Portable Fire Apparatus Monitor

This invention relates to a monitor and will have special but not limited application to a portable fire fighting monitor which may be utilized either on a pumper or similar type fire truck or with a ground stand.

A monitor is a specialized piece of fire fighting equipment used in conjunction with a nozzle to direct water at a high flow rate, such as from 350 to 1000 gallons per minute, towards the fire. A typical monitor is pivotable in a generally horizontal plane to allow fluid flow through an attached nozzle. Previously, monitors were of two types, namely a fixed unit permanently mounted to a fire engine pumper, and a portable unit having legs for directing water while at a distance from the pumper. Recently, a portable monitor capable of being transfered between a pumper mount and a portable mount and having a bolt disconnecting mechanism was introduced. The disconnect of this monitor requires the alignment and positioning of a bolt within a housing slot. Also such a monitor uses a different water inlet for each pumper mount and portable stand operation.

The monitor of this invention is a portable, convertible unit which may be mounted quickly and safely to a fire engine pumper or to a portable stand. The monitor includes snap-fitting latch pins which fit beneath a swivel bearing on the monitor mount and which secure the monitor in place during fire fighting operation and provide for quick connection to and disconnection from the mount.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide for an improved fire fighting monitor.

Another object of this invention is to provide for a portable monitor which may be quickly converted from use on a truck mount to a ground mount.

Another object of this invention is to provide for a portable monitor which is safe to use.

Still another object of this invention is to provide for a portable monitor which is efficient and economical.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a monitor having a portable mount with collapsible legs.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following specification.

A preferred embodiment has been chosen to illustrate the principles of the invention wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the monitor mounted to a fire truck.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the monitor mounted to a portable stand.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the monitor and the fire truck and portable mounts.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the monitor.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 4 showing the latch pins in an open position.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 7 showing the pins in their locked position during no fluid flow through the monitor.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 8 showing the pins in their locked position during fluid flow through the monitor.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the portable stand in its operative position.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11--11 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the portable stand in its storage position.

The preferred embodiment herein described is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It is chosen and described to explain the principles of the invention and its application and practical use to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention.

The portable monitor 10 of this invention is part of an assembly which includes a fixed mount 70 and a portable mount 86. Monitor 10 includes a housing 12 having an annular inlet 14, an outlet 16, and a body portion 18 which form a continuous passageway 20 between the inlet and the outlet. A nozzle 22 is attached to outlet 16 and directs fluid flow from the outlet towards the fire area.

Housing 12 at inlet 16 includes diametrically located bores 26 which are oriented angularly downwardly towards the mouth 15 of inlet 14. Each bore 26 includes a step 28. A pin 32, being of the general shape shown in FIGS. 7-9, is slidably fitted within each bore 26. Each pin 32 includes a flanged head 34, and a body 36 having a circumferential groove 38. A bore 40 extends through each pin 32 and is of a reduced diameter at pin head 34. A cable 42 extends into each bore 40 with a stop 44 being connected to one end of the cable to secure the cable to the bore defining pin 32. Each pin 32 is held within its respective bore 26 by a threaded cap member 46. A spring 48 fits between each pin 32 and cap member 46 to urge the pin into its lock position shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. When each pin 32 is urged by contacting spring 48 into its lock position, a portion of pin body 36 which includes groove 38 protrudes from its retaining bore 26 of the housing 12. Each cable 42 extends upwardly from its attached pin 32 and is connected at its opposite end to a shaft 50 which is journalled within a bracket 52 connected to housing body portion 18. Cable 42 is preferably housed within a durable metal sheath 54. Connected to shaft 50 is a handle 57 which upon turning controls the tension in cables 42 and causes pins 32 to be pulled into housing bores 26 and to assume their unlocked positions such as shown in FIG. 7.

