US2936960A

US2936960A - Combination adjustable straight stream and fog nozzle

Info

Publication number: US2936960A
Application number: US785380A
Authority: US
Inventors: William S Thompson
Original assignee: Elkhart Brass Manufacturing Co LLC
Current assignee: Elkhart Brass Manufacturing Co LLC
Priority date: 1959-01-07
Filing date: 1959-01-07
Publication date: 1960-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 1977-05-17

Description

May 17, 1960 COMBINATION ADJUSTABLE STRAIGHT STREAM AND FOG NOZZLE Filed Jan. 7, 1959 W. S. THOMPSON SMM COMBINATION ADJUSTABLE STRAIGHT STREAM 7 AND FOG NOZZLE Elkhart, Ind., assignor to Elkhart William S. Thompson,

Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of Brass Mfg. Co., Inc., Indiana Application January 7, 1959, Serial No. 785,380 2 Claims. (Cl. 239-458) This invention relates to fire fighting apparatus and refers more particularly to fire hose nozzles of the peripheral jet type capable of delivering either a solid stream or a fine fog-like spray.

Combination straight stream-fog nozzles heretofore available for fire fighting have been adjustable to provide a dog spray of various angles or a straight stream having a predetermined discharge rate, but in their straight stream discharge positions they have not been adjustable to afford different rates of output. Moreover, such combination straight stream-fog nozzles heretofore available for use on 2 /2 in. handlines have not beencapable of discharging 250 g.p.m. in their straight stream position of adjustment. This was a serious disadvantage because it is an underwriters requirement that every piece of fire fighting apparatus carry one nozzle capable of discharging 250 g.p.m. in a straight stream for each 250 g.p.m. of pumper capacity. For example, with available pumping capacity of 1,000 g.p.m. fire trucks have heretofore had to carry four straight stream nozzles in addition to any combination straight stream-fog nozzles they were equipped with.

The 250 g.p.m. straight stream nozzlesheretofore employed were supplied with interchangeable tips of various size and rate capacities in order to meet various conditions and situations encountered in fire fighting. For example, if a drop in water flow rate occurred, due to additional pumpers being connected to the fire main or additional lines being laid from the source pumper, or if there was a substantial change in fire intensity, the nozzleman had to shut down his hose and return to the truck for a different nozzle tip. The usual assortment of straight stream nozzle tips carried on a fire truckincluded nozzles having in., 1 in., and 1 /8 in. outlets.

From the above, it will be readily appreciated that it' was heretofore not only necessary to provide fire fighting trucks with a multiplicity of nozzles of various sizes, but that the practice of shutting down hoses in order to change nozzle tips in accordance with varying condi tions was particularly objectionable.

With these disadvantages of prior fire fighting nozzles in mind, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a versatile. fire hose nozzle which, in a size adapted for installation on a 2 /2 in. hand line, not only provides straight stream flow at an acceptably high disfighting apparatus which is-adjustable to provide, in addition to various fog sprays, straight stream discharge at adjustably variable rates ranging from complete shutoil to the maximum required straight stream discharge rate.

It isthus another general object of this invention to proice vide a fire hose nozzle of the character described which thenozzleman can very readily adjust, during use of the nozzle, to meet any of a wide variety of fire fighting situations and conditions.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a fire hose nozzle of the type which is adjustable to provide an off position, and a plurality of straight stream and fog positions, wherein the members comprising the nozzle-are so proportioned as to insurethe versatility described in the preceding statements of object.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a combination straight stream-fog nozzle of the character described wherein change in the adjustment of the nozzle from a full straightstream position to a fog position results in a flow rate increase of less than ten percent, so

that the pressure at the pumper does not vary so much asto necessitate any change in pump operation when the nozzle is so adjusted.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come "within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example .of the physical embodiment of the invention con structed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical. application of the principles thereof, and,

