US3693884A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fire foam nozzle
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-02-05
•
Granted: 1972-09-26
•
Expires: 1991-02-05
Abstract
Abstract A fire foam nozzle assembly that produces large flakes for extinguishing fires caused by the burning of vapors of inflammable liquids. The nozzle assembly has a coupling for connecting it with a fire hose and includes an expansion chamber into which water and foam concentrate are introduced by an injector at high velocity and forced through a cone-shaped, wire stream divider. Air inlet openings at the inlet end of the expansion chamber allow entry of primary air by eduction for mixture with the divided, expanding streams of water and foam concentrate. A discharge nozzle receives the flow from the expansion chamber and contains a conical deflector mounted upon radial vanes. The deflector splits and transversely directs the flow against the inner surface of the discharge nozzle. A relatively larger and greater number of air inlet openings at the inlet end of the discharge nozzle surrounds the exterior of the expansion chamber for admitting a large volume of secondary air, by eduction, to be mixed with the water and expanding foam concentrate in the discharge nozzle. The interior surface of the discharge nozzle, beyond the conical deflector, has formations that provide a rough surface designed to retard flow and to induce violent turbulence within the discharge nozzle, causing the water and foam concentrate to be mixed with a great volume of air prior to being discharged from the nozzle. The discharge nozzle delivers a stream of foam at very high velocity, the stream being substantially free from drip and eventually feathering out as the force of the stream becomes spent, the foam then falling gently in the form of large flakes similar to snow flakes. The nozzle assembly is non-metallic except for the hose coupling and the wire divider, and is preferably made from epoxy resin components reinforced with fiberglass, the components being secured together by laminated strips of fiberglass cloth saturated with an epoxy resin and allowed to cure, thereby providing a nozzle structure that is very strong but light in weight.
Inventors
- 👤 Duane S Snodgrass
- 👤 William H Lauderback
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 21:32
CPC Classifications
A; A62; A62C; A62C31/00; A62C31/005; A62C3/00; A62C3/02; A62C3/0207; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S239/00; Y10S239/19
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
48 words
In a foam-forming nozzle assembly, a hollow, tapered nozzle having an inlet end and a relatively smaller restricted outlet end; and means in said nozzle providing irregular and randomly located rough formations on the inner surface thereof for producing turbulence and retarding flow of a foam-forming fluid therethrough.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
48 words
In a foam-forming nozzle assembly, a hollow, tapered nozzle having an inlet end and a relatively smaller restricted outlet end; and means in said nozzle providing irregular and randomly located rough formations on the inner surface thereof for producing turbulence and retarding flow of a foam-forming fluid therethrough.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 1, wherein the means providing the rough formations on the interior of the nozzle comprises particles of sand partially embedded at random in a resin material applied to the inner surface of the nozzle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 1, wherein the means providing the rough formations on the interior of the nozzle comprises randomly disposed bits of chopped fiberglass and epoxy resin applied to the inner surface of the nozzle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
In a nozzle as defined in claim 1, means at the inlet end of the nozzle for introducing foam-forming fluid therein at high velocity; and means in the nozzle, in the path of flow of the foam-forming fluid, for directing said fluid laterally against the flow-retarding formations in the nozzle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
98 words
In a foam-forming nozzle assembly; a hollow tapered nozzle having an inlet end and a relatively smaller restricted outlet end; means arranged to introduce a foam-forming fluid into said inlet end of said nozzle at high velocity; air inlet means arranged to admit air by eduction into said nozzle, said nozzle having formations on the inner surface thereof for retarding flow therethrough; and means in said nozzle adjacent said inlet end for deflecting said foam-forming fluid laterally against saId flow-retarding formations to effect turbulent mixing of educted air with said foam-forming fluid prior to discharge from said nozzle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
98 words
In a foam-forming nozzle assembly; a hollow tapered nozzle having an inlet end and a relatively smaller restricted outlet end; means arranged to introduce a foam-forming fluid into said inlet end of said nozzle at high velocity; air inlet means arranged to admit air by eduction into said nozzle, said nozzle having formations on the inner surface thereof for retarding flow therethrough; and means in said nozzle adjacent said inlet end for deflecting said foam-forming fluid laterally against saId flow-retarding formations to effect turbulent mixing of educted air with said foam-forming fluid prior to discharge from said nozzle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
133 words
A foam-forming nozzle for use in extinguishing fires, comprising: a tubular discharge nozzle having an inlet end and side walls converging therefrom toward a discharge end of substantially smaller diameter; a hollow member containing an expansion chamber mounted at the inlet end of said discharge nozzle; said hollow member having openings for admitting primary air by eduction; means for introducing a jet of foam-forming liquid at high velocity into said expansion chamber; means in the path of said jet for dividing said jet into a plurality of streams and effecting turbulent mixing of educted primary air therewith in said expansion chamber; means axially aligned with said expansion chamber for deflecting flow therefrom laterally against the inner surface of said discharge nozzle; and means for admitting secondary air by eduction into said discharge nozzle.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
133 words
