US3187499A - Fast acting deluge valve for fire extinguishing systems - Google Patents

Description

June 8 1965 w. E. AULT 3,187,499

FAST ACTING DELUGE VALVE FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEMS Filed June 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [a I 55 57 54 v 9 5 50 5 Zia- INVENTOR Wayne EAu/z A ORNEY.

June 8 1965 w. E. AULT 3,187,499

FAST ACTING DELUGE VALVE FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHI NG SYSTEMS Filed June 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Wayne EAu/z ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Ohio Filed June 5, 1962, Ser. No. 200,122 3 Claims. (Cl. Gil-26.1)

This invention relates to a fire extinguishing system and more particularly to a fast acting deluge valve for controlling a fluid fire extinguishing medium.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a fast acting deluge valve wherein the actuating means is power actuated by an explosive force.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a fast acting deluge valve wherein the valve clapper is normally closed and latched and an explosive charge actuated mechanism is used to unlatch the clapper.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a deluge valve for a fire extinguishing system and incorporating an electrically actuated power impulse generating means for unlatching the normally closed clapper of said valve. 7

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a fast acting deluge valve having an explosive charge operated release mechanism and wherein the explosive charge release mechanism may be readily replaced after use. i

The fast acting deluge valve disclosed herein is particularly suited for use in fire protection systems designed for hazards where utmost speed is essential for effective fire control and wherein the time element from the inception of the fire to the extinguishment thereof must be the absolute minimum in order to prevent the spread of the fire to a point rendering it uncontrollable. For example, fires in missile propellants and in comparatively fast burning materials require maximum detection speed and minimum time lapse in getting water or other extinguishing agent on the fire. The fast acting deluge valve disclosed herein is particularly suitable for such hazards and when used in connection with detection systems that operate in the range of milliseconds, the present valve responds instantaneously and well within the desired millisecond response range.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

' The inventionis illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the fast acting deluge valve with parts broken away and parts in cross section.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section taken on lines 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the fast acting deluge valve with parts in cross section and parts broken away and illustrating the after operation position thereof.

FIGURE 4 is a section on line 44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a diagram of a circuit used in the actuation of the fast acting deluge valve disclosed herein.

By referring to the drawing and FIGURES 1 and 2 in particular, it will be seen that a fast acting deluge valve has been disclosed and as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 the clapper is shown in normal closed position. The valve comprises a hollow body 10, usually a metal casting, having an access opening 11 in one side. thereof and an access opening cover plate 12 normally closing'the Patented June 8,1965

opening 11 and secured to the valve body 16 by a plurality of bolts 13, 13. The upper end of the valve body It has a flange as at 14 and defines an outlet opening 15 while the lower end of the valve body 19 forms an annular inlet passageway 16 terminating at its lower end with an outturned flange 1'7. An annular valve seat 18 is positioned on the upper end of the annular inlet passageway 16 and a clapper 19 hinged to a hinge pin 2% in the valve body 1% acts to normally close the inlet passageway 16 by registry with the annular valve seat 18.

A cross sectionally U-shaped annular gasket 21 is clamped to the bottom of the clapper 19 by a spider 22 and a bolt 2-3 in a manner so that the lower annular portion of the annular gasket 21 is spaced relative to the upper portion thereof so that water pressure in the inlet 16 will exert self-sealing pressure against the lower portion of the gasket 21 relative to the annular valve seat 18. The clapper 19 includes a pivoted latch arm 24 which is normally inactive and which acts to engage appropriately located bosses 25, 25 (see FIGURE 3) in the valve body 10 when the clapper 19 opens, so as to prevent the accidental closing of the clapper.

By referring again to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the clapper 19 is normally held in closed position, as shown, by a latch arm 26 which is pivoted on a pivot pin 27 in the valve body 19 and that it is normally spring urged by a spring 28 to latched posi tion where a portion of the latch arm 2e engages a shoulder 29 on the clapper 19.

