Portable fire fighting apparatus and method

• US 7,832,492 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John P. Eldridge
• Original Assignee: John P. Eldridge
• Inventors: Eldridge, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Christopher S
• Application Number:
  US11/811,198
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 169/16, 169/35, 169/43, 169/46, 169/47, 169/51, 169/52, 169/24, 239/450, 239/547, 239/566, 239/567, 239/1, 239/195, 239/198
• US Class Current: 169/45
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/0278 by creating zones devoid of flammable material
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/0292 by spraying extinguishants directly into the fire A62C3/0242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 33/04 Supports or clamps for fire hoses
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/20 Arrangements of several outlets along elongated bodies, e.g. perforated pipes or troughs, e.g. spray booms spray booms for agricultural uses A01M7/0071; spray bars for treating roads E01C19/176; Outlet elements therefor

Abstract

The present invention is a portable fire suppression apparatus. The fire suppression apparatus comprises a conduit with an open end and a closed end. In some embodiments of this invention the conduit may be a combination of several similar conduits connected with couplings with the last conduit having a closed end. The conduit has a plurality of apertures disposed upon its length at periodic intervals. When a fire suppression medium is forced throughout the conduit, the medium streams from each apertures and drenches the surrounding area and provides a fire break and air borne spark suppression capability. In the preferred embodiment, this apparatus also includes a means for stabilizing the conduit against rotation when high pressure medium is forced through.

Claims

1. A method of fighting vegetative fires including forest and brush fires, comprising the steps of:

deploying by transporting, to a desired site of a fire break, portable firefighting equipment comprised of at least two lengths of releasably couplable conduit with each conduit having a plurality of apertures, a high pressure high fluid flow rate pump which generates an output pressure of 200 psi to 600 psi and an output fluid flow rate of between 200 and 1000 gallons per minute and a conduit closure;

creating a fire break by wetting an elongated area of ground with a fire retardant fluid and creating a spray of fire retardant fluid upwardly directed;

said wetting and creating a spray steps including the steps of;

laying out on the ground said at least two conduits each with an internal cross sectional area of at least 1.75 square inches and with each conduit having at least one row of apertures centered on a plane substantially perpendicular to the ground on which said conduit is laid;

releasably coupling together said at least two conduits;

applying said closure to one end of said coupled conduits;

providing as a part of said portable firefighting equipment means to inhibit longitudinal rotational motion of said conduit;

supplying a fire retardant fluid to said site and supplying it to said high pressure high fluid flow rate pump; and

forcing by said high pressure high fluid flow rate pump said fire retardant fluid into said conduit and out of said apertures at a rate of at least 200 gallons per minute to wet the longitudinal area and to create a spray of fire retardant fluid to create a fire break to impede or stop a vegetative fire.

2. A method of fighting vegetative fires in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of deploying by transporting portable firefighting equipment comprised of at least two lengths of releasably couplable conduit with each conduit having a plurality of apertures is a step wherein said conduit is flexible conduit with each flexible conduit having a plurality of apertures.

3. A method of fighting vegetative fires in accordance with claim 2 wherein said step of deploying by transporting portable firefighting equipment includes the step of transporting said flexible conduit on a reel.

4. A method of fighting vegetative fires in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of deploying by transporting portable firefighting equipment comprised of at least two lengths of releasably couplable conduit with each conduit having a plurality of apertures is a step wherein said conduit is rigid releasably couplable conduit with each conduit having a plurality of apertures.

5. A method of fighting vegetative fires in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of deploying by transporting portable firefighting equipment comprised of at least two lengths of releasably coupable conduit with each conduit having a plurality of apertures is a step wherein said conduit is circular in cross section with each conduit having a plurality of apertures.

6. A method of fighting vegetative fires in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of deploying by transporting portable firefighting equipment comprised of at least two lengths of releasably coupable conduit is a step wherein said conduit is pipe.

7. A method of fighting vegetative fires in accordance with claim 6 wherein said pipe is constructed of polyvinylchloride.

8. A method of fighting vegetative fires including forest and brush fires, comprising the steps of:

deploying by transporting, to a desired site of a fire break, portable firefighting equipment comprised of a least two sections with each section having at least two conduits, the conduits of each section being connected together side by side along their longitudinal length, each of said conduits having a cross-sectional area of at least 1.75 square inches, a plurality of apertures in one of the conduits of each section, a high pressure high fluid flow rate pump which generates an output pressure of 200 psi to 600 psi and an output fluid flow rate of between 200 and 1,000 gallons per minute and a conduit closure for each conduit of a terminal section;

releasably coupling ends of the conduits of at least the first and second sections together;

said step of releasably coupling the ends of the conduits of at least the first and second sections including the step of coupling an apertured conduit in one section to a non-apertured conduit in the next section;

connecting said high pressure high fluid flow rate pump to be in fluid communication with an input of a coupled at least first and second sections of conduit;

applying said conduit closures to terminal ends of the conduits of a terminal section;

supplying a fire retardant fluid to said high pressure high fluid flow rate pump and operating said pump; and

,

forcing said fire retardant fluid by means of said pump out of said apertures to wet the ground and create a spray of fire retardant fluid dowsing flying embers and creating a fire break.

9. A method of fighting vegetative fires in accordance with claim 8 wherein said step of deploying by transporting portable firefighting equipment comprised of at least two sections with each section having at least two conduits wherein said conduits are flexible.

10. A method of fighting vegetative fires in accordance with claim 9 wherein said step of deploying by transporting portable firefighting equipment includes the step of transporting said flexible conduit on a reel.

11. A method of fighting vegetative fires in accordance with claim 8 wherein said step of deploying by transporting portable firefighting equipment comprised of at least two sections with each section having at least two conduits wherein said conduits are rigid.

12. A method of fighting vegetative fires in accordance with claim 8 wherein said step of deploying by transporting portable firefighting equipment comprised of at least two sections with each section having at least two conduits wherein said conduits are circular in cross section.

13. A method of fighting vegetative fires in accordance with claim 8 wherein said step of deploying by transporting portable firefighting equipment comprised of at least two sections with each section having at least two conduits, wherein said conduits are pipe.

14. A method of fighting vegetative fires in accordance with claim 13 wherein said pipe is constructed of polyvinylchloride.