Hazardous materials training cylinder

• US 5,562,455 A
• Filed: 09/05/1995
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cathy Kirby, James Kirby
• Original Assignee: Cathy Kirby, James Kirby
• Inventors: Kirby, James, Kirby, Cathy
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirsch, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US08/523,776
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 434/226, 434/219
• US Class Current: 434/226
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/00 Simulators for teaching or training purposes for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

A hazardous materials training cylinder comprising: a main housing unit having an essentially hollow interior and a top including a plurality of smoke vent holes and a nozzle, a control panel including plurality of control knobs and an intake panel having a plurality of connection ports being affixed to the main housing unit, a gas hose and valve and a liquid hose and valve being coupled to the gas and liquid ports, a smoke generator device having an output hose coupled to the smoke connection port; gas and liquid distribution tubes being operatively coupled to the control panel, a smoke conduit having an upper end affixed around the smoke vent holes and a lower end coupled to the smoke intake port, a smoke control hose operatively coupling the control panel and smoke conduit, a plurality of gas and liquid supply hoses coupling the connection ports, gas and liquid distribution tubes, and nozzle together.

Claims

1. A new and improved hazardous materials training cylinder comprising, in combination:

a main housing unit formed in a generally cylindrical configuration with a rounded top, a front region, a rear region including a handle, a flat bottom and an essentially hollow interior, the rear region including wheels rotatably mounted adjacent to the bottom, the top including a plurality of smoke vent holes, a nozzle extending upwardly from the approximate centerpoint of the top, the nozzle including a large water aperture, a small air aperture and a control handle to regulate the flow of air and water therethrough, the nozzle including a lower member with air and water apertures, the lower member extending downwardly into the interior of the main housing unit, the front region including two legs affixed to the bottom, a pinhole leak valve extending through the main housing unit beneath the top, the main housing unit further including upper and lower rectangular recesses positioned within the front region;

a control panel formed in a generally rectangular configuration and hingedly attached within the upper recess of the front region, the control panel having a plurality of rotatable knobs including a smoke control knob, a supply air knob, a supply water knob, a pinhole air knob and a pinhole water knob, corresponding indicia being located adjacent to each knob;

an intake panel formed in a generally rectangular configuration and hingedly attached within the lower recess of the front region, the intake panel having a plurality of connection ports formed in a generally circular configuration including an air connection port, a water connection port and a smoke connection port, an air pressure regulator valve and a water pressure regulator valve being releasable couplable within the air and water connection ports respectively, an air hose and a water hose being coupled to the air and water valves respectively, in an operative orientation the air and water hoses being coupled to an air and water source respectively, a smoke reception tube being located within the interior of the main housing unit and formed in a generally cylindrical configuration with a first open end coupled to the smoke connection port, the smoke reception tube including a free second open end, a smoke generator device including a rotatable control knob, the smoke generator device having a large output hose extending therefrom, the output hose having a free end couplable to the smoke connection port;

an air distribution tube and a water distribution tube, each distribution tube containing a plurality of apertures therethrough and being operatively coupled to the air and water control knobs respectively, a three-way connector being coupled to the water distribution tube and a four-way connector being coupled to the air distribution tube, a smoke control valve being operatively coupled to the smoke control knob;

a smoke reservoir formed in a generally cylindrical configuration and positioned within the hollow interior of the main housing unit, the reservoir being affixed around the smoke vent holes and lower member of the nozzle, the reservoir having a lower extent including a funnel with a open end, a smoke conduit pipe formed in an elongated cylindrical configuration with a first end coupled to the open end of the funnel and a second end coupled to the smoke reception tube; and

air and water supply hoses each having a first end coupled to the respective air and water connection ports and a second end coupled to the respective air and water distribution tubes, a water nozzle hose having a first end coupled to the three-way connector and a second end coupled within the water aperture in the lower member of the nozzle, an air nozzle hose having a first end coupled to the four-way connector and a second end coupled within the air aperture in the lower member of the nozzle, a water pinhole hose having a first end coupled to the three-way connector and a second end coupled to the pinhole leak valve, an air pinhole hose having a first end coupled to the four-way connector and a second end coupled to the pinhole leak valve, a short bypass hose having a first end coupled to the four-way connector and a second end coupled within the smoke control valve, an auxiliary air hose having a first end connected to the smoke control valve and a second end connected to the smoke reception tube.

2. A hazardous materials training cylinder comprising:

a main housing unit having a front region, a rear region, a top and an essentially hollow interior, the top including a plurality of smoke vent holes and a nozzle extending upwardly therefrom, a control panel including plurality of control knobs and an intake panel having a plurality of connection ports, each said panel being affixed to the front region, a gas hose and valve and a liquid hose and valve being coupled to the gas and liquid ports respectively, a smoke generator device having a large output hose coupled to the smoke connection port; and

gas and liquid distribution tubes being operatively coupled to the control panel, a smoke conduit having an upper end affixed around the smoke vent holes within the main housing unit and a lower end coupled to the smoke intake port, a smoke control hose operatively coupling the control panel to the smoke conduit, a plurality of gas and liquid supply hoses coupling the connection ports, gas and liquid distribution tubes, and nozzle together thereby permitting users to simulate hazardous material emergencies by manipulating the knobs of the control panel.

3. The hazardous materials training cylinder as set forth in claim 2 wherein the rear region includes a lower extent with wheels rotatably mounted thereto, the rear region having an upper extent with a handle affixed thereto, the wheels and handle permitting easy transportability of the apparatus.

4. The hazardous materials training cylinder as set forth in claim 2 and further including:

a pinhole leak valve extending through the main housing unit beneath the top, at least one pin hole leak hose operatively coupling the pinhole leak valve to the gas and liquid distribution tubes and control panel, the pin hole leak valve being utilized to simulate small hazardous material leaks.

5. The hazardous materials training cylinder as set forth in claim 2 wherein the gas utilized by the apparatus is air and the liquid utilized by the apparatus is water.

6. The hazardous materials training cylinder as set forth in claim 2 wherein the gas utilized by the apparatus is propane, ammonia or chlorine.