US1904828A - Thermoelectric sprinkler head - Google Patents

Description

pril 18, 1933. C, E` GREEN 1,904,828

THERMOELECTRI C SPRINKLER HEAD Filed Jan. 28, 1930 z 6 muy giri-Eau El K l i MA 'l l 6" 1* j 30 J0 a Il gwn/Oude@ Wal-Zas .5? ree.

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Patented Apr. 18, 17933 Y UNr11-fr; r

CHARLES fn. eiuazni\r,`` oF lrntv'ruoxnrjnnonn ','Isrrelyfrressrsfisoit rawruonm' A soREW ooMPANY; org PAWTUoKnT, nHonn grsrlAun, n ooRronA'rroN v or girona ISLAND 'l rniinnontnofrno SPR;iaizfnn'nl :anni y,

p Appncatid sied, Janur'y'za 193x511 vserial No, 424,032',`

The present invention relates teithermally controlled sprinkling apparatus Vforbuild ings and more particularly toy means fr releasably initiating thelowV of wat'erin the event of suiicient heat being generated in the vicinity of the device, and in the provision of control meansfor the-device; l

`More specifically the present deviceis a sprinkling head constructed and arrangedto release, a iiow controlling valve in the headv upon excess of temperature, such `as would be produced in the eventof a re,=thereby releasing a fire extinguishing spray of Wa-Vv ter. 'i Y Most devices of this nature rel 'for'h their operation upon the melting ory a usible link, directly from the heat of the ire,this'mel t ing, releasing certain elements whichp'er mit the spray valve to open; i

The sprinkling device, however, must perorce be locatedat a suicientheight 'above the floor to permit of `a spraying overa Wide area, and a fire `starting adjacent the floor may gain considerable headway before the heat therefrom reaches a sufficient temiY perature at the location of the'rfusiblelink to permit the sprinklerto come? into action, and accordingly, one o f 'the objects of lthe present inventionis to provide means ,located ata strategic point inthe'room, as for example adjacent theoor or 'in' any other suitable position,Y for'controlling the sprinkler even'before the heat from the fire is sufficiently great to directly melt the link.

Another object resides in the provision of valve releasing means, which While adapted for remote control'is also capable of being directly controlled, should the lire occur close tothe sprinkler. j 1

The present invention contemplates a sprinkler head having agpair of toggle arms which are held normally'tensioned by a fusible link, therebyto hold the flow controlling valve closed, but which upon melting of the linkrwill release the'` valve`.` While thelink Vitself may be melted directlyv by the` ire,'a

thermostat orV thermostatic switch "is''lprovided inelectrical connection-with the linka' whereby upon actuation Vof"thethermostat by heat, from a lire, a-current of electricity sutficientlystrongV toffusethelink `will be passed throughthedeviceand" the* valve thus Vf-To the attainment of these and other Aobv jects of the invention which will appearias the Adescription proceeds, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which?? l' 1 Fig. 1; representsa sidel elevation partly inv Fig.` 3 is an Velevationllooking to the left orfFigManuSu ,section of thesprinklerhead and the control Figli is a detail perspective ofa toggle Y lever link which-controls the device.

flThe generalprinciples and construction of this devicearesimilar in the maintothe many similar,` articles and systems heretofore-proposed andi on the market, but, in the accompanying description in which like reference numerals" designate like parts, it

will'be seen'that there `isprovided afhead orframe member v-10 having a hollow, threaded portion 11 by means of -which'the head `is, mounted in a pipe line.V `At the top ofV the frame, is a spreader or delector12 which acts, upon operation'of Vthe ydevice to throw the Water issuing from the hollow threaded portion 11 over the controlled area.l This spreader -is adjustably mounted by me'anslof a threaded stem 13 in the frame Y Y 10,il the stem having a notch '.14 at its lower 611,--

The -upper end of the hollow, threaded portion `11fis formedl lvvithV aseat 16 for al valve 15,` this valve having -a notchl disposed substantially oppositev to thenotch 14,'-and both notches ar'elocated onthe center line of the frame. Y

A pair of toggle levers 18 and 19 are pro-k vided, the upper lever` 18 having a portion seating' in the notch 1'4 and the lower lever 19 having a similar portion se'ated in the' notch 17. ,A toggle link 2O is-pivotedfat' 21 lto the link 19, vanda' secondV toggle'link ,Y

22 formed ofinsulating material, such as- Bakelite, ispivoted at 23 tothe lever 18. This link 22 isprovided with abifurca'tedf extension `24: in advance Vof its piv'fotal-"pointV and the link 2O is provided at its free end with a pin 25 extending from both sides of the link, whereby when the l-ink 2O is mounted in the bifurcated portion 24, the pin will engage the sides of the portion 24 and retain the links normally in engagement.

