US2766832A - Appliance for extinguishing fires and suppressing explosions - Google Patents

Appliance for extinguishing fires and suppressing explosions Download PDF

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US2766832A
US2766832A US404574A US40457454A US2766832A US 2766832 A US2766832 A US 2766832A US 404574 A US404574 A US 404574A US 40457454 A US40457454 A US 40457454A US 2766832 A US2766832 A US 2766832A
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closure member
charge
liquid
cap
appliance
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Mathisen Anders
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Graviner Manufacturing Co Ltd
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Graviner Manufacturing Co Ltd
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    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A62LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
    • A62CFIRE-FIGHTING
    • A62C35/00Permanently-installed equipment
    • A62C35/02Permanently-installed equipment with containers for delivering the extinguishing substance
    • A62C35/08Containers destroyed or opened by bursting charge

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  • This invention relates to appliances of the kind adapted to contain suppressant which can be rapidly discharged for extinguishing fires or suppressing explosions.
  • an appliance of the kind specified comprising a closure member of ductile material sealing a discharge outlet of the appliance, and an explosive charge mounted adjacent said closure member and adapted, upon ignition, to burst said closure member without any substantial fragmentation thereof to give full bore discharge through said outlet.
  • the invention also provides an appliance of the kind specified, comprising a suppressant container, adapted to contain liquid suppressant subjected to a predetermined pressure, said container having one or more discharge outlets,'a closure member sealing each discharge outlet, an explosive charge positioned in close proximity to said closure member, liquid suppressant lying between the explosive charge and the closure member whereby upon ignition of said charge the resultant explosive force is transmitted through the liquid to act substantially uniformly upon, said closure member, the material of the closure member being such that the force of the explosion tears said closure member without any substantial fragmentation thereof and forces the torn portions against'the walls of the outlet to give substantially unrestricted passage for the suppressant.
  • the invention further provides an appliance of the kind specified comprising a suppressant container of bottle or spherical shape adapted to contain suppressant under apredetermined pressure, at least' one discharge outlet from said container, a closure member of ductile material adapted to seal said outlet, said closure member being relatively thin and having the shape of a cap of a sphere, the concave surface of said cap being in contact with the suppressant contained in the appliance, and an explosive charge mounted opposite the concave surface within the container of, say, 250 lbs. per square inch at room temperature.
  • the discharge head comprises a tubular member 11 which is welded to the mouth of the bottle 10 at 10a and is provided witha large aperture at 1111 so that the interiors of the container 10 and the tubular member 11 are in communication.
  • a further small aperture 11b is formed through which the bottle may be filled, this aperture being closed by a filler-plug 12 which screws into a threaded boss 13 welded on the outside of the tubular member 11.
  • a sealing washer 14 is forced by the head of the plug 12 into engagement with a knife-edge13a formed on the boss 13.
  • a cap 15 is screwed on to the boss 13 to cover the filler-plug 12.
  • a pipe connector 16 is screwed into one end of the tubular member 11 and is locked to the mouth of the tubular member 11 by a tab washer 17.
  • the other end of the tubular member is internally threaded to engage the threaded outer periphery of a flange 18a forming part of a shroud 18 in which a removable explosive cartridge is housed.
  • the body 19 of the cartridge is externally shaped at 19a to receive a retaining nut 20 which engages the shroud 18 and secures the cartridge in position, a circlip 21 secured in a groove in the outer periphery of the cartridge body 19 preventing inadvertent untbreading of the retaining nut 20.
  • the end of the retaining nut 20 is staked into slots formed by castell-ations 18b on the end of the shroud 18.
  • the opposite end of the shroud 18 is closed by a metal thimble 22 the function of which will be described below.
  • the body 19 of the cartridge houses a moulded fuse body 23 of insulating material which carries two plug pins 24 only one of which can be seen in the drawings.
  • One end of the fuse body 23 carries a bobbin 25 upon which is wound two fuse Wires 26 whose ends are connected in parallel to the plug pins 24.
  • the bobbin 25 is surrounded by a gunpowder charge 27 which is contained within a and adapted, when ignited, to burst open the closure member into petal-like portions which are forced against the walls of the outlet to give full bore discharge therethrough.
  • Figure 1 is a side elevation of one construction of appliance in accordance with the present invention, while Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the head only of the appliance shown in Figure 1;
  • Figure 3 is a similar view of the head only of a second construction in accordance with the invention, this construction having three separate discharge outlets, while Figure 4 is an upward plan view in the direction of the arrow III in Figure 3.
  • FIGS 1 and 2 show a bottlelike metal container 10 to the mouth of which a discharge head is secured, the container 10 being adapted to contain a suppressant, for example methyl bromide, which is under nitrogen pressure givinga total pressure tubular metal housing 28 to which a copper end cap 29 is soldered.
  • a suppressant for example methyl bromide
  • the former is enclosed in a silicone rubber bag 30 having an O-ring end flange 30a which is spread out when, during production the end of the cartridge body 19 is spun over the housing 28 to retain it in position.
  • External sealing of the cartridge is effected by an O-ring seal 31 trapped between a flange 19b on the cartridge body and a corresponding shoulder 18b on the inner surface of the shroud 18.
  • the interior of the cartridge body 19 is threaded at 190 to receive an externally threaded electrical socket (not shown) by which the plug pins 24 are connected to an igniting circuit.
  • the outlet orifice is sealed by a closure cap 32 which has the shape of a cap of a sphere, and is provided with a skirt portion 32a which bears against the inner surface of the tubular member 11, a good fillet of solder being applied between the end of the skirt portion 32a and the adjacent surface of the tubular member 11.
  • the cap 32 rests against a shoulder 110 formed in the member 11, which shoulder assists in resisting any movement of the closure cap 32 under the internal pressure to which the suppressant is subjected.
  • the cap 32 has five uniformly spaced radial grooves 32b formed on its convex surface, these grooves being of truncated V-section.
  • the main object of providing the thimble 22 is to ensure that after electrical ignition the charge is almost completely burnt before the explosive force can act on the cap 32.
  • the thimble is designed so that it will not burst until the explosive force has been built up by the almost complete burning of the charge, and
  • Bursting of the cap 32 occurred within 30 milliseconds of the application of the ignition current, and it was found possible to discharge the suppressant in a period of as little as 400 milliseconds with six pounds of suppressant or 600 milliseconds with twelve pounds of suppressant at 250 p. s. i. through a bore of'l inches. Clearly the use of greater bores is readily possible.
  • Such appliances are, therefore, of great value in cases where suppressant must be distributed at a very rapid rate, for example, for use in aircraft, power plants or in connection with the suppression or alleviation of explosions, the extinguisher in this latter case being operated by means for detecting the explosion while it is still in an incipient stage.
  • extinguishers according to the present invention are particularly adapted for use in so-called high-rate discharge systems, in which no pipe or only a short pipe is used in order to enable higher discharge rates to be obtained.
  • a spray nozzle may be used to terminate the discharge outlet, or any short pipe con nected thereto.
  • the method of securing the cartridge enables replacement of the cartridge at specified periods. Moreover, after firing the shroud can readily be withdrawn :and replaced, and the burst cap can be machined out anda new cap fitted. After refilling, the bottle is once more ready. for use.
  • FIGs 3 and 4 show an appliance having a discharge head with three discharge outlet connections 40, 41 and 42 mountedon a T-piece 39.
  • the construction of this discharge head is similar to that shown in Figure 2, but because of the extra outlets the apertures for the cartridges 43,44 and 45 are formed in the bottom of the head.
  • the three thimbles, only two of which 46 and 48are shown, are mounted in the side at one end of the cartridges 43 to 45 so that upon ignition the force of the explosive charge is directed towards the associated cap, only 49 and 51 of which are shown.
  • selective bursting of the caps it has been found that it is quite possible to fire one or two explosive charges and burst the associated cap Without bursting the other caps or cap.
  • the effect obtained by the thizrnble may be achieved by other constructions; thus, for example, instead of having a thimble soldered to the body of the shroud, the shroud may be machined to provide a weakened wall portion of suitable extent which isburst by the explosive force in the same manner as described for the thimble.
  • closure members have been described as being made of copper they may be made of other metals or alloys which will tear in the required manner when subjected to the force of the explosive charge; silver or alloys thereof are suitable materials for the purpose.
