Claims
- 1. A dry sprinkler actuator comprising:
- a housing having a vertical axis and including at least first and second chambers, spaced along said axis, with a generally horizontally extending partition wall between said first and second chambers;
- a first seal within said partition wall, said first seal having a first closed condition corresponding to the presence of a pressure equilibrium condition at said first seal, and a second open condition corresponding to the presence of a predetermined pressure differential at said first seal;
- said first chamber further including an outlet vent opening along said axis, a second seal for said outlet vent opening, said second seal normally being in a closed condition for sealing said outlet opening;
- said first and second seals located at opposed axial ends of said first chamber;
- a piston moveable along said axis, said piston providing a first connection means between said first and second seals for maintaining said second seal in its closed condition, when said first seal is in its first condition, said piston moveable along said axis to open said second seal when said first seal moves to its second condition, whereby the presence of a predetermined pressure differential at said first seal to open said first seal also opens said second seal, the opening of said second seal allowing evacuation of said first chamber through said outlet vent opening;
- said second chamber including an inlet opening connected to the sprinkler system pressurized water source, an outlet opening communicating with said inlet opening, and a third seal intermediate said inlet and outlet openings, said third seal having a closed condition and an open condition, said third seal normally being in its closed condition for preventing communication between the inlet and outlet openings of said second chamber;
- said piston providing a second connection means between said first and third seals, said second connection means having a first condition corresponding to said first seal being in its first condition, and a second position corresponding to said first seal being in its second condition, whereby the movement of said first seal to its second condition moves said third seal to its open condition, the movement of said third seal to its open condition permitting communication between the inlet and outlet openings of said second chamber, to permit the flow of the system water between said inlet and outlet openings.
- 2. A dry sprinkler system actuator in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
- said second and third seals are carried by, and are at opposed axial ends of, said piston which is connected to, and actuated by, the movement of said first seal.
- 3. A dry sprinkler system actuator in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first and second seals extend in a generally horizontal direction.
- 4. A dry sprinkler system actuator in accordance with claim 2, wherein said first seal is carried by said piston, axially intermediate said second and third seals.
- 5. A dry sprinkler system actuator in accordance with claim 1, wherein
- said first chamber includes an adjustable seat for said second seal.
- 6. A dry sprinkler system actuator in accordance with claim 5, wherein said adjustable seat includes a seat member, said seat member having a generally horizontally extending seating surface adapted to engage said second seal, and adjustment means for moving said seat member along said vertical axis to vertically adjust the location of the sealing engagement between said second seal and seating surface.
- 7. A dry sprinkler system actuator in accordance with claim 6, wherein said seat member is located within said outlet vent opening, and said adjustment means is provided by a threaded engagement between said outlet vent opening and said seat member.
- 8. A dry sprinkler system actuator in accordance with claim 1, wherein said piston is a unitary member which includes a generally horizontal section carrying said first seal, a generally vertical section extending between said first and second seals, and a radial surface at the outward juncture of said horizontal and vertical sections.
- 9. A dry sprinkler system actuator of claim 1, further including an intermediate chamber between said first and second chambers;
- said intermediate chamber including an inlet opening adapted to be connected to the sprinkler system air source, and an air restrictor between said inlet opening and intermediate chamber;
- said first seal located between said first and intermediate chambers, and including first and second air pressure seals, the air pressure within said first chamber applied to said first air pressure seal, and the air pressure within said intermediate chamber applied to said second air pressure seal;
- said first seal being maintained in a first condition when said first and second air pressure seals are in equilibrium;
- said air restrictor delaying the exhaustion of air from, and drop of air pressure within, said intermediate chamber in response to a reduction in the system air pressure being applied to said first and intermediate chambers, said intermediate chamber retaining a higher pressure than said first chamber during an initial drop in the system air pressure, whereby the differential air pressure within said first and intermediate chambers is operatively related to the speed of system air pressure drop;
- said first seal responding to a predetermined air pressure differential between said first and intermediate chambers to move to its second condition.
- 10. A dry sprinkler system actuator comprising:
- a housing having a vertical axis and including:
- a first chamber having an inlet opening, an outlet opening at a first axial end of said first chamber, a first sealing means on a partition wall at the opposed second axial end of said first chamber and axially moveable second sealing means for sealing said outlet opening, said inlet opening adapted to be connected to the sprinkler system air source;
- a second chamber extending from the partition wall of said first chamber, said second chamber including an inlet opening connected to the sprinkler system pressurized water source, an outlet opening communicating with said inlet opening and a third sealing means between said inlet and outlet openings;
- said first sealing means including an air pressure seal on the first chamber side between said first and second chambers, and a water pressure seal on the second chamber side between said first and second chambers, said air pressure seal extending over a substantially greater area than said water pressure seal;
- said water and air pressure seals being in an equilibrium first condition when equal pressures are applied thereto, said air and water pressure seals being in a second condition upon a predetermined differential pressure existing between said water seal in excess of the pressure applied to said air pressure seal; and
- said first and third seals being operatively connected by a piston which moves along said vertical axis, such that the movement of said first seal to its second condition moves said piston along said vertical axis to open said third seal to permit communication between said second chamber inlet and outlet openings, whereby the water presented to said second chamber inlet opening flows into and out of said second chamber outlet opening, the vertical movement of said piston opening said second means to provide an outlet for the sprinkler system air pressure within said first chamber.
- 11. A dry sprinkler system actuator in accordance with claim 10, wherein said first chamber includes an adjustable seat for said second sealing means.
- 12. A dry sprinkler system actuator in accordance with claim 10, wherein said adjustable seat includes a seat member, said seat member having a generally horizontally extending seating surface adapted to engage said second sealing means, and adjustment means for moving said seat member along said vertical axis to vertically adjust the location of the sealing engagement between said second sealing means and seating surface.
- 13. A dry sprinkler system actuator in accordance with claim 12, wherein said adjustment means is provided by threaded engagement of said seat member within said housing at the first axial end of said first chamber.
- 14. A dry sprinkler system actuator in accordance with claim 10, wherein said first and second seals are operatively connected by said piston, whereby the vertical movement of said piston along said axis in response to the second condition at said first sealing means opens said second and third seals.
- 15. A dry sprinkler system actuator in accordance with claim 14, wherein said first, second, and third sealing means extend in a generally horizontal direction and are carried by said piston.
RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/080,879 filed on May 18, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,749.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
080879 |
May 1998 |
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