US3050272A

US3050272A - Devices responsive to fracture of a frangible member

Info

Publication number: US3050272A
Application number: US94215A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hooper Edward
Original assignee: Aero & Engineering Merseyside
Current assignee: Aero & Engineering (merseyside) Ltd; Aero & Engineering Merseyside
Priority date: 1960-04-22
Filing date: 1961-03-08
Publication date: 1962-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 1979-08-21

Description

E. HOOPER Aug. 21, 1962 DEVICES RESPONSIVE TO FRACTURE OF A FRANGIBLE MEMBER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8, 1961 INVENTORi 'Zdward Hoop r ATTORNEYS FIG. I

Aug. 21, 1962 E. HOOPER 3,050,272

DEVICES RESPONSIVE T0 FRACTURE OF A FRANGIBLE MEMBER Filed March 8, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Edward Hooper ATTORNEYS Aug. 21, 1962 E. HOOPER 3,050,272

DEVICES RESPONSIVE TO FRACTURE OF A FRANGIBLE MEMBER Filed March 8, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 4.

INVENTOR: l dward Haw Jer- 2 AT TOR NE'YS Aug. 21, 1962 E. HOOPER 3,050,272

DEVICES RESPONSIVE TO FRACTURE OF A FRANGIBLE MEMBER Filed March 8, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR: ,Fdward Hooper I FIG. 5. BY

, 3,050,272 DEVICES RESPONSIVE T FRACTURE OF A FRANGIBLE MEMBER Edward Hooper, South Shields, England, assignor of onehalf to Aero 8: Engineering (Merseyside) Limited, Wirral, England Filed Mar. 8, 1961, Ser. No. 94,215 Claims priority, application Great Britain Apr. 22, 1960 8 Claims. (Cl. 242-86) This invention is for improvements in or relating to devices responsive to fracture of a frangible member.

One particular application of the invention, which is mentioned by way of example, is to a device for looking a hose reel against rotation, release of the hose reel being elfected by breaking the frangible member. A device of this character is especially applicable to the hose reel forming the subject matter of United States application for Patent 851,686. This hose reel embodies a valve means controlling the supply of water or other fluid to the hose, the valve being opened automatically by rotation of the reel as the hose is run out therefrom. The device according to the present invention prevents or at least inhibits unauthorized or accidental rotation of the reel. It will be appreciated that this is important in many places such .as schools, where children are likely to tamper with the hose and unless the reel is locked could cause flooding due to opening of the valve. At the same time it must be possible to unlock the reel quickly when necessary and without having to search for a key. The present invention meets this requirement.

According to the present invention there is provided a device comprising a movable member and a frangible member, or a support for a frangible member, against which frangible member the movable member is urged (e.g. by a spring), fracture of the frangible member permitting said movable member to move.

According to a further feature of the present invention there is provided a locking device comprising a movable member having a part adapted to engage the device to be locked and bearing or adapted to bear (e.g. under the action of a spring) against a frangible member which holds the locking member in the locking position.

In applying a device according to the present invention to the locking of a hose reel the locking member may have a turned-over or otherwise shaped end adapted to en age in a hole or one of a series of holes in a flange of the hose reel. When the frangible means is broken the spring acts on the locking member so as to dis-engage it from the hole in the hose reel and the latter is then free to rotate. Alternatively or additionally breaking of the frangible means may cause the movement of a member adapted to operate a switch to cause, for example, the sounding of an alarm and/or operation of a signal light or starting of a pump.

One particular embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings and as applied to a locking device for the hose reel as described in the specifications of our aforementioned patent applications. On the drawmgs:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the device,

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevation,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view on the line III-III of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a face view showing an actual application of the device to the hose reel,

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of FIGURE 4 and,

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of FIGURE 4.

Referring first to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings the device comprises a casing 10 the front 11 of which is provided with an opening 12.

3,@5@,Z7Z Patented Aug. 21, 1962 The front '11 slidably supports, one above the other and edge to edge, two sheets of

glass

13a, and 13b the sheet 13a lying behind and closing the opening 12.

Pivotally supported, between lugs 14 on the upper part of the casing, is a locking lever 15a, 15b. The shorter arm 15a of this locking lever is fitted with a hollow stud 16 having a domed head 17. The stud 16 houses a compression spring 18 which acts to urge the arm 15a of the lever forwardly. This movement is prevented, however, by the domed head 17 bearing against the sheet of glass 13a. The stud 16 is screw threaded so that its domed head can be adjusted towards or away from the arm 15a.

The arm 15b of the lever has a bent-over end 19 which projects into one of a series of clearance holes 20- in the reel 21 so as to lock the reel against rotation. Six such holes are shown on the drawing but there may be more or less than six.

The casing 10 is mounted on a bracket 22 adapted to be secured to, for example, a wall by a rag bolt or the like 23 as shown in FIGURE 5. Conveniently the bolt 23 is one of the bolts which serves to secure the reel supporting spider 25 to a Wall or the like.

A spring tongue 26- mounted on the arm 15b, lies over an opening 27 at the upper part of the front plate 11 through which the sheets of

glass

13a and 13b are slid into said front plate. This serves at least to discourage unauthorised removal of the sheets of glass.

When the hose is required for use, as on the occurence of a fire, the sheet of glass 13a is broken e.g. by striking it with the hose nozzle or another convenient weapon or implement and this allows the arms 15a of the lever to move forwardly into the position shown in dotted lines, in FIGURE 3, and the arm 15!) to move rearwardly so as to disengage its end 19 from the hole 20 in the reel 21. The reel is then free to rotate and the hose can be drawn off it which results in the water control valve being opened as described in the specifications of our aforementioned applications for patent.

After the hose has been wound back on to the reel all that is necessary to re-lock the reel is to bring one of the holes 20 in it into register with the end 19 of the lever and then manipulate the lever 15a, 15b manually into the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 3 and remove any remaining fragments of the sheet of glass 13a. The spare sheet of glass 13b will then drop automatically into the position previously occupied by the sheet 13a and thus hold the device in the reel-locking position. A new spare sheet of glass 13b is then located in the device at the earliest opportunity.

In the particular arrangement shown in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 the

casing

10, 11 is embodied in a plate 10a which also carries

clips

28 and 29 for supporting the nozzle 30 of the hose 31. The plate 10 is secured to the wall by rag bolts or the like 24.

In addition to releasing the reel the movement of the lever 15a, 15b may be caused to operate a switch (e.g. a micro-switch) 32 located in the casing 10, see FIGURE 3, which causes the sounding of an alarm and/or the operation of a visual signal to give a warning that a fire has been detected and the hose is being brought into use. This switch or additional switch sensitive to movement of the lever 15a, 15b may also bring a booster pump into openation for supplying water to the hose.

The particular micro-switch shown on the drawing is held in the open or 011" position by depression of its operating member, forward movement of the arm 15a, when the glass is broken, allowing the switch to close or move to the On position. A separate hand operated switch may be provided for switching off the alarm after it has fulfilled its function.

Whilst the invention has been described more particularly as applied to a locking device for a hose reel it is applicable generally to situations where a device is required which by the mere breaking of a frangible member can be caused to carry out or initiate a particular operation or a number of operations.

I claim:

1. In a combination a fire-hose reel having a lockingbolt engaging means, means for supporting said hose reel for rotation, a reel locking bolt, means supporting said locking bolt for movement into and out of engagement with said locking-bolt engaging means of the reel, biasing means urging said locking bolt out of engagement with said locking-bolt engaging means of the reel and a frangi ble member holding the locking bolt in engagement with said bolt engaging means against the action of said biasing means so long as the frangible member is unbroken.

2. In a combination a fire-hose reel having at least one hole for engagement by a locking lever, means supporting said hose reel for rotation, a reel locking lever having one of its ends operative to engage in said hole in the reel, spring means acting on the other end of said lever and urging the locking end thereof out of engagement with said hole and a frangible member holding the locking bolt in engagement with said hole against the action of said spring so long as the frangible member is unbroken.

3. In combination a fire-hose reel having a hole for engagement by a locking lever, means supporting said hose reel for rotation, a reel locking lever having one of its ends operative 'to engage in said hole in the reel, spring means acting on the other end of said lever and urging the locking end of said lever out of engagement with said hole, an adjustable stud in the end of the lever remote from said locking end thereof and a frangible member against which said adjustable stud bears to hold the locking bolt in engagement with said hole against the action of said spring so long as the frangible member is unbroken.

4. In combination a fire-hose reel having a lock bolt engaging means, means supporting said hose reel for rotation, a reel locking-bolt, means supporting said locking bolt for movement into and out of engagement with said locking-bolt engaging means of the reel, biasing means urging said locking-bolt out of engagement with said locking-bolt engaging means of the reel, means slidably sup porting two frangible plates edge to edge one above the other the lower of said plates being engaged by said locking bolt and holding the locking bolt in engagement with said bolt engaging means against the action of said biasing means so long as said lower frangible plate is unbroken, fracture of said lower frangible plate permitting the locking bolt to move out of locking engagement with the bolt engaging means of the reel and the other frangible plate, when the locking bolt is moved back into its reel hole for engagement by a locking lever, means supporting said hose reel for rotation, a reel locking lever having one of its ends operative to engage in said hole in the reel, spring means acting on the other end of said lever and urging the locking end of said locking lever out of engagement with said hole, means slidably supporting two frangible plates edge to edge one above the other the lower of said plates holding the locking lever in locking engagement with the hole in the reel so long as said lower frangible plate is unbroken, fracture of said lower plate permitting the locking lever to move out of locking engagement with the hole in the reel and the upper frangible plate, when the locking lever is moved back into its reel locking position against the action of said spring means, sliding into the lower position in which it replaces the broken plate and becomes operative to hold the locking lever in its reel locking position.

6. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein there is provided means which slidably receives the frangible member and a guard is provided which interferes with removal of the frangible member.

7. The combination claimed in claim 4 wherein a guard is provided over the upper edgeof the upper frangible member to interfere with withdrawal thereof.

8. The combination claimed in claim 2 and further comprising an electric switch which is held in an open position by the locking lever when the latter is in locking engagement with the reel and is caused to move into a closed position when the frangible member is broken and the locking lever moves into its reel release position.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 992,633 Auth a May 16, 1911 999,641 Fuerst Aug. 1, 1911 2,030,799 Parsons Feb. 11, 1936 2,083,324 Edwards June 8, 1937 2,553,244 Ellmann May 15, 1951 2,776,644 Fontaine Jan. 8, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,562 Great Britain of 1901