A link 36 has one end connected by a pivot pin 31A to the latch arm 26 and its other end connected to one end of a connecting link or red 31 by a pivot pin 32A. The link 39 and the connecting rod 31 are located in a sideward extension 32 of the valve body 10 as best seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, and it will be observed that a housing 33 is secured to the outer end of the extension 32 to form enclosing and mounting means for an explosive responsive actuating mechanism which is used to move the connecting rod 31, the link 30 and the latch arm 26 away from the clapper 19 and the shoulder 29 thereof so as to free the clapper 19 and permit the clapper to open and thereby enable fire extinguishing fluid such as water to flow upwardly through the deluge valve.

The outer end of the extension 32 of the deluge valve has a threaded opening 34 therein in which a connecting rod bushing or double bushing 35 is threadably engaged and which bushing has an axial opening therethrough. It will be observed that the connecting rod 31 is disposed in the axial opening in the bushing 35 and that it is pro vided with annular grooves in which O-rings 36 are located to mount the connecting rod 31 in sealing relation to the bushing 35 while permitting axial movement thereof. The bushing 35 has an oppositely disposed threaded section 37 which is positioned through an opening 38 in the housing 33 and a nut 39 is threaded thereon and engaged against the inner surface of the housing 33 and thereby secures the housing 33 to the deluge valve. A bolt 4% is positioned through the housing 33 and engages a portion of the extension 32 and secures the housing 33 against rotation relaive to the deluge valve. The outer end of the connecting rod 31 has a drilled and tapped opening therein and a threaded extension member 41 on a connecting rod yoke 42 which together with member 41 constitutes an extension of rod 31 and constitutes part of the connecting link isengaged in the threaded and tapped opening. The connecting rod 31 comprises an impulse receiving member movable from a latched position to an unlatehed position.

In order that clapper releasing motion may be imparted to the connecting rod yoke 42, the connecting rod 31, the link 3% and the latch arm 26, an explosive charge actuated mechanism is positioned in the housing 33 and comprises a secondary housing 43 having axially aligned apertures in its opposite ends and a cylindrical passageway extends therebetween. A piston annulus 44 located inwardly from the ends of a piston rod 45 is positioned in the cylindrical passageway in the secondary housing 43 with one end thereof, that adjacent the connecting rod yoke 42, extending outwardly a sufficient distance so that an enlarged head 46 of a bolt threaded into the end of the piston'rod 45 may be received by the yoke 42 so that movement of the piston rod 45 will be imparted to the connecting rod yoke 42 thereby. The secondary housing 43 is provided with an opening 47 in one side thereof adjacent one end thereof and an explosive containing hollow plug 48 is threadably engaged therein. Electrical conductors 49 extend out of the plug 48 and continue to terminals referred to in FIG. 1 of the drawing and here broadly by the reference numeral 50 and referred to hereinafter and in FIGS. 4 and of the drawings separately as 513-1, 511-2, 58-3 and 513-4. These terminals are located in the upper part of the housing 33. Conductors 49 constitute part of a means for initiating explosion of the charge.

The opposite end of the piston-rod 45 is normally positioned within the area of the apertured fitting 51 and a wire 52 extends through the apertured fitting 51 and through an aperture in the end of the piston rod 45 and normally holds the same against movement. The secondary housing 43 is mounted in a recess in the bottom of the housing 33 by a plurality of bolts 53 and it will occur to those skilled in the art that by removing the bolts 53, the secondary housing 43 complete with the piston rod 45 and explosive charge containing plug 48 may be readily removed and replaced. A cover plate 54 having an annular flange 55 thereon is threadably engaged on an annular shoulder defining the uppermost portion of the housing 33 and removal thereof provides access to the explosive device and mechanism.

In order that the device will be automatically rendered inoperative at such time as the cover plate 54 is removed and an alarm given, a spring actuated switch 56 including an upwardly extending plunger 57 is mounted on a terminal block 58 in which the terminals 58-1, 50-2, are also located and which terminal block 58 is secured in the housing 33 by the bolt 40 heretofore referred to. The hollow plug 48 which encloses the explosive charge incorporates a resistance element 59 as best seen in FIG- URE 5 of the drawings wherein a symbolic diagram of the actuating electrical circuit is illustrated. The resistance element 59 responds instantly when energized and the conductors 49, 49A extend therefrom to the terminals 50-1, 58-2 heretofore referred to. The plunger 57 in the switch 56 actuates a pair of switches 68 and 61 and is normally in the lower position as shown in FIGURE 5, and in FIGURE 1 of the drawings.

As illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings, a conductor 49A extends fromthe resistance element to the terminal 50-1, a conductor 62 connects the terminal 59-1 with the lower one of the switches 60, 61 and which is nomally closed and is thereby connected with a conductor 62A which extends to another terminal (50-4) and a remote control switch (not shown). This is the firing circuit. The other conductor 43 extends to ground by way of another terminal 56-2 and bolt 40, etc. A conductor 63 extends from the remote control switch and power source (not shown) to the ground to complete the firing circuit, and an alarm circuit conductor 64 extends to one side of the switch 60 which is normally closed and connects thereby with a conductor 65 which is grounded. The conductor 64 is part of the actuating circuit for a fail-safe relay switch (not shown) arranged so that when the switch 60 opens and breaks the circuit the fail-safe relay switch (not shown) will close and give an alarm as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

It will be seen that a branch 49B of the first-mentioned conductor 62 extends to an alternate position of the switch and that when the switch 60 moves to the alternate position the first conductor 62 is grounded thereby insuring grounding of the resistance element 59 and preventing accidental firing thereof.

In FIGURE 4 of the drawings, a top plan view of the terminal block 58 may be seen and the plurality of terminals 541-1 through 50-4 inclusive therein will be seen to be numbered and these same numbers are shown and referred to hereinbefore in the symbolic diagram of FIG- URE 5 to indicate the respective connection points of the several circuit wires necessary to electrically actuate the fast acting deluge valve mechanism.

Operation The fast acting deluge valve disclosed herein requires an operating means for triggering the explosive charge in the hollow plug 48 so as to actuate the valve and open the same. Such operating means may comprise any suitable fire or heat detecting mechanism known in the art and capable of initiating an action or signal which in turn may be used to close an electric circuit. Such an energizing circuit is accordingly connected to the appropriate terminals 50-1 through 50-4 inclusive on the terminal block 58 and is therefore normally in circuit with the resistance element 59 in the explosive charge. At such time as the actuating circuit is completed by a remote control switch (not shown) the resistance element 59 fires the explosive charge and the expanding gas thereof moves the piston 44 to the right as seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, shearing the wire 52 which has held the same in position and moving the connecting rod yoke 42, connecting rod 31, link 30 and the latch arm 26 to the rightand away from the shoulder 29 of the clapper 19 thereby freeing the same and permitting it to open as illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

By referring to FIGURE 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the extreme right end of the piston rod 45 has emerged from the fitting 51 on the secondary housing 43, the yoke 42 has moved to a position adjacent the end of the secondary housing 43, the piston rod 31, link 30 and the latch arm 26 have also moved to the right and the clapper 19 thus freed, has moved from its broken line normally closed position upwardly to solid line open position shown, whereupon the arm 24 has engaged one of the bosses 25 and acts to hold the clapper 19 in open relation to the inlet passageway 16.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the deluge valve is normally in communication with a source of water or other fire extinguishing fluid under pressure which fluid source is connected to the valve by fasteners extending through the flange 17 of the valve body 10 and that the outlet 15 of the deluge valve is connected to distributing piping, nozzles, and/or sprinklers (not shown), located adjacent the hazard area. It will thus be seen that the fast acting deluge valve disclosed herein incorporates a novel structure that is highly efiicient and instantaneously responsive to an electric signal for opening a fire extinguishing fluid control deluge valve and keeping the valve passageway open and thereby meets the several objects of the invention, and having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An apparatus adapted to actuate a latch restrained deluge valve comprising a first housing and a second housing, the said housings having aligned opening in the walls thereof, a double bushing connected at one end to the first housing and at another end to the second housing, said double bushing having an axial passageway therethrough, a connecting link movably positioned in said axial passageway in sealing relation with said bushing, said connecting link comprising a first connecting means at one end thereof adjacent the first housing adapted to be attached to a latch restraining a deluge valve, said connecting link having a second connecting means at its other end adjacent the second body, said second connectmg means comprising an axially adjustable extension, an

