Monitor with safety valve

• US 5,593,092 A
• Filed: 10/23/1995
• Issued: 01/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Task Force Tips Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Task Force Tips Incorporated
• Inventors: Kolacz, David J., McMillan, Stewart G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOUGLAS, LISA ANN
• Application Number:
  US08/546,662
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 239/279, 239/285, 239/569, 239/570, 239/579, 239/581.1, 239/587.2, 239/587.5, 169/52, 169/70, 169/91, 169/DIG. 3, 137/355.18, 137/343, 137/616.7, 251/66
• US Class Current: 239/285
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/62 Arrangements for supporting spraying apparatus, e.g. suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6925 With flow regulation responsive to hose movement

Abstract

Apparatus including a monitor and a portable ground base comprising a liquid-carrying conduit having an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end is adapted to receive a liquid (such as water) from a supply, and the outlet end is attached to the intake of the monitor. The conduit of the base includes an intermediate portion that is normally close to the support or ground when the ground base is in the normal operating position. Mounted within the conduit is a valve that is movable between a closed position and an open position. The valve is biased toward the closed position by a mechanism including liquid flow through the conduit and a spring. A trip catch is connected between the valve and the conduit for releasably holding the valve in the open position to permit flow through the conduit. A trip is mounted on the ground base and connected to the trip catch, the trip being operable to sense tilting movement of the ground base and to disengage the catch, thereby enabling the valve to move to the closed position and block liquid flow.

Claims

1. A portable base for a monitor, said base being operable to convey a liquid from a supply to the monitor, said base when in customary use being placed in an operating position on a support surface, said base comprising a conduit forming a flow passage between an inlet end and an outlet end, said inlet end being connectable to said supply and said outlet end being connectable to the monitor, and valve means mounted on said conduit for automatically closing said flow passage in the event that said base lifts off the support surface, said valve means including a valve pivotably mounted in said flow passage and movable between open and closed positions, and trip means connected to said valve and responsive to the base lifting from the support surface for moving said valve to said closed position.

2. A portable base as set forth in claim 1, wherein said valve means further comprises a manually operable handle attached to said valve for turning said valve to said open position.

3. A portable base as set forth in claim 1, wherein said trip means includes bias means for urging said valve from said open position to said closed position.

4. A portable base as set forth in claim 3, wherein said bias means comprises a spring connected between said valve and said conduit, and an angle between said valve and said flow passage.

5. A portable base as set forth in claim 1, wherein said trip means comprises a shoe pivotably mounted on said conduit and having a first position when said base is in said operating position and a trip position when said base lifts off said support surface, and a trip pin engageable between said valve and said shoe when said valve is in said open position and said shoe is in said first position, said trip pin disengaging said valve when said shoe moves to said trip position.

6. A monitor and a ground base for conveying a liquid from a supply to a discharge nozzle, said ground base when in customary use being placed in an operating position on a support surface, said ground base comprising a conduit having an inlet end and said monitor having an outlet end, said inlet end being connectable to a supply and said outlet end being connectable to said nozzle, said conduit including a valve portion between said inlet and outlet ends, a valve mounted within said valve portion and movable between a closed position and an open position, retainer means operable between said valve portion and said valve for releasably engaging said valve when in said open position, biasing means between said conduit and said valve for urging said valve toward said closed position, and trip means responsive to movement of said ground base out of said operating position for releasing said engagement of said valve whereby said biasing means moves said valve to said closed position.

7. Apparatus for conveying a liquid from a supply to a discharge nozzle, said apparatus when in customary use being placed in an operating position on a support surface, said apparatus comprising a conduit forming a flow passage between an inlet end and an outlet end, said inlet end being connectable to a supply, a valve mounted in said flow passage within said conduit and movable between a first position wherein said flow passage is substantially closed and a second position wherein said flow passage is substantially open, a shoe movably mounted on said conduit and engageable with said support surface when said apparatus is in said operating position, said shoe being in a normal position when said apparatus is in said operating position and said shoe being in a trip position when said apparatus is displaced from said support surface, and a trip engageable between said valve and said shoe, said trip and said shoe being operable when said shoe is in said normal position to hold said valve in said second position, and said trip and said shoe when said shoe is in said trip position enabling said valve to move to said first position.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, and further including biasing means for urging said valve from said second position toward said first position.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said biasing means further urges said shoe toward said trip position.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said biasing means comprises means for positioning said valve at an angle to said flow passage whereby liquid moving through said flow passage urges said valve toward said first position.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said biasing means comprises a torsion spring connected between said valve and said conduit.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, and further comprising a handle attached to said valve.