Fire extinguishers – Special applications – Condition responsive control
Patent
1986-07-24
1988-10-11
Barefoot, Galen
Fire extinguishers
Special applications
Condition responsive control
169 60, 169 57, 169 26, 169 51, A62C 3718
Patent
active
047764031
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention has for its object devices for fighting forest fires. One objective of the present invention is to provide devices which are installed in the forests and which make it possible to fight efficiently against the fires by projecting, in a far-reaching perimeter surrounding each device, an extinguishing liquid propelled by a compressed gas.
One of the problems to be solved for a device installed at ground level is that the projecting the extinguishing liquid whilst avoiding the trees which surround the liquid diffuser.
Another problem is to trigger off spraying automatically whilst avoiding false alarms.
Pat. No. FR-A-2 344 302 (G. FABRE) describes a device for fighting against forest fires which comprises water cannons mounted to rotate at the top of a pylon anchored in the ground whose height is higher than that of the trees. This solution necessitates the construction of a high pylon which must be anchored in the ground and which must withstand the force of the wind, hence high installation costs.
This prior Patent describes an installation which comprises a plurality of detectors which measure climatic parameters such as temperature, hydrometric degree and wind velocity and which automatically trigger off a preventive spraying when certain climatic conditions are combined.
One objective of the invention is to provide devices which project an extinguishing liquid, particularly water, above the trees without necessitating the permanent presence of a pylon or any other similar high structure anchored in the ground.
Another objective of the invention is to provide means for automatically detecting a fire which are reliable and well adapted to the detection in a natural medium such as a forest which make it possible to trigger off spraying, whilst avoiding any untimely triggering due to causes other than the beginning of a fire.
The objectives of the invention are attained by means of a device which comprises:
a first tank containing an extinguishing liquid which is equipped with a telescopic vertical column which bears at its top a rotary diffuser and which is contained inside said reservoir in the folded state;
a source of compressed gas which is connected to said first tank through obturation means;
and means for controlling the opening of said obturation means in the event of a fire, with the result that said compressed gas places said extinguishing liquid under pressure and the latter rises in said column whilst unfolding it, with the result that said diffuser is located above the trees.
A device according to the invention is preferably an automatic device which comprises a plurality of flame detectors which are distributed about said first tank and at a distance therefrom and a central unit which comprises a radio station which communicates with said flame detectors and means for automatically controlling the opening of said obturation means when one of the detectors transmits to said radio station a flame detection signal.
The flame detectors are advantageously constituted by ambient temperature sensors associated with electronic circuits which calculate the speed of variation of the temperature and which compare this speed with a determined threshold.
A device according to the invention preferably comprises a second tank which is equipped with a pump for transferring the liquid that it contains into the first tank.
A device according to the invention advantageously comprises articulated flaps which are normally folded down above said tanks and which are automatically opened in the event of rain in order to collect the rainwater and to send it into said second tank.
The invention has for result devices which may be installed in a forest and which make it possible to fight a fire, automatically or not.
The automatic devices according to the invention make it possible to fight without delay, therefore very efficiently, against a fire as soon as the latter is detected.
The devices according to the invention are particularly well adapted to protect certain sites exposed to forest fires,
REFERENCES:
patent: 1501956 (1924-07-01), Loepsinger
patent: 2287873 (1942-06-01), Geertz et al.
patent: 3567125 (1971-03-01), Houghton
patent: 3709435 (1973-01-01), Sheets
patent: 3713491 (1973-01-01), Grabowski et al.
patent: 4330040 (1982-05-01), Ence et al.
patent: 4466489 (1984-08-01), Lee
patent: 4520871 (1985-06-01), Miller et al.
Barefoot Galen
Kannofsky James M.
LandOfFree
Device for fighting forest fires does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Device for fighting forest fires, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Device for fighting forest fires will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1952319