Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
  • A62C—FIRE-FIGHTING
  • A62C31/00—Delivery of fire-extinguishing material
  • A62C31/02—Nozzles specially adapted for fire-extinguishing
  • A62C31/05—Nozzles specially adapted for fire-extinguishing with two or more outlets
  • A62C31/07—Nozzles specially adapted for fire-extinguishing with two or more outlets for different media
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
  • B05B1/26—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means with means for mechanically breaking-up or deflecting the jet after discharge, e.g. with fixed deflectors; Breaking-up the discharged liquid or other fluent material by impinging jets
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
  • B05B1/28—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means with integral means for shielding the discharged liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to limit area of spray; with integral means for catching drips or collecting surplus liquid or other fluent material
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
  • B05B1/30—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages
  • B05B1/32—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages in which a valve member forms part of the outlet opening
  • B05B1/323—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages in which a valve member forms part of the outlet opening the valve member being actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B7/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent materials from two or more sources, e.g. of liquid and air, of powder and gas
  • B05B7/0018—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent materials from two or more sources, e.g. of liquid and air, of powder and gas with devices for making foam
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B7/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent materials from two or more sources, e.g. of liquid and air, of powder and gas
  • B05B7/02—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge
  • B05B7/06—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge with at least one outlet orifice surrounding another approximately in the same plane
  • B05B7/061—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge with at least one outlet orifice surrounding another approximately in the same plane with several liquid outlets discharging one or several liquids

Definitions

• the invention relates to fire fighting and fire preventing nozzles and more particularly to nozzles for extinguishing or preventing large industrial grade fires including flammable liquid fires and/or for nozzles for vapor suppression, and includes improvements in pressure regulating, educting and chemical discharge features, as well as methods of use.
• Prior patents relevant to the instant invention include: (1) U.S. Patent No. 4,640 '461 (Williams) directed to a self educting foam fog nozzle; (2) U.S. Patent No. 5,779, 159 (Williams) directed to a peripheral channeling additive fluid nozzle; and (3) U.S. Patent Nos. 5,275,243; 5,167,285 and 5,312,041 (Williams) directed to a chemical and fluid or duel fluid ejecting nozzle. Also relevant is the prior art of automatic nozzles, including (4) U.S. Patent Nos. 5,312,048; 3,684,192 and 3,863,844 to McMilian/Task Force Tips and U.S. Patent Nos. Re 29,717 and 3,893,624 to Thompson/Elkhart Brass. Also of note are U.S. Patent No. 5,678,766 to Peck and PCT Publication WO 97/38757 to Baker.
• Maintaining a constant discharge pressure from a nozzle tends to yield a constant range and "authority" for the discharge while allowing the nozzle flow rate to absorb variations in head pressure.
• a fire fighting nozzle is useful if it self regulates to discharge at an approximately constant or targeted pressure.
• the discharge pressure tends to govern what is referred to as the "authority" of the discharge stream and to a certain extent the stream's range, and it can affect the delivery of an appropriate vapor-suppressing fog.
• a self-regulating nozzle may be useful, thus, is a protection system that includes nozzles permanently stationed around locales that could be subject to the leakage of toxic chemicals. Upon leakage such a permanently stationed configuration of nozzles, probably under remote control, would be optimally -2- activated to provide a predesigned curtain of water/fog to contain and suppress any toxic vapors. In such circumstances it may be optimal for the nozzles to discharge their fluid with a more or less constant range and authority as opposed to having their discharge structured and regulated for a relatively constant flow rate, as is more common among fire fighting nozzles.
• Water/fog created with a more or less constant range and authority while operating under the conditions of varying head pressure from a fixed nozzle will tend to more reliably form a curtain in a preselected region, again which may be useful for containing escaping vapors from a fixed locale.
• nozzles are structured to deliver pre-set gallon per minute flow rate assuming a nominal head pressure such as 100 psi at the nozzle. As the head pressure actually available to the nozzle in an emergency varies, flow rate remains more consistent with such design than does discharge pressure. Structuring a nozzle to alternately target and regulate its discharge pressure will let flow rate vary more with variations in delivered pressure, but may be an optimal design for certain circumstances.
• the present invention in one important aspect, discloses an improved pressure regulating nozzle designed within its operating limits to effectively discharge a fire extinguishing fluid at a pre-selected or targeted discharge pressure.
• this targeted discharge pressure would likely be approximately 100 psi. It is to be understood, however, that the preselected targeted pressure could be easily varied, and a target pressure might more optimally be selected to be 120 psi.
• the instant inventive design improves the efficiency of achieving such a target pressure as well as offers a design that more easily combines with self-educting features for foam concentrates and with the capacity to throw fluid chemicals, such as dry powder, from the nozzle.
• the present invention teaches enhanced eductive techniques, for peripheral and central channeling, which enhanced eduction can be particularly helpful in automatic nozzles or when also throwing chemical such as dry powder.
• a typical automatic nozzle designed in accordance with the present invention would be designed to operate over a range of flow rates, such as from 500 gallons per minute to 2000 gallons per minute, at a targeted discharge pressure, such as 100 psi.
• the nozzle design incorporates a self-adjusting baffle proximate the nozzle discharge.
• the baffle is structured in combination with the nozzle to "squeeze down" on the effective size of the discharge port for the nozzle.
• the instant invention achieves a pressure regulating system by providing a design with an adjustable baffle having what is referred to herein as forward and opposing or reverse fluid pressure surfaces. Pressure from fluid applied to opposing sides of the baffle causes the baffle to respond, at least to an extent, as a double acting piston, although perhaps in a complex manner.
• the so called forward and reverse directions are referenced to the nozzle axial direction with forward being in the direction of fluid discharge.
• the forward and reverse pressure surface areas provided by the baffle preferably are not equal. In preferred embodiments the effective pressure surface area of the reverse side exceeds the effective pressure surface area of the forward side. Thus, were the pressure on both surfaces equal, the baffle would automatically gravitate to its most closed position, minimizing or closing the discharge port.
• the effective forward pressure surface area will likely, in fact, vary with pressure and with flow rate Limited experience indicates that the forward fluid pressure surface area also varies with bafflehead design and nozzle size. Further, in preferred embodiments, although pressure from the primary fire fighting fluid, directly or indirectly, is applied to both forward and opposing fluid pressure surfaces, the value of the reverse pressure is usually less than, although a function of, the pressure on the forward surface.
• a relief valve is preferably provided, such that at or slightly past a targeted pressure the valve can begin to relieve the effective pressure on (at least) one side of the baffle. At least one relief value promises to enhance responsiveness.
• the one side of the baffle upon which pressure is relieved would be the reverse side, the side opposing the forward pressure of the primary fluid on the bafflehead.
• reverse pressure is relieved on the interior baffle chamber surfaces and the baffle tends to forwardly adjust -4. in response to forward fluid pressure.
• the baffle might simply stabilize at a balanced pressure position in preferred embodiments, with or without the (or a) relief valve slightly bleeding. That is, a nozzle could be designed to achieve a balanced pressure baffle position with or without a relief valve and with or without any bleeding of a relief valve. Use of at least one relief valve, and a bleeding relief valve, are practical expedients.
• adjustments forward of a bafflehead may continue until the primary forward fluid pressure at the bafflehead, as sensed directly or indirectly, decreases to or diminishes below a preset relief valve value. Thereupon a closing of the relief valve would be triggered.
• the bafflehead might stabilize, or if stabilization were not achieved, could adjust backwardly with the relief valve either bleeding or closed, depending on the design, thereby decreasing the effective size of the nozzle discharge port.
• the discharge pressure declines and increases, respectively. If a discharge pressure declines to, or below, a pre-selected amount, as sensed directly or indirectly, in preferred embodiments as described above, a relief valve would be set so that it tends to close. Closing the relief valve would increase reverse pressure on the baffle. Alternately if a sensed delivered pressure is deemed to increase above a preselected amount, the (or a) relief valve would preferably be set so that it tends to open.
• a bafflehead With the assistance of the opening and closing of a relief valve, a bafflehead can be encouraged to quickly and efficiently gravitate toward a balanced location wherein the effective pressure on the bafflehead in the forward direction offsets the effective pressure on the bafflehead in the reverse direction, taking into account the degree of openness, and any bleeding, of a relief valve or valves, as well as other factors of the design and the supplied pressure.
• other biasing factors on the bafflehead such as springs, etc. could be present and would have to be taken into account.
• a bafflehead and nozzle could be designed (ignoring the effects of any relief valve activation) so that as the pressure of the fire extinguishing fluid through the nozzle decreases, the bafflehead adjusts in the reverse direction until it either closes or hits a stop or balances (or triggers a relief valve). Squeezing down on the size of the discharge port raises discharge pressure.
• a design could incorporate, without any relief valves, a balanced pressure position where, at target -5- pressure, the effective pressure on the baffle forward pressure surface offsets the effective pressure on the opposing reverse baffle surface.
• the design would take into account the fact that the pressures and the areas would be different and would typically vary.
• the bafflehead forward surfaces and reverse surfaces together with the nozzle discharge structure, baffle structure and any relief valves and any other supportive biasing means should be designed and structured in combination such that a targeted discharge pressure is effectively and efficiently achieved without undue hunting.
• a relief valve or valves likely improve the efficiency of the design and, at the balance point, might be optimally structured to be slightly open, or bleeding.
• pressure forward on the bafflehead is the product of the delivered fluid pressure at the effective bafflehead deflecting surface times the effective baffle forward surface area.
• the opposing pressure on the bafflehead is the fluid pressure developed against the bafflehead opposing surface (preferably the primary fluid operating within a baffle chamber) times the opposing bafflehead surface area.
• the opposing surface area is preferably larger than the effective forward surface area, and reverse fluid pressure, such as developed within a baffle chamber, is likely less than, although a function of, the delivered fluid pressure at the bafflehead.
• a relief valve likely facilitates the speed, sensitivity and efficiency of the design for most nozzle sizes.
• a valve trigger pressure would be selected such that, when fluid pressure on forward baffle surfaces appears to a sensing device to begin to significantly exceed the target pressure, the relief valve opens or at least begins to open. At such point the valve relieves or begins to relieve fluid pressure on one baffle surface, such as the reverse surface, allowing the baffle to stabilize or to begin to readjust. The readjustment affects fluid discharge pressure at the discharge port.
• One preferred design includes structuring of bafflehead surface area and a relief valve in combination such that with the relief valve closed, the bafflehead essentially closes the nozzle; further, the bafflehead balances at a targeted delivery pressure with the relief valve partially open or bleeding. With the relief valve completely open, the bafflehead would move to its fully open position.
• the present invention has at least three objectives.
• One objective is to provide an automatic self adjusting nozzle that can accurately, speedily and reliably control nozzle discharge pressure to within a small range.
• a second objective is to provide a self adjusting nozzle design that adjusts smoothly and accurately in both directions.
• SUBST ⁇ UT ⁇ SHEET (RUl£ 26) -6- that is both from a too high pressure situation and from a too low pressure situation toward a target pressure.
• Third and further objectives are to provide an enhanced self educting nozzle design, valuable in its own right and also so that a self-adjusting nozzle can be efficiently combined and incorporated into a self-educting foam/fog nozzle.
• the enhanced eductive design is useful to incorporate with a nozzle incorporating a capacity for throwing fluid chemicals, such as dry powder.
• the invention also relates to improved educting features applicable to various nozzles.
• the invention includes a pressure regulating nozzle for extinguishing fires comprising a baffle adjustably located proximate a nozzle discharge.
• the baffle provides forward and opposing pressure services in fluid communication with a primary fire extinguishing fluid.
• the baffle adjustment is affected, at least in part, by fluid pressure upon the forward and opposing baffle surfaces.
• the nozzle includes a relief valve and the effective opposing pressure surface areas of the bafflehead are larger than the effective forward pressure surface areas.
• the baffle defines a baffle chamber and the relief valve, if one is utilized, is located at least partially within the baffle chamber.
• the invention includes incorporating fluid educting features into the self adjusting nozzle.
• the fluid educting features are designed particularly for foam concentrate and could provide either central or peripheral channeling of the foam concentrate.
• the present invention provides for incorporating a capacity to throw dry chemical with the self adjusting nozzle and the self adjusting and self educting nozzle.
• the invention also provides for enhanced educting features when the second fluid or foam concentrate is channeled peripherally around the wall.
• These enhanced educting features could be utilized with or without a self adjusting bafflehead.
• the enhanced educting features include shaping the primary fire fighting fluid stream proximate a nozzle discharge to form an annular stream having a gradually diminishing cross sectional area.
• the eductive port for the second fluid or foam concentrate opens onto the annular stream just downstream of the minimum of the cross sectional area. The annular stream gradually expands subsequent to reaching the minimum.
• small jets for the primary fire fighting fluid may be provided through the peripheral channeling walls to enhance eduction of the second fluid or foam concentrate.
• Figure 1 illustrates in cutaway form, for background purposes, typical structure of a prior art self-educting nozzle that is not self-adjusting.
• Figure 2 A illustrates in cutaway form one embodiment for a self-adjusting nozzle, the embodiment having a centralized relief valve.
• Figure 2B illustrate in cutaway form an enlarged detail of Figure 2A, namely an embodiment of an adjustable bafflehead with a centrally located pilot relief valve.
• Figure 2D also illustrates in cutaway form an embodiment for a self-adjusting nozzle having a non centrally located pilot relief assembly.
• Figure 3A illustrates in cutaway form an embodiment of a self-educting and self-adjusting nozzle, including transporting and discharging foam concentrate through the center of the nozzle and having a pilot relief assembly that senses pressure within a baffle chamber.
• Figure 3B illustrates in greater detail a pilot relief assembly as in Figure 3A wherein pressure is sensed within a baffle chamber.
• Figure 3C illustrates an embodiment of an automatic nozzle that provides for educting foam concentrate and for peripherally channeling the educted foam concentrate; a pilot relief assembly is illustrated that senses pressure along forward bafflehead surface areas.
• Figure 3D illustrates in cutaway form an embodiment of an automatic nozzle providing for educting foam concentrate with central channeling for the foam concentrate; a pilot relief assembly is illustrated that senses pressure at a baffle forward surface area.
• Figure 3E illustrates in cutaway a detail of Figure 3D, namely, a non-centrally located pilot relief assembly for sensing pressure at a baffle forward surface area.
• Figure 4A is included primarily to illustrate one possible location for a flow meter within an embodiment of the present invention
• a self-educting pressure regulating nozzle is indicated where a relief valve has been designed as an annular relief valve encircling the tube that provides educted fluid into a mixing type area of the nozzle.
• a flow meter is illustrated having an attachment to a visible -8- indicator on the outside of the nozzle, the flow meter itself indicated as residing within the baffle.
• Figure 4B illustrates an alternate embodiment of the invention wherein a baffle chamber slides over a fixed stem and a fixed piston and a spring located on a fixed stem, the piston being substituted for a relief valve and other embodiments and the spring alternately biasing the piston either out or in depending upon design.
• Figure 4C illustrates in cutaway form an embodiment of an automatic nozzle providing for transporting and discharging a fluid chemical, such as a dry powder, through the center and providing a relief valve triggered on baffle chamber pressure.
• Figure 4D illustrates in cutaway form an embodiment of an automatic nozzle providing for centrally discharging a fluid chemical with a relief valve triggered on forward baffle surface fluid pressure.
• Figure 5A illustrates in cutaway form an embodiment of an automatic nozzle providing for enhanced educting and channeling foam concentrate peripherally and for discharging a fluid chemical centrally.
• Figure 5B illustrates in cutaway form an embodiment of an automatic nozzle providing for educting foam concentrate peripherally and discharging a fluid chemical centrally, the embodiment of 5B also including a jet for assisting the educting of the foam concentrate.
• Figure 5C illustrates an embodiment of an automatic nozzle providing educting foam concentrate peripherally and discharging fluid chemicals centrally, and having a further type of jet eductor for the foam.
• Figure 6 illustrates in cutaway an automatic nozzle wherein foam concentrate and fluid chemical are both channeled through the nozzle centrally.
• Figure 7 illustrates an embodiment of an automatic nozzle providing for educting foam with enhanced peripheral discharge.
• Figure 8 illustrates a nozzle similar to the embodiment of Figure 7, but without the automatic feature.
• Figure 9 illustrates an enhanced educting discharge feature wherein the foam concentrate is transported centrally.
• a nozzle having an "adjustable" baffle in order to discharge fire extinguishing fluid at a targeted pressure requires a biasing means opposing a natural -9- movement of an adjustable baffle outwards in response to fluid pressure, which outward movement tends to open the effective size of the discharge port.
