffle plate ill in such a manner as to pick up and disperse Liquid under pres the falling sand as it leaves the bottom edge 55 ,of plate M.

The device disclosed in Fig. 5 difiers from that disclosed in Fig. 4 in that it provides means for distributing the granular material more evenly than is possible with the device of Fig. 4, since it includes means for supplying a quantity of liquid impelled granular material to those portions of the hood supporting surface ll located directly Some of the provided centrally of wall 56. The sand which is discharged onto baiile wall will be deflected and carried by gravity down said wall, and be discharged from lower edge 52 in a hollow cylindrical stream. The material which falls into tube 54 may be discharged through ports 53.

Fluid from tank I2 under pressure may be discharged from orifices or jets 54 and 55 of a cir- The fluid discharged from jets 54 will act upon the particles of granular material which fall from edge 52 of wall 50, and

As the dry the fluid discharged from jets 55 will act upon the granular material discharged from ports 53, whereby the interior of hood l0 will be thoroughly filled with liquid-impelled particles of noncombustible granular material.

It should be understood that tanks I2 and I3 are preferably disposed at an elevation higher than top wall M in order that gravity may be utilized to assist the flow of granular material and fluid through pipes 24 and 25 respectively. It will also be understood that any suitable means for controlling the flow of fluid and sand to their respective discharge nozzles may be utilized without departing from the spirit of the invention. If desired, water may be stored in liquid tank 12, in which event handle 25 would comprise the handle of a suitable water pumping device which could be operated to expel water from jets 40, 44, 54 and 55 under pressure. It should likewise be understood that any type of non-combustible granular substances may be used such as sand and the newly developed fire extinguishing powders now on the market.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a hood having a top wall and depending side walls to provide a housing open at its bottom, a handle secured to and carried by said top wall, a fluid storage tank and a sand storage tank secured to and carried by said handle, a fluid discharge nozzle and a sand discharge nozzle depending from said top Wall, means interconnecting said tanks with their respective nozzles, and means operable from said handle for controlling the discharge of sand and liquid housed within said chambers.

2. A device of the class described comprising a hood including a top wall and divergently depending side walls which define a closed housing open at its bottom, a pair of closed receptacles, means for fixing said receptacles relative to said housing, a pair of discharge nozzles mounted within said housing, means connecting for liquids and a receptacle for finely divided granular material, means for fixing each of said receptacles relative to said housing, a fluid dis- .charge nozzle and a granular material discharge nozzle mounted within said housing, a conductor connecting the receptacle for liquids with the fluid discharge nozzle and a conductor connecting the receptacle for granular material with the granular material discharge nozzle, and means for remotely controlling from the handle the discharge of liquid and granular material from said nozzles.

4. As a new article of manufacture av nozzle ior intermixing finely divided dry granular material with liquid under pressure and for dispersing the granular material, by the liquid, said device including a discharge port for dry granular material, means associated with said port for distributing the granular material in a hollow stream, and a discharge port for fluid underpressure, said last mentioned port adapted to direct fluid under pressure against the granular material for moistening and impelling said granular material as it leaves said first mentioned means.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a hood including a top wall and divergently depending side walls which define a closed housing open at its bottom, of means for discharging into said housing liquid-borne particles of granular material, said means including a discharge port for dry granular material, bailie means disposed below said port for deflecting and distributing the granular material in a hollow stream, and a fluid discharge nozzle mounted below said baflle means and disposed interiorly of a hollow stream of granular material discharge from said baflie means, said nozzle including fluid discharge orifices arranged to direct fluid toward the hollow stream of granular material.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a hood including a top wall and divergently depending side walls which define a closed housing open at its bottom, of means for discharging into said housing liquid-borne particles of granular material, said means including a discharge port for dry granular material, a baflie comprising an inverted funnel shaped downwardly diverging wall having a free lower edge disposed below said port for deflecting and distributing the granular material in a hollow stream from its lower edge, and fluid discharge means centrally located below said baffie, including fluid discharge orifices arranged to direct fluid toward the free edges of said bafile whereby the granular material will be moistened and impelled by the liquid as it is discharged from said baflle.

7. A device of the class described comprising a hood having a top wall and divergently depending side walls to provide an open bottomed housing, a handle secured to said top wall, a fluid storage tank and a dry granular material storage tank secured to and carried by said handle, said fluid storage tank including means for selectively establishing a pressure head on the fluid housed therein, nozzle means located interiorly of said housing for intermixing and dispersing granular material by liquid under pressure, means connecting each of said tanks to said nozzle means, and. independently operable means for selectively controlling the flow of granular material and liquid under pressure from their respective tanks to said nozzle.

8. A device of the class described comprising a hood having a top wall and divergently depending side walls to provide an open bottomed housing, a handle secured to said housing, a receptacle for dry granular material and a receptacle for fluid, said fluid receptacle including means for selectively establishing a pressure head on the fluid contained therein, means for fixing said receptacle relative to said housing whereby the granular material of said first mentioned receptacle will flow by gravity toward the top wall of the housing when the open bottom thereof is placed upon a substantially horizontal surface, nozzle means located interiorly of said housing for intermixing and dispersing granular material throughout the interior of said housing by liquid under pressure, conductors connecting said receptacles with said nozzle means, a manually operable valve disposed in each conductor for controlling the passage of material to said nozzle means, and actuator means, one for each of said valves, for facilitating remote control of said valves from said handle.

OTTO E. ELLICK.

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