Connecting the end ofthe link 22 opposite its bifurcated portion, with the lever 19 is a fuse link 26, this fusible member being retained in position by a terminal bolt 27 in theilink 22, and a similar terminal boltI 28 in the lever 19. It will be obvious that the links 2O and 22, when held in position by l the fusible member 26, (Fig. 1) will act to retain the toggle levers 18 andr 19 against movement, and that, by virtue of the leverage provided through use of the links, less tensile strain is placed on the member 26 Vof heat generated by fire in the vicinity than would be the caseif the links were omitted. j n

,u Suitable leads 29 and SOare provided from the Vterminals 27 and 28 to a thermostatic switch 21 located at a suitable point in the room, thus placing the fuse 26 in a circuit normally held open by the thermostat, but adapted to be closed upon actuationthereof. Between the opposite ends ofthe toggle levers from the links, Va rockerfhinge 31 is provided, which hinge acts as a spacer during-assemblage' ofthe links Aand levers.

In assembling the device, after the links are connected, at one end Vof the levers, the

other end of the levers 18 and 19 are'placed' in their respective seats14 and :.17 with the hinge 31 therebetween and heldin place by tension. The tension is applied by adjustment of the spreader 12 through its threaded portion 13 on the one side, and by pressure of water against the valve v15 from the other side. This adjustment and pressure, places compression on the levers atone side of spacer 81, and the fuse 26 and the links 20 and 22 act to prevent movement of the levers on the other side of the spacer, and

hence are placed under a tension.

The device may be assembled by vplacing an initial tension through depression of link 22, and inal tension through adjustment of spreader 12, it being understood that the ends of lever 18 and`19 and the spreader 31 have been placedfin the frame 10.

Having thus described the invention, the operation thereof is readily apparent. The terminal nut Y10 being attached to the thermostatic switch, acts to connect the thermostat to thefusible element 26, and the thermostat upon operation caused by the action closes the circuit through the fusible element, which fusible' element, as stated above, Yis preferably wire, formed `ofeasily meltable material. Being unable to stand the Vload the fuseA will melt thus removing` all restraint lfrom the link 22 and permitting samer to partake of a pivotal movement. This .passing centrally through the notches 14 and 17 (see line 2-2 of Fig. 1), and as the downward pressure from the spreader is along Vthis line, obviously such pressure is only from the fulcrum formed by hinge 31 to the line, and from the fulcrfum to the outer ends of the vlevers L18-,19, there will be a tendency toward upward movement which movement is normally prevented b-y the elements 22 and 20, which are restrained by the fuse 26.1

Consequently, upon a deficiency of the fuse 26 the water `pressure will cause van upward movement of the end of lever 19, about the hinge 31 as a fulcrum, and this movement will tend to drop the right hand end (as viewed in Fig. 1) of the lever 19 drawing down the link 20, While the terminal end of link 22 is rising.

As this toggle movement is taking place, the valve 15 is, of course, opening wider unseated, and is free to drop, whereupon the water being projected by its own pressure against the spreader 12, will act to extinguish the fire.

Of course, should the ire occur at a pointy adjacent the sprinkler, heat therefrom will melt the fuse 26 ljust as effectively as an overload passed by the thermostat.

The invention' then provides a simple; effective sprinkler head, whereinV the parts, when assembled, act to close a iiow controlling valve, but in which release of the valveV may be effected bydirect action of heat or by indirect action of a thermostatically con-V trolled electric circuit which is in turn `operable through the action of heat.

Y Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. The combination with a sprinkler head having a iow controlling valve, of a togglev device for `holding the .valve on its seat, in-

cluding means forplacing stress upon said means including anV insulating member,

thermally Vresponsive means, and electroconductive means connecting" said thermally responsive means throughsaid insulating member t0 said stress retaining means.

2. AV thermo-electric sprinkler head, com,-V

prising a flow controlling valve, a toggle device for seating said valve, means for placing said device under stress, said toggle device consisting of toggle levers, a fulcrum member and a pair of toggle links pivoted respectively to said levers and engageable with each other to restrain said levers from movement, one of said links being'pivoted adjacent an end, to its lever and having its other end extending from the leverV and thermally controlled means connecting said extended end to the other lever thereby to retain said links in engagement and effective under the action of heat to permit a dis-en gagement of said links. Y a

3. A thermo-electric sprinkler head, com prising a flow controlling valve,`a toggle devicefor seating said valve, means for Yplac ing said device under stress, said toggle device consisting of toggle levers, a fulcruin member and a pair of toggle links pivoted respectively to said levers, and engageable with each other to restrain said levers from movement, one of said links being pivoted adjacent an end, to its lever and having its other end extending from the lever and a fusible link connecting said extended end to the other lever thereby to Y maintain said device under stress until fusing of the link.

