Firefighting apparatus

Claim 2

Firefighting apparatus comprising a bucket for fire-extinguishing material, means for suspending the bucket from an aircraft, said bucket having a bottom with two doors openable to discharge gravitationally the contents of the bucket, means for opening the doors including a fluid-operated ram located between the doors, said bucket being formed of a collapsible frame having flexible sidewalls, thereby permitting reduction of the volume occupied by the bucket when being stored or transported, one portion of the ram being connected to the frame and anoTher portion of the ram being connected to both said doors.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 having disengageable means for holding the ram erect with respect to the bottom of the bucket during normal use of the bucket, said ram being movable upon disengagement of the disengageable means to a position where it lies flat when the frame is in its collapsed position.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 in combination with an aircraft.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3 having a source of pressurized fluid in the aircraft, a fluid passage connecting the source and the ram, and valve means in the fluid passage which permits controlled operation of the ram.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the frame includes upper and lower peripheral frame elements which have constant dimensions regardless of the collapsed or erected state of the bucket, connector means holding the peripheral frame elements at a fixed spaced apart distance when the bucket is in its erected position, means for disabling said connector means to permit the peripheral frame elements to move toward each other.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the connector means are a plurality of braces pivotally connected at their opposite ends to each of the peripheral frame elements, and the means for disabling the connector means are lockable pivotal joints located between the opposite ends of each of the braces.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the upper peripheral frame element is larger horizontally than the lower peripheral frame element so as to improve the aerodynamic and immersibility characteristics of the bucket, and the lockable pivotal joints are located closer to the lower peripheral frame element than to the upper peripheral frame element.

Claim 9

Firefighting apparatus for use with aircraft comprising a bucket for fire-extinguishing material, means for suspending the bucket from an aircraft, said bucket having a door in a lower portion thereof openable to discharge gravitationally the content of the bucket, means for opening the door, said apparatus being characterized in that the sidewalls of the bucket is formed of a flexible sheet material, slide fasteners in the sidewalls below the upper edge thereof, whereby the slide fasteners may be opened to permit liquid to escape therefrom in order to control variably the capacity of the bucket.

Claim 10

Firefighting apparatus for use with aircraft comprising a bucket for fire-extinguishing material, means for suspending the bucket from an aircraft, said bucket having a door in a lower portion thereof openable to discharge gravitationally the content of the bucket, means for opening the door, said apparatus being characterized in that the sidewalls of the bucket is formed of a flexible sheet material, slide fasteners in the sidewalls below the upper edge thereof, whereby the slide fasteners may be opened to permit liquid to escape therefrom in order to control variably the capacity of the bucket.

Claim 11

Firefighting apparatus comprising a bucket for fire-extinguishing material, means for suspending the bucket from an aircraft, said bucket having a door in a lower portion thereof openable to discharge gravitationally the contents of the bucket, means for opening the door, said apparatus being characterized in that the bucket is formed of a collapsible frame having flexible sidewalls, thereby permitting reduction of the volume occupied by the bucket when being stored or transported and, said sidewalls having openings below the upper edge thereof closed by slide fasteners, whereby the slide fasteners may be opened to permit liquid to escape therefrom in order to control variably the capacity of the bucket.

Claim 12

Firefighting apparatus comprising a bucket for fire-extinguishing material, means for suspending the bucket from an aircraft, said bucket having a door in a lower portion thereof openable to discharge gravitationally the contents of the bucket, means for opening the door, said apparatus being characterized in that the bucket is formed of a collapsible frame having flexible sidewalls, thereby permitting reduction of the volume occupied by the bucket when being stored or transported and, said sidewalls having openings below the upper edge thereof closed by slide fasteners, whereby the slide fasteners may be opened to permit liquid to escape therefrom in order to control variably the capacity of the bucket.

Claim 13

Firefighting apparatus comprising a bucket for fire-extinguishing material, means for suspending the bucket from an aircraft, said bucket having a door in a lower portion thereof openable to discharge gravitationally the contents of the bucket, means for opening the door, said bucket being formed of a collapsible frame having flexible sidewalls, thereby permitting reduction of the volume occupied by the bucket when being stored or transported, said collapsible frame includes upper and lower peripheral frame elements which have constant dimensions regardless of the collapsed or erected state of the bucket, said upper peripheral frame element being larger horizontally than the lower peripheral frame element so as to improve the aerodynamic and immersibility characteristics of the bucket, a plurality of braces Pivotally connected at their opposite ends to each of the peripheral frame elements to hold peripheral frame elements at a fixed spaced apart distance when the bucket is in its erected position, lockable pivotal joints located between the opposite ends of each of the braces and closer to the lower peripheral frame element than to the upper peripheral frame element to permit the peripheral frame elements to move toward each other, each said brace having the pivotal axis of its lockable pivotal joint and the pivotal axis of its connections to the frame elements lying horizontal and at about 45* with respect to a vertical plane which passes through the center of the bucket and through the respective brace when erected.

Claim 14

Firefighting apparatus comprising a bucket for fire-extinguishing material, means for suspending the bucket from an aircraft, said bucket having a door in a lower portion thereof openable to discharge gravitationally the contents of the bucket, means for opening the door, said bucket being formed of a collapsible frame having flexible sidewalls, thereby permitting reduction of the volume occupied by the bucket when being stored or transported, said collapsible frame includes upper and lower peripheral frame elements which have constant dimensions regardless of the collapsed or erected state of the bucket, said upper peripheral frame element being larger horizontally than the lower peripheral frame element so as to improve the aerodynamic and immersibility characteristics of the bucket, a plurality of braces Pivotally connected at their opposite ends to each of the peripheral frame elements to hold peripheral frame elements at a fixed spaced apart distance when the bucket is in its erected position, lockable pivotal joints located between the opposite ends of each of the braces and closer to the lower peripheral frame element than to the upper peripheral frame element to permit the peripheral frame elements to move toward each other, each said brace having the pivotal axis of its lockable pivotal joint and the pivotal axis of its connections to the frame elements lying horizontal and at about 45* with respect to a vertical plane which passes through the center of the bucket and through the respective brace when erected.

Claim 15

Firefighting apparatus comprising a bucket for fire-extinguishing material, means for suspending the bucket from an aircraft, said bucket having a door in a lower portion thereof openable to discharge gravitationally the contents of the bucket, means for opening the door, said bucket being formed of a collapsible frame having flexible sidewalls, thereby permitting reduction of the volume occupied by the bucket when being stored or transported, a door-actuating fluid operated ram having one portion connected to the frame and another portion connected to the door, and disengageable means for holding the ram erect with respect to the bottom of the bucket during normal use of the bucket, said ram being movable upon disengagement of the disengageable means to a position where it lies flat when the frame is in its collapsed position.

Claim 16

Firefighting apparatus comprising a bucket for fire-extinguishing material, means for suspending the bucket from an aircraft, said bucket having a door in a lower portion thereof openable to discharge gravitationally the contents of the bucket, means for opening the door, said bucket being formed of a collapsible frame having flexible sidewalls, thereby permitting reduction of the volume occupied by the bucket when being stored or transported, a door-actuating fluid operated ram having one portion connected to the frame and another portion connected to the door, and disengageable means for holding the ram erect with respect to the bottom of the bucket during normal use of the bucket, said ram being movable upon disengagement of the disengageable means to a position where it lies flat when the frame is in its collapsed position.