The outlet 16 is contained within a pivotable elbow 55 of housing 12. Elbow 55 includes a threaded part 59. A worm screw 56 engages threaded portion 59 of elbow 55 and is connected to a turn wheel 58. Rotation of wheel 58 causes the pivotal movement of elbow 55. Elbow 55 also includes a notch 60. A lock pin 64 extends into notch 60 to prevent the elbow from directing fluid flow at discharge angles below approximately 35.degree. above horizontal without manually removing pin 64 from notch 60. A pressure gauge 62 is secured to elbow 55.

As shown in FIG. 3, monitor 10 may be connected to either a fixed mount 70 which is positioned atop a fire engine pumper or a portable mount 86. Mount 70 includes a conduit 72 which is in flow communication with the water supply contained in the pumper. Mount 70 also includes a cylindrical housing 74 having an internal waterway 76. A pair of spaced annular grooves 78,80 extend about mount housing 74. A swivel bearing 82 extends about mount housing 74 and is rotatable about the housing through bearings 84 which ride within grooves 78,80. Swivel bearing 82 includes a bevelled upper end 88 and a lower flat edge or shoulder 89.

Monitor 10 is utilized with mount 70 in the following fashion. An operator first aligns monitor inlet 14 with mount housing 74. The monitor is then pushed down over the mount housing 74 with the lower exposed ends of pins 32 first contacting the bevelled end 88 of mount bearing 82. This causes the pins 32 to be cammed inwardly into housing bores 26, compressing pin springs 48 relative to cables 42 until the neck 36 of each pin clears shoulder 89 of the swivel bearing 82. Pins 32 are then extended into their locked positions shown in FIG. 8 due to the influence of springs 48. When water is flowing through the mount 70 and monitor 10, the water pressure causes monitor housing 12 to be lifted slightly, as seen in FIG. 9, causing engagement of the pins 32 at their grooves 38 with the shoulder 89 of the swivel bearing 82. This firmly secures the monitor 10 to mount 70. A seal 91 carried by housing inlet 14 prevents water leakage between the monitor and mount. As a failsafe feature, swivel bearing 82 includes an exterior circumferential groove 85 having an upper flat side wall and a bevelled lower side wall which prevents monitor 10 from becoming disengaged from the mount in the event that the monitor is not fully pushed onto the mount housing 74. The bevelled lower wall of bearing groove 85 allows the downward passage of housing pins 32 but the flat upper wall of the bearing groove will prevent the upward passage of the pins unless the pins are withdrawn by turning of handle 57.

To remove the monitor 10 from the mount 70, an operator grasps handle 57 and turns it to cause pins 32 to be retracted into their unlocked positions shown in FIG. 7. The monitor 10 is then pulled upwardly until it disengages from the mount.

FIG. 2 shows the monitor 10 being used on a portable, ground supported mount 86. Mount 86 includes spider like support legs 92, 92' and a base inlet 94. Base inlet 94 includes two inlet ports 95,97, separated by clapper valve 102, and is adapted for connection to the end of fire hose which may extend from a pumper. In some portable mounts, only one inlet port will be used. Mount 86 includes a conduit 72 which is in flow communication with inlet 94. A swivel bearing 82 extends about conduit 72. Conduit 72 and bearing 82 of mount 86 is like conduit 72 and bearing 82 of mount 10 and includes the same components. The process in attaching to and detaching the monitor 10 from mount 86 is the same as the aforedescribed process of attaching to and detaching the monitor from mount 70.

Legs 92 are pivotally connected to inlet 94 by pins 95. Each leg 92 carries a pin 100 which is biased by a spring 97 into selected spaced detents 99 formed in inlet 94 next to the pivot pin 95. This allows each leg 92 to be anchored in an extended use (FIG. 10) or a folded storage (FIG. 12) position 12 selected by the user.

Constructed in this fashion, monitor 10 is easily convertible from use on a fixed mount such as attached to a fire fighting apparatus to a portable ground mount and vice versa. A wedge lock 104, seen in FIG. 4, may be provided to prevent rotation of monitor 10 about swivel bearing 82.

It is to be understood that the above description does not limit the invention to the details given above, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.