  • a container adapted to contain liquid under a predetermined pressure and having at least one discharge outlet, a metal closure member sealed across the discharge outlet, an explosive charge positioned in close proximity to said closure member but out of contact therewith, said explosive charge having an igniting wire therein, liquid suppressant lying between the explosive charge and the closure member whereby upon electrical ignition of said charge the resultant explosive force is transmitted through the liquid to act substantially uni formly upon said closure member, said closure member being'of ductile metal so that the force of the explosion tears said closure member without any substantial fragmentation thereof and forces the torn portions against the sides of said outlet to give substantially unrestricted passage for discharge of the liquid.
  • a closure member of ductile metal extending substantially across said discharge outlet, an explosive charge, and an electrical igni: tion wire for igniting said charge, said charge being immersed in the liquid and mounted a short distance from said closure member whereby upon electrical ignition of said charge the resultant explosion is transmitted through the liquid to burst said closure member without any substantial fragmentation thereof and forces the torn, portionsof the closure member'against the walls of the discharge outlet to give substantially unrestricted passage for the liquid to pass through said outlet.
  • a closure member of ductile metal sealed across said outlet said closure member being relatively thin and having the shape of a cap of a sphere, the concave surface of said cap being in contact with the liquid contained in said container, and an explosive charge having electrical igniting means, said explosive charge.
  • a container having at least one. discharge outlet, liquid fire suppressant, a ductile metal closure member sealing said outlet, said closurememberhaving the shape of a cap of a sphere and being formed with predeterconcave surface in contact with the liquid contents, the convex surface of said closure member being radially grooved, and an explosive charge having electrical igniting means, said charge being positioned within the liquid and spaced apart from said concave surface whereby the explosive force resulting from ignition of said charge is transmitted through said liquid and causes tearing of said copper closure member along the radial grooves to open said closure member into petal-like portions without fragmentation.
  • a closure member sealed across said discharge outlet, 21 housing positioned adjacent said closure member, part of said housing being frangible when subjected to a predetermined gas pressure, and an explosive charge enclosed in said housing, said explosive charge being provided with an igniting wire, said charge being spaced from the frangible part of said housing to leave a substantial gas space whereby a pressure is built up in said gas space during initial burning of said charge and said frangible part of the housing is shattered when the gas pressure reaches said predetermined pressure to release the pent-up force of the explosion to act upon said closure member.
  • a fluid container provided with at least one discharge outlet, a ductile metal closure member sealed to the sides of said outlet, an explosion resistant housing having an opening in the walls thereof adjacent said closure member, a frangible member sealed across said opening, said frangible member being adapted to burst under a predetermined pressure, and an explosive charge having an electrical igniting wire, said charge being positioned within said housing and spaced from said frangible member to leave a gas space between said charge and said frangible member, whereby upon ignition of said explosive charge pressure is built up in said gas space until said predetermined pressure is attained.
  • a thin copper closure member sealed across said outlet, said closure member having the shape of a cap of a sphere and being mounted with its concave surface in contact with the liquid contents, the convex surface of said closure member being radially grooved, an explosion resistant housing positioned within the liquid and having an opening in the walls thereof facing said closure member, a frangible member sealed across said opening and spaced apart from said closure member, said frangible member being adapted to burst under a predetermined pressure, an explosive charge, and an electrical ignition wire for igniting said charge, said charge being enclosed within the sealed housing and spaced from said frangible member to leave a substantial gas space between said charge and said frangible member, whereby upon ignition of said explosive charge pressure is built up in said gas space until said predetermined pressure is attained whereupon said frangible member is shattered and the released explosive pressure is transmitted through the liquid to burst said copper closure member.
  • a container for liquid said container having a discharge orifice, an unshatterable ductile metal closure ember for said orifice, an explosive charge, electrical igniting means for said charge, an open-ended housing in which said explosive charge is mounted, a frangible thimble closing the open end of said housing, said thimble lying within the liquid in the container and being positioned a short distance from said ductile metal closure member, ignition of said explosive charge resulting in a build-up of pressure in the interior of the thimble until said thimble shatters to release the pent-up force of the explosion which is transmitted through the liquid surrounding the thimble to burst said closure member.
