Fire Protection Systems and Methods Using Fire Protection Devices Installed in Pipe Fittings With an Internally Housed Seal Member

A fire protection system, comprising:

• a pipe header having internal fluid passageway extending along a longitudinal axis, the pipe header having an opening formed therein radially about the longitudinal axis;
• a branch connector including a unitary tubular member having a first terminal end, and a second terminal end spaced from the first terminal end, the unitary tubular member including an internal gasket chamber surface between the first terminal end and the second terminal end with a single annular seal member housed in the tubular member and supported therein by the internal gasket chamber surface, an internally threaded surface between the gasket chamber surface and the second terminal end, and an internal stepless surface extending from the first terminal end to the internal gasket chamber surface, the first terminal end being welded about the opening in the pipe header with the stepless surface in fluid communication with the internal fluid passageway of the pipe header;
• and
• a fire protection device comprising a frame having a frame body with a frame inlet, a frame outlet and a frame internal passageway extending from the frame inlet to the frame outlet along a device axis, the frame body being in a threaded engagement with the internally threaded surface of the tubular member to compress the annular seal member and establish the frame internal passageway of the fire protection device in fluid communication with the fluid passageway of the pipe header;
• wherein the first terminal end and the second terminal end are axially spaced and coaxially aligned along a central axis with each of the stepless surface, the internal gasket chamber surface and internally threaded surface being circumscribed about the central axis, the stepless surface including a first segment and a second segment, the second segment being contiguous with and between each of the first segment and the internal gasket chamber surface, the first segment of the stepless surface extending parallel to the central axis to define a constant internal diameter about the central axis and the second segment of the stepless surface being skewed at a constant slope with respect to the central axis to define a decreasing diameter about the central axis from the first segment to the internal gasket chamber surface.

The system of claim 13, wherein the annular seal member has a first end seal surface, a second end seal surface, an overall seal member height defined from the first end seal surface to the second seal end surface, an inner surface and a peripheral surface extending between the first and second end seal surfaces of the annular seal member, the peripheral surface including a first region and a second region contiguous with the first region, the first region defining a constant outer gasket diameter for engagement with the second restriction of the tubular member and the second region of the peripheral surface defines a variable outer gasket diameter for engagement with the first restriction, wherein the seal member includes one or more of the following:

• (i) the second region of the peripheral surface being skewed with respect to the first region of the peripheral surface, the second region extending from the first region to the first end seal surface to define a minimum outer gasket diameter of the seal member;
• (iii) the second region extending from the first region to the first end seal surface to define an axial distance therebetween that is 50% the overall seal member height;
• the second end seal surface of the annular seal member includes a first planar portion perpendicular to the central opening axis and a second portion skewed with respect to the first planar portion, with the first planar portion being axially spaced from the first end seal surface at an axial distance ranging from 90%-95% the overall seal member height;
• and
• (iv) an inner gasket diameter that is 80% of a maximum outer gasket diameter of the seal member.

A fire protection system, comprising:

• a pipe header having internal fluid passageway extending along a longitudinal axis, the pipe header having an opening formed therein radially about the longitudinal axis;
• a branch connector including a unitary tubular member having a first terminal end, and a second terminal end spaced from the first terminal end, the unitary tubular member including an internal gasket chamber surface between the first terminal end and the second terminal end with a single annular seal member housed in the tubular member and supported therein by the internal gasket chamber surface, an internally threaded surface between the gasket chamber surface and the second terminal end, and an internal stepless surface extending from the first terminal end to the internal gasket chamber surface, the first terminal end being welded about the opening in the pipe header with the stepless surface in fluid communication with the internal fluid passageway of the pipe header;
• and
• a fire protection device comprising a frame having a frame body with a frame inlet, a frame outlet and a frame internal passageway extending from the frame inlet to the frame outlet along a device axis, the frame body being in a threaded engagement with the internally threaded surface of the tubular member to compress the annular seal member and establish the frame internal passageway of the fire protection device in fluid communication with the fluid passageway of the pipe header;
• wherein the fire protection device includes a fluid deflection member coupled to the device frame and a protective cap disposed over the fluid deflection member, the cap includes an internal surface for engaging and gripping the device frame and an external surface for applying a torque to the device cap to thread in the device into engagement with the internally threaded surface of the tubular member, the internal surface preventing relative rotation between the protective cap and the fire protection device.

