US2558450A - Sprinkler head - Google Patents

Description

5. F. MARTIN SPRINKLER HEAD Filed April 19, 1948 INVENTOR.

SAM/1E1. 11" MART/N,

ATTORNEY.

i $5235 #5 flwas 2 l 1 4 w Patented June 26, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in temperature-responsive sprinklers of the type used in fire prevention systems.

A great variety of temperature-responsive sprinklers have been heretofore provided, these sprinklers being .capable of discharging water whenever the temperature within a closure exceeds a predetermined maximum. In sprinkling systems of this type, the conduits or pipes are connected to a source of water under pressure, and although in some instances the pipes themselves are concealed by the ceiling, sofiit, paneling or other surfacing material used on the interior of the room or other enclosure which it is desired to protect, the sprinkler heads themselves protrude from such ceiling, soilit or paneling and extend into the room or enclosure.

These protruding nozzles are objectionable, inasmuch as they impair the appearance of the room, interfere with ceiling decorations, impair the symmetry of the room and cast undesirable shadows. Although fire protection of the character given by automatic sprinkler systems is highly desirable, the disadvantageous features hereinabove referred to have in many instances prevented the utilization of such systems.

Generally stated, the present invention relates to a sprinkler assembly which may be used with water supply conduits extending through ceiling cavities or other surfaces beyond the ceiling, soffit or paneling of a room. The sprinkler includes a nozzle arranged for connection with such conduit, the nozzle being provided with an outlet port directed toward an opening or port cut in the ceiling or paneling. The nozzle is provided with a slidable guide carrying a deflector. Frangible means are provided for normally holding the deflector within the opening or port of the ceiling. Temperature-responsive, preferably fusible means are provided for normally holding a closure, plug or valve over the nozzle outlet. These elements are so arranged that the deflector is in a collapsed position (within or above the port or opening of the ceiling), but when the temperature-responsive means are released, the flow of water through the outlet port of the nozzle breaks the frangible means and causes the deflector to extend into the room being protected, permitting the Water to be distributed over a large area in such room.

In addition, the invention contemplates the use of a housing around each of the nozzles, said housing being capable of assisting in holding the ceiling in position and properly correlat ing the sprinkler with relation to the port in the ceiling. When the frangible means are of a reticulated character, air from the room being safeguarded may readily enter the housing and there act upon the fusible linkage, which releases the sprinkler plug.

It is an object of the present invention to disclose and provide a system wherein the sprinkler heads are concealed and do not extend or protrude into the room or enclosure which is being safeguarded.

A further object of the invention is to disclose and provide a sprinkler system construction in which the temperature-responsive means are rendered more sensitive and more positive in operation.

A still further object is to provide a sprinkler head which will be obscure and may be used in any specially designed homes or places of business without marring the design of the place.

The above and other objects will be made apparent throughout the further description of the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like refer ence characters refer to like parts. It is to be understood that the drawings are not a definition of the invention but merely illustrate one form to instruct those skilled in the art to manufacture and use the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical, sectional view of a sprinkler head embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken alon the line IIII of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. l. i

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating another embodiment of the invention with the deflector in an extended position.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side View, partially in section, of the yoke and supporting arm shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral It) indicates a wall or a ceiling. Usually the fluid supply source is provided within the cavity above progresses that the invention is equally adapted for use with a slanting wall or side wall.

For the purpose of obscuring the device and to render the fire-detecting element more heat responsive there is provided a housing, represented in its entirety by 52, the housing l2 and heat-responsive unit being located within or above the walls defining the enclosure to be protected. Any number of the present sprinkler heads may be employed. However, it is only necessary for the purpose of this disclosure to describe one device.

The nipple i8 supports the sprinkler head 2'3, which may consist of a body portion 24 being counterbored and having the upper opening threaded for connection with the nipple i8 and a lower portion providing a port or nozzle which operates in the manner of a venture. A closure or valve it, which is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 is provided for the port or nozzle 2i.

For the purpose of maintaining the valve it in normal closed position with the port 21 there is provided a heat-responsive or fire-detectingelement 43 arranged to maintain the valve it in closed position. The heat-responsive element :33 is supported by a yoke or frame having two parallel sides 26 and 2? depending from the nozzle 2|, each of which is bored to guide the legs of a slidable, U-shaped member 35. The free ends of the legs of the U-shaped member 35 are provided with stop members 37. The slidable, U-shaped member 35 is provided with a deflector 36, the latter being in alignment with the port 2|. The heat-responsive unit 43 is a trigger mechanism which may include a pair of arms 44 and 45 having oppositely disposed head portions 4% and 41. These head portions seat together, as shown at 48, and may have a tongue and groove connection preferably with the groove in the upper one of the head portions in order to prevent the collection of moisture or rust-collecting matter. The opposite ends of head portions GE and 41 seat within recesses 5| and 6E provided in an adjusting screw 49 and valve i5, respectively, the adjusting screw i9 being carried by a supporting arm 62 later to be described.