4. A thermo-electric sprinkler head, comprising a flow controlling valve, a toggle device or seating said valve, meansfor placing said device under stress, said to gle device consisting of toggle levers, a ulcrum member and a pair of toggle links pivoted respectively to said levers, and engageable with each other to restrain said levers from movement, one of said links being of insulating material and pivoted adjacent an end, to its lever and having its other end extending from the lever, a terminal on said extended end, and thermallyV controlled means connecting said terminal to the other of said levers for maintaining said device under stress, constructed to release said device under influence of an electric overload, and thermostatically controlled means connected to said terminal and to said lever for passing an electric overload through said lastmeans.

5. A thermo-electric sprinkler head, comprising a flow controlling valve anda Water deflector, a toggle device for seatingVV said valve, means for lacing said device under stress inclu ing said e deflector, said toggle device consisting of toggle levers, `a'ulcrum member and a pair of toggle links pivoted respectively to said levers and engageable with each other to restrain said levers Vfrom movement, one of said links being pivoted adjacent an'end to its lever, and having its other end extending` from the lever being of insulating material, and a fusible link connecting said extended end to the other lever thereby to maintain said device under stress until fusing of the link, jandf thermostatically con+ trolled means forrpassing ani electric-'overload through said fusible link., i

- 6. A -thermoelectric.sprinkler head, comprising a flow controlling valve, a-toggle device;V for seating saidvalve,l vmeans for placing said devicej under stress, said toggle' device consisting of toggle levers, ,a fulcrum` vmemberxand a pairfof togglelinks pivoted respectively 'to said levers,f andengageable vvitheach` other to*-restrainsaid levers `from movement, one l of said links being pivoted adjacentan end to its lever, and having its v`other endextending rom'the lever being of insulatingimaterial and' carry'-V ing an electric-terminal, andv a fusible link connecting said extendedend'to thefother lever thereby to maintain y said deviceV under stress until fusingio'i1 the" link, and--thermof statically controlled Vmeans for passing` an electric over-load throughV Vsaid terminal rand fusible link.,V v Y 7. A thermo-electric sprinkler head,V comprising a ow'ncontrolling"valve, atoggle device for seating said valve, means for placing said 4- device under stress, said togglez device consisting of togglell'evers,

a rocker hingeforming a Afulcrumbetween4 Y the ends of said levers, and a pairo'toggle links pivoted respectively to said levers-'and `enga,f ;eable-vv`ith each other to restrain said levers from movement, one of said links be ing pivoted adjacent an end, to its lever and having its other end extending from the lever and thermally` controlled means connecting said extended end to the other lever f thereby to retain said links in engagement, and effective under theaction of heat to permit a dis-engagement of said links.

8V. A thermo-electric sprinklerhead, comprising a flow controlling valve, a toggle device for seating said, valve, means for placing said device under stress, said toggle; device consisting of toggle levers, a ulcrum member and a pair of toggle links pivoted respectively toV said levers, one of said links having a bifurcated end andthe-other having a projecting pin engageable with said end, whereby said links, when engaged, re-

strain said levers from movement, said rst link being pivoted adjacentits bifurcated end to its lever and having its other end extending from the lever and thermally controlled means connecting said extended end` to the other of said leversto retain said links and levers in engagement, saidV means being effective under the action of heat to permit a dis-engagement of said links.

9. A thermo-'electricsprinkler head, coml prising a vtloW controlling valve, a toggle device for seating said valve, meansl for placing said device under stress, said toggle device consisting Vof toggle levers, a ful- Y crum member and a'pair of Atoggle links, one of which is pivoted intermediate its,

ends to one of said levers, and the other of which is pivoted atl its end to the other of I said levers, said rst link having a forked end and said second link having a projection at its free-end engageable with the fork of said first link, whereby to restrain said levers from Vmovement, and thermally controlled means to retain said links 1n engagement, effective under the vaction of heat to permit a dis-engagement of said links.

10. The combination With a sprinkler head having a flow controlling valve and va Water deflector, of a toggle device. for holding the valve lon' its seat, means form? ing part of said deviceV for placing stressl upon said toggle device When in operative position, said deflector having a portion cooperative Withsaid first means for placing vstress upon said device, said first means including anv insulating member, electrically fusible means normally retaining the toggle device under stress effective under the action of heat to release said valve and having a terminal extending through said member, and thermostatically controlled means, connected in circuit with said fusible means and terminal to pass electric Acurrents to said fusible means.

In testimony whereofl I hereunto affix my signature.

CHARLES E. GREENf

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