Tyco Fire Products LP

Grinnell Corporation

The Water Heater Industry Joint Research and Development Consortium

Grinnell Fire Protection Systems Company, Inc.

Grinnel Corporation

Rheem Manufacturing Company

Bradford White Corporation

James W Mears

Thomas E Archibald

Donald B Pounder

James M Martin

Manuel R Silva, Jr

Yoram Ringer

Eric M Lannes

Bruce A Hotton

Gordon W Stretch

Gary A Elder

Larry D Kidd

John H Scanlon

James T Campbell

Michael A Fischer

Michael W Gordon

Garrett L Doss

A dry sprinkler for a fire protection system. The preferred dry sprinkler has a metallic disc annulus positionable within a passageway to skew a central axis of a face of the metallic disc annulus with respect to a longitudinal axis of the dry sprinkler so that an expected minimum flow rate based on a rated discharge coefficient is provided. The dry sprinkler operates to provide an expected flow rate over a range of start pressures. The expected flow rate is based on a K-factor rating. The dry sprinkler provides an acceptable level of fluid flow rate from the expected flow rate based on the K-factor for a range of start pressures.

Dry sprinkler

Dry Sprinkler

A gas-fired water heater is provided with a combustion shutoff system which precludes further combustion within the water heater's combustion chamber in response to a combustion temperature therein reaching a predetermined level correlated to and indicative of a predetermined, undesirably high concentration of carbon monoxide present in the combustion chamber. In various illustrated embodiments thereof, the combustion shutoff system is operative to terminate further combustion air inflow to the combustion chamber, or terminate further fuel flow to the burner portion of the water heater.

Fuel-fired heating appliance with temperature-based fuel shutoff system

A gas-fired water heater has a combustion chamber with a bottom wall defined by a perforated flame arrestor plate forming a portion of a flow path through which combustion air may be supplied to a burner structure within the combustion chamber. During firing of the water heater a combustion air shutoff system having a heat-frangible temperature sensing structure disposed within the combustion chamber senses an undesirable temperature increase in the combustion chamber, caused by for example a partial blockage of the flow path, and responsively terminates further air flow into the combustion chamber, thereby shutting down the burner, prior to the creation in the combustion chamber of a predetermined elevated concentration of carbon monoxide.

Combustion air shutoff apparatus for a fuel-fired heating appliance

Methods of operating a fuel-fired heating apparatus

Fuel-fired heating appliance with combustion air shutoff system having frangible temperature sensing structure

A flush fire protection sprinkler has a body with an outlet for delivering fire protection fluid under pressure. The body defines a seat about the outlet and a coaxial rim with an inner lip. A spring seal engages upon the seat. A thermal response assembly includes a plate with a conical rim having slots extending from the rim edge, a retainer having a hub and fingers terminating in fingertips defining engagement structure, the fingers engaging in the slots with the fingertips outside the rim, a thermal response element between the plate and hub, and a loading element mounted to the hub. Initial adjustment of the loading element draws the hub away from the plate, with the rim surface urging the fingertips outward, to engage with the lip. Further adjustment pressures the seal in sealing engagement upon the seat. The thermal response element, in a fire condition, actuates, and fire protection fluid flow urges the plate away from the outlet, permitting the fingers to contract inward, disengaging from the lip, and the thermal response assembly disengages from the body and moves away from the outlet.

Flush sprinkler

A fire protection sprinkler is coupled to a pressurized fire extinguishing fluid supply line and positioned generally above a predetermined area to be protected against damage by fire. The sprinkler has a body with an inlet and at least one outlet, a divider defining bias and outlet chambers within the body, and a pilot valve assembly, forming an integral part of the body, is in communication with the bias chamber. The divider has a first 'off' position substantially preventing fluid from exiting the outlet chamber and a second 'on' position allowing fluid flow from the outlet chamber to be distributed over the area being protected. The pilot valve assembly includes a thermally responsive sensing element, e.g. a bimetal snap disc, disposed in a relatively horizontal plane generally below a main portion of the body for exposure to heat from all regions of the predetermined area to be protected by the sprinkler device.

Automatic on-off fire protection sprinkler

A domestic water supply shutoff valve for use with fire protection system water supply piping has a body defining a volume for flow of water through the valve, with a supply inlet for connection to a supply of water, a first outlet for connection to fire protection system water supply piping, and a second outlet for connection to domestic system supply piping. A first passageway is defined within the body for flow of water from the supply inlet toward the first outlet. A second passageway is defined within the body for flow of water from the supply inlet toward the second outlet. A poppet valve is disposed within the body and mounted for movement between a first position for permitting flow of water from the inlet toward the first outlet and a second position for permitting flow of water from the inlet toward the second outlet, the poppet valve being biased toward the second position.

Domestic water supply shutoff valve

A dry sprinkler for mounting on a piping system in a fire protection installation including an outer tube structure having an inlet end with an inlet opening, an outlet end having an outlet opening, and a tube axis that passes through the inlet opening and along the tube structure, a connecting structure that is mounted for movement along the axis within the tube structure, a thermally responsive component supported by the tube structure at the outlet end and supporting the connecting structure under normal temperature conditions and releasing the connecting structure during abnormal temperature conditions to permit it to move, a seal member that is caused by the connecting structure to seal the inlet opening when the connecting structure is supported by the thermally responsive component, the seal member being constrained to move towards one side of the tube axis when the connecting structure is released in order to provide a relatively large unobstructed flow area to permit passage of foreign matter on the other side of the axis.

A fire protection sprinkler including a frame having an outlet opening for fire extinguishing fluid and spaced apart frame arms extending from the outlet opening to provide a support at a location spaced from the outlet opening, a sealing member covering the opening, a thermally responsive member connected between the sealing member and the support to seal off the opening during normal temperature conditions and to release the sealing member during abnornally high temperature conditions, an adapter member attached to the frame, one or more pins that are supported by the adapter member, and a deflector that is slidably mounted with respect to the adapter member via the pin or pins. Also disclosed is a clip that retains the deflector in the retracted position in a releasable fashion.

Fire protection sprinkler

Growing community of inventors

Warwick, RI, United States of America

James W Mears