• the biasing means biases with a backward force equal to the force of the desired or targeted fluid pressure upon the forward baffle surfaces.
• baffle forward movement balances against baffle backward bias pressure at the targeted pressure.
• Forward baffle surfaces are surfaces that the baffle presents to the fire extinguishing fluid moving through and out of the discharge port.
• the biasing force could be provided by a spring that, over the adjustment range of the baffle between its end points, which may be no more than approximately one half of an inch, presents an essentially constant biasing force at the targeted pressure.
• the target pressure might well be 100 psi.
• Such simple design is indicated in figure 4B.
• an adjustable bafflehead could be designed defining a chamber within the bafflehead and presenting forward and backward surfaces against which the primary fire extinguishing fluid could act. It is understood that the chamber defined within the bafflehead would have means for permitting a portion of the fire extinguishing fluid to enter the chamber. In such designs the effective backward pressure surface area would usually exceed the effective forward pressure surface area of the baffle.
• the fluid pressure within the baffle is expected to be at least slightly less than the pressure exerted on forward facing baffle surfaces. Such tends to counter the fact that the backward pressure surface area presented to the fluid within the baffle, at least in preferred embodiments herein, exceeds the forward pressure surface area presented on the baffle.
• the fluid within the baffle acts against a greater surface area and, although lower in value, can potentially drive the baffle backwards against the flow of fluid through the nozzle.
• Spring mechanisms can always be added, it should be understood, to augment the biasing forces provided by the primary fire extinguishing fluid pressure upon the bafflehead forward and backward surfaces.
• baffle adjustment results in a variation of the volume of the defined baffle chamber, as by the baffle sliding over a fixed piston, relief will be provided to vent fluid from inside the chamber.
• the present invention discloses in particular the use of at least one relief valve in order to heighten the accuracy and speed of balance and to lessen undue hunting or hysteresis.
• a relief valve vents fluid pressure from one or the other side of the baffle, preferably from within the baffle chamber, when fluid pressure varies from target
• the relief valves illustrated for the instant embodiments sense either rather directly the primary fire extinguishing fluid pressure presented to forward baffle surface areas in the nozzle or sense more indirectly a more secondary fluid pressure generated within a chamber within the baffle.
• the difference between such designs, or other designs that could occur to those of skill in the art, can largely be a matter of design choice and simplicity of engineering.
• One function selected for a relief valve could be to assist in achieving the situation where a balanced pressure position is consistently approached from the same direction, which could either be the moving outwardly or the moving inwardly the baffle. Such a design may facilitate engineering a higher degree of accuracy around the balance point with less hunting and greater speed in achieving balance.
• the present invention also teaches improved self educting features that are particularly helpful and useful in a pressure regulated nozzle, as well as enhanced educting and pressure regulating designs that are useful when throwing fluid chemical such as dry powder, with or without an automatic nozzle.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a standard self educting nozzle.
• FEF indicates a fire extinguishing fluid.
• Sleeve S adjusts from a backward position shown in Figure 1 , for throwing a fog pattern, to a forward position for throwing a "straight stream" pattern.
• Port P is defined by surface 20 of baffle B and by surface 21 of nozzle N.
• Nozzle N can be an assembly of parts. -1 1 -
• Figures 2A, 2B and 2C illustrate a pressure regulating or self-adjusting or automatic nozzle N built using a basic structure of a self educting nozzle, but with the foam eduction inlet closed off by module 32.
• Figures 2A, 2B and 2C are particularly useful in disclosing one embodiment of the automatic pressure regulating feature.
• the nozzle of figures 2A, 2B and 2C enjoys the simplicity that it is neither self-educting nor is structured to throw dry chemical.
• pilot or relief valve 42 is utilized.
• figure 2D is also an embodiment of an automatic nozzle without provision for either educting foam or throwing dry chemical, although it could easily be modified to do so. It can be seen that the automatic feature design of figure 2D lends itself to educting foam concentrate or channeling dry chemical through the center of the nozzle.
• Nozzle N of figure 2A illustrates adjustable bafflehead B sliding over fixed support stem 28.
• Support stem 28 is anchored in stem adapter 29.
