Tamper-proof fire extinguisher

• US 4,119,153 A
• Filed: 11/01/1976
• Issued: 10/10/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Newell Operating Company (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bernzomatic Corporation (Kellogg Company)
• Inventors: Avant, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mar, Michael
• Application Number:
  US05/737,763
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 169/74, 169/75, 169/89, 239/591, 239/600, 340/303, 85/37, 403/2, 285/4
• US Class Current: 169/75
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 13/76 Details or accessories

Abstract

A hand-held fire extinguisher having a cylinder containing a fire extinguishing mass under pressure, a plunger valve in communication with a nozzle, a trigger for opening the valve which is pivotally connected to the body of the valve and a handle facing the trigger. The valve body has a bore and a pair of apertures in the trigger aligned with both ends of the bore. A breakable sealing pin having points of weakness is inserted in the bore and the aligned apertures in the trigger. The trigger has a pair of opposed sides spaced from and parallel to the valve body which contain the apertures. The trigger sides are positioned so as to be outside of any vertical plane which would pass through the valve body.

Claims

1. In a hand-held fire extinguisher having a cylinder with a fire extinguishing mass therein under pressure, a valve in communication with a nozzle, a trigger for opening said valve which is pivotally connected to the body of said valve and having two opposed side members, and a handle facing said trigger, the improvement wherein the body of said valve has a bore and the trigger has a pair of apertures in said side members and aligned with the ends of the bore, a breakable sealing pin inserted in the valve bore and through both of the aligned trigger apertures, said sealing pin having enlarged end portions exterior of the apertures for maintaining the pin in a substantially fixed longitudinal position and means for effecting the severing of same upon movement of the trigger to discharge the fire extinguisher comprising two points of weakness disposed at opposite end portions of the pin and aligned between the trigger side members and the ends of the bore when the pin is fixed in position by the enlarged end portions.

2. Fire extinguisher of claim 1 wherein the two points of weakness comprise two notched points.

3. Fire extinguisher of claim 2 wherein said notched points of weakness are V-shaped grooves.

4. Fire extinguisher of claim 1 wherein said side members are disposed in vertical planes outside of the vertical plane which passes through the valve body.

5. Fire extinguisher of claim 4 wherein said side members form clearance spaces on both sides of the valve body and the points of weakness are disposed in the clearance spaces such that the sealing pin is adapted to be severed in said clearance spaces.

6. Fire extinguisher of claim 1 which includes a pressure gauge for indicating the pressure of the contents of said cylinder.

7. Fire extinguisher of claim 1 wherein the nozzle has a ribbed insert and the interior of the nozzle cold flows around the ribs of said insert, said insert controlling the discharge pattern and blossom.

8. Fire extinguisher of claim 1 wherein the valve includes a siphon tube held in place by a spring in the valve which biases the valve closed.