Task Force Tips, Incorporated

Fire Task Force Innovations, Inc.

Stewart G McMillan

David J Kolacz

Robert W Steingass

Ross Julian Mack

Rodney Alan Carringer

Clyde H McMillan

William D Walker

John Louis Christos

Erin L Roark

Timothy S Miller

Kimberly A Hale

Larry Shepard

Gene Spencer

James H Walker

Scott W Akins

A new firefighting nozzle has a series of moveable vanes that extend inwardly from a peripheral wall of a base. The inner side of the vanes extends between &#x215b; and &#x215c; of the diameter of the central channel. The vanes rotate between a linear position, in which the vanes are generally parallel to the direction of the channel, and a vortex position, in which the vanes are significantly angled with respect to the direction of the channel. In the linear position, smooth bore linear flow is produced. In the vortex position, any of a range of fog patterns are produced. An externally mounted controller connects to the vanes and enables a firefighter to change the shape of the nozzle's spray without interrupting the flow. The controller and base have a series of pins that slide in a spiral groove and cause the shaper to move axially with respect to the base when the shaper is rotated about the base. Radial stems that ride in a circumferential slot translate that axial movement into rotation of the vanes.

Firefighting nozzle

A firefighting nozzle comprises an elongated barrel having a inlet opening at one end for engaging a source of fluid under pressure and a discharge opening at an opposite end for engaging a discharge element for dispensing the fluid under pressure. A valve arrangement includes a slide valve element slidably mounted within the barrel for reciprocating movement along the length of the barrel to adjust the flow of fluid through the barrel. The nozzle includes a pistol grip trigger assembly mounted on the barrel that includes a segment gear pivotably for engaging a toothed surface of the slide valve element so that rotation of the segment gear causes reciprocation of the slide valve element. A four-bar linkage arrangement is incorporated between a manually actuated trigger to translate depressing the trigger to controllable reciprocation of the slide valve element. The four-bar linkage provides a mechanical advantage that allows the firefighter to easily control the trigger and thus the fluid discharge from the nozzle.

Firefighting nozzle with trigger operated slide valve

A new haptic flow indicator has a spinner that is mounted for rotation and provides a discernable haptic feedback to a firefighter when liquid flow through the indicator falls in a selected range.

Haptic feedback flow indicator

A new firefighting nozzle has a base nozzle with one size or type of orifice and one or more auxiliary nozzles with a different size or type of orifice that a firefighter can easily see. A firefighter can swing the auxiliary nozzle into series with the base nozzle to change the flow. A springy element biases a locking element on the auxiliary nozzle from a retracted position toward an extended position in which it locks the auxiliary nozzle in place.

Adjustable firefighting nozzle

A portable remote controlled fire-fighting valve has a central chamber in a main valve body, an inlet that connects to a hydrant, an outlet that connects to a fire hose, a valve mechanism that has a seating surface that seats against part of the device to open and close a flow channel through the central chamber, and a remote controller that enables an operator to selectively open and close the flow channel. The valve mechanism uses a piston that is mounted for axial movement within the central chamber. The piston has an annular wall that slides against an outer edge of a lateral chamber surface that is fixed in position within the main valve body. A spring biases the piston to the closed position. In the open position, water from the inlet flows around the piston, over its peripheral surface, to the outlet. A pressure chamber is formed between a lateral surface that is fixed in position within the valve body and a movable interior surface on the piston. A pilot channel extends from an upstream side of the flow channel to the pressure chamber. The remote controller selectively controls a pilot valve on the pilot channel, allowing liquid in the upstream side of the flow channel to flow to the pressure chamber and force the piston open.

Portable remote controlled valve

A telescoping waterway for adjusting the height of a firefighting monitor is disclosed. The telescoping waterway includes a hollow outer tube, a hollow inner tube within the hollow outer tube, and an actuator that moves the hollow inner tube relative to the hollow outer tube, wherein the hollow inner tube can be maintained in at least one intermediate position between a retracted position and a fully extended position.

Motorized/manual monitor lift

A firefighting monitor having an acceleration sensitive shut off valve that responds to acceleration of the monitor to reduce water flow through the monitor. The acceleration sensitive shut off valve is self-contained and requires no contact with an external surface or device. The valve closing speed may be modulated by a dampener device that slows the rate at which the valve closes to avoid damage from water hammer.

Acceleration sensitive shut off valve for firefighting equipment

A multipurpose tool for use by firefighters and emergency personnel. The tool including a spanner wrench claw for turning firefighting hose connections, a wrench slot for turning natural gas valves, a glass-breaking spike, an open slot cutter for cutting seat belts and the like, and a foldable handle having an end shaped to be used as a pry bar.

Multipurpose emergency tool

Apparatus including a monitor and a portable ground base comprising a liquid-carrying conduit having an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end is adapted to receive a liquid (such as water) from a supply, and the outlet end is attached to the intake of the monitor. The conduit of the base includes an intermediate portion that is normally close to the support or ground when the ground base is in the normal operating position. Mounted within the conduit is a valve that is movable between a closed position and an open position. The valve is biased toward the closed position by a mechanism including liquid flow through the conduit and a spring. A trip catch is connected between the valve and the conduit for releasably holding the valve in the open position to permit flow through the conduit. A trip is mounted on the ground base and connected to the trip catch, the trip being operable to sense tilting movement of the ground base and to disengage the catch, thereby enabling the valve to move to the closed position and block liquid flow.

Monitor with safety valve

Identification band for attachment to fire fighting hose

A nozzle including a tubular nozzle body forming a centrally located liquid flow path, the body having an inlet end and an outlet end. Mounted centrally in the body within the flow path is a pressure-regulating mechanism including an axially located dual-pressure baffle. The baffle is located at the outlet end and forms a nozzle gap with a throat surface of the body. During operation, a spring biases the baffle to close the gap and the liquid pressure on the baffle operates to open the gap. Adjustably mounted on the baffle is a shield which is movable relative to the baffle between a normal pressure position and a low pressure position. In the normal pressure position, the shield forms a gap size appropriate for a normal supply pressure. In the low pressure position, the shield forms a gap having an increased size appropriate for a supply pressure which is substantially less than the normal supply pressure. In addition to changing the gap size, adjustment of the shield also changes the effective area over which the water pressure acts on the baffle. Apparatus is provided for increasing the effective baffle area during operation in the low pressure position, whereby the water pressure further increases the size of the gap.

Regulating nozzle with adjustable effective area baffle

A wall penetrating firefighting device, usable separately or as a part of an attack fire hose nozzle assembly, for penetrating the walls of buildings or other types of barriers to extinguish fires hidden by or within the walls or barriers. The device includes an elongated tubular member that is secured to a casing having a bore therethrough and adapted to be connected to a source of fire extinguishing agent under pressure. A discharge port in the distal end of the penetration member discharges a stream of fire extinguishing agent in a direction generally transverse to the axis of the penetration member when a valve in the casing is shifted to its open position. The distal end of the penetration member is conically tapered to facilitate manually forced penetration thereof through a wall or barrier. A flow converting collar having a plurality of orifices therein may be mounted on the penetration member of the device for movement between an inoperative position spaced from the discharge port and an operative position surrounding the discharge port. When in its operative position, the collar converts the stream of fire extinguishing agent into a large ball-like pattern for protecting the user from radiant heat.

Growing community of inventors

Valparaiso, IN, United States of America

Stewart G McMillan