Extinguisher charging system

Claim 1

A system for vacuum-filling a plurality of types of fire extinguishers having varying physical characteristics and requiring differing types of discrete fire-retardant powdered material comprising: a filling station for receiving a variety of empty fire extinguishers having varying capacities and an open orifice of differing diameters through which the extinguisher is to be filled; a vacuum system including a vacuum source; means providing a plurality of separate sources of different types of discrete fire-retardant material; a plurality of filling conduits each having one end connectable in fluid communication with the discrete material from one of said sources and having a movable end connectable to the open orifice of the extinguisher to be filled at the filling station; a plurality of vacuum conduits each having one end connectable to said vacuum source and having a movable end connectable to the open orifice of the extinguisher to be filled at the filling station; coupling means joining one of said filling conduits to one of said vacuum conduits and adapted to simultaneously connect said coupled conduits with the open orifice of the extinguisher to be filled at said filling station; sealing means joined to each pair of coupled conduits and adapted to seal each of said differing diameter extinguisher orifices from the surrounding atmosphere when said coupled conduits are secured within the orifice; and material selection means for coordinating the type and volume of material discharged from said material sources with the type and capacity of the extinguisher at said filling station, said selection means including multiposition control valve means, arranged to provide each pair of coupled conduits with a valve movable to an opened position coupling the connected vacuum conduit to said vacuum source to create a partial vacuum with the extinguisher secured to said coupled conduits and rapidly flow discrete fire-retardant material from a selected one of said sources into said extinguisher through the coupled filling conduit, said valve in each pair of coupled conduits further being movable to a closed position to stop the flow of said selected discrete material through the coupled filling conduit when said extinguisher at said filling station is filled to capacity.

Claim 2

A system for vacuum-filling a plurality of types of fire extinguishers having varying physical characteristics and requiring differing types of discrete fire-retardant powdered material comprising: a filling station for receiving a variety of empty fire extinguishers having varying capacities and an open orifice of differing diameters through which the extinguisher is to be filled; a vacuum system including a vacuum source; means providing a plurality of separate sources of different types of discrete fire-retardant material; a plurality of filling conduits each having one end connectable in fluid communication with the discrete material from one of said sources and having a movable end connectable to the open orifice of the extinguisher to be filled at the filling station; a plurality of vacuum conduits each having one end connectable to said vacuum source and having a movable end connectable to the open orifice of the extinguisher to be filled at the filling station; coupling means joining one of said filling conduits to one of said vacuum conduits and adapted to simultaneously connect said coupled conduits with the open orifice of the extinguisher to be filled at said filling station; sealing means joined to each pair of coupled conduits and adapted to seal each of said differing diameter extinguisher orifices from the surrounding atmosphere when said coupled conduits are secured within the orifice; and material selection means for coordinating the type and volume of material discharged from said material sources with the type and capacity of the extinguisher at said filling station, said selection means including multiposition control valve means, arranged to provide each pair of coupled conduits with a valve movable to an opened position coupling the connected vacuum conduit to said vacuum source to create a partial vacuum with the extinguisher secured to said coupled conduits and rapidly flow discrete fire-retardant material from a selected one of said sources into said extinguisher through the coupled filling conduit, said valve in each pair of coupled conduits further being movable to a closed position to stop the flow of said selected discrete material through the coupled filling conduit when said extinguisher at said filling station is filled to capacity.

Claim 7

A system for vacuum-filling a plurality of types of fire extinguishers having varying physical characteristics and requiring differing types of discrete fire-retardant powdered material comprising: a filling station for receiving a variety of empty fire extinguishers having varying capacities and an open orifice of differing diameters through which the extinguisher is to be filled; a vacuum system including a vacuum source; a plurality of separate reservoirs for housing a supply of different types of discrete fire-retardant material; a plurality of filling conduits each having one end connectable in fluid communication with the discrete material in one of said reservoirs and having a movable end connectable to the open orifice of the extinguisher to be filled at the filling station; a plurality of vacuum conduits each having one end connectable to said vacuum source and having a movable end connectable to the open orifice of the extinguisher to be filled at the filling station; coupling means joining one of said filling conduits to one of said vacuum conduits and adapted to simultaneously connect said coupled conduits with the open orifice of the extinguisher to be filled at said filling station; sealing means joined to each pair of coupled filling and vacuum conduits and adapted to seal each of said differing diameter extinguisher orifices from the surrounding atmosphere when said coupled pair of conduits is secured within the orifice; material section means for coordinating the type and volume of material discharged from said reservoirs with the type and capacity of the extinguisher at said filling station, said selection means including a separate multi-position control valve for each of said vacuum conduits, with each valve movable between an opened position coupling the connected vacuum conduit to said vacuum source and creating a vacuum force in said connected vacuum conduit and a closed position which promptly eliminates said vacuum force in said connected vacuum conduit, so that selective movement of one of said control valves from said closed to said opened position with the coupled vacuum and filling conduits secured within a fire extinguisher orifice, draws a partial vacuum within said extinguisher through said vacuum conduit by means of said vacuum force and thereby creates a pressure differential which rapidly draws discrete fire-retardant material from a selected one of said reservoirs into the extinguisher through the coupled filling conduit, and further wherein the selective movement of one of said control valves from said opened position to said closed position promptly stops the flow of said fire-retardant material through the coupled filling conduit into the extinguisher, when said extinguisher is filled to capacity, and promptly eliminates said vacuum force by venting said coupled filling conduit and said filled extinguisher to atmosphere pressure.