• Fire extinguishing fluid FEF or water W enters nozzle N from the left and flows to the right, exiting port P between surface 20 defined by bafflehead B and surface 21 defined by an element of nozzle N.
• Pilot 42 presents pilot pressure surface port 40 to expose a pressure sensing surface to the fire extinguishing fluid or water that enters the support stem 28 of nozzle N.
• Piston 26 at the end of support stem 28 is fixed, like support stem 28.
• Bafflehead B defines a baffle chamber 24 within interior portions of bafflehead B, utilizing fixed piston 26 to form one end of the chamber.
• a filter 34 is preferably provided to the water inlet of support stem 28 to keep debris from blocking the pilot pressure surface in port 40.
• Flanged base 36 is known in the art as a means for connecting a nozzle N to a supply of fire extinguishing fluid or water. Filter 34 can be retained by filter retaining nut 35.
• FIG. 2C more clearly illustrates the operation of pilot valve 42.
• Fire extinguishing fluid FEF is present within fixed stem 28 and presses upon pilot control surface 41 within sensing pressure inlet port 40.
• Fire extinguishing fluid FEF also enters bafflehead B interior chamber 24 via side inlet ports 58 as illustrated by the arrows in figure 2C.
• Side inlet ports 58 of the embodiment of figure 2C are on the
• Pilot control surface 41 in pressure inlet port 40 is biased by pilot bias spring 48.
• Pilot bias spring 48 sets the value at which the pilot valve opens or at least bleeds.
• the piston of pilot valve 47 with pilot seal 45 moves forward in the direction of nozzle flow, opening pilot valve 47.
• Fire extinguishing fluid FEF within bafflehead 24 enters ports and fills chamber 62 within pilot valve 42.
• pilot valve 47 opens, fluid from pilot valve chamber 62 flows through pilot valve chamber 64 and further forward and out atmospheric vent holes 56.
• Piston retaining nut 46 holds fixed piston 26 on fixed stem 28. Floating bafflehead B slides past fixed piston 26 and is sealed by main seal 54 against the surface of fixed piston 56.
• pilot 42 will bleed or leak slowly through chambers 62, 64 and out atmospheric vent holes 56.
• pressure is relieved against opposing or reverse interior bafflehead surface 23.
• Guide element 43 of pilot valve 42 serves to guide the movement of the piston of pilot valve 47 within pilot valve 42.
• Guide 43 can be sealed against fixed stem 28 with guide seals 49.
• Spring tension adjustment screw 44 can be provided to vary the bias of pilot bias spring 48.
• FIG 2D illustrates an analogous sliding adjustable bafflehead B having an off center pilot relief assembly 42.
• Pilot relief assembly 42 senses pressure at portions of forward baffle surface 20 of sliding bafflehead B. Pressure is sensed through a sensing pressure inlet port 40 provided for pilot relief assembly 42.
• Flow indicators 70 are illustrated in Figure 2D utilizing sensors 74 and 72 to give a visual indication and readout of flow to operator.
• Water inlets 58 in Figure 2D provide ingress into interior -13- bafflehead chamber 24 for the primary fire extinguishing fluid in order to create a reverse pressure or backward pressure against sliding bafflehead B.
• Figures 3A and 3B illustrate a self educting pressure regulating nozzle where foam concentrate FC is channeled centrally through slidable flow metering tube 96 and fixed stem 28.
• water W the typical primary fire extinguishing fluid
• the pilot relief valve assembly 42 of the embodiment of Figure 3 A senses pressure of the fire extinguishing fluid or water W within the baffle chamber 24.
• Figure 3B offers an enlargement of pilot relief assembly 42 of figure 3A.
• pilot relief valve or poppet valve 47 is spring biased by pilot bias spring 48 so that the poppet 47 moves from its seat 45 and relieves pressure at one selected relief valve pressure, which in preferred embodiments might be set at about two thirds of a targeted 100 psi nozzle head pressure.
• one selected relief valve pressure which in preferred embodiments might be set at about two thirds of a targeted 100 psi nozzle head pressure.
• the spring biasing pressure set for fluid pressure within the baffle chamber would run appropriately 65 psi in order to reach the proper balancing of inward and outward fluid pressure upon forward and backward baffle surfaces to achieve a target pressure of approximately 100 psi while taking into account other biasing such as may be used to return a baffle to a closed position with no flow of water therethrough.
