Protective cover and installation tool for fire protection sprinklers

A protected fire protection sprinkler assembly comprising:

• a fire protection sprinkler including:
• a frame having a body having an inlet, an outlet, an internal passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet along a central sprinkler axis, and an external thread formed about the central sprinkler axis, the frame including a pair of spaced apart frame arms disposed in a plane and extending axially from the body;
• a fluid deflector affixed to the frame arms and centered along the central sprinkler axis;
• a thermally responsive trigger assembly aligned along the central sprinkler axis;
• and
• a protection and installation device axially engaged with the fire protection sprinkler including a tubular body having a first end defining an opening for axial receipt of the fire protection sprinkler, a second end axially spaced from the first end for at least partially shielding the fire protection sprinkler, and a shielding wall between the first end and the second end defining a continuous geometry circumscribed about a central device axis and an internal void for housing the fire protection sprinkler, the tubular body having a torque assist feature defined by:
• at least one external rotational drive formation that includes a first segment of the wall and a second segment of the shielding wall contiguous with the first segment and extending in an outward direction from the first segment to define an external inflection in the continuous geometry and form a lever for applying a torque to the protected fire protection sprinkler assembly;
• and
• at least one internal rotational drive formation confronting one arm in the pair of arms for transferring the applied torque to the frame arm for rotation of the fire protection sprinkler about the central sprinkler axis within a threaded branch connector in a threaded engagement with the external thread of the body,
• wherein the at least one external rotational drive formation includes a pair of diametrically opposed external rotational drive formations and the at least one internal rotational drive formation includes a pair of diametrically opposed internal drive formations, and
• wherein the plane defines a first plane, at least a portion of the tubular body including the first end is asymmetrical about the first plane, the portion of the tubular body being asymmetrical about a second plane perpendicular to the first plane.

A protective device for a fire protection sprinkler comprising:

• a tubular body having a first end defining an opening for axially receiving the fire protection sprinkler, a second end axially spaced from the first end along a central axis, a wall between the first end and the second end that continuously circumscribes the central axis to define an internal void of the body for housing a portion of the received sprinkler;
• and
• at least one external rotational drive formation of the wall that includes a first external surface portion of a first segment of the wall and a second external surface portion of a second segment of the wall contiguous with the first external surface portion, with the second external surface portion extending in an outward direction from the first external surface portion to define an external inflection in the wall,
• wherein the at least one external rotational drive formation includes a pair of diametrically opposed external rotational drive formations and the tubular body includes a pair of diametrically opposed internal drive formations, and
• wherein at least a portion of the tubular body includes the first end is asymmetrical about a first plane aligned along the pair of diametrically opposed internal drive formations, the portion of the tubular body being asymmetrical about a second plane perpendicular to the first plane.