US2341708A - Safety device for fire extinguishers - Google Patents

Description

Feb l5, 1944. F. FREDRIKSEN 2,341,708

SAFETY DEVICE FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS Filed Jan. 14, 1943 Patented Feb. 15, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .SAFETY DEVICE 'FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS 4 vFred Fredrksen, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 14, 1943,-Serial No.4.2,395

(cries- 30) 5 Claims.

This invention yrelates toga safety device for re `extinguishers `and 'has as Iits 'principal object .to provide va safety device which is simple :in construction, economical zin .manufacture and highly eicient in use.`

It is another object 'of `this invention to provide a means f or having va visible check `against any illegal orY unwarranted tampering with fire .prevention equipment.

Another objectfof fmyginventionis to provide a `removable seal whereby to Ycompletely guard the hose .connection and Lnozzle of an extinguisher and yet :permit immediate use thereof without the use :of'tools or instrumentalities other than human hands.

.Still another object of` this invention .is :to yprovide a durable'coveringgforvital portions of a :lire vextinguisher which covering 'itself alsorprovides arecord bearinggmeanswhich is `at all times visible Vupon the most cursory inspection.

Other objects will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention ,consists inthe novel-combination and `arrangement of parts to-be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by' a reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a vperspective view of va pressure type re extinguisherwith the Jpreferredform of im new safety device associated therewith;

Fig. `2 is a blank of the preferred form of my new `safety device as seen -on the inside face.

thereof before folding and assembly;

Fig. 3 is Aa Vfragmentary verticalsectional detail View through the :safety vdevice A:and extinguisher as seen :along line ..3--3 in Fig. -11;

Fig. 4 is :a lfragmentary horizontal .sectional detail view `through my new safety device as seen along line 4-4 ,in Fig. 1*;

li'ig. :5 is aside elevational view .of a pump type extinguisher showing a `modified 'form of my I safety :device :associated therewith;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of another lform of pump A type extinguisher kshowing the Vmodiled form of safety device illustrated in Fig. 5 associated therewith;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary perspectivev View of va modification of 'the lower end Yof :my newsafety demce; and

Fig. 8 is a cross-,sectional detail AView of the sheath embodied in the invention.

As seen in the vdrawing .my safety device 'is adapted ifor'use on ire extinguishers of the -conventiona-l 'and ywelt-.known `type as .a protective measure to at all times indicate the readiness of thefequipmentfor operation. Inpractice, equipment such as these fire extinguishers are placed l'on racks 'in convenient places in a building so that they may be available when an emergency arises. Withsuch equipment openly displayed there is a possibility of their being tampered with; hoses torn; objects inserted into the nozzle by `pransksters hence plugging the outlet; and it is not uncommon to Viind that the entire contents of fthe extinguisher tank have been -removed without the proprietor being aware of such "fact Negligence and complacency on vthe part `of the building management or of persons responsible for the Vworkability of such equipment Yhas `occasioned a skipping of 'their periodical inspection and hence -in some instances the equipment has iproved faulty or totally useless when an :actual application of its `use is required. It is a well-known fact that an early application of Afire extinguishing solutions prevent further damage by re and it is to this end 'that my lnew safety device serves its purpose.

The safety device is preferably, 'though not necessarily, vconstructed from a single sheet of paper I0 of a suitable weight and thickness 'to prevent accidental bursting of the bre structure. As seen in Fig. 2 the paperis cut in blanks such as the blank II to provide :a front portion I2 and aback portion I3 `joined vby a pleat or double fold web 'I4 which vwhen folded in the manner `shown will dispose the `free edge I5 of the back portion I3 iin a position to overlie a ilap l-I `on the complementary edge of the front portion I2.A The free edge I5 is then attached to the vflap I6 bystitching I'I or the like to form an elongated sheath I8.` The blank H has a bottom nap I9 `.which is folded around vand over the backportion I3 to which it is 'attached by stitching I7. A portion 20 ofthe front-wall I2 eX- tends beyond 'the sheath` proper and has formed integrallytherewith a collar member 2l 'by'which the sheath |18 is attached to a reextinguis'her.

In Ause the'safety device shown in Figs. 1 to Vl inclusive'is mounted on a pressure type re extinguisher generally indicated at 22 and having a tank or vcontainer portion 23 with an outlet through 'an elbow connection 24 formed thereon and connected to a ex'ible conductor or hose 25 with a nozzle 26 at its free end. The hose 25 is inserted 'into the sheath 'IS with the nozzle 2G well guardeddown 'in the bottom of 'the sheath, the Vupper edge 32 of the back portion I3 being *well above Vthe upper end of the hose 25 and in the crevice of the elbow 24 so that the hose 25 cannot be removed Without lowering the sheath I8. The pressure type flre extinguisher 22 has an open end 21 adjacent the outlet 24 and this open end 21 is formed by a neck portion 28 having threading 29 thereon. The collar member 2| is mounted on the threaded neck 28 against a shoulder 30 on the tank 23 and is held in place by the conventional filler cap 3| which is threaded down tight over the open end 21 to seal the same. v

