US2444717A

US2444717A - Means of inflation

Info

Publication number: US2444717A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank B Allen
Original assignee: CO Two Fire Equipment Co
Current assignee: CO Two Fire Equipment Co
Priority date: 1944-01-11
Filing date: 1944-01-11
Publication date: 1948-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 1965-07-06

Description

F. B. ALLEN MEANS oF INFLATION July 6, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. ll, 1944 l I l l 1 y l l n I INVENTOR Patented July 6, 1948 trice A MEANS or INFLA'rroN Frank Allen, Verona, N. J., assignor to C-- Two Fire Equipment Company, Newark, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application January 11, 1944Serial No. 517,895

This invention relates to method and means of inflation generally, and more particularly to the inflation of life rafts and the like by the use of carbon dioxide as the inating medium.

Carbon dioxide has been used extensively for inflation purposes and particularly for inflating life rafts. A supply of liquid CO2 is stored under high pressure in a container preferably mounted on the deflated life raft with its discharge tube connected to a nipple on a distributing device in communication with the inflatable compartments of the life raft to inflate the same upon release of the CO2 liquid from the container. It is most desirable that the proper inflation be effected in all cases and in the least possible time and that the supply of CO2 liquid be just enough to accomplish this so as to keep the weight of the CO2 and container as low as possible. Heretofore a certain amount of the CO2 liquidturned to snow during inflation in increasing amounts proportionate to the decrease in atmospheric temperature, with the result that a CO2 liquid supply that would normally inflate a life raft satisfactorily at a temperature of '70"A F. or above would not provide proper inflation at lower temperatures ranging down to as low as 40 F. below zero. While the CO2 snow Will sublime and form gas and complete the inflation, this may be of no value as life rafts must be inflated immediately and CO2 snow does not sub-lime quickly. My invention provides a method and means for inflating a life raft immediately upon release of the CO2 liquid and infiating it properly at temperatures as low as atleast 40 F. below zero.

One of the objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved method of inflating life rafts or the like with CO2 or its equivalent as the inating medium, more particularly by entraining the CO2 gas as it is being formed at the nozzle within the compartment of the life raft with atmospheric air in suicient quantities to substantially prevent the formation of CO2 snow.

Another object of this invention is the provision of means for entraining the CO2 gas with air as the CO2 gas is formed and preferably as it enters the inflatable compartment of the life raft.

A more speci-fic object of this invention is to provide means for so inflating a life raft having a plurality of inflatable compartments.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 discloses a life raft and an inflation melll of Fig. 2; and

dium container and one form of myfiinprov'ed distributing device mounted on the rim ofthelif'e raft;

Fig. 2 is a view of the distributing devicel'c'iok-- ing upwardly in Fig. 1; p

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section' through the distributing device on the line 3-3 of Fig-,2; Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line' --l'lfof Fig. 2'; i v Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line '5-5 Fig, 6 shows a modified form ofl a distributing device in longitudinal central section corresponding to that shown in Fig. 3. For the purposes of disclosure of my new meth-I od and means of inflation, have chosen to show the same used in inilating a life raft 'generally designatedas A (Fig. l) which includes airin-l iiatable rim Il which may be divided by a par# tition l2, as shown in Fig. 3f, into upper and lower compartments. My invention in its broad aspect is applicable to the inflation of a single compartment.

My invention in the embodiment disclosed in Figs. 1 to 5 comprises a distributing device 'gel-'ierally indicated at B suitably mounted on the inner side face of the rim of the life raft and to which CO2 inating' 'liquid is delivered'from a CO2 liquid container C also suitably mounted on the inner side face of the rim of the life raft;

The distributing device B comprises a block I5 Which is provided With two longitudinally eX`` tending bores It and ll and with two Vlficillovl projections i8 and i9 which extend into the conipartments in the rim Il and through which` the inflating CO2 gas andair enter the compartments within the rim.

Mounted Within the bore l1 is a member-"to provided with a through bore or iniiatiiig liquid manifold 2l' which is enlarged at its ends as indicated at '22 and 23, to provide valve chambers in which operate

valves

24 and 25 which are spring pressed by springs 2S and 2l againstv valve seats formed in the' inner ends of the valve chambers. YThe springs are retained in

position lby plugs

28 and 29 threaded into the outer ends of the valve chambers. The valve chambers communicate with the interior of the projections i8 and I9 through nozzles 3Q and 3l. As disclosed in Fig. 2, the block l5 is provided with a nipple' 32 which is ported and in communication with the through bore or manifold 2l, as indicated at 35, Fig. 3. The inner end of the nipple extends into the member 2li and holds it in position in the block I5.

