GB2061725A - Portable fire fighting appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable fire fighting appliance comprises a pump and a stationary engine mounted on a frame 1. The frame is provided with at least one endless ground-engaging belt 3. The belt passes round and is worked by track wheels. The stationary engine has a power take-off which is connected to the track wheels by power transmission means, for example a gear transmission, whereby the belt 3 can be driven by the stationary engine. The appliance has steering means 9 and control means which are needed for driving the appliance. Thus, it is possible to transport a portable fire fighting appliance through rough terrain. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Portable fire fighting appliance This invention relates to a portable fire fighting appliance. This invention also relatesto a process for transporting a portable fire fighting appliance over rough terrain.

Portable fire fighting appliances are known in which the water pump and engine, which drives the water pump, are mounted on axles having rubber wheels. Thus, the fire fighting appliance can be pushed or pulled along the ground.

However, the portable fire fighting appliances of this type have very poor adaptability to rough terrain. The commo nest type of portable fire fighting appliance has a weight of 200 kg, a water output from 500 to 2000 litres per min. and an engine power rating from 11 to 36 kW.

It can be a difficult and extremely strenuous undertaking transporting this type of portable fire fighting appliance to a water supply in a rough terrain. In snowy conditions during winter, it can be difficult to move the portable fire fighting appliance on level ground. It has been found that a minimum of four large men are required to transport the portable fire fighting appliance in snowy conditions.

As well as the portable fire fighting appliance, suction and pressure hoses have to be carried to the site of the fire, as well as extra fuel and other types of fire-fighting equipment. This consumes a lot of time, which means that the vital first few moments in putting out a fire are wasted.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a portable appliance for use in fire fighting comprises a pump, a stationary engine and a frame, the pump and the stationary engine being mounted on the frame, the frame having at least one endless ground-engaging belt, the at least one endless ground-engaging belt having drive means for driving the at least one ground-engaging belt, and the stationary engine having a powertake-offwhich is connected to the drive means of the at least one ground-engaging belt by power transmission means, whereby the at least one ground-engaging belt can be driven by the stationary engine.

Preferably, the powertake-off is an exposed end of the stationary engine's crank shaft. Preferably, the power transmission means comprises a first endless belt pulley, which couples the stationary engine's crank shaft to a primary crank shaft of a gear transmission, the gear transmission having a secondary crank shaft connected to the primary crank shaft, and a second endless belt pulley, which couples the secondary crank shaft to the drive means of the at least one ground-engaging belt.

Preferably the at least one ground-engaging belt passes round and is worked by two track wheels, and the drive means of the at least one groundengaging belt being at least one of the two track wheels. Preferably, the drive means of the at least one ground-engaging belt is the rear of the two track wheels.

Preferably, the at least one ground-engaging belt can be adjustablytensioned by relative movement between the two track wheels. Preferably, the front of the two track wheels moves relative to the rear of the two track wheels.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a process for transporting a portable fire fighting appliance over rough terrain comprises mounting a pump and a stationary engine onto a frame having at least one ground-engaging belt, the at least one ground-engaging belt having drive means, and driving the at least one ground-engaging belt via power transmission means from a power take-off of the stationary engine.

Preferably, a second stationary engine is mounted on the frame, the second stationary engine having a powertake-offfrom, which the at least one groundengaging belt can be driven via power transmission means.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa schematic side elevation of a portable appliance for use in fire fighting according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is a schematic rear view of the portable appliance for use in fire fighting shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a portable fire fighting appliance which has been removed from its frame having wheels or runners, and placed on a frame 1, which is fitted with an endless ground-engaging belt. Power transmission is arranged from a belt pulley 14 on the end of a crank shaft of a stationary engine 20 to a primary shaft 15 of a gear transmission 11. The stationary engine is preferably an internal combustion engine. The gear transmission has a secondary shaft 16, which carries a coupling for providing traction in one direction only. The power is transmitted by an endless belt pulley, for example a chain, to track wheels 4 of the endless ground-engaging belt.

The track wheels 4 of the endless ground-engaging belt act as traction wheels for the endless groundengaging belt which passes round and is worked by the track wheels. The pulley 14 on the engine crank shaft is provided with a disengaging clutch 6.

Since the engine has no reverse gear, the portable fire fighting appliance can only be moved manually backwards with the engine disengaged by means of the clutch 6.

The endless ground-engaging belt 3 can be adjustablytensioned by relative movement between the track wheels. For example, the belt can be tensioned by displacing the front track wheel axle 2.

The frame 1 has a towing hook 5 and steering handle-bars 9. The steering handle-bars can be folded up when the portable fire fighting appliance is stored or when it is placed in a fire engine. As the drawings show, the track substructure requires no additional space, and therefore the water jet unit of the portable fire fighting appliance fits neatly into a vehicle.

The fundamental purpose of the appliance is not altered, that is, the combination of the internal com bustion stationary engine and water pump remains as it is, as does also the water pumping process. The control of the appliance is by the handle-bars 9, on which has been provided a lever 8 for operating the disengaging clutch and a manually adjustable throt tle for controlling the motion of the appliance. The clutch is engaged for traction when the clutch lever is pressed againstthe handle-bar 9. The clutch lever and the manually adjusted throttle are spring-reset.

If a person driving the appliance loses hold of the steering handle-bars, the clutch is disengaged and the throttle is returned to the idling position by the springs.

The appliance can have a hydraulic transmission.

In this case, a bi-directional valve can be used to enable the appliance to be driven forwards or backwards. The throttle control of the appliance would also be possible by means of a flow control valve.

The disengaging clutch can be omitted when a flow control valve is used. The hydraulic pump would remain running on free circulation during the water pumping operation. The gear transmission would be replaced by a suitable revolution volume ratio between the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic motor.

Since internal combustion engines having water cooling are used in fire engines, a unit of this type could not, if such were required, be driven over long distances to a water supply, because the internal combustion engine used the same water for cooling the engine as the water pump squirts. It therefore follows that the engine cannot be operated until water is at hand. Thus, the present invention can provide a separate air-cooled internal combustion stationary engine for driving the endless ground-engaging belt, the air-cooled internal combustion stationary engine replacing the water-cooled internal combustion stationary engine.

Since the speed of a portable fire fighting appliance mounted on an endless ground-engaging belt is not high in rough terrain, it is notnecessarytto have a large internal combustion stationary engine to drive the ground-engaging belt. The required internal combustion stationary engine may be approximately accommodated in the. same space as the gear transmission 11, as shown in the accompanying drawings. Thus, the portable fire fighting appliance mounted on an endless ground-engaging belt can be transported in the same vehicle, when the appliance is transported without its belt frame.

Thus, the appliance can be transported through difficultterrain. Previous portable appliances of this type could be pulled on wheels along roads, but, in forests, it would sometimes be necessary to use six men to carry the appliance.

The aforegoing has particular reference to portable fire fighting appliances, which are powered by stationary engines. It is however obvious that a similar apparatus and process may be used in other connections, if conditions are such in which the present invention may be utilised. Water pumps are usually driven by an internal combustion stationary engine.

Likewise, an internal combustion stationary engine may be used as a separate engine for driving the endless ground-engaging belt. Such engines are available with air cooling in small sizes and with different power ratings These engines are favourably priced, owing to extensive commercial production.

An advantage of the portable fire fighting appliance is that it can be Used to pull a toboggan orZ other type of trailer, on which requisite accessories can be transported to the site of the fire. The person driving the appliance may also ride along, either standing in the tobogganor on the other towed trailer. Another advantage of the present invention is a saving in time and man power in preparation for fire fighting. Only one man is needed to transport both the fire fighting appliance and the equipment, whilst the rest of the crew can engage in other work priortothe putting out of the fire.

Claims (15)

1. t. A portable appliance for use in fire fighting comprising a pump, a stationary engine and a frame, the pump and the stationary engine being mounted on the frame, the frame having at least one endless ground-engaging belt having drive means for driving the at least one endless ground-engaging belt, and the stationary engine having a power take-off which is connected to the drive means of the at least one endless ground-engaging belt by powertransmission means, whereby the at least one endless ground-engaging belt can be driven by the stationary engine.
2. 2. A portable appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power take-off is an exposed end of the stationary engine's crank shaft.
3. 3. A portable appliance as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the power transmission means comprises a first endless belt pulley, which couples the stationary engine's crank shaft to a primary crank shaft of a geartransmission, the gear transmission having a secondary crank shaft connected to the primary crank shaft, and a secondary endless belt pulley, which couples the secondary crank shaft to the drive menas of the at least one endless ground-engaging belt.
4. 4. A portable appliance as claimed in any one of clairns 1 to 3, wherein the at least one endless ground-engaging belt passes round and is worked bytwotrackwheels, and the drive means of the at least one endless ground-engaging belt being at Least one of the tvua track wheels.
5. 5. A portable appliance as claimed in claim 4, wherein the ddvemeans'of the at least one endless ground-engaging beltisthe rear of the two track wheels.
6. 6. A portable appliance as claimed in claim 4 orB, wherein the atleastone endless ground-engaging belt can be acijustably tensioned by relative movement between the two track wheels.
7. 7. A portable appliance as claimed in any of claims 4to 6, wherein the front of the two track wheels moves relative to the rear of the two track wheels.
8. 8. A portable appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame includes two rearwardly pointing steering handles, each handle being pivotably attached to the frame, and the handles having motor andlor motion control means.
9. 9. A portable appliance as claimed in claim 8, wherein the motorandlor motion control means are a throttle and a clutch.
10. 10. A portable appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame has substantially the same external dimensions as the stationary engine.
11. 11. A portable appliance as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
12. 12. A process fortransporting a portable fire fighting appliance over rough terrain comprising mounting a pump and a stationary engine onto a frame having at least one endless ground-engaging belt, the at least one endless ground-engaging belt having drive means, and driving the at least one endless ground-engaging belt via power transmission means from a power take-off of the stationary engine.
13. 13. A process as claimed in claim 12, wherein a second stationary engine is mounted on the frame, the second stationary engine. having a power take- off, from which the at least one endless groundengaging belt can be driven via power transmission means.
14. 14. A process as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein the powertransmission means comprises a gear transmission through which power is transmitted from the stationary engine to the drive means of the at least one endless ground-engaging belt.
15. 15. Aprocessfortransportinga portable fire fighting appliance over rough terrain as claimed in claim 12 and substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.