Aerial ladder fire fighting apparatus with positionable waterway
First Claim
1. An aerial type fire fighting apparatus, comprising:
- a frame rollingly supported by a plurality of wheels for enabling said apparatus to be transported to a location of a fire;
an extendible and retractable ladder assembly comprising at least two ladder sections including a top ladder section, said ladder sections being movably mounted to one another such that in each pair of adjacent ladder sections an upper one of said pair can be extended and retracted relative to a lower one of said pair to thereby affect extension and retraction of said ladder assembly, said ladder assembly being movably mounted for raising and lowering movements between a generally horizontal stored position on said frame and a raised position wherein said ladder assembly extends upwardly at an angle from said frame;
a power-operated ladder raising and lowering mechanism operatively connected to said ladder assembly, said ladder raising and lowering mechanism being constructed and arranged to move said ladder assembly under power between said generally horizontal stored position thereof and said raised position thereof;
a power-operated ladder extending and retracting mechanism operatively connected to said ladder assembly, said ladder extending and retracting mechanism being constructed and arranged to extend and retract said ladder sections under power to thereby affect extension and retraction of said ladder assembly;
a waterway comprising a water outlet support member coupled to said ladder assembly, a water outlet structure supported on said water outlet support member, and a fluid inlet connection, said fluid inlet connection being configured to receive pressurized fire fighting fluid from a fire fighting fluid source and being in fluid communication with said water outlet structure so that fire fighting fluid received by said fluid inlet connection is transmitted to said water outlet structure, said water outlet structure being constructed and arranged to emit the fire fighting fluid outwardly therefrom;
a lock member movable between (a) a first position in which said lock member couples said water outlet structure, said water outlet support member and said top ladder section to one another such that said water outlet support member and said water outlet structure move with said top ladder section as said top ladder section is extended and retracted relative to its adjacent ladder section, and (b) a second position in which said water outlet support member and said water outlet structure are disconnected from said top ladder section to enable said water outlet support member and said water outlet structure to remain substantially stationary with respect to said ladder section adjacent said top ladder section as said top ladder section is extended and retracted relative to its adjacent ladder section; and
a remotely controlled actuator mechanism having a manually operable control mounted on said frame at a location remote from said lock member, said actuator mechanism being operatively connected to said lock member and being constructed and arranged to move said lock member between said first and second positions thereof responsive to remote manual operation of said manually operable control.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fire fighting apparatus includes a frame supported by wheels and a sectioned ladder assembly mounted on the frame for movement between stored and raised positions. The sections of the ladder assembly extend and retract. A waterway on the ladder assembly includes a fluid inlet connection and a water outlet structure for directing pressurized fluid. A lock member is operable to connect the waterway and a top ladder section so that the water outlet structure moves with the top ladder section as the top ladder section extends and retracts and to disconnect the waterway from the top ladder section to enable the water outlet structure to remain substantially stationary with respect to an adjacent ladder section as the top section extends and retracts. A control mounted on the frame at a location remote from the ladder assembly controls the lock member.
71 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An aerial type fire fighting apparatus, comprising:
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a frame rollingly supported by a plurality of wheels for enabling said apparatus to be transported to a location of a fire;
an extendible and retractable ladder assembly comprising at least two ladder sections including a top ladder section, said ladder sections being movably mounted to one another such that in each pair of adjacent ladder sections an upper one of said pair can be extended and retracted relative to a lower one of said pair to thereby affect extension and retraction of said ladder assembly, said ladder assembly being movably mounted for raising and lowering movements between a generally horizontal stored position on said frame and a raised position wherein said ladder assembly extends upwardly at an angle from said frame;
a power-operated ladder raising and lowering mechanism operatively connected to said ladder assembly, said ladder raising and lowering mechanism being constructed and arranged to move said ladder assembly under power between said generally horizontal stored position thereof and said raised position thereof;
a power-operated ladder extending and retracting mechanism operatively connected to said ladder assembly, said ladder extending and retracting mechanism being constructed and arranged to extend and retract said ladder sections under power to thereby affect extension and retraction of said ladder assembly;
a waterway comprising a water outlet support member coupled to said ladder assembly, a water outlet structure supported on said water outlet support member, and a fluid inlet connection, said fluid inlet connection being configured to receive pressurized fire fighting fluid from a fire fighting fluid source and being in fluid communication with said water outlet structure so that fire fighting fluid received by said fluid inlet connection is transmitted to said water outlet structure, said water outlet structure being constructed and arranged to emit the fire fighting fluid outwardly therefrom;
a lock member movable between (a) a first position in which said lock member couples said water outlet structure, said water outlet support member and said top ladder section to one another such that said water outlet support member and said water outlet structure move with said top ladder section as said top ladder section is extended and retracted relative to its adjacent ladder section, and (b) a second position in which said water outlet support member and said water outlet structure are disconnected from said top ladder section to enable said water outlet support member and said water outlet structure to remain substantially stationary with respect to said ladder section adjacent said top ladder section as said top ladder section is extended and retracted relative to its adjacent ladder section; and
a remotely controlled actuator mechanism having a manually operable control mounted on said frame at a location remote from said lock member, said actuator mechanism being operatively connected to said lock member and being constructed and arranged to move said lock member between said first and second positions thereof responsive to remote manual operation of said manually operable control. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification