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US 4,570,719 AGranted
Dry pipe valve accelerator
AssigneeGrinnell Fire Protection Systems Company, Inc.
InventorDavid A. Wilk, deceased
Life of this patent
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AssigneeGrinnell Fire Protection Systems Company, Inc.
InventorDavid A. Wilk, deceased
Estimating the term…
A dry pipe valve accelerator is operative for quickening the operation of a dry pipe valve in a dry sprinkler system in order to hasten the delivery of water throughout the system in response to the operation of one or more sprinkler heads of the system. The accelerator is automatically actuated in response to a slight but significant rate of decay in system gas pressure, such as is caused by the operation of a sprinkler head of the system; and when the accelerator is actuated, an exhaust valve element thereof is moved from a closed position to an open position wherein the accelerator provides an interconnection between the pressurized portion of the system and the intermediate chamber of the dry pipe valve to effect the opening of the latter. Concurrent with the movement of the exhaust valve element to the open position thereof, an antiflood valve of the accelerator is moved to a closed position wherein water delivered to the system and any debris entrained in the water are prevented from reaching the operative components of the accelerator. Further, once the accelerator has been actuated, it is automatically releasably retained in an actuated position so that the sprinkler system can be drained and serviced while the operative components of the accelerator are fully protected from exposure to debris and/or water. After the debris and/or water have been cleared from the system, the accelerator can easily be manually reset by manipulating an external reset member to again render the accelerator responsive to decays in system pressure.
An accelerator for use in combination with a differential-type dry pipe valve in a dry pipe sprinkler system and the like wherein the system normally contains a pressurized gas, said accelerator comprising a valve body having a passage therethrough, said passage having inlet and outlet ends which are interconnectable to the pressurized portion of said sprinkler system and to the intermediate chamber of said dry pipe valve, respectively, an exhaust valve element in said valve body alternatively positionable in open or closed positions thereof for opening or closing said passage, respectively, said exhaust valve element being normally biased to the closed position thereof, a housing adjacent said valve body, the interior of said housing being interconnected with said passage through an antiflood aperture in said accelerator and being interconnected with the exterior of said accelerator through a relief port in said accelerator, an antiflood valve in said accelerator alternatively positionable in open or closed positions thereof for opening or closing said antiflood aperture, respectively, a relief valve in said accelerator alternatively positionable in open or closed positions thereof for opening or closing said relief port, respectively, and means communicating with said passage inlet end for moving said antiflood valve to the closed position thereof, said relief valve to the open position thereof and said exhaust valve element to the open position thereof when the rate of pressure decay in said inlet end exceeds a predetermined level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.