Fire-proof device for a tube of fusible material which extends through a wall

In a fire-proof device for a tube of fusible material extending through an aperture in a wall of a structure comprising, in combination with said wall, means defining a case of a material which is substantially non-deformable under the effect of heat and mounted on said wall around the aperture, and means within the case for radially crushing the tube and closing off said aperture when the tube softens under the effect of a fire;

• the improvement wherein said tube crushing and aperture closing means comprise two masses of a material which is capable of swelling under the effect of heat and are enclosed within the case, the case comprising a front wall, a rear wall substantially parallel to the front wall, two substantially parallel first side walls interconnected by the front wall, and two second side walls interconnected by the front wall, the front wall defining an orifice substantially coaxial with said aperture and through which orifice the tube extends in use of the device, two shutter elements respectively combined with said two masses and relatively movable between inoperative withdrawn positions in which said orifice is fully open and a passage is allowed for the tube and operative positions in which the two shutter elements are in contact with each other and said orifice and the tube are completely closed by the two shutter elements, the shutter elements being of a material which is substantially nonfusible at service temperatures, that is to say the temperatures which are developed in the course of a fire, each shutter element having a first part which is substantially planar and substantially perpendicular to a radial direction relative to the axis of the orifice and aperture and is mounted to be movable and slidable in said radial direction in the case substantially in contact with said front wall and second side walls and a second part which lies alongside and is in contact with said front wall, said second parts having an extent in said radial direction and an extent in a direction perpendicular to said radial direction which enable said second parts to together completely close said orifice in said operative positions of the shutter elements, and said masses of swelling material being respectively disposed in and filling two opposed parts of the case located on the opposite side of said first parts to the tube and located on the opposite side of said second parts to said front wall, the swelling material of said masses being capable of swelling in said radial direction sufficiently to shift said shutter elements to said operative positions of the shutter elements.