in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly inlongitudinal section, showing a fire hose nozzle embodyingthe principles of this invention, with the nozzle adjusted to its oil position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to ing the nozzle adjusted to give a straight stream output of maximum rate; t Figure 5 is a view similar to'Figure 4 but showing the nozzle adjusted to provide a fog spray having a 30 angle-of dispersal; Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the nozzle adjusted to provide a fog spray having an angle of dispersal of about 90 and Figure 7 is a diagrammatic View showing the dimenof this invention, and of a size adaptable for connectionv to a 2 /2 in. hand line. The nozzle comprises, in general, a body provided by concentric inner and outer inlet and outlet members 6 and 7, respectively, of tubular construction, and a mushroom shaped valve element 8 carried by the inlet member 6 and cooperating with theoutlet member 7 to determine the output characteristics of the nozzle. I 1

As is conventional, the inlet member 6 has a screw threaded counterbore in its rear to enable a fire hose to be connected thereto, and a coarse external thread 9" on the front portion of the inlet member cooperates with a but showing the matinginternalthread ina medial portionof the outlet member 7 to provide for shifting the outlet member 7 axially forwardly or rearwardly relative to the inlet memberas, a consequence of rotation of the outlet mem:

4 Fixed inthezfront portionof the inlet member is a' spider by whichthe ,valve element 8 is coaxially supportedwith'its stem 16 anchored in the hub 17 of the,

The stem projects forwardly through the. re

spider.- stricted passage 13 in the valve seat todispose the head 18 of the valve in the outlet throat 11 where it determines the different types of discharge upon rotation of the outlet member from one position to another relative to the inlet member,

The outlet throat 11 in the front portion of the outlet.

member is provided by a uniform diameter bore of. substantially greater length than the corresponding outlet.

portions of prior fog nozzles. The inlet to the throat, of course, is defined by the restricted passage 13 in the annular, valve seat 14, the latter beingvformed integrally with the outlet member and being engageable by the head 18 of the valve element to block flow of water into the throat when the outlet member is moved to its most forward or otf position, shown in Figure 1.

Adjustment of the nozzle of this invention to provide a wide range of straight stream output rates is provided for by reason of the'substantial length of the throat of the outlet member, in front of the valve seat 14.. As the outlet member is moved rearwardly relative to the head 180i the valve element by relative rotation of the body members away from the off position, through the successive positions shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the throat provides for increasing rates of straight stream output up to the point where the front face of the valve element head is nearly even with the front end of the uniform diameter bore thatdefines the throat. Thereafter further rearward movement of the outlet member relative to the valve, to a position (shown in Figure 5) in which the widely divergent mouth at the front end portion of the outlet member is substantially in radial alignment with the valve head, adjusts the nozzle for a fog spray outpu't having a relatively narrow angle of divergence, on the order of'30 In the most rearward position of the inlet member, shown-in Figure 6, the valve element head is projected slightly forwardly out of the mouth of the nozzle, and itsoutput takes the form of a fog spray having a substantially wide angle of divergence, in the neighborhood of 90.

The two fog spray positions are conventional, as is the manner in which the valve element head cooperates with the front end portion of the outlet member to provide these two types of fog discharge; Also conventional are the tooth-like deflectors 20 around the mouth' of the nozzie, by which the stream issuing from the nozzle in its --fog positions is partially broken up and deflected radiallyinwardly so that the cone of fog spray produced by the nozzle has a substantially uniform-intensity across its entire cross-sectional area.

Thehigh output capacity" of 250 g.p.rn. inthe straight stream condition ill'ustr'ated'in Figure 4 is-achieved in a 2 in. hand line nozzle embodying the principles of this invention by reason ofthe proportioning of the throat 11, the ;'valve-- element head '18 and the inlet orifice 13; and the, relationshipof these elements'also accounts for: the'wide-range ofadjustabilit-y of-the dischargerate of bit the uniform diameter bore providing the throat 11 should have an axiallength which is at least equal to the radius of the head 18 of the valve element plus the axial dimension or thickness of the valve. head. The length of the throat should also be equal to at least five times the radialdistancebetween the periphery of the valve elementhead and thewall of the throat. that with this dimensional relationship, the head 18 can have a substantial amount of relative travel along the throat, through a wide rangeof positions in, which a straight stream discharge is produced, each position of the valve head producing a diiferent discharge rate and the lowest rates of discharge occurring when the valve element head is nearest .its. seat 14.