  • a liquid container having at least one discharge outlet, a metallic closure member sealing said discharge outlet, a closed housing extending through the liquid, a portion of said housing lying close to said closure member with liquid interposed between said portion of the housing and said closure member, said portion of the housing being adapted to burst at a predetermined pressure, an explosive charge mounted in said housing and spaced from said portion of the housing to leave a substantial gas space in which pressure is built up during burning of said explosive charge, said portion of the housing bursting when the gas pressure resulting from ignition of the explosive charge reaches said predetermined pressure, whereby the explosive force is released and is transmitted through the liquid to unseal the discharge outlet.

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Description

Oct. 16, 1956 A. MATHISEN 2,766,832
APPLIANCE FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES AND -SUPPRESSING EXPLOSIONS Filed Jan. 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR MIKE/v5 M677 /SEA ATTORNEYS Oct. 16, 1956 A. MATHISEN 2,766,832
APPLIANCE FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES AND SUPPRESSING EXPLOSIONS Filed Jan. 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L 5/ 49/1 r f r/\\ Ill wvavro 15 F5 MA 755M ark/Maw, Mwm
A 7' TOPNEYS' Patented Oct. 16, 1956 United States Patent Ofiice APPLIANCE FOR EXTIN GUISHIN G FIRES AND SUPPRESSING EXPLOSIONS Anders Mathisen, London, England, assignor of one-half to Graviner Manufacturing Company Limited, London, England, a British company, and one-half'to The Wilkinson Sword Company Limited, London, England, a British company Application January 18, 1954, Serial No. 404,574
Claims priority, application Great Britain January '26, 195B:
11 Claims. (Cl. 169--9) This invention relates to appliances of the kind adapted to contain suppressant which can be rapidly discharged for extinguishing fires or suppressing explosions.
, According to the present invention there is provided an appliance of the kind specified, comprising a closure member of ductile material sealing a discharge outlet of the appliance, and an explosive charge mounted adjacent said closure member and adapted, upon ignition, to burst said closure member without any substantial fragmentation thereof to give full bore discharge through said outlet.
The invention also provides an appliance of the kind specified, comprising a suppressant container, adapted to contain liquid suppressant subjected to a predetermined pressure, said container having one or more discharge outlets,'a closure member sealing each discharge outlet, an explosive charge positioned in close proximity to said closure member, liquid suppressant lying between the explosive charge and the closure member whereby upon ignition of said charge the resultant explosive force is transmitted through the liquid to act substantially uniformly upon, said closure member, the material of the closure member being such that the force of the explosion tears said closure member without any substantial fragmentation thereof and forces the torn portions against'the walls of the outlet to give substantially unrestricted passage for the suppressant. a .The invention further provides an appliance of the kind specified comprising a suppressant container of bottle or spherical shape adapted to contain suppressant under apredetermined pressure, at least' one discharge outlet from said container, a closure member of ductile material adapted to seal said outlet, said closure member being relatively thin and having the shape of a cap of a sphere, the concave surface of said cap being in contact with the suppressant contained in the appliance, and an explosive charge mounted opposite the concave surface within the container of, say, 250 lbs. per square inch at room temperature. The discharge head comprises a tubular member 11 which is welded to the mouth of the bottle 10 at 10a and is provided witha large aperture at 1111 so that the interiors of the container 10 and the tubular member 11 are in communication. Opposite the aperture 11a a further small aperture 11b is formed through which the bottle may be filled, this aperture being closed by a filler-plug 12 which screws into a threaded boss 13 welded on the outside of the tubular member 11. A sealing washer 14 is forced by the head of the plug 12 into engagement with a knife-edge13a formed on the boss 13. Subsequently a cap 15 is screwed on to the boss 13 to cover the filler-plug 12. A pipe connector 16 is screwed into one end of the tubular member 11 and is locked to the mouth of the tubular member 11 by a tab washer 17.
The other end of the tubular member is internally threaded to engage the threaded outer periphery of a flange 18a forming part of a shroud 18 in which a removable explosive cartridge is housed. The body 19 of the cartridge is externally shaped at 19a to receive a retaining nut 20 which engages the shroud 18 and secures the cartridge in position, a circlip 21 secured in a groove in the outer periphery of the cartridge body 19 preventing inadvertent untbreading of the retaining nut 20. The end of the retaining nut 20 is staked into slots formed by castell-ations 18b on the end of the shroud 18. The opposite end of the shroud 18 is closed by a metal thimble 22 the function of which will be described below.