A fire protection system including a network of pipes for connecting fire protection devices to a source of firefighting fluid, the network of pipes including branch lines comprising:

• a pipe header having internal fluid passageway extending along a longitudinal axis, the pipe header having an opening formed therein radially about the longitudinal axis;
• and
• a branch connector including an annular seal member;
• and a unitary tubular member having a first terminal end welded to the pipe header, and a second terminal end spaced from the first terminal end, the unitary tubular member including an internal surface extending from the first terminal end to the second terminal end and circumscribed about a central axis of the tubular member that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipe header, the internal surface including a gasket chamber surface with the annular seal member housed and supported in the tubular member by the gasket chamber surface, an internally threaded surface between the gasket chamber surface and the second terminal end for engaging a fire protection device, and a stepless surface in fluid communication with the internal fluid passageway of the pipe header, the stepless surface extending from the first terminal end to the gasket chamber surface;
• wherein the first terminal end and the second terminal end are axially spaced and coaxially aligned along the central axis, the stepless surface including a first segment and a second segment contiguous with and between each of the first segment and the gasket chamber surface, the first segment of the stepless surface extending parallel to the central axis to define a constant internal diameter about the central axis and the second segment of the stepless surface being skewed at a constant slope with respect to the central axis to define a decreasing diameter about the central axis from the first segment to the gasket chamber surface, the gasket chamber surface including a planar backstop surface circumscribed about and perpendicular to the central axis of the tubular member, the second segment of the stepless surface extending from the first segment and terminating contiguously with the backstop surface.

A fire protection including a network of pipes for connecting fire protection devices to a source of firefighting fluid, the network of pipes including branch lines comprising:

• a pipe header having internal fluid passageway extending along a longitudinal axis, the pipe header having an opening formed therein radially about the longitudinal axis;
• and
• a branch connector including an annular seal member;
• and a unitary tubular member having a first terminal end welded to the pipe header, and a second terminal end spaced from the first terminal end, the unitary tubular member including an internal surface extending from the first terminal end to the second terminal end and circumscribed about a central axis of the tubular member that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipe header, the internal surface including a gasket chamber surface with the annular seal member housed and supported in the tubular member by the gasket chamber surface, an internally threaded surface between the gasket chamber surface and the second terminal end for engaging a fire protection device, and a stepless surface in fluid communication with the internal fluid passageway of the pipe header, the stepless surface extending from the first terminal end to the gasket chamber surface;
• wherein the gasket chamber surface includes:
• a first restriction;
• a second restriction axially spaced from the first restriction, and a relief wall between the first restriction and the second restriction, the first and second restriction engaging a peripheral surface of the annular seal member to support the annular member in the gasket chamber surface, the relief wall being radially spaced from the annular seal member to define a radial expansion volume therebetween.

A method of providing a fire protection system comprising:

• placing an annular seal member in an unloaded condition within an internal gasket chamber of a unitary tubular member formed along an internal surface extending along and circumscribed about a central axis, the gasket chamber being located between an internally straight tapered threaded surface and an internal stepless surface of the internal surface, the internally threaded surface being between the gasket chamber and a terminal outlet end of the tubular member, the internal stepless surface extending from the gasket chamber to a terminal inlet end of the tubular member in a welded connection to a pipe header of a network of pipes;
• and
• placing the annular seal member in a loaded condition within the internal gasket chamber with a fire protection device frame having a tapered thread in threaded engagement with the internally threaded surface and fluid communication with the pipe header;
• wherein placing the annular seal member in the unloaded condition includes supporting the annular seal member between two axially spaced restrictions of the gasket chamber and surrounding the annular seal member with an expansion volume between the annular seal member and a relief wall of the gasket chamber;
• and wherein placing the annular seal member in the loaded condition includes deforming the annular seal member radially into the radial expansion volume.

A method of providing a fire protection system comprising:

• placing an annular seal member in an unloaded condition within an internal gasket chamber of a unitary tubular member formed along an internal surface extending along and circumscribed about a central axis, the gasket chamber being located between an internally straight tapered threaded surface and an internal stepless surface of the internal surface, the internally threaded surface being between the gasket chamber and a terminal outlet end of the tubular member, the internal stepless surface extending from the gasket chamber to a terminal inlet end of the tubular member in a welded connection to a pipe header of a network of pipes;
• and
• placing the annular seal member in a loaded condition within the internal gasket chamber with a fire protection device frame having a tapered thread in threaded engagement with the internally threaded surface and fluid communication with the pipe header;
• wherein placing the annular seal member in the loaded condition includes torquing the device by hand with a protective device disposed about the device.

A branch connector for coupling a fire protection fluid distribution device to a supply pipe header, the branch connector comprises:

• an annular seal member having a first end seal surface, a second end seal surface, an inner surface defining an inner gasket diameter and a peripheral surface defining an outer gasket diameter, the inner and peripheral surface extending between the first and second end seal surfaces;
• and
• a tubular member having an inlet for connection to the supply pipe header, an outlet for connection to the fluid distribution device, and an internal surface defining an internal passageway extending along a central longitudinal axis from the inlet to the outlet, the internal passageway defining a minimum diameter for firefighting fluid to flow therethrough, the internal passageway including a gasket chamber formed between the inlet and the outlet with the annular seal member disposed in the gasket chamber, the gasket chamber defining:
• a first restriction proximate the inlet;
• a second restriction proximate the outlet;
• and
• a relief wall between the first restriction and the second restriction, the first and second restriction engaging the peripheral surface of the annular seal member to support the annular member within the gasket chamber such that the relief wall circumscribes the peripheral surface to define an expansion volume therebetween and a fluid flow path extending from the inlet to the outlet and through the inner surface of the annular seal member.