Claim 8

A system for vacuum-filling a plurality of types of fire extinguishers having varying physical characteristics and requiring differing types of discrete fire-retardant powdered material comprising: a filling station for receiving a variety of empty fire extinguishers having varying capacities and an open orifice of differing diameters through which the extinguisher is to be filled; a vacuum system including a vacuum source; a plurality of separate reservoirs for housing a supply of different types of discrete fire-retardant material; a plurality of filling conduits each having one end connectable in fluid communication with the discrete material in one of said reservoirs and having a movable end connectable to the open orifice of the extinguisher to be filled at the filling station; a plurality of vacuum conduits each having one end connectable to said vacuum source and having a movable end connectable to the open orifice of the extinguisher to be filled at the filling station; coupling means joining one of said filling conduits to one of said vacuum conduits and adapted to simultaneously connect said coupled conduits with the open orifice of the extinguisher to be filled at said filling station; sealing means joined to each pair of coupled filling and vacuum conduits and adapted to seal each of said differing diameter extinguisher orifices from the surrounding atmosphere when said coupled pair of conduits is secured within the orifice; material section means for coordinating the type and volume of material discharged from said reservoirs with the type and capacity of the extinguisher at said filling station, said selection means including a separate multi-position control valve for each of said vacuum conduits, with each valve movable between an opened position coupling the connected vacuum conduit to said vacuum source and creating a vacuum force in said connected vacuum conduit and a closed position which promptly eliminates said vacuum force in said connected vacuum conduit, so that selective movement of one of said control valves from said closed to said opened position with the coupled vacuum and filling conduits secured within a fire extinguisher orifice, draws a partial vacuum within said extinguisher through said vacuum conduit by means of said vacuum force and thereby creates a pressure differential which rapidly draws discrete fire-retardant material from a selected one of said reservoirs into the extinguisher through the coupled filling conduit, and further wherein the selective movement of one of said control valves from said opened position to said closed position promptly stops the flow of said fire-retardant material through the coupled filling conduit into the extinguisher, when said extinguisher is filled to capacity, and promptly eliminates said vacuum force by venting said coupled filling conduit and said filled extinguisher to atmosphere pressure.

Claim 10

A system for selectively vacuum-filling a plurality of types of fire extinguishers having varying physical characteristics and requiring differing types of discrete fire-retardant material comprising: a filling station for receiving a variety of empty fire extinguishers having varying capacities and differing open orifice diameters through which the extinguisher is to be filled; a vacuum system including a vacuum source; means providing a plurality of separate sources of different types of discrete fire-retardant material; filling conduit means having one end connectable in fluid communication with the discrete material in one of said material sources and having a movable end; vacuum conduit means having one end connectable to said vacuum source and having a movable end; with the movable ends of said filling and vacuum conduit means being adapted for simultaneous connection with the open orifice of the extinguisher selected to be filled at said filling station; sealing means joined to the movable ends of said filling and vacuum conduit means and sealing each of said differing diameter extinguisher orifices from the surrounding atmosphere when said movable ends of said filling and vacuum conduits are secured within the orifice of an extinguisher at the filling station; and selection means for coordinating the type and volume of discrete fire retardant material to be discharged from said sources with the type and physical characteristics of an extinguisher at said filling station which is selected from a group of extinguishers having differing open orifice diameters, said selection means including valve means coupled to said vacuum conduit means and movable between an opened and a closed position with the movement of said valve means into said opened position creating a partial vacuum in the selected extinguisher at said filling station by coupling said extinguisher to said vacuum source through said vacuum conduit means and charging s selected one of said types of discrete fireretardant material into said selected extinguisher from a selected material source through said filling conduit means, and with the movement of said valve means into said closed position coordinating the volume of said selected discrete material charged into said selected extinguisher with the capacity and type of extinguisher being filled through said filling conduit means by selectively reducing the partial vacuum within the extinguisher at said filling station and thereby reducing the flow of the selected discrete material from the selected source through said filling conduit means.

Claim 11

A system for selectively vacuum-filling a plurality of types of fire extinguishers having varying physical characteristics and requiring differing types of discrete fire-retardant material comprising: a filling station for receiving a variety of empty fire extinguishers having varying capacities and differing open orifice diameters through which the extinguisher is to be filled; a vacuum system including a vacuum source; means providing a plurality of separate sources of different types of discrete fire-retardant material; filling conduit means having one end connectable in fluid communication with the discrete material in one of said material sources and having a movable end; vacuum conduit means having one end connectable to said vacuum source and having a movable end; with the movable ends of said filling and vacuum conduit means being adapted for simultaneous connection with the open orifice of the extinguisher selected to be filled at said filling station; sealing means joined to the movable ends of said filling and vacuum conduit means and sealing each of said differing diameter extinguisher orifices from the surrounding atmosphere when said movable ends of said filling and vacuum conduits are secured within the orifice of an extinguisher at the filling station; and selection means for coordinating the type and volume of discrete fire retardant material to be discharged from said sources with the type and physical characteristics of an extinguisher at said filling station which is selected from a group of extinguishers having differing open orifice diameters, said selection means including valve means coupled to said vacuum conduit means and movable between an opened and a closed position with the movement of said valve means into said opened position creating a partial vacuum in the selected extinguisher at said filling station by coupling said extinguisher to said vacuum source through said vacuum conduit means and charging s selected one of said types of discrete fireretardant material into said selected extinguisher from a selected material source through said filling conduit means, and with the movement of said valve means into said closed position coordinating the volume of said selected discrete material charged into said selected extinguisher with the capacity and type of extinguisher being filled through said filling conduit means by selectively reducing the partial vacuum within the extinguisher at said filling station and thereby reducing the flow of the selected discrete material from the selected source through said filling conduit means.