A foam-forming nozzle for use in extinguishing fires, comprising: a tubular discharge nozzle having an inlet end and side walls converging therefrom toward a discharge end of substantially smaller diameter; a hollow member containing an expansion chamber mounted at the inlet end of said discharge nozzle; said hollow member having openings for admitting primary air by eduction; means for introducing a jet of foam-forming liquid at high velocity into said expansion chamber; means in the path of said jet for dividing said jet into a plurality of streams and effecting turbulent mixing of educted primary air therewith in said expansion chamber; means axially aligned with said expansion chamber for deflecting flow therefrom laterally against the inner surface of said discharge nozzle; and means for admitting secondary air by eduction into said discharge nozzle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 6, including means in the discharge nozzle for retarding flow and producing violent turbulence to mix great quantities of educted air with said foam-forming liquid.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 6, wherein the converging side walls of the discharge nozzle provide a passage that converges toward the discharge end thereof on an included angle of about 10*.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
52 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 6, wherein the hollow member has a transverse end wall at the outlet end of the expansion chamber and wherein the means for introducing the jet of foam-forming liquid is an injector nozzle having its discharge end extending into the expansion chamber beyond said end wall.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A nozzle assembly as defined in claim 9, wherein the injector nozzle is frusto-conical in shape with inwardly converging side walls, and is mounted in the end wall of the hollow member containing the expansion chamber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 10, wherein the converging walls of the injector nozzle form a passage that tapers toward the discharge end thereof on an included angle of about 22*.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 6, wherein the expansion chamber has confronting, arcuate side walls forming a partially spherical expansion chamber.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 12, wherein the arcuate side walls of the expansion chamber curve inwardly at the outlet end of the expansion chamber to deflect the expanding streams formed therein toward the axis of the discharge nozzle.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 9, wherein the means for dividing the foam-forming liquid into a plurality of streams is a divider comprising an array of converging wires joined together at one end, and flaring radially outwardly at their other end, and wherein the flared end of the divider is disposed adjacent the discharge end of the injector nozzle.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 14, wherein the hollow member is made of reinforced epoxy resin, and wherein the flared ends of the wires are secured to the end wall of the hollow member by strips of fiberglass cloth initially saturated with epoxy resin.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 14, wherein the outwardly flaring ends of the divider are arcuate and the portion thereof in the projected path of the discharge orifice is spaced a predetermined distance from said orifice.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 14, wherein the joined ends of the wires of the divider terminate at a point slightly beyond the point of maximum diametrical distance between opposite walls of the expansion chamber.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 14, wherein the joined ends of the wires of the stream divider are secured together to form a zone-like structure.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 14, wherein the wires are equi-angularly spaced apart circumferentially in circular array and wherein the included angle between diametrically opposed wires is about 10*.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
40 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 9, wherein an eductor tube for supplying foam concentRate is disposed axially within the injector nozzle and has an outlet end that terminates in the region of the discharge end of said injector nozzle.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
33 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 14, wherein the flow deflector comprises a cone-shaped member having its apex confronting but longitudinally spaced from the joined ends of the wires of the stream divider.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 21, wherein the flow deflector is supported in the discharge nozzle by radial vanes.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
39 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 22, wherein the flow deflector and radial vanes are located in a zone a little less than about one-third the length of the discharge nozzle from the inlet end of the discharge nozzle.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
65 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 9, wherein the air inlet openings for the primary air are formed in the end wall of the hollow member radially outwardly of the stream divider; and wherein a ring mounts the hollow member in the inlet end of the discharge nozzle, and wherein the means for admitting the secondary air comprises air inlet openings formed in said ring.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
37 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 24, wherein the ratio of the total area of the inlet openings for secondary air to the total area of the openings for primary air is about 3 1/4 to 1.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
50 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 25, wherein the discharge nozzle, hollow member, and ring are formed of reinforced epoxy resin, and wherein the ring is secured to the hollow member and to the inlet end of the discharge nozzle by strips of fiberglass cloth initially saturated with epoxy resin.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
15 words
A nozzle as defined in claim 6, including a handle connected to the discharge nozzle.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-09-26 | 1976-03-27 | 1976-09-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-09-26 | 1980-03-27 | 1980-09-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-09-26 | 1984-03-27 | 1984-09-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |