Deluge funnel tank jacket

• US 4,993,497 A
• Filed: 04/06/1990
• Issued: 02/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oscar R. Majors
• Original Assignee: Oscar R. Majors
• Inventors: Majors, Oscar R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Basinger, Sherman
• Assistant Examiner(s): Avila, Stephen P.
• Application Number:
  US07/506,265
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 169/48, 169/54, 169/66, 169/67, 169/68, 169/10, 220/5 R, 220/5 A, 220/88 R, 220/401, 220/400, 220/412, 220/426, 220/466, 220/428, 52/245, 52/248
• US Class Current: 169/66
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/06 of highly inflammable material, e.g. light metals, petroleum products

Abstract

A fire fighting device having a funnel shaped jacket that attaches to a rib framing system that is strapped around a bulk storage tank, the ribs attached to a relief channel located at the base of the tank, the jacket is held away from the tank shell by the ribs, the void created between the funnel jacket and tank shell is the waterway, fire stream cooling water is collected at the top of the tank by the funnel, the water is then gravity fed through the waterway, the flow rate of the water is controlled by the size of the relief ports located in the relief channel. As the water travels across the face of the tank within the waterway, it absorbs the heat radiated into the tank by an outside heat source. The heat transferred water enters the relief channel through inlet ports. The heated water is then released outside the waterway system through relief ports. Cool fire stream water enters at the top of the funnel; heat transferred water exits the system at the base of the tank.

Claims

1. A water collecting and distributing protective jacket in combination with a storage tank, comprising:

a plurality of channel members substantially surrounding the storage tank,

each channel member having means for receiving and and loosely holding in position an edge portion of a jacket plate component at a distance from the tank to create a void between the jacket and the storage tank,

each channel member having a plurality of side openings to permit water to flow from a channel member into the void,

a funnel positioned on top of the water jacket forming an enclosure for collecting water and having means for permitting communication of water flow from the enclosure of the funnel into the void,

the funnel having a horizontal sectional demension at least equal to a horizontal sectional dimension of the storage tank, and

a horizontally disposed channel member near the lowest portion of the jacket in communication with the void, the horizontally disposed channel member having a plurality of relief ports to permit water flowing through the void to exit the jacket.

2. A water collecting and distributing protective jacket as described in claim 1, wherein:

the jacket is of similar contour to the contour of the storage tank.

3. A water collecting and distributing protective jacket as described in claim 2, wherein:

the storage tank is a vertical cylindrical tank and the jacket is vertically disposed around the tank.

4. A water collecting and distributing protective jacket as described in claim 3, wherein:

the funnel has an upper cylindrical portion having a larger diameter than the diameter of the storage tank and has a lower conical portion attached to the top of the jacket.

5. A water collecting and distributing protective jacket as described in claim 4, wherein:

the jacket includes a plurality of horizontally disposed channel members and a plurality of vertically disposed channel members cooperating with each horizontally disposed channel member in holding the channel members and jacket plate members in position.

6. A water collecting and distributing protective jacket as described in claim 5, wherein:

the water jacket includes a plurality of adjustable tension members connected diametrically across the top of the funnel, each tension member adjustably secured at one end to a funnel cap and adjustably secured at the other end to a tension ring at the planar center of the funnel.

7. A water collecting and distributing protective jacket as described in claim 1, wherein:

the storage tank is a horizontally disposed storage tank and the jacket is horizontally disposed around the tank.

8. A water collecting and distributing protective jacket as described in claim 7, wherein:

the funnel has an upper rectangular portin having a larger cross-sectional area than the largest cross-sectional area of the storage tank and a lower pyramidal portion attached to the top of the jacket.

9. A water collecting and distributing protective jacket as described in claim 8, wherein:

each channel member includes means for adjusting the tension of the channel member.

10. A water collecting and distributing protective jacket as described in claim 9, wherein:

the means for adjusting the tension of each channel member comprises a threaded component at the upper end of each channel member cooperating with a threaded component of an opposite channel member.

11. A water collecting and distributing portective jacket as described in claim 10, wherein:

the upper ends of each channel member are within the pyramidal poriton of the funnel.

12. A wate collecting and distributing funnel in combination with and positioned upon a storage tank, comprising:

a plurality of vertically extending channel members and a plurality of plate members cooperating in forming an enclosure for collecting water and having means for permitting exiting of water from the enclosure of the funnel,

each vertically extending channel member having means for receiving and loosely holding in position, in cooperation with an adjacent vertically extending channel, an edge portion of a plate member to form the funnel structure,

an uppermost cap member to which each channel member is secured, and

the funnel having a horizontal sectional dimension across its lowest section greater than the horizontal sectional dimension of the storage tank.

13. A water collecting and distributing funnel as described in claim 12, wherein:

each channel member includes a side opening for permitting exiting of water from the enclosure from lower portions of the funnel down a side of the storage tank.

14. A water collecting and distributing funnel as described in claim 13, wherein:

the funnel includes a plurality of adjustable tension members connected diametrically across the top of the funnel, each tension member adjustably secured at one end to a funnel cap and adjustably secured at the other end to a tension ring at the planar center of the funnel.

15. A water collecting and distributing funnel as described in claim 13, wherein:

the funnel includes a plurality of adjustable tension members securing opposite channel members.