It is also important that the effective area of the throat be substantially less than the efiective area of the inlet 13 to the throat; that is, the area of the annular space between the periphery of the valve head 18 and the ,wall

ofthe throat should be at least about 80% of the area, of the annular space between the valve element stem 16 andv the wall of the restriction 13.-

Referring to the Figure 7 diagram, if

L=length of throat r =radius of throat bore r =radius ofrestricted throat inlet s=radius of valve stem t=thickness of valve head h=radius of valve head' then:

L=or h +1! and Awcontributing factor'to thev versatility and superior performance of the valve, of this invention is the SllbStflH-,

.The. .diameter.,of the orifice 13 defining the inlet to the throat was 1 and the stem 16 of the valve element With these proportionslit will an infinity of adjustments between those limits being avaiiable'. However, it may be desirable to define positions at which the outputs of the nozzle correspond to those of /8 in, 1 in. and 1 /8 in. straight stream nozzles, so that the nozzle man, when making adjustments, will have a ready standard of reference with which he is familiar. In that case, a finger 24 mounted on the rear of the iuiet member 6, with its free end bearing upon the exterior of the outlet member 7 may be cooperable with indicia; thereon, or with a combination of :indicia and detent defining means (not shown) on the outlet member to precisely indicate to the nozzle man when any of the aforementioned settings have beenattained.

lt'wasalso'found that witha nozzlehaving the dimensions described, change in the nozzle adjustment from the nominal 1% in. straight stream position to the 30 It will beseen fog position resulted in an increase of only about 10% inthe rate of output, as compared with previous fog nozzles in which the output rate usually objectionably increased by about 25% whenthe nozzle was shifted the accompanying drawings it will be apparent that this invention provides a fog nozzle for fire fighting equipment which is unusually versatile because it provides not only the fog spray adjustments heretofore found on fog adjustments corresponding to'those of various standard straight stream outlet nozzles, thus eliminating the need for carrying a number of other nozzles on a fire truck equipped with the nozzle of this invention.

What I claim as my invention is: p

1. A fire hose nozzle of thetype which is adjustable to provide either a fog spray or a straight stream and comprising a mushroomshaped valve element, having a stem and an enlarged head on the outer end ofthe stem,

a valve seat engageable with the head of-the valve ele --ment in one position of axial adjustment of the tubular nozzles, but also provides a number of straight stream a member to block flow of water into the throat portion,

the stem of the valve element passing throughsaid restricted bore portion: said fire hose nozzle being characterizerl by the fact that its throat portion is provided by a uniform diameter bore, and the length of said throat portion is not less than the radius of the head of the valve element plus the axial Ithickness of the head; said-fire hose nozzle being further characterized by the fact that with the valve unseated the area of the annular space between the wall of the throat bore and the head of the valve element is equal to approximately 85% of the area 'of the annular space between the valve stem and the wall of the restricted inlet to the throat portion. 7

2. The fire hose nozzle of claim 1, further characterized by a concave fillet connecting the rear of the valve element head with the stem 'of the valve element, said fillet having a radius of curvature substantially equal to the radius of the valve element headless that of the valve element stem.

a tubular member which is axiallyadjustable relative to the head of the valve element, said tubular; member having a concentric throat portion at itsfront in which the head of the valve element is coaxially disposed, and a coaxial restricted bore portion spaced from its front enddefining the inlet to said throat portion and providing References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,044,445 Price et al. June 16, 1936 2,089,304 Stein Aug.'10, 1937 2,568,515 Scheiwer Sept. 18, 1951 2,'816,800 Russell Dec. 17, 1957 FOREIGN :PATENTS- 542,7 9 Great Britain Ian. 27, 1942 545,653

Great Britain June 5, 1942