Patent US3682251A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3682251A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fire protection system utilizing sprinkler heads with a pressure floor
Assignee: Factory Mutual Research Corp
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Filing: 1971-08-20
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Granted: 1972-08-08
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Expires: 1991-08-20
Abstract
Abstract A fire protection system and a sprinkler head utilized in the system, wherein extinguishant is supplied to the sprinkler head which is actuated by a release of a thermal fuse to discharge the extinguishant against a deflector disc and form a hemispherical pattern of droplets. If the fluid pressure in each head does not attain a predetermined value, the head will not be actuated despite release of the thermal fuse.
Inventors
- 👤 William L Livingston
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 17:17
CPC Classifications
A; A62; A62C; A62C37/00; A62C37/08; A62C37/10; A62C37/11; A62C37/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
207 words
A discharge head for use in a fire protection system, comprising a hollow body member having an inlet for connection to a source of fluid under pressure and an outlet for discharging said fluid, plug means cooperating with said body member for controlling the flow of fluid through said body member, means external of said body member adapted to attain an operative position relative to said body member in which it retains said plug means in a fluid-discharge-preventing position relative to said body member, said external means adapted to move to an inoperative position in which it releases said plug means to permit the discharge of said plug means and said fluid from said outlet, fusible means engaging said external means in a manner to maintain said external means in said operative position, said fusible means adapted to fuse in response to a predetermined fire condition and release said engagement, and pressure-responsive means engaging said external means in a manner to maintain said external means in said operative position, said pressureresponsive means being responsive to the presence of a predetermined pressure in said head for releasing said engagement upon said fusion of said fusible means and permitting the movement of said external means to said inoperative position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
207 words
A discharge head for use in a fire protection system, comprising a hollow body member having an inlet for connection to a source of fluid under pressure and an outlet for discharging said fluid, plug means cooperating with said body member for controlling the flow of fluid through said body member, means external of said body member adapted to attain an operative position relative to said body member in which it retains said plug means in a fluid-discharge-preventing position relative to said body member, said external means adapted to move to an inoperative position in which it releases said plug means to permit the discharge of said plug means and said fluid from said outlet, fusible means engaging said external means in a manner to maintain said external means in said operative position, said fusible means adapted to fuse in response to a predetermined fire condition and release said engagement, and pressure-responsive means engaging said external means in a manner to maintain said external means in said operative position, said pressureresponsive means being responsive to the presence of a predetermined pressure in said head for releasing said engagement upon said fusion of said fusible means and permitting the movement of said external means to said inoperative position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
84 words
The head of claim 1 wherein said plug means extends in said outlet orifice, and wherein said external means comprises two levers, the first lever normally Engaging said plug means and the second lever normally engaging said first lever to support said first lever relative to said body member, and wherein said fusible means comprises a fusible link engaging both of said levers to maintain said first lever in engagement with said plug means and said second lever in engagement with said first lever.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The head of claim 2 wherein said control means is responsive to the presence of a predetermined fluid pressure at said head and comprises a thread connecting said levers to maintain said first lever in engagement with said plug means and said second lever in engagement with said first lever.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The head of claim 1 wherein said plug means is released from said fluid-discharge-preventing position under the force of the fluid pressure in said body member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
136 words
A sprinkler head comprising a hollow body member having an inlet for connection to a source of fluid under pressure and an outlet for discharging said fluid, plug means cooperating with said body member for controlling the flow of fluid through said body member, control means normally engaging said plug means to retain said plug means in a fluid-discharge-preventing position relative to said body member, said control means being responsive to a predetermined fluid pressure in said body member for releasing said engagement and permitting the release of said plug means from said position and the discharge of extinguishant from said outlet, and means for deflecting the extinguishant discharge from said outlet in a manner to create a mist-like spray at least a portion of which extends in a substantially radial direction relative to said outlet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
136 words
A sprinkler head comprising a hollow body member having an inlet for connection to a source of fluid under pressure and an outlet for discharging said fluid, plug means cooperating with said body member for controlling the flow of fluid through said body member, control means normally engaging said plug means to retain said plug means in a fluid-discharge-preventing position relative to said body member, said control means being responsive to a predetermined fluid pressure in said body member for releasing said engagement and permitting the release of said plug means from said position and the discharge of extinguishant from said outlet, and means for deflecting the extinguishant discharge from said outlet in a manner to create a mist-like spray at least a portion of which extends in a substantially radial direction relative to said outlet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
The head of claim 5 further comprising additional control means normally engaging said plug means in a manner to retain said plug means in said extinguishant-discharge-preventing position, said additional control means being responsive to a predetermined fire condition for releasing said engagement and permitting the removal of said plug means from said position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The head of claim 5 wherein said plug means is released from said position under the force of the fluid pressure in said body member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
153 words
An automatic fixed fire extinguishing system for buildings and the like comprising a plurality of sprinkler heads located in a space to be protected, delivery means to deliver extinguishant from a source of supply to each of said heads, fire responsive means automatically responsive to a fire developing in said space for actuating the heads in a sequence dictated by the information received from the fire to permit the discharge of extinguishant from said heads towards the fire, means for deflecting the extinguishant discharged from said heads in a manner to create a mist-like spray at least a portion of which extends in a radial direction relative to said outlet, and control means for reducing the number of heads which will be opened to discharge extinguishant to the fire as compared to the number of heads which would be opened by the same fire acting on the same system without said control means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
153 words
An automatic fixed fire extinguishing system for buildings and the like comprising a plurality of sprinkler heads located in a space to be protected, delivery means to deliver extinguishant from a source of supply to each of said heads, fire responsive means automatically responsive to a fire developing in said space for actuating the heads in a sequence dictated by the information received from the fire to permit the discharge of extinguishant from said heads towards the fire, means for deflecting the extinguishant discharged from said heads in a manner to create a mist-like spray at least a portion of which extends in a radial direction relative to said outlet, and control means for reducing the number of heads which will be opened to discharge extinguishant to the fire as compared to the number of heads which would be opened by the same fire acting on the same system without said control means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said control means includes means operatively connected to each head for controlling the opening of the head with which it is associated.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 9 wherein said control means is responsive to the static pressure of the extinguishant at each unopened head.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The head of claim 1 further comprising means for deflecting the extinguishant discharge from said outlet in a manner to create a mist-like spray at least a portion of which extends in a substantially radial direction relative to said outlet.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-08 | 1976-02-07 | 1976-08-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-08 | 1980-02-07 | 1980-08-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-08 | 1984-02-07 | 1984-08-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |