Control valve and discharge hose for pressurized fire extinguishers

Claim 2

A fire extinguisher comprising: a tank for holding a charge of pressurized fire extinguishing material; a normally closed manually operable discharge valve connected to the tank; said valve including two relatively movable metal members which, in the closed condition of the valve, are in a predetermined position relative to each other and which must be moved relatively out of said position to open the valve; characterized in that a metal shear pin operatively interconnects and locks the members in said predetermined position, and is shearable by movement of the members out of said predetermined position by a force normally applied manually to one of the members in a direction to move the members out of said predetermined position, which force, at maximum, is small enough so that it can be readily applied by the hand of an operator; and said pin has sufficient strength to be sheared clean, free from bending and breaking, and to provide substantial, readily detectable, resistance to said movement by manually applied forces less than said maximum force.

Claim 3

The structure according to claim 1 wherein shearing abutment means are carried by the members respectively, the shear pin is insertable between the abutment means and, when so inserted, is supported thereby in position for so locking the members and with at least one portion of the pin disposed exteriorly of the valve and in a position relative to the abutment means and valve so that said portion can be sheared off of the remainder of the pin by the abutment means upon said movement of said members out of said predetermined position and, when so sheared off, can drop free of the valve and out of interfering relation to the operation of any of the valve parts.

Claim 4

The structure according to claim 1 wherein the valve includes an operating handle which is movable in one direction to move said members out of said predetermined position so as to open the valve; the relation of the strength of the pin to the strength of the handle is such that the pin is shearable by force applied to the handle in said one direction of movement of the handle, and which would be insufficient to damage the handle were the handle locked fixedly against said movement in said one direction while said force is applied.

Claim 5

The structure according to claim 1 wherein said members have passages therethrough which are positioned to receive the pin, one end portion foremost, when the members are in said predetermined position; the shear pin lies in said passages and said one end portion projects endwise of the pin beyond the passages and exterior surface of the members; and restraining means are provided on said one end portion of the pin and normally constrain the pin from withdrawal, other end foremost, from the passages.

Claim 6

The structure according to claim 4 wherein said restraining means is a fastener engaged with said one end portion of the pin and positioned to engage one of the members and prevent said withdrawal of the pin from the passages while the fastener remains intact; and said fastener is non-metallic and is readily broken free from said end portion of the pin by forces applied to the pin in a direction to pull the pin other end foremost out of the passages.

Claim 7

The structure according to claim 5 wherein the fastener is composed of set synthetic plastic.

Claim 8

The structure according to claim 1 wherein the members and pin are metals which resist galvanic corrosion relative to each other when in mutual contact.

Claim 9

A fire extinguisher comprising: a pressurizable tank; a discharge fitting connected to the tank and having a discharge passage; an imperforate seal detachably secured to the fitting and closing said passage; a manuallY operable valve having a body detachably connected to the tank and having a discharge passage in communication with the discharge passage of the fitting when the latter passage is open; said valve including a plug which is manually operable for opening the valve and a return spring normally sealing the plug, said plug and spring being in said passage with the spring between the plug and the discharge passage of the fitting; cutting means connected to the valve body and having a passage therethrough connecting the fitting passage and valve passage; said cutting means including a cylindrical sleeve between the spring and discharge passage, and an integral blade extending from the inner end of the sleeve and of hardened cutting material, and protruding endwise from the sleeve toward the seal and supporting the blade for concurrent rotation and advance toward the sleeve; said blade being operable by said concurrent rotation and advance to pierce the seal and cut an arcuate kerf therein of at least 360*; and said spring being shaped to restrain the cut-loose part of the seal from being driven by the discharge from the tank toward the valve beyond the inner end of the spring and to prevent the cut-loose part from assuming any position in which it could interfere with adequate discharge of the charge from the tank.

Claim 10

A fire extinguisher comprising: a pressurizable tank; a discharge fitting connected to the tank and having a discharge passage; an imperforate seal detachably secured to the fitting and closing said passage; a manuallY operable valve having a body detachably connected to the tank and having a discharge passage in communication with the discharge passage of the fitting when the latter passage is open; said valve including a plug which is manually operable for opening the valve and a return spring normally sealing the plug, said plug and spring being in said passage with the spring between the plug and the discharge passage of the fitting; cutting means connected to the valve body and having a passage therethrough connecting the fitting passage and valve passage; said cutting means including a cylindrical sleeve between the spring and discharge passage, and an integral blade extending from the inner end of the sleeve and of hardened cutting material, and protruding endwise from the sleeve toward the seal and supporting the blade for concurrent rotation and advance toward the sleeve; said blade being operable by said concurrent rotation and advance to pierce the seal and cut an arcuate kerf therein of at least 360*; and said spring being shaped to restrain the cut-loose part of the seal from being driven by the discharge from the tank toward the valve beyond the inner end of the spring and to prevent the cut-loose part from assuming any position in which it could interfere with adequate discharge of the charge from the tank.

Claim 11

A fire extinguisher comprising: a pressurizable tank for holding a pressurized charge of fire extinguishing material; a normally closed, manually operable, discharge valve connected to the tank; flexible discharge conduit means connected at one of its ends to the valve and including, at its other end, a discharge nozzle; said valve including two members which, in the closed position of the valve, are in a predetermined position relative to each other, which are manually movable relative to each other out of said position, and which are operative when so moved to open the valve; a manually removable restrainer supported by the members and, while so supported, interconnecting said members so as to resist their relative movement out of their said predetermined relative position and so as to be removable from said normal interconnecting relation by bodily movement of the restrainer manually away from the valve for thereby freeing the members for relative movement out of their said predetermined relative position; characterized in that: said restrainer has a connecting portion which connects the restrainer to the conduit means in close proximity to the nozzle and which supports the nozzle in a position near the valve and so that the restrainer is removable from its normal interconnecting position by predetermined movement of the nozzle away from the valve.

Claim 12

A fire extinguisher comprising: a pressurizable tank for holding a pressurized charge of fire extinguishing material; a normally closed, manually operable, discharge valve connected to the tank; flexible discharge conduit means connected at one of its ends to the valve and including, at its other end, a discharge nozzle; said valve including two members which, in the closed position of the valve, are in a predetermined position relative to each other, which are manually movable relative to each other out of said position, and which are operative when so moved to open the valve; a manually removable restrainer supported by the members and, while so supported, interconnecting said members so as to resist their relative movement out of their said predetermined relative position and so as to be removable from said normal interconnecting relation by bodily movement of the restrainer manually away from the valve for thereby freeing the members for relative movement out of their said predetermined relative position; characterized in that: said restrainer has a connecting portion which connects the restrainer to the conduit means in close proximity to the nozzle and which supports the nozzle in a position near the valve and so that the restrainer is removable from its normal interconnecting position by predetermined movement of the nozzle away from the valve.

Claim 13

The structure according to claim 9, wherein an easily frangible fastener is connected to the restrainer and is positioned for engagement with one of the members so as to be broken free of the restrainer and said one of the members by, and upon, said bodily removal of the restrainer.

Claim 14

The structure according to claim 10, wherein the restrainer and members are of metals which resist galvanic corrosion relative to reach other.

Claim 15

The structure according to claim 9, wherein the members have complementary shearing abutments, respectively; the restrainer is a shear pin; said connecting portion extends outwardly from said members exteriorly of the valve so as to be sheared free from the remainder of the pin and freed from the members, upon relative movement of the members out of said predetermined position while the pin is between said abutments, and thereby frees the nozzle for manipulation relative to the valve.

Claim 16

The structure according to claim 9, further characterized in that: said connecting portion supports the conduit means in a position in which the nozzle is directed downwardly and laterally of the valve.