US1388998A - Chemical fire-extinguishing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

J. R. HAMILTON. CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-16, I916- Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

2 SHEEISSHEET I 1. R.'HAMILTON.

CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATU S. APPLICATION FILED NOV-16. me.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1,388,998. Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

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UNITED s rAr-Es PATENT OFFICE.

Joann. HAMILTON To all whom it may concern: p

Be it known that I, JOHN R. HA ILTON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Yonkers, Westchester county, New York, have made certain new and useful Invention relating to Chemical F ire-Extinguishing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the same. 7

The invention described in this application, which is a partial continuation of, that is, contains subject-matter taken from my copending application, Serial Number 813,372, filed January 21, 1914, relates especially to chemical fire extinguishing apparatus in which the distributing system which may be of the dry pipe type is under fire emergency conditions supplied with extinguishing liquid by the operation of a connected chemical pressure tank. This tank may be provided with mixing devices comprising a chamber containing sulfuric "acid or other pressure producing chemical and a connected siphon may be automatically operated to discharge and render effective the chemical through the action of the fluid pressure changes caused during the emergency operation of the system. For this purpose any suitable arrangementof pipes or operating connections may be used communlcating with the distributing system and the siphon for discharging the acid or other pressure producing liquid, so as'to automatically operate the siphon when one of the automat c sprinkler heads or other extinguishing devices comes into operation.

i In the accompanying drawings showing 1n tive embodiments of this invention Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of the invention as applied to a dry pipe system.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing anothcr embodiment.

Fig. 4 shows another embodiment in sectional elevation; and

Fig. 5 shows in sectional elevation another embodiment of the invention as applied to a wet pipe system.

The distributing system may be of any suitable form and may comprise one or more supply pipes or risersl and connected distributing pipes, such as 2, shown in F 1g. 1,

a somewhat diagrammatic way illustra or YONKERS,..NEW YORK. CHEMICAL r'IRE-EXT INeUIsHINe APPARATUS.

Specification of LettersPatent. P t t d A 30, 1921 Application filed November 16,1916. Serial No. 131,629.

on which any suitabledistributing devices, such as automatic sprinkler heads 3, maybe mounted at various points; Suitable hose connections, such as 5, may be arranged at various parts of the distributing .system so as to operate connected hoselines when the valves 4: are open. The distributing system which is preferably though not necessarily of the dry pipe type, may be connected .in any suitable way with the chemical pres sure liquid supply tank 8, as for instance, by the depending tank connection having ifdesired a flaring lower end 7 adjacent the bottom of the tank protected by a suitable screen 6. There may also be arranged a suitable equalizing connection or aperture communicating with to take care of temperature expansion and other slight pressure variations, and .for this purpose the equalizing aperture 23 may be formed adjacent the top of the tank connection.

The liquid supply tank .8 of any suitable these chemicals may comprise an acid chamber, an acid discharging siphon cooperating. therewith and an air or pressure chamber communicating in any desired way with the acid chamber so as to cause suflicient' pressuredifi'erence under emergency conditions to start the siphon. It is sometimes advantageous to have a removable casing of any suitable construction, such as 21, mounted in the upper portion of the chemical tank to support the acid chamber and allow for its convenient removal forrecharging, etc. This casing may as indicated be secured as by-the bolts 20 to the projecting flange 11 of the tank and may support in any suit-" able waythe acid chamber 15 so as to preferably although not necessarily h ave the normalacid level considerably above the liquid level in the tank, it being of course understoodthat the acid containing portion of able way with the acid the chamber may be formed oflead or other acid resisting material. The aciddischarging siphon which may be formed'in whole or in part of similar acid'resisting material may be arranged to cooperate in any suitchamber and tank and may, if desired, be provided with an admission leg, such as 14, extending considerably above the normal acid level in the-acid tank so as to minimize undesirable action by tion oi a foot at least before the acid reaches the top of the siphon. The discharge leg of the siphon may be arranged substantially in line with the acid chamber in any desired way and may with advantagebe arranged to be removed through the hole in the flange to which the casing is secured. Thisdischarge leg may sometimes though 'not necessarily be'extended considerably below the liquid level in the tank so that its discharge end 22 may extend a foot or two below in some cases, and when the extinguishing liquid is discharged from the tank during emergency conditions the acid discharge tends to increase so as to make the working pressure increase gradually as is desirable in many cases. If desired the communicating air chamber may be formed in the upper part of the removable'casing 21 so as to directly communicate with the acid chamber and be a substantial continuation thereof.

An air connection of any suitable form is also preferably provided between the air chamber and the air space in the tank above the liquid therein. It is also desirable to provide a suitable checkvalve cooperating with the air connection so as to insure the reliable starting of the siphon action and so as to thereafter insure under emergency conditions a large area passage into the air chamber and promote the continuation of the siphon action. In order to .minimize the chanceof the siphon action being started by accidental temperature expansion or other gradual pressure changes during the normal condition of the system,.itis also desirable to have a small area compensating passage between the air chamber and air space of the tank which may, if desired, be combined with the check valve. If desired, the air connection 17 communicating with the air chamber 9 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be arranged within the removable casing21 and may have a suitable check valve, such as 18, arranged adjacent its lower portion for more convenient cleaning and inspection when the casing is removed, so that when. the emergency'siphon action has been started and the chemically generated pressure increases in the tank this check valve is free to rise to ward the separated guiding ribsor projections 16 so as to give a large area opening through this air connection into the pressure chamber above the acid, so that the air presrequiring a rise of a considerable por that this equalizing passage does not interfere. with the emergency starting of the siphon.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 3, the chemical pressure tank '8 may contain similar carbonate extinguishing liquid 13 so as to supply the connected riser 1 and other parts of the distributing system under fire emergency conditions. The chemical mixing devices may in this instance comprise the casing 24 having the removable cover 25 and secured to the tank above the aperture 29 therein, so that the bottom 34 of this casing supports the acid chamber 27 of suitable material inert to the sulfuric acid or other pressure producing chemical 28 contained in this chamber. The chemical dischargingsiphon 26 may be ar-- ranged to cooperate with this acid chamber into which its admission leg may dip and its discharge leg may extend down through the casing bottom so as to communicate with the chemical tank below, it being in some cases advantageous to have the end of this discharge leg of the siphon somewhat above the normal level of the carbonate liquid in the tank. The cooperating air chamber may be separately mounted, the air chamber 30 being, if desired, bolted to the tank 8, while it is connected to the casing 24 by the connection 34 which under fire emergency conditions assists in exerting suflicient unbalanced pressure on the top of the acid or chemical 23 to automatically cause the discharging action of the siphon. A check valve, such as 32, may be mounted to control the opening between the air chamber and tank so that under some conditions this check. valve may rise toward the guide ribs or projections 31 and a pin hole or equalizing pas- 65 may be boltedor otherwise secured to the tank. The acid or chemical chamber 36 may be supported in any convenient way, as for instance, by being mounted within this air chamber 35 so that the cooperating discharging siphon 37 having its admission leg dipping within the sulfuric acid or other pres sure producing chemical 28 may discharge the same into the tank under emergency conditions. To effect this action the discharge endof the siphon may be formed 'with an enlargement orbell' 38 normally containing liquid and preferably located within the neck 65 so that a reduced annular or'other shaped passage 62 for. the discharge ofrliquid is formed around this bell. Under fire emergency conditions some of the distributing devices open and allow'the moderate air or other pressure inthe distributing system to escape, quickly so that. the unbalanced air pressure .in the large volume air chamber acts to discharge therefrom the carbonate liquid which may advantageously extend up to about the top of theenlarged discharge end 38 of thegsiphon. In thisway the liquid level islowered in the neck 65 so that the liquid within the siphon ,end is left unsupported and acts to suck the chemical 28 u into its admission end so that the discharging action of thesiphon is quickly started because of the large volume discharge of liquid from its-lower end. By locating the lower end of this discharge leg of the siphon within the small area neck 65 the liquid d escends in thisneck so rapidly, under emergency conditions thatwhenthe acid is discharged trom the. siphon its lower end is practically or entirely free from surrounding liquid so that the clear discharge of the acid can be insured. This action may be promoted by forming a suitable enlargement orequalizing chamber 41in the distributing system havingits bottomat about the nor- 'mal liquid level therein when the system is inoperative, so, that under emergency conditions the first flow of liquid fills this cham ber and does not causeduring this time any very great increase of static pressure. a If desired, the slow temperature changes in pressure in the air chamber anddistributing system maybe equalized through a suitable equalizing connection 39 which maybe I provided with the diaphragm 40 formed with the pinhole or reduced equalizing aperture64which isvnot of course suflicient i therein. The air space of this priming tank to allow any undesirable or substantial flow under emergency condltions. t -In the illustrative embodlment shownm Fig. 5, the invention is illustrated as applied ;to a wet pipe distributing system comprising the, building. This distributing system may Q be connectedthrough the tank; connection 7 I with a supplementalsupply of. extinguishing liquid such as the chemical pressure tank 8 containing carbonateextinguishing liquid 13, for instance. The cooperating chemical mixing devicesmay comprise anjair chamher or dome 42 removably connected,.if de-. sired, with a cooperating acid chamber 66,; so that the connected reduced area neck 60 may be: removably bolted or otherwise connected to the tank 8. The sulfuric acid or other pressure. producing chemical 28 in this acid chamber 66 may be discharged therefrom under fire emergency conditions by the discharging siphon52 which may have its admission end dipping, into the liquid adjacent the bottom of this acid chamber while its lower discharge end communicates with the neck within a smallvola ume-enlargement or dischargechamber 59; communicating-with the tank'so as to form the air space thereof. An equalizing air connection43 may communicate with the air chamber 42 and have its lower endcom-j municating with the neck or other adjacentparts of the device belowthe normal level of the liquid therein, so that the liquid forms a valve or seal in this pipe and a liquid sealed air equalizing connection is thus providedwhich is normally closed but which when the mixing devices come into emer gency operation is automatically, opened to allow free equalization of the pressures above and below the discharging siphon.- Sullicient air pressure is maintained in the air chamber or adjacent parts to normally maintain the distributing liquid of anysuitable character in the distributing systemand for this purpose a suitable pressure pump or device 51 ma be connected through the air pipe 63 and c eck valve 50 with the equalizing air pipes 47, 45 communicating with the v air chamber 42 and alsoif desired with the supplemental reduced volume chamber 59. If desired, this air pipe .45 may also serve as an equalizing connection between the chambers 42 and 59 and for this purpose the pin hole or. other small area equalizing aper- V leakage of liquid from the system it' nae-.

