Fire fighting apparatus

Claim 1

A fire fighting apparatus comprising, in combination, a plurality of individual cabinets disposed adjacent one another so as to define at least partially the periphery of an area to which a fire may be confined, each of said cabinets comprising a pair of side walls and a bottom door extending between said side walls at the lower margins thereof, said door being adapted to move between an open and a closed position, a curtain disposed within each cabinet, each curtain having one end portion thereof fixed to a portion of its associated cabinet and the other end thereof free from said cabinet, said curtain being adapted to be folded into a relatively small volume so as to be able to be disposed within said cabinet and to be supported therein by said door when said door is in said closed position, a latching mechanism for holding said door in said closed position and for releasing said door to allow it to move to said open position thereof, said latching mechanism including a latch unit having a nose portion adapted to engage said door in one position of said latch unit and to be disengaged from said door in another position of said latch unit, spring means urging said latch unit under a predetermined force to said disengaged position, a link system having one portion thereof fixed in relation to said cabinet, another portion thereof adapted to engage a movable retainer assembly, and a still further portion attached to said latch unit, a movable retainer assembly including mounting links and a retainer bar, said retainer bar having end portions adapted for operative attachment to a corresponding bar on an adjacent cabinet, one of said bars being operable in response to a single triggering signal, whereby, said triggering signal will cause movement of said retainer bars, movement of said link system, and permit latch movement to cause said doors of said cabinets to be opened simultaneously.