US2079924A - Fire extinguisher apparatus - Google Patents

Description

May 11, 1937. A. B. PHISTER 'Fil ed Aug. 23, 1934 FIRE EXT I NGU I SHER APPARATUS /4L BEA r5 H05 70?.

IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 11, 1937 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE Albert B. Phister, Fort The Phister Mfg. Co.

poration of Delaware Thomas, Ky., assignor to Cincinnati, Ohio, a cor- Application August 23, 1934, Serial No. 741,131

4 Claims.

My invention relates to fire extinguisher apparatus, and particularly to a type of nozzle which controls the flow of the extinguishing fluid in accordance with various requirements of its use.

My invention has for its object the provision of an extinguisher having a nozzle in which by releasing a discharge control lever, the flow of fluid will be substantially shut off, in which a partial release or actuation of the discharge control lever will cause a dispersed spray having a variable area, and in which further pressure on the lever will cause the fluid to be discharged in a single unitary stream.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fire extinguisher in which the spray may be manually controlled from a broadly dispersed spray to one of restricted area which merges into a unitary stream.

While in fire extinguishing apparatus it has been old and well known to provide a nozzle control at the end of the hose, such controls have, as far as I am advised, been only for the purpose of shutting ofl the flow completely; and since my apparatus is the only one which controls the area of the spray, I claim the same broadly herein.

The above objects and others to which reference will be made in the ensuing description, I accomplish by that certain combination and arrangement of parts of which I will illustrate and describe one preferred modification.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the nozzle.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the nozzle.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of an extinguisher equipped with the nozzle shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view of the main casing for the nozzle, with the actuating parts removed.

In Figure 3, I have shown a fire extinguisher having a main casing I, a carrying handle 2, a gauge 3 for indicating the gas pressure within the extinguisher, and a valve actuator 4 for releasing fluid from the casing l. The extinguisher illustrated is of the general type shown in my Patents 1,794,982 and 1,918,930, although the invention is adapted for use with other types of extinguisher.

From the valve controlled by the handle 4, a flexible tube 5 or hose extends down as illustrated, so that in extinguishing a fire, an operator may place the extinguisher on a support or carry it by the handle 2, and direct the fluid being discharged to various zones.

On the end of the flexible tube I have illustrated a nozzle of preferred type comprising a casing 6, having a restricted discharge passage 7 therein which merges into an enlarged opening 8 at the end of the nozzle.

A boss 9 extends up from the main casing and encloses a cylindrical opening ill (see Fig. 4), Within which a conical plug H is actuated by means of a valve handle [2, having an extension l3 which bears against the outer end of the plug The plug has an annular recess I4 which seats packing l5, which prevents extinguishing liquid from seeping back out along the outer walls of the plug.

The casing is provided with a seat l6, which receives the conical end ll of the plug.

A spring l8 presses upwardly on the long end of the handle l2, and the handle is fulcrumed in a pair of bosses, as indicated at [9.

By pressing down on the long end 12 of the actuating lever, the short end of the lever i3 pulls back the plug l I by means of a pin 20, which connects the arm of the lever with the plug.

The operation of the nozzle is efiective upon a mild pressing down of the handle I2 to cause a spray which is dispersed over a wide area. Further pressure on the handle causes the area of the spray to be more and more restricted until when the plug is substantially removed from the zone of fluid discharge, a single unitary stream issues from the nozzle. Upon release of the handle [2 the discharge of fluid is shut ofi because the valve ll moves against its seat.

Heretofore in extinguishing a fire, the use, for example, of an extinguisher such as is shown in my Patents Nos. 1,794,982 and 1,918,930, when the valve 4 is opened up fluid begins to discharge from the end of the flexible tube. In putting out a fire, for example, under the hood of an automobile engine, and when it is necessary to move around from one side of the car to the other, most of the fluid will be discharged during the time that the operator is moving around the vehicle.

By the use of my invention, no waste of fire extinguishing fluid occurs.

It has further been effectively demonstrated that a fine dispersement of the extinguishing fluid is much more effective for preventing combustion than a single stream directed at the source of the fire.

This is because the extinguishing fluid volatilizes more rapidly and shuts off the supply of available oxygen from the burning part of the fire.

It will be obvious that there will often be times when it will be necessary to have a fine stream because of the greater distance that such a stream will be projected than a spray, and in such circumstances a slight pressure against the actuating handle causes the stream to discharge in a unitary manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A nozzle for a fire extinguisher comprising a casing having a restricted discharge passage therethrough, an enlarged opening in the discharge end of said nozzle, and a conical member having a seat portion in said nozzle and being movable transversely between said restricted discharge passage and said enlarged opening.

2. A nozzle for a fire extinguisher comprising a casing having a restricted discharge passage therethrough, an enlarged opening in the discharge end of said nozzle, and a conical member having a seat portion in said nozzle and being movable transversely between said restricted discharge passage and said enlarged opening, said nozzle having a spring actuated control member for moving said plug against the seat portion.

3. A nozzle for a fire extinguisher comprising a casing having a restricted discharge passage therein, an enlarged passage extending from said restricted discharge passage to the discharge opening in the nozzle, and a conical member having a seat in said enlarged passage, said conical member being mounted for movement transverse to said enlarged passage.

4. A nozzle for a fire extinguisher comprising a casing having a restricted discharge passage therein, an enlarged passage extending from said restricted discharge passage to the discharge opening in the nozzle, and a conical member having a seat in said enlarged passage, said conical member being mounted for movement transverse to said enlarged passage and said conical member being resiliently urged toward its seat.

ALBERT B. PHISTER.

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