• pilot relief valve 47 opens emitting fluid from within baffle chamber 24 to flow through pilot relief valve or poppet chamber 64 and out atmospheric vent holes 56. Again, depending upon design, intent and the pressures involved, the pilot relief valve might bleed slightly or open fully.
• Figure 3A incorporates a slidable flow metering tube 96 that slides with bafflehead B over fixed stem 28.
• Flow metering tube 96 slides over fixed foam metering orifice 94.
• Foam metering orifice 94 affects the amount of foam educted through foam inlet 90 by water W proceeding through inlet jet 92 and through eductor jet J. In such manner, the relative position of the sliding bafflehead B over stem 28 and within nozzle N can effect the metering or the amount of foam educted through stem 28 and tube 96.
• Figure 3A further illustrates the option of adding a gauge float assembly 98 connected to a gauge feed pump assembly 100.
• Foam concentrate FC flows through foam inlet 90 and into stem 28 through foam metering orifice 94.
• the degree of openness of foam metering orifice 94 -14- depends upon the relative longitudinal setting of bafflehead C and connected foam metering tube 96.
• pilot relief assembly 42 in the embodiments of Figures 3D and 3E, senses water pressure more or less directly at floating bafflehead B forward surface 20.
• Figure 3C illustrates an automatic nozzle providing for self educting foam concentrate but peripherally channels the foam concentrate around portions of the nozzle barrel wall, in lieu of centrally channeling the foam.
• the central stem in Figure 3C is illustrated as solid.
• the central stem could, of course, be utilized as a channel for channeling chemical such as dry powder through the nozzle.
• the pilot relief assembly 42 of the embodiment of Figure 3C is similar to that of the embodiment of Figure 3D.
• Bafflehead B slides on fixed support stem 28 as in the embodiment of Figure 2A.
• a flow indicator 70 is illustrated for providing a visual readout of flow through the nozzle.
• foam concentrate FC enters foam inlet 90 and is channeled through peripheral channels 52 to the discharge end of nozzle N.
• Foam concentrate FC follows a path through peripheral channels 52, which could well be an annular channel ending an annular foam outlet 27.
• An enhanced or improved educting feature is illustrated in Figure 3C.
• Nozzle surface 21 and bafflehead surface 20 serve to shape the exiting water stream W.
• Water stream W is shaped by surfaces 21 and 20 to form a relatively smooth annular stream with a diminishing width across sectional areas down to a minimum width achieved just prior to passing over and past foam outlet 27.
• the cross sectional width of the annular stream of the water slightly widens when and after passing foam outlet 27. This accommodates the small amount, typically 3 to 6 percent, of foam concentrate educted into the major water stream W.
• Water W and the appropriate amount of foam concentrate FC then exit together at port P, the foam concentrate being educted through foam outlet 27 by the passage of water W through the minimum point having width 220, port gap or port P and out into general mixing area 22.
• Mixing area 22 is indicated rather amorphously by dashed lines.
• FIG. 4A illustrates one possible location of a flow meter within an embodiment of the present invention.
• a self-educting pressure regulating nozzle is indicated where a relief valve has been designed as an annular relief valve
• FIG. 4B illustrates an embodiment of the invention that was tested but did not yield the accuracy of the relief valve.
• a baffle chamber is shown having a baffle that slides over a fixed stem and a fixed piston. The baffle defines a baffle chamber with backward baffle surfaces.
• Fluid in the baffle chamber operates backwards against the baffle while the fire extinguishing fluid flowing through the nozzle acts against the baffle forward surfaces for forward pressure against the baffle.
• a spring located around the fixed stem and piston is substituted for the relief valve. The spring could bias the piston either out or in depending upon the spring design.
• Figure 4C illustrates a self adjusting nozzle designed for also throwing a chemical such as a dry powder.
• Chemical inlet 1 10 provides a basis for chemical C to enter the nozzle and be centrally channeled through fixed stem 28 and channel 1 12 in order to be discharged out the front of the nozzle.
• Pilot relief assembly 42 is illustrated in the embodiment of Figure 4C to be similar to pilot relief assembly 42 of Figure 3A.
