FIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS WITH TELESCOPING BOOM

• US 3,675,721 A
• Filed: 10/26/1970
• Issued: 07/11/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Lafrance LLC (LD Investment LLC)
• Original Assignee: Carrol V. Morris, Kenneth H. Davidson
• Inventors: Morris, Carrol V., Davidson, Kenneth H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wood, Jr., M. Henson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Love, John J.
• Application Number:
  US05/083,925
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 169/24,25 239/165,281 182/51,52
• US Class Current: 169/24
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 27/00 Fire-fighting land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/125 having longitudinal and rotary movement
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/1274 by means of a swivel nut

Abstract

A telescoping boom is disclosed in combination with a pumper truck. The boom sections are hollow tubular members, and floating guide shoes mount the outer boom section for movement relative to the inner boom section. A nozzle is provided at the end of the outer boom section, and telescoping conduit sections are secured in external relationship to be boom for conveying water to the nozzle. Primary control means is provided at the rear of the truck for remotely controlling the boom and nozzle. Hydraulically actuated cable means are connected between the boom sections for extension and retraction of the outer boom section. Secondary control means is provided adjacent the end of the outer boom section for the nozzle, and a telescoping ladder is associated with the boom to provide access to the secondary control means. The telescoping ladder also enables a fireman to carry out normal fire fighting and rescue activities in elevated and difficult to reach positions. A flexible electrical cable and flexible hydraulic conduits are mounted within the boom structure for providing power to the control means at the end of the outer boom section, and the cable and conduits are movable as the outer boom section is extended.

Claims

1. Fire fighting apparatus comprising a mobile frame, a boom structure mounted on sAid frame for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis and about a vertical axis, said boom structure including an inner hollow tubular boom section mounted on said frame for movement about said horizontal and vertical axes and an outer hollow tubular boom section mounted for telescopic movement within said inner boom section, nozzle means at the outer end of said outer boom section for discharging fluid, said nozzle means including first and second fluid inlets, a pair of conduit means externally mounted on said boom for conveying fluid to said nozzle means, each of said pair of conduit means including a first rigid tubular conduit section externally secured to said inner boom section and a rigid tubular conduit section externally secured to said outer boom section and mounted for free sliding telescopic relationship within said first conduit section, sealing means between the confronting walls of said first and second sections for preventing fluid leakage, the outer ends of said second conduit sections each being in communication with one of said fluid inlets, manual control means mounted on said boom adjacent the outer end of said outer boom section for operating said nozzle means, ladder means on said boom structure providing access to said control means, said ladder means including a first section secured to said inner boom section and a second section secured to said outer boom section, and means completely enclosed within said boom structure for providing electrical and hydraulic power to said control means from said mobile frame.

2. Fire fighting apparatus comprising:

a mobile frame;

a boom mounted on said frame for pivotal movement about both a horizontal axis and a vertical axis, said boom including an inner boom section mounted on said frame and an outer boom section mounted for telescopic movement relative to said inner boom section;

nozzle means at the outer end of said outer boom section for discharging fluid; and

conduit means mounted on said boom for conveying fluid to said nozzle means, said conduit means including a first conduit section secured to said inner boom section and a second conduit section secured to said outer boom section and mounted in telescoping relationship with respect to said first conduit section, manual control means adjacent the outer end of said outer boom section for operating said nozzle means, ladder means on said boom providing access to said control means, said ladder means including a first section secured to said inner boom section and a second section secured to said outer boom section, means carried by said boom for providing electrical and hydraulic power to said control means, said power providing means being completely enclosed within said boom, said means for providing hydraulic power including at least one flexible hose having an outlet end connected to said control means and an inlet end secured to said inner boom section and connected to a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure, an intermediate portion of said hose being trained over a support that is movable with said outer boom section, whereby as said outer boom section is extended the hose section between said inlet end and said support is pulled around said support by said outer boom section, and as said outer boom section is retracted said support pulls against said hose to feed a portion of the section of the hose between the support and the outlet end to a storage position.

3. Fire fighting apparatus comprising:

a mobile frame;

a boom mounted on said frame for pivotal movement about both a horizontal axis and a vertical axis, said boom including an inner boom section mounted on said frame and an outer boom section mounted for telescopic movement relative to said inner boom section;

nozzle means at the outer end of said outer boom section for discharging fluid; and

conduit means mounted on said boom for conveying fluid to said nozzle means, said conduit means including a first conduit section secured to said inner boom section and a second conduit section secured to said outEr boom section and mounted in telescoping relationship with respect to said first conduit section, manual control means adjacent the outer end of said outer boom section for operating said nozzle means, ladder means on said boom providing access to said control means, said ladder means including a first section secured to said inner boom section and a second section secured to said outer boom section, means carried by said boom for providing electrical and hydraulic power to said control means, said power providing means being completely enclosed within said boom, said means for providing electrical power including at least one flexible cable having one end connected to said control means and the other end secured to said inner boom section, an intermediate portion of said cable being trained over a support that is movable with said outer boom section, whereby as said outer boom section is extended the cable section between said other end and said support is pulled around said support by said outer boom section, and as said outer boom section is retracted said support pulls against said cable to feed a portion of the section of the cable between the support and said one end to a storage position.

4. Fire fighting apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means for providing hydraulic power includes at least one flexible hose having an outlet end connected to said control means and an inlet end secured to said inner boom section and connected to a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure, an intermediate portion of said hose being trained over said support, whereby as said outer boom section is extended the hose section between said inlet end and said support is pulled around said support by said outer boom section, and as said outer boom section is retracted said support pulls against said hose to feed a portion of the section of the hose between the support and the outlet end to a storage position.

5. Fire fighting apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said support is a sheave associated with said outer boom section and which moves at half the speed of the outer boom section.

6. Fire fighting apparatus comprising:

a mobile frame;

a boom mounted on said frame for pivotal movement about both a horizontal axis and a vertical axis, said boom including an inner boom section mounted on said frame and an outer boom section mounted for telescopic movement relative to said inner boom section;

nozzle means at the outer end of said outer boom section for discharging fluid; and

conduit means mounted on said boom for conveying fluid to said nozzle means, said conduit means including a first conduit section secured to said inner boom section and a second conduit section secured to said outer boom section and mounted in telescoping relationship with respect to said first conduit section, including extension means for extending and retracting said outer boom section relative to said inner boom section, said extension means including a first cable secured at one end to said outer boom section and secured at the outer end to said inner boom section, the intermediate portion of said cable being trained over a reaction member, said extension means further including a second cable secured at one end to said outer boom section on an opposite side of said reaction member than said first cable and secured at the other end to said inner boom section on an opposite side of said reaction member than said first cable, and means for shifting said reaction member outwardly relative to said inner boom section whereby said first cable pulls said outer boom section outwardly and for shifting said reaction member inwardly whereby said second cable pulls said outer boom section inwardly.

7. Fire fighting apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said means for shifting said reaction member is a fluid ram.

8. Fire fighting apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said inner boom section is a hollow member having said outer boom section nested therewithin, with support means being interposed betweeN said boom sections to guide said outer boom section as it moves relative to said inner boom section.

9. Fire fighting apparatus as set forth in claim 8 in which said outer boom section is a hollow member, and wherein guide means is provided within said outer boom section for supporting said reaction member.

10. Fire fighting apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said support means includes guide members floatingly mounted upon the top and bottom of said inner boom section, said floating members having guide shoes thereon engageable with the top and bottom of said inner boom section.

11. Fire fighting apparatus comprising a mobile frame, a boom structure mounted on said frame for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis and about a vertical axis, said boom structure including an inner hollow tubular boom section mounted on said frame for movement about said horizontal and vertical axes and an outer hollow tubular boom section mounted for telescopic movement within said inner boom section, nozzle means at the outer end of said outer boom section for discharging fluid, said nozzle means including a fluid inlet, conduit means mounted on said boom for conveying fluid to said nozzle means, said conduit means including a first rigid tubular conduit section secured to said inner boom section and a rigid tubular conduit section secured to said outer boom section and mounted for free sliding telescopic relationship within said first conduit section, sealing means between the confronting walls of said first and second conduit sections for preventing fluid leakage, the outer end of said second conduit section being in communication with said fluid inlet, manual control means mounted on said boom adjacent the outer end of said outer boom section for operating said nozzle means, ladder means on said boom structure providing access to said control means, said ladder means including a first section secured to said inner boom section and a second section secured to said outer boom section, and second manual control means on said mobile frame at the lower end of said inner boom section for operating said nozzle means.