The seating point 38 of the trigger heads 46 and 41 is in a plane removed from a vertical plane passing through the points 5! and 6!, so that upon adjusting the screw 45) provided in the supporting member 62, the desired tension may be applied to the fire-detecting or heatresponsive element E5, the latter being arranged to hold the trigger mechanism in tension responsive to the adjusting screw 49.

The U-shaped member 35 is normally held incollapsed position within the housing i l. The

housing M may be constructed in two parts, the

lower portion 38 being telescoped within the upper portion for the purpose of adjusting the length of the housing. The upper portion and lower portions of the housing may terminate in annular flanges 39 and it, respectively, and there is provided threaded means 553 connecting the flanges 39 and 43 for adjusting the lower portion of the housing relative to the upper portion.

The heat-responsive unit which may consist of the fuse l5, trigger arms 4 and #35, arranged to normally maintain the valve I 6 in closed position, may be of any selected type. The port 2! is provided with a valve seat ti for cooperation with the valve i5. As stated above, the valve I6 is normally held closed by the heat-responsive unit 43. Usually the fire-detecting fuse l5 withstands approximately 15 to 20 lbs. pressure, which is sufiicient tohold the valve H5 in closed position. The supporting arm 62 rests upon inwardly projectinglower end portions '12 of the frame mem 4 bers 26 and 21. These inwardly projecting portions 12 may be beveled to receive corresponding grooves in the supporting arm 62, as shown at 55. See Fig.4.

As an alternate, the inwardly projecting members i2 may present an upper, fiat surface, and the supporting member 62' provided with corree' sponding fiat surfaces. The opposing surfaces of the members l2 and supporting members 62 maybe provided with indentations for receiving steel balls H. The provision of the steel balls ll permits ready displacement of the valve-retaining mechanism so that when the fire-detecting or heat-responsive unit i5 fuses, the trigger mechanism including the valve and the base 62 will be readily displaced and permit the stream of water through the port or nozzle 2| to contact the deflector 36 carried by the U-shaped member 35, the latter being held in place by a frangible means 79. The frangible means 19 may comprise a fragile grille formed in well-known manner of spaced intersecting bars made of suitable frangible material such as glass or ceramic composition. The frangible means 19 is connected with and supported by the lower end of the housing as shown at BG.

The housing i4 operates to localize and concentrate the heat about the heat-responsive element I 5 and causes the same to fuse more readily than if the heat-responsive element were depending in the open space of an enclosure to be protested.

Since the U-shaped. member 35 is slidable within the bores or guides provided in the frame members 26 and 2?, and held in collapsed position by the fragile grille 19, which is of suificient strength to support the weight of the deflector 36 and the U-shaped structure 35 but will readily give way in response to the pressure of water against the deflector subsequent to the fusing of the fire-detecting element i5, the fragile grille 19 readily permits heat to enter the housing l4.

Aside from the present sprinkler head being disposed within the ceiling, the housing [4 cperates effectively to concentrate and localize the heat and more readily fuse the fire-detecting element.

In practice, it has been proven that the present construction of a sprinkler head enclosed within the housing will fuse some three or four seconds quicker than if the fire-detecting fusewere projected. into the compartment being protected.

The present sprinkler head can be easily substituted for existing sprinkler heads by merely adjusting the length of the nipple I8. In most cases, it has been found that the adjustable housing Hi permits the installation of the present sprinkler head without adjusting the length of the nipple 18.

It will be understood, however, that upon the Fig. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the,

invention, wherein the parallel frame members26 and 2'! are each provided with spaced bosses B6 and Bl. These bosses are provided with aligned bores for receiving the legs of the. U-shaped member 35. The legs of the U-shaped member 35 are s'lidable within the bores in the bosses 86 and 81 and will operate to maintain the deflector 36 in axial alignment with the venture or nozzle 21 of the sprinkler body 24, regardless of whether the sprinkler head depends vertically or at an angle. Both of the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5 are adapted for use in any position that a sprinkler head may be required, such as ceiling or side wall installations.

The present sprinkler head is not only efficient in operation but is so designed as to be placed inside of the wall of the enclosure or compartment to be protected and eliminates the usual protrusions and shadows reflecting therefrom. Moreover, the present sprinkler head is simple in construction, durable and may be substituted in place of prior installations with a minimum amount of alterations in existing constructions.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred form of the present invention, it will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that vari- .ous changes, substitutions, omissions and additions may be made in the form shown without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An automatic temperature responsive sprinkler assembly for use with a concealed conduit extending through a cavity in a ceiling and connected to a supply of water, the ceiling having a port therein, comprising: a nozzle member ineluding an outlet port; a yoke carried by the nozzle; a U-shaped member slidably carried by the yoke; a deflector carried by the U-shaped member in alignment with the outlet port of the nozzle; a frangible grille normally holding the U-shaped member and deflector in a collapsed position; stop means for arresting slidable movement of the U-shaped member in an extended position with the deflector extending through and below the port in the ceiling; a closure for the nozzle outlet port and temperature responsive means for releasing the closure, said frangible grille being des ructible under the force of water passing through the nozzle outlet to release the U-shaped member.