In order that the inflating CO2 liquid may be instantly available for inflation purposes, the container C is provided with any suitable form of quickly operable discharging means indicated at D, the discharge port of which is connected by a coupling member 35 to the nipple 32.

The bore or air intake manifold i6 is closed at its ends by plugs 40 and 4l and each end of the bore communicates by passageways 43 and 44 extending around the member 20, Figs. 3 and 4, with the interior of the projections I8 and I9 Vin the vicinity of the bases of the nozzles 39 and 3 I.

In order that air may be excluded from the bore or air intake manifold IB normally but be admitted during inflation, the block l5 is provided with a hollow projection 45 provided with a seat for a valve gasket 46 with which cooperates a hollow composite valve construction comprising a relief valve 48 which is guided in its movements and retained in position by means of a coupling member 49 threaded onto the projection o5 and provided with a screw thread for connection thereto of a hose or the like for drawing air from a space above the water.

The interior of the relief valve 48 is provided with a valve seat 55 with which cooperates an air intake valve 56 provided with a stem 5I slidable in a guiding element 58 carried by a ported member 59 threaded in the block l5 at the lower end of the bore in the projection 45. The relief `valve 48 of the composite valve member is held on its seat by means of a spring 60 the tension of which may be predetermined or may be adjusted by means or the coupling member 49 so that it will leave its seat when the pressure Within the inflated compartment or compartments is too high, permitting escape of the inating gas and 'air through apertures 6l in ,the side Wall of the relief valve 48 outA into theV atmosphere.

As disclosed, I may substantially enclose the distributing device in a rubber member 62 which also surrounds the projections I8 and I9 and may be secured in position by cement or vulcanization and which .is provided with la horizontally extending flap or shoe 63 by means of which the distributing devicemay be secured either by vulcanization or cement to the side wall of the rim of the life raft.

In the modification disclosed in Fig. 6, the distributing block I5' is of substantially the same construction as in the rst embodiment as to the member 20 and the manifold 2l' `and ports through which the CO2 is discharged into the compartments in the life raft. The air intake, however, is modified and instead of using a single air intake and relief valve as in the first embodiment, I employ separate intake. valves 65 land 66 and a separate relief valve 5l for each compartment of the life raft.

Thevthrough bore or air intake manifold i6' which is in communication with the atmosphere, as before, through the ported projection 45 and coupling 49, is enlarged at its .ends to provide valve chambers 10 and 1I and shoulders for valveseat rings 12 and 13 with which cooperate the

valves

65 and 66 which are provided with stems slidably guided in openings in

plugs

16 and 11 screw threaded in the outer ends of the valve chambers. The inner ends of the openings in the plugs are in communication with the valve chambers through

bores

18 and 19, as indicated, to facilitate movement of the valves into open and closed positions during ination and at the end of the inating operation.

The distributing block I5' may be encased in a rubber casing 62' provided with an attaching flap 63.

The plugs 28' and 2B threaded in the ends of the members 20' preferably bear on washers 80 and 8| which in turn bear on sealing rings 83 and 84.

For purposes of disclosure I have described the use of CO2 as the inating medium. In so far as the prevention of snow is concerned, it is also obvious that my invention is applicable to ination by any snow forming liquid where the amount of snow formed can be reduced substantially by the entrainment of atmospheric air. In the claims I employ the expression CO2 to cover carbon `dioxide and its equivalents.

While I have described my invention with particularity as to two preferred embodiments of the device that may be employed, it is to be understood that I reserve the right to all such changes in the method and device 4as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

-1. A distributing device for inflating two compartments comprising a manifold block provided with inflating CO2 fluid and air distribut-A ing bores the ends of which are provided with valve chambers, valves closing the ends of said bores, and nozzles in communication with the valve chambers for the inflating uid, said block being portedto connect the valve chambers for the valves controlling the air distributing bore to regions at the bases of said nozzles.

2. A distributing device for inflating a plurality of compartments comprising a block provided with an iniiating CO2 liquid manifold and Withja port communicating with said manifold through Which inflating liquid may be injected, the-ends of said manifold being provided with valve seats and valve chambers, valves normally seated on said valve seats, nozzles communicating with said valve chambers and projecting into said compartments,` said block also being provided with an air intake manifold in communication with the regions around the bases of the nozzles, and a combinedintake and release valve on said air intake manifold comprising a spring pressed pressure release valve element and an air intake valve cooperating with said pressure release valve to permit air to enter said air manifold during inflation and to prevent the escape of air and gas after iniiation has been effected.

FRANK B. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of thisl patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Humphreys Feb. 15, 1944