REMOTE CONTROLLED HAZARD-FIGHTING VEHICLE

• US 3,762,478 A
• Filed: 03/08/1972
• Issued: 10/02/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fire & Technical Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Phil F. Cummins
• Inventors: Cummins, Phil F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wood, Jr., M. Henson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Love, John J.
• Application Number:
  US05/232,842
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 239/172 169/24,25 180/6.7
• US Class Current: 169/24
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 27/00 Fire-fighting land vehicles

Abstract

The specification discloses a remote controlled hazard-fighting vehicle including a chassis having crawler tracks mounted on opposite sides thereof. Motors are mounted within the chassis for independently advancing the crawler tracks. A movable turret is mounted on the upper part of the chassis and includes a movable nozzle for being attached through a flexible hose to a source of pressurized fluid. A portable transmitter is provided to selectively generate a plurality of unique tone signal combinations. A receiver is mounted within the chassis for receiving the tone signal combinations, and circuitry within the chassis is responsive to the output of the receiver in order to control the advancement of the crawler tracks and the movement of the turret and nozzle.

Claims

1. A remote controlled vehicle comprising:

a chassis having crawler tracks mounted on opposite sides thereof, motor means mounted within said chassis for advancing said crawler tracks, nozzle structure on said chassis for directing a stream of fluid, a portable radio transmitter for generating a plurality of unique tone signal combinations having a plurality of time slots, means in said transmitter for generating predetermined tones during a portion of said time slots to provide a system address, means in said transmitter for generating tones during the remainder of said time slots to provide various function commands for said vehicle, and radio receiver means for controlling the operation of said motor means in response to said tone signal combinations.

2. The reMote controlled vehicle of claim 1 and further comprising:

means for pivoting said nozzle structure in response to the output of said radio receiver means.

3. The remote controlled vehicle of claim 1 and further comprising:

means for varying the spray characteristics of said nozzle structure in response to the output of said radio receiver means.

4. The remote controlled vehicle of claim 1 wherein a plurality of function commands for said vehicle may be simultaneously transmitted from said radio transmitter.

5. A remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle comprising:

a chassis having crawler tracks mounted on opposite sides, motors within said chassis for independently advancing said tracks, a movable turret mounted on said chassis, nozzle structure on said turret for being attached through a hose to a source of pressurized fire-fighting agent, a portable transmitter including a casing having a plurality of keys for selectively generating a plurality of unique tone signal combinations, a receiver within said chassis for receiving said tone signal combinations, said portable transmitter including one key which must be actuated to energize said receiver prior to further operation of said vehicle, and means responsive to the output of said receiver for controlling the advancement of said tracks and the movement of said turret.

6. The remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle of claim 5 and further comprising:

means for raising and lowering said nozzle structure in response to the output of said receiver.

7. The remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle of claim 5 and further comprising:

means for controlling the degree of fanning of said nozzle structure in response to the output of said receiver.

8. The remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle of claim 5 and further comprising:

a plurality of flexible high pressure hoses being attached to said nozzle structure.

9. The remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle of claim 6 wherein said motors are electrically operated and further comprising:

battery means mounted in said chassis, electrical switches connected between said battery means and said motors, the output of said receiver means being connected to control the operation of said electrical switches to thereby control the operation of said motors.

10. The remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle of claim 9 and further comprising:

electrical motors for rotating said turret and for raising and lowering said nozzle structure, and switches operable in response to the output of said receiver means to control the operation of said electrical motors.

11. The remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle of claim 5 wherein said chassis comprises:

an upper housing having a triangular cross section with the apex directed forwardly, a lower housing having a width less than the width of said upper housing, said crawler tracks being disposed underneath the outer edges of said upper housing and adjacent the sides of said lower housing.

12. A remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle comprising:

a fire-resistant chassis, crawler tracks mounted on opposite sides of said chassis and movable by drive wheels, first and second electric motors mounted within said chassis, a gear reduction box connected between each of said motors and the drive wheels for said crawler tracks, a turret pivotally mounted on the top of said chassis, a third electric motor connected to pivot said turret, a nozzle carried by said turret and movable between raised and lowered positions, said nozzle adapted to be connected to a hose, a fourth electric motor operable to raise and lower said nozzle, batteries mounted within said chassis, switches connected between said batteries and said electric motors, a portable transmitter case including a plurality of keys, circuitry within said case for generating a unique tone signal combination upon acTuation of each key, wherein a plurality of function commands for said vehicle may be simultaneously transmitted to said chassis, receiver means in said chassis for actuating selected switches in response to reception of said tone signal combinations, whereby said chassis may be selectively transported to a desired location and said nozzle moved to selectively direct a high pressure stream of fire-fighting agent therefrom.

13. The remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle of claim 12 and further comprising:

means for controlling the fanning of said nozzle in response to the output of said receiver means.

14. The remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle of claim 12 wherein said chassis comprises:

an upper housing having a triangular cross section with the apex directed forwardly, a lower housing having a width less than the width of said upper housing, said crawler tracks being disposed underneath the outer edges of said upper housing and adjacent the sides of said lower housing.

15. The remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle of claim 12 wherein said radio transmitter generates signals having a plurality of time slots, means in said transmitter generating predetermined tones during a portion of said time slots to provide a system address, means in said transmitter generating tones during the remainder of said time slots to provide various function commands for said vehicle.

16. The remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle of claim 12 and further comprising:

a key mounted on said transmitter case which when actuated generates a unique sequence of tone signals for enabling said switches within said chassis.

17. The remote controlled fire-fighting vehicle of claim 12 and further comprising:

a pipe upstanding from said chassis for being connected to a flexible hose and including a generally U-shaped lower extension which connects to said nozzle.