sirable to have a priming tank 48 preferably of large area connected with the chemical tank or communicating neck 60 preferably through the connection 53 having the rel atively smallarea passage or aperture '49 may be connected as by the air pipe 47 with thechamber 59 so that in case of leakage the normal liquid level inthe neck is not substantially lowered. It is also desirable to form, a suitable chamber, such as 44, communicating with the equalizing air connec-, tion 43 so that when the systemis filled with liquid or the air pressure applied thereto 1 any undesirableflow ofliquid up through the pipe43 will tend to pass into the chamber a l so as to minimize the possibility of this liquid entering the acid chamber 66.

Under fire emergency conditions when one of the sprinkler heads or other distributing communicates so that this connection is thus opened and allows the continueddischarge of the siphon until substantiallyall of the acid is discharged into the mixing tank below to cause the desired chemically generated high pressure effecting the continued discharge of the operating distributing de vice.

This invention has been described in connection with, a number of illustrative embodiments, forms, proportions,v parts, arrangement, materials, methods of use and connection, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forthin the appended claims:

1. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a wet pipe distributing system comprising distributing devices including automatic sprinkler heads, a connected gaseous pressure liquid supply tank charged ,with car-' bonate extinguishing liquid and cooper ating chemical mixing devices comprising a cham ber containing a charge of acid pressure producing chemical, a discharge siphon com-' municating with said chamber to discharge said chemical nto said tank, an air chamber communicating with said acld chamber, a

neck normally containing liquid and constituting a passage between said tank and the discharge end of said siphon, a small volume discharge chamber formed in said neck around the discharge end of said siphon, an equalizing air connection between" said air chamber and said neck below the normal liquid level therein and formed with an up wardly extending chamber above said liquid levelto. constitute a liquid sealed equalizing air connection, a large area priming tank communicating with saidneck and a small area equalizing passage normally open between said air chamber. and the upper part of said neck.

2. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a wet pipe distributing system comprising distributing devices, a connected gaseous pressure liquid supply tankcharged with carbonate extinguishing liquid and cooperating chemical mixing devices comprising a chamber containing a charge of acid pres sure producing chemical, a discharge siphon communicating with said chamber to discharge said chemical into said tank, an air chamber communicating with said acid chamber, a neck normally containing liquid and constituting a passage between said tank and the discharge end of said siphon, an equalizing air connection between said air chamber and said neck below the normal liquid level therein to constitute a liquid sealed equalizing air connection, a large area priming tank communicating with said neck, and a small area equalizing passage normally open between said air chamber and the discharge end of said siphon.

3. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a wet" pipe distributing system comprising distributing devices, a connected gaseous pressure liquidisupply tank charged with carbonate extinguishing liquid andco operating chemical mixing devices comprising a chamber containing a charge of acid.

pressure producing chemical, a discharge siphon communlcating wlth said chamber to discharge said chemical into said tank, an

air chamber communicating with said acid chamber, a neck normally containing liquid and constituting a passage between said tank and the discharge'end of said siphon to effect the operation of said discharge siphon when liquid recedes from said'neck during the fire emergency condition of said apparatus and a small area equalizing passage normally open between said air cham-= her and the discharge end of saidsiphon.

4. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a wet pipe distributing system comprising automatic distributing devices, a

connected gaseous pressure tank and cooperatmg chemical mlxing devices comprislng a chamber containing a charge of pressure producing chemical, a discharge siphon.

communicating with said chamber to discharge said chemical into said tank, an air with said chemical chamber communicatin chamber,'a neck norma ly containing liquid and constituting a passage between said tank and the discharge end of'said'siphon, a small volume discharge chamber formed in said neck around the discharge end of said siphon, a small area equalizing passage normally open between said air chamber and the discharge end of said siphon, and a fluid pressure device communicating with said air chamber to create sufficient pressure therein to normally maintain liquid in said distributing system. Q Y

5. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a wet pipe distributing system comprising automatie distributing devices, a connected gaseous pressure tank and cooperating chemical mixing devices comprising a chamber containing a charge of pressure producing chemical, a discharge siphon communicating with said chamber to discharge said chemical into said tank, an air chamber communicating with said chemical chamber, a neck normally containing liquid and constituting a passage between said tank and the discharge end'o'f said siphon to effect the operation of said discharge siphon when liquid recedes from said neck during the fire emergency condition of said apparatus, a small rea equalizing passage between said air chamber and the discharge end of said siphon, and a fluid pressure device.

6. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a distributing system comprising distributing devices, a connected gaseous pressure tank and cooperating chemical mixing devices comprising a chamber containing a charge of pressure producing chemical, a

discharge siphon communicating with said sage between saidtank chamber to discharge said chemical into said tank, an air chamber communicating with said chemical chamber, a neck normally containing liquid and constituting a pasand the discharge end of said siphon to effect the operation of said dischar e siphon when liquid recedes from said neck during the fire emergency condition of said-ap1: aratus,-and an equal izing passage between said air chamber and the discharge end of said siphon.

7. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a wet pipe distributing system comprising distributing devices, a connected gaseous pressure liquid supply tank charged with carbonate liquid and cooperating chemical mixing devices comprising a chamber containing a charge of acid pressure producing chemical, a discharge siphon communicating with. said chamber to discharge said chemical into said tank, an air chamber communicating with said acid chamber, a neck normally containing liquid and constituting a passage between'said tank and the discharge end of said siphon, an equalizing air connection between said air chamber and said neck below the normal liquid level therein and formed with an upwardly extending chamber above said liquid level to constitute a liquid sealed equalizing air connection, a large area priming tank communicating with said neck, a small area equalizing passage normally open and communicating with said air chamber, and a fluid pressure device communicating with said air chamber to create sufficient pressure therein to normally maintain liquid in said distributing system.

8. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a wet pipe distributing system comprising distributing devices, a connected gaseous pressure tank charged with carbonliquid and cooperating chemical mixing devices comprising a chamber containing a charge of acid pressure producing chemical, a discharge siphon communicating with said chamber to discharge said chemical into said tank, an air chamber communi? ratus, and an equalizing cating with said acid chamber, a neck normally containingliquid and constituting a passage between said tank and the discharge end of said siphon, an equalizingair connection between said air chamber. and said neck below the normal liquid level therein to constitute a liquid sealed equalizing air connec tion, a small area equalizing passage nor mally open and. communicating with said air chamber, and a fluid pressure device to create sullicient pressure therein to normally maintain liquid in said distributing system. '9. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a wet pipe distributingsystem com prising distributing devices, a connected gaseous pressure tank charged with carbonate liquid and coiiperating chemical mixing devices comprising a chamber containing a charge of acid pressure producing chemical, a discharge siphon communicating with said chamber to discharge said chemical into said tank, a neck normally containing liquid and constituting a passage between said tank and the discharge end of said siphon to eiiect the operation of said discharge siphon when liquid recedes from said neck during the fire emergency condition of said appaair connection between said air chamber and said :neck below the normal liquid level therein to constitute a liquid sealed equalizing air'connection.

10. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a distributing system comprising distributing devices, a connected gaseous pressure tank and coiiperating chemical mixing devices comprising'a chamber containinga charge of pressureproducing chemical, a siphon discharge device communicating with said chamber to discharge said chemical into said tank, a neck normally containing liquid and constituting a passage between said tank and the discharge end of said siphon discharge device, an equalizing air connection between said air ohamber'and said neck below the normal liquid level therein to constitute a'liquid sealed equalizing air connec-' tion, a large areapriming tank and a restricted priming passage communicating with said priming tank and said neck.

11. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a distributing system comprising distributin devices, a connected gaseous pres sure an cooperating chemical mixing devices comprising a chamber containing a charge of pressure producing chemical, a discharge device communicating with said chamber to discharge said chemical into said tank, a neck normally containing liquid and constituting a passage between said tank and the discharge end of said dischargedevice, a priming tank, and a priming passage communicating with said priming tank and said neck.

1 2, In chemical fire extinguishing appa:

ratus, a distributing system comprising automatic distributing devices, a gaseous pressure liquid supply tank charged with carbonate extinguishing liquid and cooperating chemical mixing devices comprising a chamber containing a charge of acid pressure producing chemical, a discharge siphon communicating with said chamber and connections cooperating with said tank and said siphon to automatically start said siphon on the emergency action of one of said distributing devices.

13. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a distributing system comprising automatic distributing devices, a gaseous pres sure tank and cooperating chemical mixing devices comprising a charge of liquid pres.- sure producing chemical and a cooperating discharge siphon, and connections cooperating with said tank and said siphon and controlled by the fluid pressure conditions in said distributing system to automatically start said siphon on the emergency action of the distributing devices.

14. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a distributing system comprising automatic distributing devices, a liquid supply tank charged with extinguishing liquid and cooperating chemical mixing devices comprising a chamber containing a charge of pressure producing chemical, a discharge siphon communicating with said chamber and connections cooperating with said tank and said siphon to automatically start said siphon on the emergency action of one of said distributing devices without requiring the movement of any rigid element.

15. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a distributing system comprising auto matic distributing devices, a gaseous pressure tank and cooperating chemical mixing devices comprising a charge of liquid pressure producing chemical and a cooperating discharge siphon, and connections cooperating with said tank and said siphon controlled by the fluid pressure conditions in said distributing system to automatically start said siphon on the emergency action of one of the distributing devices without requiring the movement of any rigid mechanical element in said connections.

16. In chemical fire extinguishin apparatus, a distributing system comprising distributing devices, a pressure liquid supply tank charged with extinguishing liquid containing carbonate material and chemical mixing devices comprising an acid chamber,

a communicating air pressure chamber, an-

acid discharge siphon communicating with said acid chamber and with said tank, and aliquid sealed air connection between said air chamber and the air space of said tank.

17. In chemical fire extinguishing. apparatus, a distributing system comprising distributing devices, a liquid supply tank charged with carbonate extinguishing liquid and chemical mixing devices cooperating with said supply tank and comprising a chemical chamber containing a charge of acid pressure producing chemical and having a normally closed air space above said chemical, a discharge siphoncommunicating with said chemicalchamber and connections between said system, said tank and said chamber to automatically start said siphon and discharge said chemical to said tank on the emergency condition of said system.

18. In chemical fire extinguishing apparatus, a distributing system comprising distributing devices, a liquid supply tank charged with extinguishing liquid and chemical mixing devices-cooperating with said supply tank and comprising a chemical chamber containing a charge of pressure producing chemical, an air chamber communicating with the space above said chemical, a discharge siphon communicating with said chemical chamber and connections between said system, said tank and said chamber to automatically start said siphon on the emergeney condition of said system.

JOHN R. HAMILTON.

Witnesses:

A. J. R-ICHARDS, IRVING STARK.

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