The body 19 of the cartridge houses a moulded fuse body 23 of insulating material which carries two plug pins 24 only one of which can be seen in the drawings. One end of the fuse body 23 carries a bobbin 25 upon which is wound two fuse Wires 26 whose ends are connected in parallel to the plug pins 24. The bobbin 25 is surrounded by a gunpowder charge 27 which is contained within a and adapted, when ignited, to burst open the closure member into petal-like portions which are forced against the walls of the outlet to give full bore discharge therethrough.
Two embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one construction of appliance in accordance with the present invention, while Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the head only of the appliance shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a similar view of the head only of a second construction in accordance with the invention, this construction having three separate discharge outlets, while Figure 4 is an upward plan view in the direction of the arrow III in Figure 3.
Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, these show a bottlelike metal container 10 to the mouth of which a discharge head is secured, the container 10 being adapted to contain a suppressant, for example methyl bromide, which is under nitrogen pressure givinga total pressure tubular metal housing 28 to which a copper end cap 29 is soldered. To insulate the powder 27 from the metal housing 28, the former is enclosed in a silicone rubber bag 30 having an O-ring end flange 30a which is spread out when, during production the end of the cartridge body 19 is spun over the housing 28 to retain it in position. External sealing of the cartridge is effected by an O-ring seal 31 trapped between a flange 19b on the cartridge body and a corresponding shoulder 18b on the inner surface of the shroud 18. The interior of the cartridge body 19 is threaded at 190 to receive an externally threaded electrical socket (not shown) by which the plug pins 24 are connected to an igniting circuit.
The outlet orifice is sealed by a closure cap 32 which has the shape of a cap of a sphere, and is provided with a skirt portion 32a which bears against the inner surface of the tubular member 11, a good fillet of solder being applied between the end of the skirt portion 32a and the adjacent surface of the tubular member 11. The cap 32 rests against a shoulder 110 formed in the member 11, which shoulder assists in resisting any movement of the closure cap 32 under the internal pressure to which the suppressant is subjected. The cap 32 has five uniformly spaced radial grooves 32b formed on its convex surface, these grooves being of truncated V-section.
The main object of providing the thimble 22 is to ensure that after electrical ignition the charge is almost completely burnt before the explosive force can act on the cap 32. Thus the thimble is designed so that it will not burst until the explosive force has been built up by the almost complete burning of the charge, and
- thereupon shattering of the thimble releases a pent-up explosive force which acts through the liquid interposed between the thimbl 22 and cap 32 upon substantially the whole of the unsupported surface of the cap 32. This ensures satisfactory tearing,'without fragmentation,
along the grooves 32b to form five petal-like portions which are forced back against the inner wall of thepipe connector 16 to give a substantially unrestricted bore for discharge of the suppressant.
While not restricted to any particular number of grooves, it has beenfound that five grooves give particularly satisfactory bursting of the cap 32.
Byway of example only, it may be stated that.satisfactory operation has been obtained using a drawn copper cap of 18 S. W. G. and 1 /2 inches outer'diameter, the grooves being machined therein to a depth of'0.0l8 to 0.020 of an inch, and a copper thimble of 24 S. W. G. (0.022 of an inch) thickness. With such a cap and thimble it was found that the distance between them was not critical, and satisfactory results were obtained with distances varying'betwcen 0.150and 0.375 of an inch. Bursting of the cap 32 occurred within 30 milliseconds of the application of the ignition current, and it was found possible to discharge the suppressant in a period of as little as 400 milliseconds with six pounds of suppressant or 600 milliseconds with twelve pounds of suppressant at 250 p. s. i. through a bore of'l inches. Clearly the use of greater bores is readily possible.
Such appliances are, therefore, of great value in cases where suppressant must be distributed at a very rapid rate, for example, for use in aircraft, power plants or in connection with the suppression or alleviation of explosions, the extinguisher in this latter case being operated by means for detecting the explosion while it is still in an incipient stage.
