Fire extinguisher

Oct. 8, 1935. J. L SEAT 2,016,301

FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Aug. 9, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

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ATTORNEYS

Oct. 8, 1935.

J. L. SEAT

FIRE EXTINGUISHER

Filed Aug. 9, 1933

2,016,301

Sheets-Sheet 2

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Patented Oct. 8, 1935

2,016301

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,4)16,301 FIRE EXTINGUISHER Jay Lawrence Seat, Fairfield, Conn. Application August 9,1933, Serial No. 684,321 4 Claims. (Cl. 169—31)

This Invention relates to fire extinguishers in general, and more particularly to that type for use in the extinguishing of small fires by the ejection of a chemical solution upon the flames.

One of the several objects of the invention resides in an automatic fire extinguisher capable of ejecting a relatively long stream without the use of a pump or other analogous manual pressure producing means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fire extinguisher containing a charge of fire extinguishing compound which is ejected under pressure from the extinguisher upon the piercing of pressure cartridge.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a Are extinguisher having a discharge nozzle normally sealed by a closure, and a pressure cartridge piercing mechanism operatively connected with the closure whereby operation of the mechanism will successively cause the closure to be moved to an open position and the pressure cartridge pierced to set up a pressure behind the extinguishing charge and eject the said charge through the nozzle.

A still further object is to provide a fire extinguisher which may eject chemical fire extinguishing compounds which are not injurious to cloth, furniture, and all commodities in general.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the certain novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through my fire extinguisher in normal or inoperative position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the parts in operative position.

Figure 3 is a rear end elevational view with parts in normal position.

Figure 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view on the line 4—4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 5—5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, the numeral tO designates my improved fire extinguisher in its entirety which includes a cylindrical casing 11 constructed of a pair of sections 12 and 13. The rear end of the casing section I i has a coupling member 14 sweated or otherwise secured thereto, and which member extends beyond the said end of the section and is externally screw threaded for threading engagement with the front end of the casing section 13. The threadedly connected sections are secured against, turning movement by ears IS which extend radially from the two sections and are alined to receive fastening screws 16. 5

Threaded into the forward end of the casing section II is a nozzle 17 having a discharge orifice 18 extending centrally therethrough. Threaded into the inner end of the orifice 18 is one end of a tube 19, the opposite end of the 10 tube being disposed adjacent the side wall of the casing section 12 and in spaced relation to the coupling member 14. The interior of the casing section 12 constitutes the fire extinguishing fluid compartment 20 which is filled through a filling 15 opening normally closed by a filler plug 21 threaded into the front end of the casing section 12. Any chemical compound in fluid form of the non-pressure type may be stored in the compartment 20 and the pressure for ejecting 20 the compound through the tube 19 and discharge orifice 18 will be presently described.

Fitted onto a reduced portion of the nozzle 17 is a collar 22 held in position by a nut 23 threaded to the nozzle. The collar 22 is provided with 25 spaced ears 24 between which a substantially Zshaped lever 25 is pivotally mounted, the pivot pin being designated at 26. One end of the Zshaped lever 25 is swingable toward and away from the discharge end of the nozzle 17, and this 30 end of the lever supports a cup-shaped member 27 in which a sealing cap 28 is mounted, and which cap is constructed of a material to withstand the action of any chemical from which the fire extinguishing solution may be made of. I 35 have found that “Vermaloid” serves the desired purpose, as it will withstand the chemicals without deterioration. The cap 28 is held in position by a ring member 29 threaded to the cup member 27, the said ring member having an opening 40 30 to enable the rounded end of the discharge nozzle to engage the seat provided in the cap 28.

The lever 25 is under the influence of a spring 31, which spring is constructed of wire having one end anchored about the discharge nozzle 17, 45 and its other end coiled about the pivot pin 26 and acting against the lever 25 to normally urge the closure carried thereby into engagement with the discharge end of the nozzle.

The other end of the lever 25 has one end of 50 a link 32 pivotally connected thereto, while the opposite end of the link is pivotally connected to an actuating lever 33, which lever is pivoted to the rear end of the casing section 13 as at 34. The lever 33 has its inner side provided with a M

9,016,301 groove or channel 35 to receive the link 32 when the lever is in an inoperative position parallel to and against the side wall of the casing II as best shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. For fa5 cilitating an adjustment of the link 32, the said link is constructed of a rod section 36 and a socket. section 31, the free end of the rod 36 threading into the socket section 31, and which adjustment may be accomplished by turning the 10 socket section 31 relative to the section 36 after the cotter pin 38 which connects the section 31 with the lever 35 is removed. Opposite sides of the actuating lever 33 are cut away or notched as at .39 to provide finger grip portions to enable 15 an operator to grasp the lever in order to swing the same from the inoperative position shown in Figure 1 to the operative position shown in Figure 2.

Supported by the coupling member 14 which S© acts in the nature of a partition between the compartment 20 and the interior of the casing section S3, is a sleeve member 40, the same being closed at one end and the closed end extending into the chamber 20 whereas the opposite end of the member is formed with an enlarged head 41 which extends into the interior of the casing section 13. Mounted in the member 40 for a limited sliding movement is a piercing member 42, the forward end of which has a seat 43 against which the 80 ball 44 of a check valve construction normally seats, and which ball closes the passage 45 which extends centrally through the piercing member Ά2. The ball 44 also normally bears against a follower disk 46 slidable in the sleeve member 35 40, and a spring 4T bears against the disk 46 and the closed end of the sleeve member to normally urge the ball into sealing engagement with the forward end of the passage 45. The sleeve member 40 at a point forward of the normal 40 position of the disk 46 is provided with openings 48 for the purpose of establishing communication between the chamber 30 and the passage 45 when the ball check 44 is in open position in a manner and for a purpose presently to be described.

The rear end of the piercing member 42 is provided with a conical piercing point 49 and the passage 45 opens through the outer end thereof.

Held within the enlarged head portion 41 of the sleeve member 40 is a seat member 51, the SO same being held in position by a nut member 51. The outer ends of the members 50 and 51 are beveled to facilitate the insertion of the reduced neck 52 of a pressure cartridge 53 into the seat member 50 so that the end of the neck is posi55 tioned adjacent the pointed end of the piercing point 49 as will be seen by reference to Figure 1 of the drawings. When inserting the cartridge 53, it is first passed through an opening 54 in a partition 55 extending transversely of the cas50 ing section 13. The partition 54 serves to slidably support the body portion of the cartridge in an operative position. The cartridge 53 is constructed of a material which may be ruptured by the piercing point 49 and contains a charge of 65 nitrogen, which when released into the chamber 20 sets up a pressure in back of the extinguishing charge to eject the same from the discharge nozzle.

Threaded into the rear end wall of the casing 70 section 13 is a sleeve 56, the inner end of which is closed while the outer end is opened. Slidably supported by the closed end of the sleeve 56 is a plunger 57 having an outer head 58 and an inner head 59. Interposed between the inner head 75 59 and the closed end wall of the sleeve 56 is a coil spring 60 which tends to normally hold the plunger in a retracted position as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The sleeve member 56 is removably supported in the end wall of the casing section 13 to facilitate its removal when δ a cartridge 53 is to be inserted in position.

Fixedly supported against the end wall of the casing section 13 is a housing 61, the same being slidable into and out of position by means of. a dove tailed channel 62 provided in the end io wall of the casing. When dropped into position, the housing 61 is held by a screw 63 which passes through an ear 64 at the lower end of the housing and which screw enters an ear 65 extending radially from' the casing section 13. jg

Slidably mounted in the housing 61 for movement at right angle to the axis of the plunger 57 is a plunger actuating pin 66, which is normally urged upwardly by a coil spring 67 interposed between the lower end of the pin and the 20 adjacent closed wall of the bore in which the pin slides. The inner side of the pin 66 is provided with a cam surface 68 and this surface is held in operative relation to the outer end of the plunger 57 by a set screw 69 which threads through 26 the housing 61 and enters a slot 70 in the pin. This set screw prevents turning movement of the pin and also limits the sliding movement of the said pin in opposite directions. Normally, the outer end of the plunger 57 is disposed in the cut 30 out portion 70 of the pin 66 as will be seen in Figure 1 of the drawings, but when the pin is moved to an operative position, the cam face 68 acts against the outer end of the plunger and imparts an inward sliding movement thereto 55 against the action of the spring 60 for the purpose of sliding the cartridge 53 into piercing engagement with the piercing point 49 in order to rupture the cartridge and release the contents thereof into the chamber 20.

For the purpose of actuating the pin 66 in order to pierce the cartridge 53, the pivoted end of the lever 33 is formed with a foot 71, and which foot engages the outer end of the pin 66 when the actuating lever 33 is swung to operative 45 position or from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2. The lever 33 is swung to the operative position shown in Figure 2, the foot 71 pushes inwardly upon the pin 66 causing the plunger 57 to operate in the manner above 50 referred to.

For releasably holding the actuating lever 33 in operative position, the pivoted end of the lever is provided with a notch 72 which receives the outer end of a catch pin 73, which is forced out- 55 wardly by a spring 74. Thus it will be seen that the lever 33 and the parts actuated thereby may be held in operative position after the lever has been swung to such position.

In operation of the device, assume that the 50 parts are in normal position as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, that is, the cartridge 53 is in . position to be pierced and the actuating lever 33 is against the sides of the casing with the closure cap sealing the discharge end of the nozzle 17. 55 It is also assumed that the chamber 20 contains a chemical fire extinguishing solution or compound of the non-pressure type. To operate, the operator grasps the lever 33 and swings the same for a distance approximating 90°, that is, from 70 the position shown in Figure 1 to that shown in Figure 2, and during such movement, the closure cap moves away from the discharge end of the nozzle 17 to permit an unobstructed flow of fluid from the nozzle, and the foot 71 successively oper- 75

2,016,301 ates the pin 68 which in turn forces the plunger 57 inwardly and which movement causes the neck. end of the cartridge to be pierced by the piercing point 49. This pressure of the cartridge against 5 the piercing element is insufficient to cause the sliding of the member 42 as the spring 47 is of a relatively strong tension, but not of such degree to prevent the pressure of the nitrogen from the pierced capsule from acting against the ball check 10 44 and moving the ball and the disk 46 to a position beyond the openings 48 whereupon the nitrogen from the cartridge may pass through the passage 45, and openings 48 into the chamber 20. Upon the entrance of the nitrogen into the cham15 ber 20, the pressure thereof will force a fire extinguishing fluid from the chamber 20 through the tube 19 and discharge the same from the nozzle 17 in a stream of sufficient length to reach the flames of a small fire. After use of the ex20 tinguisher, the pierced or ruptured cartridge may be removed and a new one substituted therefor and the other part returned to normal position for the further working of the extinguisher when the occasion arises.

While I have shown and described what I deem to be the most practical embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to if desired.