2. A sprinkler head for an automatic sprinkler system, an enclosure having a ceiling, an opening in said ceiling; a sprinkler head disposed coaxially with said opening and positioned above the lower face of the ceiling, said sprinkler head including a deflector normally positioned above the plane of the lower surface of the ceiling; valve means including fusible means for normally maintaining said valve means in closed position, said fusible means being positioned between said valve means and said deflector, and means responsive to the fusing of said fusible means for extending said deflector below the plane of the lower surface of the ceiling.

3. An automatic sprinkler head for attachment to a sprinkler system, an enclosure having a wall, said sprinkler head lying outside of the inner face of said wall, said wall having an opening coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said sprinkler head, a housing surrounding said sprinkler head and supported thereby, said. housinghaving an opening therein communicating with said enclosure by Way of the said opening in said Wall; said sprinkler head including valve means, fusible means within said housing disposed virtually parallel to the axis of the head for normally holding said valve means in closed position, and means responsive to the fusing of said fusible means for displacing said valve means.

4. An automatic sprinkler head for attachment to a sprinkler system, an enclosure having a Wall, said sprinkler head lying outside of the inner face of said wall, said wall having an opening coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said sprinkler head, a housing surrounding said sprinkler head and supported thereby, said housing having an opening therein communicating with said enclosure by way of the said opening in said wall; a deflector normally lying outside the inner face of said wall, fire-detecting means within said housing for actuating said sprinkler head, and means carried by said housing independently of said fire-detecting means responsive to the actuation of said sprinkler head to extend said deflector to said enclosure.

5. A sprinkler head including a body portion having a longitudinal bore therethrough, parallel frame members depending from said body portion, said frame members including bores parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body portion, a U-shaped member having its legs freely slidable within predetermined limits in the bores in said frame member and a deflector carried by the said Ushaped member and positioned coaxially with the bore in said body portion.

6. A sprinkler in accordance with claim 5, wherein the said bore in said body portion is provided with a valve seat, a valve for said seat, heat-responsive means for displacing said valve, a housing for said sprinkler head having an opening coaxial with the bore in said body portion, and means associated with the opening in said housing for normally retaining the said deflector within said housing.

'7. A sprinkler head, adapted to be concealed above a ceiling having an opening therein, including: a body portion having a longitudinal bore therethrough; spaced frame members depending from said body portion; movable deflector means guidably held in axial alignment with said bore by said frame members and frangible means normally holding said deflector means in a plane of water passing through said bore whereby said deflector means drops to a plane below the lower surface of the ceiling.

9. A sprinkler head, adapted to be concealed above a ceiling having an opening therein, including: a body portion having a longitudinal bore therethrough; spaced frame members depending from said body portion; a closure for one end of said bore; temperature responsive means supported between said frame members for displacing said closure; movable deflector means guidably held in axial alignment with said bore by said frame members and frangible means normally holding said deflector means in a plane above the lower surface of the ceiling.

10. A sprinkler head of the character described in claim 9 wherein said head is enclosed Within a housing having an open end and said frangible meansextends across the open end of said housmg 11. A sprinkler head of the character described in claim 9 wherein said head is enclosed within a housing having an open end and said frangible means extends across the open end of said housing, said housing being longitudinally adjustable for positioning said frangible means in virtually the same plane as the lower surface of the ceiling.

12. In a sprinkler head assembly adapted to be concealed above a ceiling having an opening therein comprising the combination of: a nozzle member adapted to be connected at one end to a water supply pipe and having an outlet at the other end, a yoke depending from said nozzle member, deflector means axially aligned with said outlet end slidably mounted on said yoke; frangible means for releasably supporting said deflector means; valve means for said outlet; and temperature responsive means between said valve means and said deflector means and within said yoke for releasably holding the valve means in closed position against said outlet.

'13. In a sprinkler head assembly adapted to be concealed above a ceiling having an opening therein comprising the combination of: a nozzle member connected at one end to a water supply pipe and having an outlet at the other end; a yoke depending from said nozzle member; valve means for said outlet; temperature responsive means within said yoke for displacing said valve means; deflector means slidably mounted on said yoke and axially aligned with said outlet and frangible means for releasably supporting said deflector means.

SAMUEL F. MARTIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,211,399 Winslow Aug. 13, 1940 2,389,331 Tyden Nov. 20, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 250,385 Great Britain Apr. 15, 1926

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