While it is the usual practice in the case of aircraft to connect such automatically operated extinguishers to spray pipe systems, extinguishers according to the present invention are particularly adapted for use in so-called high-rate discharge systems, in which no pipe or only a short pipe is used in order to enable higher discharge rates to be obtained. A spray nozzle may be used to terminate the discharge outlet, or any short pipe con nected thereto.
it will be understood that the method of securing the cartridge enables replacement of the cartridge at specified periods. Moreover, after firing the shroud can readily be withdrawn :and replaced, and the burst cap can be machined out anda new cap fitted. After refilling, the bottle is once more ready. for use.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, these show an appliance having a discharge head with three discharge outlet connections 40, 41 and 42 mountedon a T-piece 39. The construction of this discharge head is similar to that shown in Figure 2, but because of the extra outlets the apertures for the cartridges 43,44 and 45 are formed in the bottom of the head. The three thimbles, only two of which 46 and 48are shown, are mounted in the side at one end of the cartridges 43 to 45 so that upon ignition the force of the explosive charge is directed towards the associated cap, only 49 and 51 of which are shown. In this connection it may be mentioned that where selective bursting of the caps is required, it has been found that it is quite possible to fire one or two explosive charges and burst the associated cap Without bursting the other caps or cap.
With this particular construction of head it is necessary to insert the caps 49 and 51 through their associated discharge outlets and it is not possible, therefore, to form supporting shoulders in the interior of the T- piece 39. For this reason annular nuts, only 52 and 54 of which are shown, are provided for supporting the periphery of each cap. The filling opening is made in that side of the T-piece 39 which does not includ a discharge outlet, the filler plug 55 being covered by a cover 56 as before.
While in the arrangement shown three separate electrical sockets are required, the arrangement can be readily modified to combine the plug pins and cartridges so that only a single multiple socket is required.
It should be mentioned that the effect obtained by the thizrnble may be achieved by other constructions; thus, for example, instead of having a thimble soldered to the body of the shroud, the shroud may be machined to provide a weakened wall portion of suitable extent which isburst by the explosive force in the same manner as described for the thimble.
Although the closure members have been described as being made of copper they may be made of other metals or alloys which will tear in the required manner when subjected to the force of the explosive charge; silver or alloys thereof are suitable materials for the purpose.
It will also be appreciated that while reference has'been made to the use of a gunpowder charge, other forms of explosive charge, for example detonators, may be used.
What I claim is:
1. In a container adapted to contain liquid under a predetermined pressure and having at least one discharge outlet, a metal closure member sealed across the discharge outlet, an explosive charge positioned in close proximity to said closure member but out of contact therewith, said explosive charge having an igniting wire therein, liquid suppressant lying between the explosive charge and the closure member whereby upon electrical ignition of said charge the resultant explosive force is transmitted through the liquid to act substantially uni formly upon said closure member, said closure member being'of ductile metal so that the force of the explosion tears said closure member without any substantial fragmentation thereof and forces the torn portions against the sides of said outlet to give substantially unrestricted passage for discharge of the liquid.
2. In a liquid container provided with at least one discharge outlet for the liquid, a closure member of ductile metal extending substantially across said discharge outlet, an explosive charge, and an electrical igni: tion wire for igniting said charge, said charge being immersed in the liquid and mounted a short distance from said closure member whereby upon electrical ignition of said charge the resultant explosion is transmitted through the liquid to burst said closure member without any substantial fragmentation thereof and forces the torn, portionsof the closure member'against the walls of the discharge outlet to give substantially unrestricted passage for the liquid to pass through said outlet.
3. In a fluid container adapted to contain liquid under a predetermined pressure and provided with at least one discharge outlet, a closure member of ductile metal sealed across said outlet, said closure member being relatively thin and having the shape of a cap of a sphere, the concave surface of said cap being in contact with the liquid contained in said container, and an explosive charge having electrical igniting means, said explosive charge.
being supported in the liquid at a short distance from said concave surface whereby therexplosive force resulting from ignition of said charge is transmitted through the liquid to burst the closure member into petal-like. portions which are forced against the walls of said outlet to allow full-bore discharge therethrough.
