Fire, smoke and blast damper

Claim 2

In a fire, smoke and blast damper having a frame enclosure for mounting in a duct, a damper curtain including a plurality of metal slats secured at one end to said frame enclosure and being adapted to be rolled inwardly upon itself from the other end so as not to significantly obstruct the flow of air through said duct, and holding means for releasably securing said curtain in said rolled condition, said curtain upon release being unrollable to a duct closing position, the improvement comprising stop means mounted on said frame to be engaged by both sides and the unsecured end of said curtain when unrolled and contacting the curtain to seal against the passage of air through said duct around the curtain, said stop means along both sides being formed by elongated substantially straight stop members which are inclined from a plane perpendicular to the axis of flow through said frame enclosure such that in its unrolled condition the curtain is held against said stop members by the force of its own weight.

Claim 3

In a damper according to claim 1, the further improvement in which said curtain slats each have a flat web portion and upstanding hinge flanges at opposite longitudinal edges thereof, one flange of each slat being formed with a female hook and the other flange of each slat being formed with a male hook, said female hook receiving the male hook of the flange of the adjacent slat to connectively join said slats, said hinge flanges each extending from a common side of said web so that the reverse sides of said webs form a substantially flat surface which bears at the sides of the curtain against said stop members when said curtain is in an unrolled duct closing position.

Claim 4

A damper according to claim 2 in which said frame enclosure has panels carrying said stop means, and said side stop members are disposed at an angle of between 15* and 75* from said plane perpendicular to the axis of flow; the combination of the curtain slat and hinge construction, and the downward incline of the stop members enabling the kinetic energy due to the weight of the curtain to unroll and fully extend the curtain into flattened position against the stops.

Claim 5

In a damper according to claim 2, the further improvement in which gasket material is mounted on the surface of said stop members contacting the flat surface of the curtain at its sides.

Claim 6

In a damper according to claim 4, the further improvement in which gasket strips are secured to one hinge flange of each adjacent interconnected pair of hinge flanges, said gasket strip being squeezed between said adjacent hinge flanges when said curtain is unrolled to a duct closing position, the gasket material at the sides of the curtain and the gasket strips between the slats of the curtain combining to provide a substantially air-tight seal through and around the curtain.

Claim 7

In a damper according to claim 1, the further improvement comprising a power actuator for unrolling said curtain after it is released by said holding means.

Claim 8

A damper according to claim 6 in which said power actuator is a spring steel tape secured to said curtain to be coiled up inside the rolled curtain.

Claim 9

A damper according to claim 1 wherein said frame enclosure has side panels carrying said stop means, and said side stop members are disposed at an angle of between about 15* and 30* from said plane perpendicular to the axis of flow.

Claim 10

In a damper according to claim 1, the further improvement wherein said holding means comprise a line with a releasable link.

Claim 11

A damper according to claim 1 including a spring latch means mounted on said frame enclosure for positively engaging said curtain in an unrolled duct closing position and securing said curtain in its fully extended position against said stop members.

Claim 12

A damper according to claim 1 in which a fireproof gasket material is secured to an upper surface of said stop members and said curtain slats together define in the fully unrolled condition of the curtain a substantially flat surface which engages said gasket material.

Claim 13

A damper according to claim 11 in which said curtain slats are hingedly interconnected in a series, gasket material is interposed in the hinge connection of each pair of slats and the connection is formed with elements which close and squeeze the gasket material between the elements of the hinge as said curtain is unrolled to a duct closing position to prevent the passage of air between the slats of the unrolled curtain.

Claim 14

In a fire, smoke, and blast damper having a frame enclosure for mounting in a duct, a damper curtain including a plurality of slats secured at one end to said frame enclosure and being adapted to be rolled upon itself from the other end so as to permit the flow or air through said duct, and means holding said curtain in said rolled condition and operable to release said rolled curtain, said curtain upon release by said holding means being unrollable to a duct closing position, the combination comprising: stop means mounted on said frame inclined at an angle with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of flow through said frame enclosure for supporting at least a portion of the weight of said curtain when in said unrolled duct closing position, a spring steel strip secured to said curtain so as to be coiled inside the rolled curtain and provide force for unrolling the curtain after it is released, and latch means mounted on said frame enclosure for engagement by said curtain as it is unrolled and positively securing said curtain against said stops.