• the embodiment of Figure 4D is again an automatic pressure adjusting nozzle providing for throwing a chemical such as dry powder that is centrally channeled through the nozzle.
• the embodiment of 4D differs from the embodiment of 4C in that pilot relief assembly 42 senses pressure on forward surfaces 20 of bafflehead B as opposed to interior surfaces of bafflehead chamber 24.
• the embodiment of Figure 5A combines an automatic nozzle that centrally channels and throws dry chemical, such as the embodiment of Figure 4D, with peripheral channeling for foam concentrate such as the embodiment of 3C. Further the eduction for the foam concentrate is enhanced as in the embodiment of Figure 3C.
• the embodiment of Figure 5B is similar to the embodiment of Figure 5 A except a foam jet JJ is provided to enhance the eduction of foam concentrate FC into peripheral channels 52 of nozzle N, and the enhanced eduction discharge design of Figure 3A is not utilized.
• the embodiment of Figure 5C provides an alternate version for the embodiment of Figure 5B wherein foam jet JJ utilizes an alternate design.
• the embodiment of Figure 6 centrally channels both foam concentrate and dry chemical while providing a self adjusting bafflehead.
• the embodiment of Figure 7 is analogous to the embodiment of Figure 3C with the difference that foam jets 200 provide for further enhanced eduction of foam concentrate FC through foam inlet 90 and out foam outlets 27. -16-
• Figures 8 and 9 illustrate nozzles that are not self adjusting.
• the nozzles of Figure 8 and Figure 9 have a fixed bafflehead FB.
• Figure 8 illustrates the value of enhanced educting features even in a nonpressure regulating fixed bafflehead nozzle.
• Foam jet inlet ports 200 are illustrated jetting small portions of water flowing through the nozzle into annular chamber foam paths 52.
• Surfaces 21 and 20 are shown shaping a relatively smooth annular stream with diminishing cross section for the water just prior to passing over foam outlet 27 at the discharge end or port P of nozzle N.
• Figure 9 illustrates the enhanced self educting feature for centrally channeled foam concentrate FC.
• surfaces 21 and 20 again shape a relatively smooth annular stream of water just adjacent passing over foam port 27, the relatively smooth annular stream of water having a slightly diminishing cross section area down to a minimum area just prior to passing over foam concentrate port 27.
• the self-adjusting automatic feature of the present invention depends upon an adjustable baffle that adjusts, at least in significant part, in response to primary fire fighting fluid pressure presented both to a forward and a reverse side of a baffle surface.
• the baffle operates at least in part as a two-way piston seeking a balanced pressure position.
• the nozzle fluid provides a fluid pressure to act against both sides of the baffle.
• the pressure acting in the reverse direction will be at least a function of the forward pressure.
• the reverse pressure surface of the baffle will be larger than the forward pressure surface of the baffle. It is recognized that the forward pressure surface of the baffle may in fact change and be a function of pressure and fluid flow through the nozzle and baffle design and nozzle size.
• preferred embodiments of the present invention utilize at least one relief valve. Preferred embodiments further utilize a relief valve to relieve pressure in the reverse direction.
• the area of the reverse pressure surface is greater than the area of the forward pressure surface.
• the relief valve when the relief valve is closed, in general, the reverse pressure times the area of the reverse pressure surface will be greater than the forward pressure times the area of the forward baffle surface. This will dictate that for significant values of forward pressure the nozzle is biased closed.
• the relief valve builds in a degree of adjustability such that the relief valve can select a partially opened position and settle upon such position without undue hunting and wherein the target pressure times the forward surface at the target pressure equals the reverse pressure times the reverse pressure surface area taking into account the degree of openness of the relief valve system.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Emergency Management (AREA)
• Fire-Extinguishing By Fire Departments, And Fire-Extinguishing Equipment And Control Thereof (AREA)

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Citations (15)

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• 1998
  • 1998-09-25 AU AU95088/98A patent/AU745992B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-09-25 CN CNB988141043A patent/CN1142802C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-09-25 EP EP98948538A patent/EP1069929B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-09-25 ES ES98948538T patent/ES2337426T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-09-25 DE DE69841335T patent/DE69841335D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-09-25 WO PCT/US1998/020061 patent/WO1999051306A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1998-09-25 CA CA2327476A patent/CA2327476C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (17)

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