GB2189140A

GB2189140A - Fire retardant system

Info

Publication number: GB2189140A
Application number: GB08708929A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Keith Donato
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-04-15
Filing date: 1987-04-14
Publication date: 1987-10-21
Also published as: GB8708929D0

Abstract

A fire retardant system including a network of conduits which deliver a fire retardant to a plurality of delivery heads (10), each of the delivery heads (10) includes a base (11) within which there is telescopically associated an elongated member (13), terminating at its upper end with a device to cause the retardant to spray horizontally outwardly, and wherein the delivery head (10) is caused to effectively elongate due to the pressure of the retardant within the system. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A device to spread a fire retardant The present invention relates to devices to spread fire retardants and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a device to be used in a marine environment, such as a marina, to spread a fire retardant in such an environment.

Although sophisticated systems for spreading fire retardants, such as water sprinklers, have been devised for use in buildings, no such systems are available for marinas for the purposes of retarding or extinguishing a fire which may occur in the marina structure or boats moored therein.

There is disclosed herein a fire retardant system including at least one duct to be connected to a supply of a fire retardant under pressure, valve means in said duct to permit the passage of said fire retardant through said duct upon actuation of said valve means, detection means to detect smoke or fire and adapted to cause the actuation of said valve means to allow the passage of said fire retard dant through said duct, and a distributing head connected to said duct at a position downstream from said valve means, said distributing head being adapted to receive the fire retardant from said duct means and distribute said fire retardant in order to retard a fire located in the vicinity thereof, and wherein said distributing head comprises a longitudinally elongated base to be fixed to a supporting structure, at least one longitudinally elongated member telescopically associated with said base and movable upwardly relative thereto from a non-operative retracted position, to an extended operative position due to the pressure of said retardant, a passage extending through said base and said member and communicating with said duct so that said fire retardant may pass through said distributing head, with said member having at its extremity device to cause said fire retardant to move horizontally outwardly from said distributing head so that when at an elevated position the retardant will be distributed over an effective area.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation of the upper portion of a distributing head for a fire retardant system; and Figure 2 is a schematic side elevation of the lower portion of the device of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawing there is schematically depicted a distributor head 10 for a system to distribute a fire retardant at a boat marina. The system includes a network of conduits which would communicate with a supply of a fire retardant under pressure. For example, the network could be connected to water under pressure, or a foam under pressure or any other chemical retardant which would be flowable through the network.

The distributor head 10 includes an elongated base member 11 having an end 12 to be attached to the abovementioned network so that the fire retardant is delivered thereto.

Telescopically associated within the base member 11 is an elongated movable member 13, which is movable from a non-operative position telescopically retracted within the base member 11, to an extended operative position of maximum extension relative to the base member 11. Both members 11 and 13 are hollow so as to define a passage through which the fire retardant may flow to be delivered to the upper extremity of the member 13. The upper extremity of the member 13 is adapted to cause the fire retardant to spray horizontally in order to optimise distribution of the fire retardant.

The member 11 is provided with two stop rings 14 and 15 which define the two positions of the member 13. The member 13 itself is provided with a stop ring 16 which abuts the stop rings 14 and 15.

In operation of the above described distributor head 10, the member 13 is retained in the non-operative retracted position until a fire retardant is delivered thereto under pressure.

Due to the pressure of the fire retardant, the member 13 is caused to move telescopically relative to the member 11 until it is in a raised position whereat the fire retardant is sprayed from the upper extremity of the member 13.

It should be appreciated that in the above described preferred embodiment only one telescopic action is employed. However, several telescopic actions may be employed if so required; that is, one or more of the members 13 which in turn are telescopically associated, could be used in conjunction with the base member 11.

1. A fire retardant system including at least one duct to be connected to a supply of a fire retardant under pressure, valve means in said duct to permit the passage of said fire retardant through said duct upon actuation of said valve means, detection means to detect smoke or fire and adapted to cause the actuation of said valve means to allow the passage of said fire retardant through said duct, and a distributing head connected to said duct at a position downstream from said valve means, said distributing head being adapted to receive the fire retardant from said duct means and distribute said fire retardant in order to retard a fire located in the vicinity thereof, and wherein said distributing head comprises a longitudinally elongated base to be fixed to a supporting structure, at least one longitudinally elongated member telescopically associated

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A device to spread a fire retardant The present invention relates to devices to spread fire retardants and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a device to be used in a marine environment, such as a marina, to spread a fire retardant in such an environment. Although sophisticated systems for spreading fire retardants, such as water sprinklers, have been devised for use in buildings, no such systems are available for marinas for the purposes of retarding or extinguishing a fire which may occur in the marina structure or boats moored therein. There is disclosed herein a fire retardant system including at least one duct to be connected to a supply of a fire retardant under pressure, valve means in said duct to permit the passage of said fire retardant through said duct upon actuation of said valve means, detection means to detect smoke or fire and adapted to cause the actuation of said valve means to allow the passage of said fire retard dant through said duct, and a distributing head connected to said duct at a position downstream from said valve means, said distributing head being adapted to receive the fire retardant from said duct means and distribute said fire retardant in order to retard a fire located in the vicinity thereof, and wherein said distributing head comprises a longitudinally elongated base to be fixed to a supporting structure, at least one longitudinally elongated member telescopically associated with said base and movable upwardly relative thereto from a non-operative retracted position, to an extended operative position due to the pressure of said retardant, a passage extending through said base and said member and communicating with said duct so that said fire retardant may pass through said distributing head, with said member having at its extremity device to cause said fire retardant to move horizontally outwardly from said distributing head so that when at an elevated position the retardant will be distributed over an effective area. A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation of the upper portion of a distributing head for a fire retardant system; and Figure 2 is a schematic side elevation of the lower portion of the device of Fig. 1. In the accompanying drawing there is schematically depicted a distributor head 10 for a system to distribute a fire retardant at a boat marina. The system includes a network of conduits which would communicate with a supply of a fire retardant under pressure. For example, the network could be connected to water under pressure, or a foam under pressure or any other chemical retardant which would be flowable through the network. The distributor head 10 includes an elongated base member 11 having an end 12 to be attached to the abovementioned network so that the fire retardant is delivered thereto. Telescopically associated within the base member 11 is an elongated movable member 13, which is movable from a non-operative position telescopically retracted within the base member 11, to an extended operative position of maximum extension relative to the base member 11. Both members 11 and 13 are hollow so as to define a passage through which the fire retardant may flow to be delivered to the upper extremity of the member 13. The upper extremity of the member 13 is adapted to cause the fire retardant to spray horizontally in order to optimise distribution of the fire retardant. The member 11 is provided with two stop rings 14 and 15 which define the two positions of the member 13. The member 13 itself is provided with a stop ring 16 which abuts the stop rings 14 and 15. In operation of the above described distributor head 10, the member 13 is retained in the non-operative retracted position until a fire retardant is delivered thereto under pressure. Due to the pressure of the fire retardant, the member 13 is caused to move telescopically relative to the member 11 until it is in a raised position whereat the fire retardant is sprayed from the upper extremity of the member 13. It should be appreciated that in the above described preferred embodiment only one telescopic action is employed. However, several telescopic actions may be employed if so required; that is, one or more of the members 13 which in turn are telescopically associated, could be used in conjunction with the base member 11. CLAIMS

1. A fire retardant system including at least one duct to be connected to a supply of a fire retardant under pressure, valve means in said duct to permit the passage of said fire retardant through said duct upon actuation of said valve means, detection means to detect smoke or fire and adapted to cause the actuation of said valve means to allow the passage of said fire retardant through said duct, and a distributing head connected to said duct at a position downstream from said valve means, said distributing head being adapted to receive the fire retardant from said duct means and distribute said fire retardant in order to retard a fire located in the vicinity thereof, and wherein said distributing head comprises a longitudinally elongated base to be fixed to a supporting structure, at least one longitudinally elongated member telescopically associated with said base and movable upwardly relative thereto from a non-operative retracted position, to an extended operative position due to the pressure of said retardant, a passage extending through said base and said member and communicating with said duct so that said fire retardant may pass through said distributing head, with said member having at its extremity a device to cause said fire retardant to move horizontally outwardly from said distributing head so that when at an elevated position the retardant will be distributed over an effective area.

2. The system of Claim 1 wherein said member is located substantially within said base, when said member is in said retracted position.

3. The system of Claim 2 wherein the lower end of said member is provided with a stop ring which extends radially outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis of said member, and said base at its upper end, is provided with a radially inwardly extending stop ring, which is abutted by the stop ring of said member, to define the extended position of said member.

4. The system of Claim 3 wherein said member is provided with a further stop ring, spaced axially from the stop ring at the upper end of said base, which further stop ring provides an abutment for the stop ring of said member, to define the retracted position of said member.

5. The system of Claim 1 wherein there is several of said elongated members provided, which are telescopically associated, and which are telescopically received in said base.

6. A fire retardant system, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.