With the safety device thus secured on the extinguisher 22 it is impossible for anyone to tamper with the hose 25 or nozzle 26 without removing or tearing the sheath I8. To facili` tate a quick removal of the sheath I8, should necessity require, there is cut into the portion vspirit of the invention.` I, therefore, ,do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come Within the a series of perforations 33 along a line coinciding with the peripheral margin of the collar 2|. When the use of the extinguisher is required the sheath with hose therein is raised to a substantial horizontal plane and the sheath ripped away from the collar along the perforations. 33 and the sheath withdrawn from around the hose. It is an objectv of this inventionto provide a safety device rwith a surface capable of receivirg printed matter as seen in Fig. '1 which printed matter can be applied while the safety device is still'in the form of the blank before assembly. A lead seal 34 is provided between the filler cap 3| and the portion 20 closely adjacent the perforations 33 so that no one lcan remove the cap 3| and empty the container 23 of its contents without a destruction of the safety device which upon unscrewing of the filler cap 3| will be torn along the perforations 33 `as the lead seal 34 is pulled by the ller'cap, the wire 33' of this seal 34 being passed through an opening 34' formed in the portion 20.

It is therefore apparent that I have provided a novel guard for fire extinguishers whereby a mostcursory examination will reveal whether or notthe extinguisher has been tampered with. Also by reason of the publication of the inspection date and signature of the inspector right on the front face of the safety device, there is an assurance that persons responsible for the condition of flre extinguishers in a particular building will be more careful and positive in their duty of inspection. .-.f

In cases of the pump type extinguishersl 42-43 as shown in Figs. 5 and Gthe collar 2| is severed at a point along the long axis of the front face |2 ony the side of the collar farthest removed from the connecting portion 20 to provide a -modied collar `35 so that the tWo loose ends 3B of thesevered Acollar can be inserted through the handle 31 of the pump type extinguisher and be overlapped and joined by a common staple 38, paper fastener or other such well-known permanent fastener to anchor the sheath to the re extinguisher. With 'this type of collar 35 an upward stroke of the pump handle 31 will rip the collar 35 away from the sheath I8 along the perforations 33 thus destroying the safety device and permitting removal of the hose from the sheath.

While the length of hose 25 for conventional re extinguishers is standard it is contemplated that-fthe sheath I8 may be made longer than standard size as is the sheath 39 shown in'Fig. '1- in" which event should the hose length be shorter than such long type sheathes 39, by reasonfof the unpredictability of the lengths of hoses,v the sheath 39 may be `folded back so that scope of the appended claims.

f Having thus described my invention, what I .claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent isi 1. The .combination of a fire extinguisher having a flexible conduit extending therefrom, with a safety device comprising a sheath for surrounding and enclosing .said exible conduit, a collar integral with said 'sheath and adapted to be axed to a portion of the fire extinguisher, means to secure said collar to said portion to maintain said sheath in relative position with respect to said flexible conduit, said collar vhav-- ing perforations formed therein at its point of juncture with said sheath to facilitate removal of the latter from around said flexible conduit without removal of said collar.

2. The combination of a fire extinguisher having a flexible conduit extending therefrom, with a safety seal comprising a paper sheath adapted to receive said flexible conduit to completely en-Y close the same, an anchoring portion extending above the open end of said sheath, said safety seal being perforated at the=point of juncture of said anchoring portion and said sheath, means securing said anchoring portion to said lire extinguisher,. and means afxing said anchoring portion toa movable portion of said fire` extinguisher whereby when the movable portion is moved relative to said fire extinguisher said anchoring portion will -be severed from said sheath. v i

l3. The combination of a fire extinguisher having a flexible conduit extending therefrom, with a safety seal comprising a sheet of fibrous material formed to provide anelongated bag adapted to be drawn over said flexible conduit to completely enclose the same, a portion of said sheet extending from the open end of said bag and having an'anchoring portion formed integrally therewith and being perforated at 'the line `of juncture with said anchoring portion, means to secure V'said anchoring portion to said fire extinguisher whereby to maintain said bag in relative position on said flexible conduit and permit of facile removal therefrom by tearing.

4. The combination of a fire extinguisher having a flexible conduit extending therefrom, with a safety seal comprising a sheet of fibrous Ina-v terial formed to provide an elongated bagadapted to receive printed matter, said elongated bag havingl an open end through which said'flexible conduit is insertable into said bag to completely encase said flexible conduit, one wall of said bag extending beyond the open end of said bag and having an anchoring portion formed integrally therewith, means for securing said anchoring portion to said fire extinguisher, means for connecting said anchoring portion to a movable element of said fire extinguisher said anchoring portion having. perforations formed therein at its point of juncture withA said one wall of said bag to facilitate severance of said anchoring portion from said bag when the movable element of re extinguisher is moved.

5. The combination of a re extinguisher having a flexible conduit extending therefrom, with a safety seal comprising a sheet of fibrous material formed to provide a sheath for said conduit to completely enclose the same, a portion of said sheet extending from the open end of said sheath and having anjI lanchoring portion formed integrally therewith, and means to secure said anchoring portion to said fire vextinguisher whereby to maintain said sheath in relative position on said conduit and permit of facile removal therefrom by tearing.

FRED FREDRIKSEN.

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