actuating device located in said second housing secured to the adjustable extension of said second connecting means, said actuating device comprising piston means and cylinder means in cooperative relation, said cylinder means being fixedly mounted in said second housing, said piston means having a piston rod in axial alignment with the axial passage of said double bushing, said piston means further comprising a piston annulus mounted on the piston rod engaging said cylinder means, said piston annulus together with the cylinder means defining an explosion chamber, an explosive charge positioning means located in said cylinder means, explosion initiating means located in said cylinder means, said piston means being moved away from said double bushing to move the connecting link in a direction toward said actuating device on explosion of said charge.

2. The apparatus as defined in and by claim 1, wherein said axially adjustable extension means comprisesa yoke having a thread and tapped opening at a first end and a second opening leading to an enlarged chamber at the other, said second opening and chamberbeing further JULIUS E. WEST,

characterized in that they extend through a side of the yoke.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a means for restraining the first and second housing against relative rotation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,115,091 10/14 Murray ZOO-50.1 1,869,204 7/32 Lowe 251-73 X 1,882,700 10/32 Allen et al 60-26.1 X 1,914,250 6/33 Gillen 60-261 X 2,398,461 4/46 Rider 251-73 X 2,502,470 4/50 Martin 60-26.1 X 2,815,882 12/57 Connell.

2,994,563 8/61 Ruggiero 60-261 X 3,017,894 1/ 62 Chilcoat 137-69 3,049,868 8/62 Adams 60-261 Primary Examiner.

ISADORE WEIL, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN APPARATUS ADAPTED TO ACTUATE A LATCH RESTRAINED DELUGE VALVE COMPRISING A FIRST HOUSING AND A SECOND HOUSING, THE SAID HOUSINGS HAVING ALIGNED OPENING IN THE WALLS THEREOF, A DOUBLE BUSHING CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE FIRST HOUSING AND AT ANOTHER END TO THE SECOND HOUSING, SAID DOUBLE BUSHING HAVING AN AXIAL PASSAGEWAY THERETHROUGH, A CONNECTING LINK MOVABLY POSITIONED IN SAID AXIAL PASSAGEWAY IN SEALING RELATION WITH SAID BUSHING, SAID CONNECTING LINK COMPRISING A FIRST CONNECTING MEANS AT ONE END THEREOF ADJACENT THE FIRST HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO A LATCH RESTRAINING A DELUGE VALVE, SAID CONNECTING LINK HAVING A SECOND CONNECTING MEANS AT ITS OTHER END ADJACENT THE SECOND BODY, SAID SECOND CONNECTING MEANS COMPRISING AN AXIALLY ADJUSTABLE EXTENSION, AN ACTUATING DEVICE LOCATED IN SAID SECOND HOUSING SECURED TO THE ADJUSTABLE EXTENSION OF SAID SECOND CONNECTING MEANS, SAID ACTUATING DEVICE COMPRISING PISTON MEANS AND CYLIDER MEANS IN COOPERATIVE RELATION, SAID CYLINDER MEANS BEING FIXEDLY MOUNTED IN SAID SECOND HOUSING, SAID PISTON MEANS HAVING A PISTON ROD IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE AXIAL PASSAGE OF SAID DOUBLE BUSHING, SAID PISTON MEANS FURTHER COMPRISING A PISTON ANNULUS MOUNTED ON THE PISTON ROD ENGAGING SAID CYLINDER MEANS, SAID PISTON ANNULUS TOGETHER WITH THE CYLINDER MEANS DEFINING AN EXPLOSION CHAMBER, AN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE POSITIONING MEANS LOCATED IN SAID CYLINDER MEANS, EXPLOSION INITIATING MEANS LOCATED IN SAID CYLINDER MEANS, SAID PISTON MEANS BEING MOVED AWAY FROM SAID DOUBLE BUSHING TO MOVE THE CONNECTING LINK IN A DIRECTION TOWARD SAID ACTUATING DEVICE ON EXPLOSION OF SAID CHARGE.

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