Fire extinguishing system

Claim 2

A fire extinguishing system for use in structures wherein a potential fire hazard is separated from the remainder of the structure by a partition, said system comprising: a partition; an opening in said partition; a fire extinguisher mounted on said partition adjacent said opening said fire extinguisher including a container filled with a material capable of extinguishing fires and a preloaded actuator for releasing the contents of the container; nozzle means associated with said container and including a generally rigid tube extending through the opening in said partition for directing the contents of the container to the area on the side of the partition opposite the container when said actuator releases the contents of the container; means including a lever associated with said actuator and extending through said opening for normally restraining the actuator in an inoperative position; and heat sensitive means mounted on and interconnecting said tube and said lever on said partition opposite side and operative to sense the heat of a fire and cause said lever to cease restraining said actuator.

Claim 3

A fire extinguishing system according to claim 1 wherein said actuator comprises a shaft-like element mounted for longitudinal movement and having a latching portion thereon, and a spring biasing the shaft for movement in a predetermined direction; and said lever includes a latch adapted to engage said latching portion to restrain said shaft, said lever further being mounted for movement to a position out of engagement with said latching portion and including means thereon whereby said shaft may be moved to said inoperative position by engagement of said latching portion with said latch to cam said latch out of the path of movement of said shaft as said shaft moves to said inoperative position.

Claim 4

A fire extinguishing system according to claim 2 wherein said latching portion is formed to extend only partially about the periphery of the shaft; and a manual actuator for rotating said shaft so that said latching portion is rotated free of said latch to cause manual actuation of said system.

Claim 5

A fire extinguishing system adapted for automatic aCtuation upon the detection of fire comprising: a container adapted to receive an extinguishing agent; valve means movable between a first position wherein the contents of the container are retained therein and a second position wherein the contents of the container may be expelled therefrom to extinguish a fire; means biasing said valve means for movement towards said second position; latch means normally in engagement with said valve means to restrain the same in the first position; heat sensitive means associated with said latch means for causing said latch means to release said valve means when a fire has been detected so that said latch means may move from a first position restraining said valve means to a second position wherein said valve means may move to its second position, said heat sensitive means requiring resetting after each detection of a fire thereby; and means on said valve means and said latch means for moving said latch means from its first position when said valve means is moved from its second position towards its first position whereby said heat sensitive means may be reset and said valve means recocked at different times.

Claim 6

A fire extinguishing system adapted for automatic aCtuation upon the detection of fire comprising: a container adapted to receive an extinguishing agent; valve means movable between a first position wherein the contents of the container are retained therein and a second position wherein the contents of the container may be expelled therefrom to extinguish a fire; means biasing said valve means for movement towards said second position; latch means normally in engagement with said valve means to restrain the same in the first position; heat sensitive means associated with said latch means for causing said latch means to release said valve means when a fire has been detected so that said latch means may move from a first position restraining said valve means to a second position wherein said valve means may move to its second position, said heat sensitive means requiring resetting after each detection of a fire thereby; and means on said valve means and said latch means for moving said latch means from its first position when said valve means is moved from its second position towards its first position whereby said heat sensitive means may be reset and said valve means recocked at different times.

Claim 7

The fire extinguishing system of claim 4 wherein said valve means includes a latching collar mounted thereon for engagement by said latch means, and said last-named means includes a cam-like surface on one of said latch means and said collar.

Claim 8

The fire extinguishing system of claim 5 wherein said latch means includes an elongated lever having a latch at one end adapted to engage said collar; said heat sensitive means includes a fusible link connected to the other end of said lever; and further including means for mounting said lever for movement between said two positions thereof comprising a pivotally mounted link in turn pivotally connected to said lever intermediate its ends; and spring means normally biasing said lever toward its second position about the pivotal connection of said link to said lever.

Claim 9

A fire extinguisher particularly suited for installation in a structure wherein a potential fire hazard is separated from other portions of the structure by a partition and adapted to be mounted on the side of the partition remote from the fire hazard and capable of sensing a fire condition on the other side of the partition and for directing a fire extinguishing material at the hazard when a fire condition is sensed, said fire extinguisher comprising: a substantially sealed housing adapted to be secured to the partition, said housing including a surface adapted to abut the partition about an opening therein, a first opening in said housing extending in the direction of said surface; an elongated nozzle received in said opening and adapted to project through an opening in a partition when the housing is secured thereto; a second opening in said housing; a container adapted to contain a fire extinguishing material under pressure received in said second opening; means in said housing interconnecting said first and second openings; valve means mounted in said housing for controlling the passage of fire extinguishing material from said container to said nozzle, said valve means being normally biased towards an open position; a lever movably mounted in said housing and adapted, at one position thereof, to hold said valve means in a closed position, said lever including an extension extending past said surface and adapted to pass through an opening in the partition when the housing is mounted on a partition; and heat fusible means interconnecting said nozzle and said extension for normally holding said lever in said one position whereby when a fire occurs on the side of the partition opposite the housing, the resulting fusing of the heat fusible means will permit said lever to move from said one position whereupon said valve means will open to permit the flow of fire extinguishing material to said nozzle to extinguish the fire on the other side of the partition.

Claim 10

A fire extinguisher particularly suited for installation in a structure wherein a potential fire hazard is separated from other portions of the structure by a partition and adapted to be mounted on the side of the partition remote from the fire hazard and capable of sensing a fire condition on the other side of the partition and for directing a fire extinguishing material at the hazard when a fire condition is sensed, said fire extinguisher comprising: a substantially sealed housing adapted to be secured to the partition, said housing including a surface adapted to abut the partition about an opening therein, a first opening in said housing extending in the direction of said surface; an elongated nozzle received in said opening and adapted to project through an opening in a partition when the housing is secured thereto; a second opening in said housing; a container adapted to contain a fire extinguishing material under pressure received in said second opening; means in said housing interconnecting said first and second openings; valve means mounted in said housing for controlling the passage of fire extinguishing material from said container to said nozzle, said valve means being normally biased towards an open position; a lever movably mounted in said housing and adapted, at one position thereof, to hold said valve means in a closed position, said lever including an extension extending past said surface and adapted to pass through an opening in the partition when the housing is mounted on a partition; and heat fusible means interconnecting said nozzle and said extension for normally holding said lever in said one position whereby when a fire occurs on the side of the partition opposite the housing, the resulting fusing of the heat fusible means will permit said lever to move from said one position whereupon said valve means will open to permit the flow of fire extinguishing material to said nozzle to extinguish the fire on the other side of the partition.

Claim 11

The fire extinguisher of claim 7 further including an Electrical switch mounted in said housing, said electric switch having an actuator adapted to be engaged by said valve means as said valve means moves to an open position and adapted to be connected in an electrical system.

Claim 12

The fire extinguisher of claim 7 wherein said second opening is threaded and said container includes a threaded end, threadedly and releasably received within said second opening whereby said container may be replaced or removed for recharging without removing said housing from a partition to which it is secured.

Claim 13

A fire extinguishing system according to claim 2 further including means for engaging said lever to move the same out of engagement with said latching portion, said means including a manual actuator whereby the system may be manually actuated upon detection of a fire.