Claim 15

In a fire, smoke, and blast damper having a frame enclosure for mounting in a duct, a damper curtain including a plurality of slats secured at one end to said frame enclosure and being adapted to be rolled upon itself from the other end so as to permit the flow or air through said duct, and means holding said curtain in said rolled condition and operable to release said rolled curtain, said curtain upon release by said holding means being unrollable to a duct closing position, the combination comprising: stop means mounted on said frame inclined at an angle with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of flow through said frame enclosure for supporting at least a portion of the weight of said curtain when in said unrolled duct closing position, a spring steel strip secured to said curtain so as to be coiled inside the rolled curtain and provide force for unrolling the curtain after it is released, and latch means mounted on said frame enclosure for engagement by said curtain as it is unrolled and positively securing said curtain against said stops.

Claim 16

In a fire, smoke, and blast damper having a frame enclosure for mounting in a duct, the combination comprising: a damper curtain including a plurality of metal slats secured at one end to said frame enclosure and being adapted to be rolled inwardly upon itself from the other end and held in the rolled condition so as not to significantly obstruct the flow through said duct, said curtain slats each having a flat web portion and upstanding hinge flanges at opposite longitudinal edges thereof, one flange of each slat being formed with a female hook and the other flange of each slat being formed with a male hook, said female hook receiving the male hook of the flange of the adjacent slat to connectively join said slats, said hinge flanges each extending from a common side of said web so that the reverse sides of said webs form a substantially flat surface when said curtain is unrolled to a duct closing position; and curtain sealing means including stop means mounted on said frame to be engaged by both sides and the unsecured end of said curtain when unrolled, said stop means along both sides being formed by elongated substantially straight stop members positioned so as to be inclined at an angle with respect to a plane perpendicular ro the axis of flow through said frame enclosure such that the curtain is held in its unrolled condition against said stop members by the by the force of its own weight, gasket material mounted on the surface of said stop members contacting the flat surface of the curtain at its sides, and gasket strips secured to one hinge flange of each adjacent interconnected pair of hinge flanges, said gasket strips being squeezed between said adjacent hinge flanges when said curtain is unrolled to a duct closing position, the gasket material at the sides of the curtain and the gasket strips between the slats of the curtain combining to provide a substantially air-tight seal through and around the curtain.

Claim 17

In a fire, smoke, and blast damper having a frame enclosure for mounting in a duct, the combination comprising: a damper curtain including a plurality of metal slats secured at one end to said frame enclosure and being adapted to be rolled inwardly upon itself from the other end and held in the rolled condition so as not to significantly obstruct the flow through said duct, said curtain slats each having a flat web portion and upstanding hinge flanges at opposite longitudinal edges thereof, one flange of each slat being formed with a female hook and the other flange of each slat being formed with a male hook, said female hook receiving the male hook of the flange of the adjacent slat to connectively join said slats, said hinge flanges each extending from a common side of said web so that the reverse sides of said webs form a substantially flat surface when said curtain is unrolled to a duct closing position; and curtain sealing means including stop means mounted on said frame to be engaged by both sides and the unsecured end of said curtain when unrolled, said stop means along both sides being formed by elongated substantially straight stop members positioned so as to be inclined at an angle with respect to a plane perpendicular ro the axis of flow through said frame enclosure such that the curtain is held in its unrolled condition against said stop members by the by the force of its own weight, gasket material mounted on the surface of said stop members contacting the flat surface of the curtain at its sides, and gasket strips secured to one hinge flange of each adjacent interconnected pair of hinge flanges, said gasket strips being squeezed between said adjacent hinge flanges when said curtain is unrolled to a duct closing position, the gasket material at the sides of the curtain and the gasket strips between the slats of the curtain combining to provide a substantially air-tight seal through and around the curtain.