US3089547A - Fire extinguisher grenade mounting - Google Patents

Description

May 14, 1963 c. a HOLSWORTH ETAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER GRENADE MOUNTING HNVENTD R5 HULSWURTH THOMAS E. HEILSYVD RTH .BY MM,

Filed June 22, 1961 EARL E.

United States PatentOfiice 3 ,089,547 Patented May 14, 1963 3,089,547 FIRE EXTINGUISHER GRENADE MOUNTING Carl E. Holsworth, 610 Division St., Huntington, Ind.,

and Thomas E. Holsworth, 5914 Dearborn St., Indianapolis, Ind.

Filed June 22, 1961, Ser. No. 118,952 2 Claims. (Cl. 16926) This invention relates to a fire quenching device wherein there is a grenade element containing a nonfreezing liquid which upon being spread about the fire area vaporizes and quenches the fire.

The grenade itself is in common usage and normally consists of a glass walled vessel wherein there is a spheroidal base portion from which extends a frustoconical section, this section terminating in a more or less cylindrical neck which is closed over at the end removed from the section by a frangible wall normally made of thin glass.

These grenades have been supported in a space to be protected against fire by a large number of means, generally consisting of a wall bracket carrying the grenade in an upside position with the cylindrical or neck section directed downwardly and into the path of a plunger which is employed to fracture the cover to permit outflowing of the fluid from the grenade.

It is the object of the present invention herein shown and described in one particular form to provide a support for the grenade in a very simple and yet most effective manner which will retain the section closure at all times in close proximity to and directly over thebreaking plunger. In some supporting devices, the grenade is not always supported to have the breakable closure presented by a breakable area directly over the plunger, and the grenade frequently may shift its posi- (not shown) may enter and be carried into the wall. An encircling wall generally designated by the numeral 13 flares outwardly from each side of the back wall 11 in substantially straight lines 14 and '15 respectively to merge into a generally circular top peripheral portion 15 of the wall 13'. From this peripheral portion 15, the wall 13 slopes inwardly and downwardly to a base 16 which is generally fiat or planar, the rear edge portion of which merges into the bottom of the back wall -1 1. Preferably there is a groove or valley 17 around the bottom 16 between it and the lower ends of the wall 13.

The lower portion of the curving wall 13 adjacent the base 16 is provided with a plurality of perforations 18.

A post 19 slidably passes substantially vertically through the base 16 and has an upper head extending angularly and outwardly therearound and fixed thereto. Between the head 20 and the topside of the base 16 is a coil spring 21 resting by its lower end against the floor 16 by its upper end under the head 20, surrounding the post 19, FIG. 4. A pair of fingers 22 and 23 are inserted freely through a slot 24 extending longitudinally through a restraining clip 25. These fingers 22 and 23 are carried from the clip 2-5 through notches 26 and 27 on opposite sides of the post 19 below the floor .16, FIG. 4, and on beyond to each have a portion 28 and 29 overlapping one 3 another at a distance from the post 19, FIGS. 5 and 6.

These two members 28 and 29 are fused together by a low melting material which readily melts at temperatures at the kindling temperatures of materials being protected against fire damage. In other words, these two members 28 and 29 are pulled one over the other sufficiently to retain the fingers 22 and 23 in engagement with the post tion particularly when some house cleaner dusts the upper'side of the grenade and might accidentally rock the grenade in its holder.

It is the object of the present invention to prevent rocking of the grenade after it is placed within the holder,

and also to presentthe breakable cover properly toward the breaking plunger.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention including simplicity and ease of manufacture as well as the low cost of manufacturing, will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following descrip- I tion of the one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a grenade holding bracket structure to which the invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a'top plan view of the bracket only and on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through the bracket on the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail in vertical elevation and partial section of the grenade breaking plunger and operating mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a detail in vertical section of the lower fuse member normally retaining the plunger in an inoperative position;

FIG. 6 is a view in transverse section on the line 6-6 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a grenade locating member.

A bracket generally designated by the numeral 10 is made out of any suitable material preferably rigid, and usually plastic molded to shape. This bracket 10 has a vertical back wall 11 which is normally presented to a wall (not shown) for support. Said support may be of any desired construction, herein shown as a hole 12 through which some attaching member such as a screw 'siderable force.

19 across the notches 26 and 27 in a leverage action .whereby the two fingers 22 and '23 bear against the outer .end portions of the slot 24. Preferably the outer free end portions of the fingers 22 and 23 are bent in reverse directions so as to prevent the tip 25 from sliding free of ,the fingers until the bonding fuse material melts between the end portions 28 and 29.

The spring 21 is sufliciently compressed to urge the clip 25 up against the underside of the bottom 16, FIG. 5, so that there is suificient energy stored up in the spring 21 to fire the plunger 19 vertically upwardly with con- So much of the device described is well known to portion 32 terminating in a cylindrical neck '33, the outside end portion of which is covered over by a breakable cover 34, usually glass fused over that opening into the wall of'the grenade 30 which is also normally made of glass. Before the sealing operation, the extinguishing fluid is placed Within the grenade 30 with the neck 33 in an upwardly directed position. This grenade 30' is inverted in placing it Within the bracket 10 to have the cover portion 34 positioned over the head 20 of the plunger 19 as indicated in FIG. 3. Within the bracket 10 there is formed a spheroidal section pad 35 centrally of the wall 13 opposite the back Wall 11, and extending downwardly from the top periphery 15, this pad 35 being formed to the contour of the grenade 30 to provide a partial seat for the forward side of the grenade. This pad being curved to fit the contour of the side wall of the grenade serves to prevent rolling of the grenade on its central axis in conjunction with the contact of the opposite side of the grenade 30 with the back wall -11. Also in most cases, the juncture of the neck 33- and the closure 34 designated by the numeral 36 can bear against the back wall 11, against a thickened portion 37 normally provided with an arcuate face directed toward that juncture 36.

However one other possible action of the shifting of the grenade 30 in the bracket is quite possible and sometimes happens unless further provision is made to prevent that shifting.

To this end, there is provided the horseshoe washer 38 planar in shape and having an opening 39 to allow the legs 40 and 41 of the washer 38 to straddle the neck 33 closely, and with the grenade 30 in the diagonal position shown in FIG. 3, contact the juncture of the frustoconical portion of the wall and the neck 33 at the junction 42, by the circular inner end portions 43 between the legs 40 and 41.

This washer 38 may be made an integral part of the bracket 10, but more conveniently and more cheaply is made as a separate part. The outer contour of the washer 38, designated by the numeral 44 is in close contact therearound With the sloping wall 13. The ends of the legs 40 and 41 are straight lines in the present showing, and will bear against the back Wall L1. The bracket 10 is provided with a pair of abutments 45' and 46 on the back wall 11 on the top ends of which rest the free ends of the legs 40 and 41. This washer is preferably fixed in position to the bracket 10 by any suitable means where it is made separately, such as by some adhesive or cement applied to at least a limited zone around the periphery 44 and to the end portions of the legs 40 and 41.

Now with the neck portion 33 inserted through the opening 39 of the washer 38, the grenade can not rock fore and aft in relation to the bracket 10, and neither can it rock laterally of the bracket, that is in directions substantially parallel with the back Wall 11.

With this horseshoe washer 38 combined with the bracket 10, the grenade 30 may be lowered within the bracket 10 with a feeling of security that the lower frangible cover 34 will not come into abrupt contact with the post head 20 and thereby release the fluid accidentally. With the inclined position of the grenade 30 as indicated in FIG. 3, the head 20 of the bolt 19 when the members 28 and 29 are released by sufficient heat being applied to melt the fusing material, will strike the closing cover '34 to break the cover 34 rather than causing a shifting of the grenade 30 in reaction to the blow of the head 20. The grenade 30 cannot rock in any direction axially under this head impact, and that grenade 30 cannot be placed within the bracket 10 incorrectly in respect to the locating of the cover 34 in reference to the head 20.

Therefore it is to be seen that we have provided an extremely simple device of considerable importance in the mounting and holding of these fire fighting grenades which normally will be in position over period of years without being used, but which must always be ready for immediate action and a positive action when the fire occurs. It is to be pointed out that in the normal action,

once the cover 34 is broken, the fluid will flow down within the bracket 10 onto the floor '16 and around the groove 17 and flow out the perforations 18 so that this flow is retarded to permit vaporization and at the same time permit some of the fluid to be immediately available outside of the bracket 10 for vaporization in the atmosphere within the space where the fire occurs.

Therefore while we have shown the invention in the one particular form, it is obvious that structural changes may be employed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

We claim:

1. Means loosely self-locating a container of fire quenching liquid having essentially a spheroidal body from which a frangible ended neck extends, comprising an upper open ended bracket having a back suspending wall, a fioor, and a front and side enclosure extending forwardly from the side of said wall and said floor in an inverted, approximately conoidal shape; an arcuate surfaced seat within said enclosure adjacent the upper end thereof opposite said back wall and shaped to conform to and surround a limited area of said spheroidal body spaced essentially primarily below the major transverse diametrical plane of the body with the opposite side of the body riding against said back wall whereby the body is retained against rolling laterally across said wall, and said neck is directed downwardly within said bracket; a washer in the nature of a diaphragm having a contour following that of said conoidal wall at an elevation spaced above said floor and below the spheroidal body and extending approximately horizontally to abut said back wall; said washer being slotted a distance from said back wall and of that width which receives said neck therethrough freely and limited in length to direct the neck substantially against said back wall with a central axis through the neck and the body inclined outwardly and upwardly from said back wall; and a heat triggered plunger carried by said floor in alignment with said neck end; said bracket being perforate adjacent said floor.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which said washer is vertically supported by hearing downwardly on the inner periphery of said conoidal wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,870,872 Roessner Aug. 9, 1932 1,898,476 Banes Feb. 21, 1933 1,916,351 Whitman July 4, 1933 2,082,090 Wittig June 1, 1937 2,127,395 Evans Aug. 16, 1938 2,470,371 Roessner May 17, 1949 2,607,429 Schnoir Aug. 19, 1952

Claims (1)

1. MEANS LOOSELY SELF-LOCATING A CONTAINER OF FIRE QUENCHING LIQUID HAVING ESSENTIALLY A SPHEROIDAL BODY FROM WHICH A FRANGIBLE ENDED NECK EXTENDS, COMPRISING AN UPPER OPEN ENDED BRACKET HAVING A BACK SUSPENDING WALL, A FLOOR, AND A FRONT AND SIDE ENCLOSURE EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM THE SIDE OF SAID WALL AND SAID FLOOR IN AN INVERTED, APPROXIMATELY CONOIDAL SHAPE; AN ARCUATE SURFACE SEAT WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE ADJACENT THE UPPER END THEREOF OPPOSITE SAID BACK WALL AND SHAPED TO CONFORM TO AND SURROUND A LIMITED AREA OF SAID SPHEROIDAL BODY SPACED ESSENTIALLY PRIMARILY BELOW THE MAJOR TRANSVERSE DIAMETRICAL PLANE OF THE BODY WITH THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BODY RIDING AGAINST SAID BACK WALL WHEREBY THE BODY IS RETAINED AGAINST ROLLING LATERALLY ACROSS SAID WALL, AND SAID NECK IS DIRECTED DOWNWARDLY WITHIN SAID BRACKET; A WASHER IN THE NATURE OF A DIAPHRAGM HAVING A CONTOUR FOLLOWING THAT OF SAID CONOIDAL WALL AT AN ELEVATION SPACED ABOVE SAID FLOOR AND BELOW THE SPHEROIDAL BODY AND EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY HORIZONTALLY TO ABUT SAID BACK WALL; SAID WASHER BEING SLOTTED A DISTANCE FROM SAID BACK WALL AND OF THAT WIDTH WHICH RECEIVES SAID NECK THERETHROUGH FREELY AND LIMITED IN LENGTH TO DIRECT THE NECK SUBSTANTIALLY AGAINST SAID BACK WALL WITH A CENTRAL AXIS THROUGH THE NECK AND THE BODY INCLINED OUTWARDLY AND UPWARDLY FROM SAID BACK WALL; AND A HEAT TRIGGERED PLUNGER CARRIED BY SAID FLOOR IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID NECK END; SAID BRACKET BEING PERFORATE ADJACENT SAID FLOOR.

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