4. In a container having at least one. discharge outlet, liquid fire suppressant, a ductile metal closure member sealing said outlet, said closurememberhaving the shape of a cap of a sphere and being formed with predeterconcave surface in contact with the liquid contents, the convex surface of said closure member being radially grooved, and an explosive charge having electrical igniting means, said charge being positioned within the liquid and spaced apart from said concave surface whereby the explosive force resulting from ignition of said charge is transmitted through said liquid and causes tearing of said copper closure member along the radial grooves to open said closure member into petal-like portions without fragmentation.
6. A fluid container according to claim 5, in which five grooves are formed on said convex surface.
7. In a fluid container provided with at least one discharge outlet, a closure member sealed across said discharge outlet, 21 housing positioned adjacent said closure member, part of said housing being frangible when subjected to a predetermined gas pressure, and an explosive charge enclosed in said housing, said explosive charge being provided with an igniting wire, said charge being spaced from the frangible part of said housing to leave a substantial gas space whereby a pressure is built up in said gas space during initial burning of said charge and said frangible part of the housing is shattered when the gas pressure reaches said predetermined pressure to release the pent-up force of the explosion to act upon said closure member.
8. In a fluid container provided with at least one discharge outlet, a ductile metal closure member sealed to the sides of said outlet, an explosion resistant housing having an opening in the walls thereof adjacent said closure member, a frangible member sealed across said opening, said frangible member being adapted to burst under a predetermined pressure, and an explosive charge having an electrical igniting wire, said charge being positioned within said housing and spaced from said frangible member to leave a gas space between said charge and said frangible member, whereby upon ignition of said explosive charge pressure is built up in said gas space until said predetermined pressure is attained.
9. In a fluid container adapted to contain liquid under a predetermined pressure and provided with at least one discharge outlet, a thin copper closure member sealed across said outlet, said closure member having the shape of a cap of a sphere and being mounted with its concave surface in contact with the liquid contents, the convex surface of said closure member being radially grooved, an explosion resistant housing positioned within the liquid and having an opening in the walls thereof facing said closure member, a frangible member sealed across said opening and spaced apart from said closure member, said frangible member being adapted to burst under a predetermined pressure, an explosive charge, and an electrical ignition wire for igniting said charge, said charge being enclosed within the sealed housing and spaced from said frangible member to leave a substantial gas space between said charge and said frangible member, whereby upon ignition of said explosive charge pressure is built up in said gas space until said predetermined pressure is attained whereupon said frangible member is shattered and the released explosive pressure is transmitted through the liquid to burst said copper closure member.
10. In a container for liquid, said container having a discharge orifice, an unshatterable ductile metal closure ember for said orifice, an explosive charge, electrical igniting means for said charge, an open-ended housing in which said explosive charge is mounted, a frangible thimble closing the open end of said housing, said thimble lying within the liquid in the container and being positioned a short distance from said ductile metal closure member, ignition of said explosive charge resulting in a build-up of pressure in the interior of the thimble until said thimble shatters to release the pent-up force of the explosion which is transmitted through the liquid surrounding the thimble to burst said closure member.
11. In a liquid container having at least one discharge outlet, a metallic closure member sealing said discharge outlet, a closed housing extending through the liquid, a portion of said housing lying close to said closure member with liquid interposed between said portion of the housing and said closure member, said portion of the housing being adapted to burst at a predetermined pressure, an explosive charge mounted in said housing and spaced from said portion of the housing to leave a substantial gas space in which pressure is built up during burning of said explosive charge, said portion of the housing bursting when the gas pressure resulting from ignition of the explosive charge reaches said predetermined pressure, whereby the explosive force is released and is transmitted through the liquid to unseal the discharge outlet.
