Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Terminal member adjustably or shiftably connected to flow... – Plural distinct articulation type flow connections
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-01
2001-10-23
Scherbel, David A. (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Terminal member adjustably or shiftably connected to flow...
Plural distinct articulation type flow connections
C239S587400, C239S587600, C239S588000, C169S024000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305621
ABSTRACT:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to conduit swivels and more particularly to a ball and socket type pivot joint for use in lines where swiveling of the joint under pressure is required. A one-way brake can be fitted to the pivot joint to enable a heavy nozzle to be carried by the pivot joint without the nozzle's elevation being lowered by gravity.
Firefighting monitors are devices used to deliver large volumes of firefighting fluid such as water or foam. A monitor has an inlet that is connected to a feed hose or a pipe, and a discharge to which a nozzle is fitted. Some means is provided to vary the direction of the nozzle so that a stream of fire fighting fluid can be moved in both the horizontal and vertical directions.
Some existing monitors use ball and socket type swivels to accomplish movement in the horizontal and vertical directions. Ball and socket swivels have only a few parts and are simple to manufacture and maintain as compared to swivels that use ball bearings, for example.
Ball and socket swivels typically have very direct flow passages that can result in less pressure loss in the firefighting fluid flowing therethrough. Further, ball and socket swivels usually enable movement in all directions, but they generally have a more limited range of motion compared to ball bearing type swivels.
Typically in ball and socket swivels, the socket captures the ball so that internal pressure from the firefighting fluid does not separate the joint. The axial load due to the internal pressure is born by the ball/socket interface, which causes friction drag in the swivel during redirection. When the fluid pressure in the swivel is high, the axial force can be so great that redirecting the swivel is difficult, if not impossible.
To alleviate some of the friction drag, a ball and socket swivel with an axle passing completely through the joint is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,618. The axle bears the axial force from the water pressure thereby overcoming the high friction of a ball being pressed into a socket. Unfortunately, the presence of such an axle or other obstruction in the fluid conduit leads to turbulence and pressure loss in the fluid.
Regardless of the type of swivel used, portable monitors have never before had the ability for the hoses to enter the monitor by means of a swiveling joint, and for good reason. Reaction forces in a monitor are axially aligned with the direction of the discharge stream from the nozzle. When a portable monitor and hose are on a relatively flat support surface, the monitor is generally stable because the reaction forces plus the weight of the monitor keep the monitor in stable contact with the support surface.
The stability of a portable monitor becomes questionable when used on uneven surfaces. For example, if a portable monitor were set at the bottom of a flight of stairs, the feed hose going down the stairs into the monitor could cause the monitor inlet to tip upwards in alignment with the hose in response to the hose stiffening when fluid starts flowing.
Further, when ball and socket type swivel joints are used on a monitor discharge, the weight of the nozzle will redirect the discharge downward. Spring clutches on rotary valves are known, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,107, but one-way brakes on pivoting conduit joints that permit an operator to easily redirect the nozzle are unknown. Thus, swivels on monitor outlets are problematic, as well.
Thus, an improved swivel is needed that does not have the above-described problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the problems associated with the prior art swivels by adding trunnions to convert the swivel to a pivoting joint without causing the turbulence of an axle running through the conduit. When used as an inlet, trunnions in the pivoting joint permit pivoting of the inlet about an axis defined by the trunnion and act to transfer lateral monitor reaction forces to feed hoses. Using such a pivoting inlet joint provides additional stability to portable monitors. Further, when used as an outlet, the pivoting joint of the present invention permits easier readjustment of a nozzle fitted on the outlet.
Thus, in accordance with the present invention there is provided a pivoting joint defining a fluid conduit therethrough. The pivoting joint includes a ball fitted into a mating socket, the ball and swivel being joined by at least one trunnion and, preferably, a pair of trunnions defining an axis. Carrying axial force on the trunnions as opposed to the ball and socket mating surfaces enables an operator to easily redirect the pivoting joint and its nozzle without the need to overcome the high internal torques generated in prior art ball and swivel joints, or the turbulence of an axle running through the conduit.
Also, when used as an outlet joint, the present invention typically includes a double ball and swivel combination. A trunnion or pair of trunnions that define an axis joins each ball and swivel combination. The axis of each ball and socket combination are oriented at ninety degrees to one another to allow the outlet pivoting joint to be reoriented in any direction relative to the monitor.
Typically, these outlet arrangements have one trunnion axis oriented horizontally to permit vertical pivoting of the joint. While necessary to permit vertical readjustment of the nozzle, the weight of the nozzle tends to pivot the joint downward. Thus, a one-way brake mechanism in accordance with the present invention is desirable to resist the downward force of the nozzle.
It is further desirable that the one-way brake include a release for easy movement when raising the nozzle. Ideally, the drag mechanism of the one-way brake is joined to the horizontal trunnion to resist unintended downward movement caused by the weight of a nozzle, but a second brake could be added to limit movement about the opposite axis. A one-way brake in accordance with the present invention can include a sleeve operably joined to the trunnion by bearing against a shoulder on the trunnion. A spring washer and nut provide axial load to push the sleeve into the shoulder on the trunnion. Thus, some amount of torque is needed to rotate the sleeve on the trunnion.
The sleeve is stepped and fitted into a cylindrical opening in a brake housing. Between the sleeves steps and the brake housing there is a tapered space. Inside each tapered space is disposed a small cylinder and a spring or resilient member to urge the small cylinder toward the narrow end of the tapered space. With such an arrangement, the pivoted joint can easily move in a direction that causes the small cylinders to move toward the large end of the tapered space. Yet movement that forces the small cylinder toward the small end of the tapered space jams the small cylinder and effectively locks the sleeve to the brake housing. A push downward by an operator can overcome the drag between the sleeve and the trunnion and reorient the outlet.
These and other benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the drawings and the claims.
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Akron Brass, Ozzie & Ladder Pipes, 1 pg.
Akron Brass, Ozzie™ Portable Oscillating Monitor, 4pgs., 1998.
Akron Brass, Ozzie—Style 911 to the Rescue!, 4 pgs., 1998.
Helitactics Limited, Sniper Attack Monitor, 1 pg., 1999.
PCT/ISA/220, International Search Report received Oct. 27, 2000, 8pgs.
Kolacz David J.
Mack Ross
Steingass Robert W.
Tylisz Brian M.
Lathrop & Clark LLP
Nguyen Dinh Q.
Scherbel David A.
Task Force Tips Inc.
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