References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,708,869 Buddecke Apr. 9, 1929 2,057,840 Neumann Oct. 20, 1936 2,417,082 Mapes et a1 Mar. 11, 1947 2,436,364 McDowell Feb. 17, 1948 2,713,391 Buckhaltz July 19, 1955
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Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2926607A (en) * 1957-05-28 1960-03-01 Jr Hollis L Muller Hermetically sealed explosive cartridge
US3110845A (en) * 1960-06-07 1963-11-12 Hercules Powder Co Ltd Electrical igniter
US3180262A (en) * 1962-08-13 1965-04-27 Texaco Experiment Inc Electric initiator
US3464633A (en) * 1967-11-16 1969-09-02 Trw Inc Multiple fluid controlling shear valve
US3604511A (en) * 1969-01-16 1971-09-14 Commercial Solvents Corp Method and apparatus for quenching fires and suppressing explosions
US3834463A (en) * 1973-02-28 1974-09-10 Itt Sensitive sprinkler
US4126184A (en) * 1976-11-26 1978-11-21 Fike Metal Products Corporation Instantaneous release, dual valve for fire suppression apparatus
US4188856A (en) * 1977-01-19 1980-02-19 Dynamit Nobel Ag Compressed-gas-actuated switching device
US5038866A (en) * 1986-11-21 1991-08-13 Santa Barbara Research Center Powder discharge apparatus
US5198611A (en) * 1991-09-23 1993-03-30 Advanced Innovations, Inc. Explosion suppression device with intrinsically safe circuitry
US5199500A (en) * 1992-03-30 1993-04-06 Fike Corporation Severable cover for explosion and fire suppression nozzles
US5232053A (en) * 1990-08-24 1993-08-03 Fenwal Safety Systems, Inc. Explosion suppression system
US20100127195A1 (en) * 2008-11-21 2010-05-27 Fike Corporation Impulse actuated valve

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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US1708869A (en) * 1926-06-04 1929-04-09 Buddecke Hartmut Fire extinguisher
US2057840A (en) * 1934-01-24 1936-10-20 Neumann Josef Fire extinguisher
US2417082A (en) * 1944-03-13 1947-03-11 Specialties Dev Corp Apparatus for discharging fluids under pressure
US2436364A (en) * 1946-01-24 1948-02-17 Dominion Merchants Company Ltd Explosive sealing heads for containers
US2713391A (en) * 1951-09-11 1955-07-19 American La France Foamite Pyrotechnic-operated fire extinguisher

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1708869A (en) * 1926-06-04 1929-04-09 Buddecke Hartmut Fire extinguisher
US2057840A (en) * 1934-01-24 1936-10-20 Neumann Josef Fire extinguisher
US2417082A (en) * 1944-03-13 1947-03-11 Specialties Dev Corp Apparatus for discharging fluids under pressure
US2436364A (en) * 1946-01-24 1948-02-17 Dominion Merchants Company Ltd Explosive sealing heads for containers
US2713391A (en) * 1951-09-11 1955-07-19 American La France Foamite Pyrotechnic-operated fire extinguisher

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2926607A (en) * 1957-05-28 1960-03-01 Jr Hollis L Muller Hermetically sealed explosive cartridge
US3110845A (en) * 1960-06-07 1963-11-12 Hercules Powder Co Ltd Electrical igniter
US3180262A (en) * 1962-08-13 1965-04-27 Texaco Experiment Inc Electric initiator
US3464633A (en) * 1967-11-16 1969-09-02 Trw Inc Multiple fluid controlling shear valve
US3604511A (en) * 1969-01-16 1971-09-14 Commercial Solvents Corp Method and apparatus for quenching fires and suppressing explosions
US3834463A (en) * 1973-02-28 1974-09-10 Itt Sensitive sprinkler
US4126184A (en) * 1976-11-26 1978-11-21 Fike Metal Products Corporation Instantaneous release, dual valve for fire suppression apparatus
US4188856A (en) * 1977-01-19 1980-02-19 Dynamit Nobel Ag Compressed-gas-actuated switching device
US5038866A (en) * 1986-11-21 1991-08-13 Santa Barbara Research Center Powder discharge apparatus
US5232053A (en) * 1990-08-24 1993-08-03 Fenwal Safety Systems, Inc. Explosion suppression system
US5198611A (en) * 1991-09-23 1993-03-30 Advanced Innovations, Inc. Explosion suppression device with intrinsically safe circuitry
US5199500A (en) * 1992-03-30 1993-04-06 Fike Corporation Severable cover for explosion and fire suppression nozzles
US20100127195A1 (en) * 2008-11-21 2010-05-27 Fike Corporation Impulse actuated valve
WO2010059282A2 (en) 2008-11-21 2010-05-27 Fike Corporation Impulse actuated valve
US7878215B2 (en) 2008-11-21 2011-02-01 Fike Corporation Impulse actuated valve
EP3460300A1 (en) 2008-11-21 2019-03-27 Fike Corporation Impulse actuated valve

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